A unique journey to 150 AFL games isn’t lost on GIANTS star Jesse Hogan who says the most treasured achievement in his AFL career is rediscovering his love for the game.
Originally drafted by Melbourne in 2012 as one of the most highly touted youngsters in the country, Hoganplayed 71 games and kicked 152 goals across five seasons for the Demons before being traded to the Dockers ahead of the 2019 season where we managed just 19 games across two years as the recurrence of a stress fracture in his foot kept him sidelined and threatened to derail his career.
Managing just seven games and five goals for the Dockers in 2020 as he struggled with his body and his mental health, Hogan was admittedly thrown a lifeline by the GIANTS who picked up the down on his luck key forward through a trade ahead of the 2021 season.
Able to finally get fit and healthy and back to enjoying his footy, Hogan- who currently sits second in the Coleman Medal race- has flourished since his move to the GIANTS – kicking 130 goals in 59 games – including a career-best 49 majors in 23 games last year.
A turbulent journey involving three clubs over 12 years will now reach 150 AFL games against the Bulldogs at ENGIE Stadium [formerly GIANTS Stadium] on Saturday - a milestone Hogan isn’t taking lightly after his career was at a crossroads not too long ago.
“There was a time in my career where a lot of the community - and even myself - doubted that I might get to 100 games, so to be playing 150 this week – while it’s no Ward 300 – it’s something I’m pretty proud of,” he sai
“It’s not something I take for granted at all.”
The 29-year-old credits the GIANTS for helping turn his career around after taking a chance on the struggling Fremantle forward.
“There’s no other way to put it- the GIANTS threw me a lifeline when a lot of the community and the AFL wrote me off and I’m incredibly indebted to the football club for giving me a chance.
“When you lose passion for something you’ve loved since when you were probably eight - in the middle of your career-when you’re supposed to be enjoying it the most- was pretty rough,” he said looking back on his struggles at Fremantle.
“It was during the Covid period where it was a tough time for everyone and to come over here [to the GIANTS] and the way they took me in and how the club kind of wrapped their arms around me helped me massively.
“It’s been a great change for me.
“Obviously Sydney isn’t as media heavy as Melbourne and Western Australia so for me to be able to disconnect a little bit once I leave the four walls of the footy club has helped me immensely.
“I’ve just loved my time here and I love the energy of the group and the culture the club is still paving. Whether you’re the captain in Toby [Greene] or you just got drafted and haven’t played a game yet, everyone gets treated equally and it’s a really healthy environment that I’m really enjoying.”
Hogan admits it’s been a rewarding journey proving to the footy world – and most importantly himself – that he still has what it takes to be a high-performing AFL footballer after the dark days and injuries that riddled his time at the Dockers.
“It was nice to prove some people wrong but at the same time it was a lot of damage I’d done to myself so it was good to prove to myself that I could have the mental tenacity to get back to a stage where I’m probably the healthiest I’ve ever been.
“It’s not a spiteful thing at all because at the same time I had to prove to myself that I could still do it,” he said.
“I don’t take for granted the position I’m in now with this group and the headspace I’m in.”
Asked whether a certain highlight stuck out among his 149-game career to date, an honest Hogan revealed that rediscovering his love for the game is what he treasures most.
“It’s not really a highlight but just being back enjoying footy again,’ he said.
“The emotions of an AFL season are so flippant, you can go from enjoying it to down in the dumps pretty quick, so to get back to a place where mentally I can just enjoy it all again has probably been the highlight.
“The pressures of an AFL footballer are through the roof and you’re never going to be able to shy away from that but just enjoying the smaller things, enjoying the relationships, enjoying the highs and the lows – that’s been the highlight.
“I’m just enjoying it all a lot more. I’m enjoying the grind and the smaller things in footy.
“There’s no script when you get drafted, and everyone’s journey is different….so on reflection that’s probably the highlight for me- being able to come in and really enjoy the highs and lows and the grind of footy again.
“It’s something you always have to work on but I’m really enjoying the journey.”
Hogan will notch up his 150th AFL game when he looks to help lead the GIANTS to victory over the Dogs on Saturday as the clubs add another chapter to their storied rivalry when they clash at 4:35pm at ENGIE Stadium.