“It has been a big step up into the AFL. I’ve just been taking everything in my stride and learning as much as I can and just enjoying it,” Keysborough’s Jack Hutchins said of his AFL debut year.
By Jarrod Potter
FROM Keysborough to the Gold Coast Suns, Jack Hutchins has found the transition from junior to Australian Football League (AFL) player a promising challenge.
Hutchins, 19, chose football over swimming, having faced Eamon Sullivan in the pool as a junior Australian representative, but now he focuses on his football.
Hutchins debuted for the Gold Coast in round five, which was the Suns’ first victory in the AFL; beating the Port Adelaide Power 15.14 (104) to 15.11 (101). He also played in the Suns side that won the first Q-Clash against the Brisbane Lions and played six games in his debut year.
Hutchins said his first year had been brilliant and he loves all aspects of living and playing footy on the Gold Coast.
“It has been fantastic,” Hutchins said.
“I have really settled in here, living wise, and settled in with my team-mates and the club.
“In terms of football, it has been a real learning experience.
“Certainly debuting and playing in a couple of wins is a highlight, for sure, and just being able to play a number of games and get that experience behind me.”
The biggest tasks Hutchins faced were playing on the league’s best forwards, which read like an All-Australian teamsheet.
“I got to play on Buddy (Lance Franklin) and Pav (Matthew Pavlich) for a bit,” Hutchins said. “It wasn’t for all game, but for periods of time, and it was a real learning curve.
“David Hille and Tom Bellchambers from Essendon were certainly big boys and a hard task all around, but I learned a lot from it.”
Learning to play at the highest level of senior football has been difficult, but Hutchins has taken to it well.
“It has been a big step up into the AFL,” he said.
“It has been progressive as well, which is pleasing.
“I’ve just been taking everything in my stride and learning as much as I can and just to enjoy it and it has all worked out for the best.
“The more games I play the more experience I get.
“Obviously there are a few defensive things I have to work on, positioning and that sort of thing.
“Body-on-body contests and spoiling, just generally learning a lot of defensive strategies.”
He still gets down to the pool weekly, but the competition from within the Suns’ ranks isn’t quite up to world-class swimmers Hutchins used to face.
“Definitely not as much,” Hutchins said.
“I try to get in once a week or something like that just to swim a few laps.
“It loosens the body up a lot, so I certainly need it.
“They (Suns team-mates) are not very good. They can handle themselves out of the water, but in the water they’re just shocking.”
