ONE OF the breakout stars of the Casey Demons 2019 season has been Jaxon Briggs.
The electric small forward has showed he is primed for a massive year in the red and the blue.
Averaging 11 disposals a contest, and a goal a game, Briggs has been tenacious with his pressure on the ball in the early season, playing the best football of his career.
Something he credits to the positive culture down at Casey Fields.
“I love being a part of the team and the Club at the moment,” Briggs told Melbourne Media.
“Getting around the boys, we have had some success in the past few seasons.
“We have always had a good relationship with our Melbourne brothers… I love being a part of it.”
Briggs has been a part of the new look yet formidable forward line, including captain Mitch White, Mitch Lewis, and Kade Chandler, to a name a few.
The rotating crew of forwards has quickly gelled, something Briggs acknowledges is due to the team-first attitude, and believes is only going to get better.
“We all thrive off of one another, when someone kicks a goal or does something good we all go celebrate him,” Briggs said.
“We all thrive off that energy.
“The forward line is very young, so the more we play together the better we will continue to be.”
With a substantial change in the squad for 2019, Briggs showed maturity beyond his years welcoming the new faces to the Club.
Entering his fourth year in the system, the 21-year-old quickly became a source of guidance for the new players wanting to learn the Casey way of football.
A role he cherished.
“This season is my fourth year in the system,” Briggs said.
“While I haven’t played as much as I want… I understand how we play, and I was someone the new players could come to with any questions.
“I was more of a mature head… It is a role I enjoy.”
While his maturity off the field continues to grow, his on-field game continues to mature also.
Not limiting himself to the forward lines, Briggs has used his exuberant pace and speed to his advantage.
Pressing into the midfield to disrupt opposition link up play, and forcing stoppages before Casey’s opponent can launch into attack.
“With my speed, I want to become that pressure player,” Briggs said.
“It is still a work in progress, but it something I want to continue getting better at each week.”
The tenacious and pesky small forward is a role Briggs is flourishing in, drawing inspiration from another talented small forward on the AFL stage.
“Jamie Elliot from Collingwood is someone I have always looked up to as a footballer,” Briggs said.
“The way he attacks the footy, the way he jumps, the pressure he puts on his opponents.
“His speed… He is someone I have based my game on.”
While he is improving on the field.
Away from the field, a plumber by trade and a keen surfer in the Summer, travelling is where Briggs likes to enjoy in his time off.
Even editing a number of his recent overseas trips into tremendous blogger videos.
A creative passion he has had since he was a kid.
“I’ve always had a knack for video editing, and enjoyed the creative process,” Briggs said.
“Whether it was filming and editing me doing flips as a kid, I’ve always enjoyed filming… Now travel is something I enjoy filming.
“When you travel, you take a camera with you and you get some nice footage so that is where it comes from now.”
While filmmaking might be in his future, for now, Jaxon Briggs is focused on becoming the best player he can be for the Casey Demons.
“This season I want to get better every game,” Briggs said.
“To play with confidence, and just keep on trying to improve every week.”
If the early season is any indication, then Jaxon Briggs is well on his way of achieving his goals.
