NEVILLE Jetta says he still has plenty left in him after producing his best AFL season.
The 27-year-old capped off a fine year down back with All-Australian squad selection and although he didn’t make the final 22, he was widely recognised by the football community for his fearless style of play – a trait many who follow the red and blue have known about for several seasons.
“I feel like I’ve still got a lot left in me. I played my best footy this year but I see a lot of things that I can improve on. To help the team, I’ve got to improve a few things. If I do that, everything else will take care of itself. I’m a team player so if I can keep giving to the team, I’d love to play forever,” he said.
“I’m very proud of what I’ve been able to achieve, but to finish the way that we did and not play finals feels like its cancels that out to a point. It’s a team game; you do everything for the team and your individual stuff comes later. I’ll probably look back on it in a few weeks’ time but right now, I’m still disappointed in how we finished as a team.
“On the individual side of things, I’m happy to be playing my best footy at the moment and hopefully I can continue that going forward because I know if I do, I’ll drag a few blokes along.”
Jetta said he wasn’t disappointed about missing out on the All Australian final 22, as he said the team would always be his goal.
“I wasn’t too worried if I made it or not. I’m just going to go about my own business again and do what I need to do to help the team. If I’m recognised in the team or the squad again, that’s awesome but my goal is to help the team to make finals,” he said.
Still, Jetta, who has played 116 AFL matches, said he appreciated the accolade from outside of the club for his much-admired style of play.
“It’s great to be recognised. I think that’s just a by-product of the stuff you do behind the scenes and the work you put in,” he said.
“All of the stuff I’ve done on the footy field, I thank all the coaches and my teammates for all the work they’ve helped me do.
“The training and craft that we do, day in, day out, definitely came out in my game this year. To be recognised is just a by-product of that.
Jetta praised his teammates for his 2017 season.
“As a defender, you’re only as good as your forwards and your midfielders and the pressure they put on your opponents,” he said.
“I’ve got to be able to hold my own down there but when the pressure is on the ball, it’s a lot easier to be able to make better decisions and put yourself in better spots to defend and then attack.
“I also have guys like Michael Hibberd, Oscar McDonald and Sam Frost alongside me, so to be able to play with guys who have been in good form has helped me.”