Congratulations on your 100th AFL match. Let’s go back to your early days, when you first entered the AFL with the Brisbane Lions. What’s one of your first memories of life in the AFL?
JM: One of the things I reflect on is my first ever training session with the Lions. I was a pretty skinny kid and that was at the start of the year where the Lions were about to win their third premiership in a row in 2003. I remember in the warm-up Alastair Lynch hitting me with a couple of bullets in the lane kicking drill. It went straight through my hands and I didn’t realise the intensity. I remember during that training session saying to myself: ‘I am that far behind getting an AFL game, how the hell am I going to get myself up for this?’ It’s amazing how quick footy changes and after a couple of good pre-seasons, you get into your body and start to find your feet.
And since then it’s been a real journey for you.
JM: As it is for most guys, it’s been a challenging journey. I’ve had to fight for most of my games and I still am. It hasn’t been easy mentally. I had a set-back with the knee reconstruction and it put into perspective how important football was. It got taken away from me for a year and ever since then I’m really starting to find my feet and produce consistent performances.
You were originally a rookie with the Lions. Yet one of your first setbacks was being overlooked in the NAB AFL Draft. How did you handle that?
JM: Early on, I was a really intense individual, who was driven - I still am - but I was obsessed about things. When I chose something, I put everything to the side to achieve it. In school, I put everything into footy - probably too much. I didn’t have the best under-18 championship and then didn’t get drafted. But then the chance to become a rookie helped me address the issue of being too intense. The way I went about it at high school didn’t help me get drafted, so I had to change. At that stage, I hadn’t touched alcohol, didn’t go to parties and I was what you would call a football robot. I lived and breathed it. When I got to the Lions, I realised that all the top players had a life outside football. They took it seriously, but definitely had a balance. That helped change my game plan a bit. It was important to learn balance and that’s helped me. That was the biggest light bulb to go off in my head.
You had some individual success at the Lions, playing 80 matches, but moved on at the end of the 2009 season. That hit you pretty hard didn’t it?
JM: Yeah, it definitely did. I’m a really loyal person and if you give me a job to do on the footy field, I’ll do it. I’ve always been more about the team than the individual. I’ve always felt that if you invest in the team, then it’s going to pay dividends for your individual performance anyway. Playing 22 games [in 2009] at the Lions and then getting dropped for that first final - having not played in a final since 2004 - the writing was on the wall. But it was the fact that I tried my arse off for the team and did a few roles that I was pretty happy with. Leaving the boys was probably the hardest thing. Everyone in the business world has to move on eventually, but you grow really attached to the footy club and playing for the jumper. Now that I’m at Melbourne - although it takes a couple of years to find your place - I reckon to this moment, I’m feeling like Melbourne is home. And I love that. I love being part of a team environment. But it definitely was hard leaving the Lions.
Expanding further, can you talk about what it’s been like for you at Melbourne?
JM: To represent such a big club on the MCG, with so much heritage and considering the generations that follow Melbourne and what the jumper actually mean - it shows just how young the Lions are, from a club perspective. That’s been the biggest thing.
Although you’re still only 26 and since Melbourne has the second youngest list in the competition, you’re now one of the oldest players at the club. How do you find that status?
JM: Even though I’m only 26, I’m really relishing the role of passing on experience or advice to some of the young guys. When you’re going up, you have your Nana in your bloody ear saying: ‘don’t do this and don’t do that’ - then you start to realise why Nana says those things (laughing). So I’m not a Nana to the young boys, but you are very observant to them. I like to try and help them out. So that’s been good for me.
Again, this year, you’ve had your challenges. You played the first match of the season, but didn’t return until last round. From your perspective, what’s 2011 been like so far?
JM: Apart from my knee reconstruction, it tested me the hardest mentally I reckon. You get to a stage where you’re in good shape and you’re feeling stronger, but you can’t get a place in the side still. The human instinct is to get negative, but you want to balance that part of your thinking. You can get shitty with the club, the coaches and think: ‘why me’. But I look back on it now and I’m glad I didn’t have a negative attitude during those eight weeks, because you’d be embarrassed about it now. Not everyone is going to be playing every week, so someone has to show leadership at Casey. And even though I wasn’t playing in the seniors and I’m not an official leader at Melbourne, I wanted to be a leader at Casey. So that helped a bit.
Considering the hurdles you’ve encountered before and during your AFL career, 100 matches must mean a lot to you?
JM: It does. You reflect on not ever thinking you’d play a game to thinking about 50 and then playing 100. You just want more. So considering what’s happened over the last few years - having to leave Brisbane and come here and fight my way back into the side - I can’t really explain how much it means to me. I’m pretty proud. I know where I sit in the ranks of the AFL, but I’m proud I’ve fought my way to forge this career. After footy, that’s what is going to make me tick. In the work place for example, I might not feel I’m the most talented, but I know I’ve got that foundation that if you put your mind to it - you can achieve it. I’ll probably get a bit emotional when I run out [against Carlton], but that’s understandable.
At the end of the match, win, lose or draw, how you will you look back on your 100th game?
JM: The most frustrating thing, not having been in the team recently, is that we’ve been called the nice guys of the AFL. But I love playing aggressively and that’s how I base my game. So how I’ll look back - we need to start responding and getting some grunt. We need blokes flying the flag and putting their head over the footy - some old school, tough footy. So I’ll look back on the match, knowing we’re heading in the right direction. When we tackle, pressure and win contested possession - that’s when we’re a good team. So I’ll look back on it from a team perspective, rather than an individual point-of-view.
A lot of people talk about the pride of being a one club player. But do you feel because you’ve been at two clubs, it actually highlights the challenges you’ve overcome to get where you are today?
JM: It’s how I play. I have to play on knife’s edge. What I learned at Brisbane was that I didn’t realise my last game for Brisbane in 2009 would be my last for the club. Every time I go out, I put everything out there - as if it’s going to be my last game. That’s just how it’s worked out.
Since coming to Melbourne, who has been a mentor or someone who’s helped you?
JM: Sean Wellman last year really helped me defensively. I came down from Brisbane as an attacking half-back. The defensive side of my game was an area I needed to address. I think Sean’s a really good coach and it’s paying off now at Essendon, but he’s been a massive influence. But Bails (Dean Bailey) has been a massive encourager of my game. He encourages the way I play and he inspires me how to play my game. They’re probably been the two biggest influences for me here.
And finally, away from the game, what are you up to?
JM: My girlfriend Jess, we moved to Melbourne together and she’s been a massive support to me. She’s always worried about where my headspace is and I can’t thank her enough for how much she’s understood the requirements of an AFL player. She’s helped me get a real balance in my life. I’m also still studying business and I’m doing a bit of work experience now at a business development company. It’s fair to say my life’s pretty balanced now (laughing).
JM: One of the things I reflect on is my first ever training session with the Lions. I was a pretty skinny kid and that was at the start of the year where the Lions were about to win their third premiership in a row in 2003. I remember in the warm-up Alastair Lynch hitting me with a couple of bullets in the lane kicking drill. It went straight through my hands and I didn’t realise the intensity. I remember during that training session saying to myself: ‘I am that far behind getting an AFL game, how the hell am I going to get myself up for this?’ It’s amazing how quick footy changes and after a couple of good pre-seasons, you get into your body and start to find your feet.
And since then it’s been a real journey for you.
JM: As it is for most guys, it’s been a challenging journey. I’ve had to fight for most of my games and I still am. It hasn’t been easy mentally. I had a set-back with the knee reconstruction and it put into perspective how important football was. It got taken away from me for a year and ever since then I’m really starting to find my feet and produce consistent performances.
You were originally a rookie with the Lions. Yet one of your first setbacks was being overlooked in the NAB AFL Draft. How did you handle that?
JM: Early on, I was a really intense individual, who was driven - I still am - but I was obsessed about things. When I chose something, I put everything to the side to achieve it. In school, I put everything into footy - probably too much. I didn’t have the best under-18 championship and then didn’t get drafted. But then the chance to become a rookie helped me address the issue of being too intense. The way I went about it at high school didn’t help me get drafted, so I had to change. At that stage, I hadn’t touched alcohol, didn’t go to parties and I was what you would call a football robot. I lived and breathed it. When I got to the Lions, I realised that all the top players had a life outside football. They took it seriously, but definitely had a balance. That helped change my game plan a bit. It was important to learn balance and that’s helped me. That was the biggest light bulb to go off in my head.
You had some individual success at the Lions, playing 80 matches, but moved on at the end of the 2009 season. That hit you pretty hard didn’t it?
JM: Yeah, it definitely did. I’m a really loyal person and if you give me a job to do on the footy field, I’ll do it. I’ve always been more about the team than the individual. I’ve always felt that if you invest in the team, then it’s going to pay dividends for your individual performance anyway. Playing 22 games [in 2009] at the Lions and then getting dropped for that first final - having not played in a final since 2004 - the writing was on the wall. But it was the fact that I tried my arse off for the team and did a few roles that I was pretty happy with. Leaving the boys was probably the hardest thing. Everyone in the business world has to move on eventually, but you grow really attached to the footy club and playing for the jumper. Now that I’m at Melbourne - although it takes a couple of years to find your place - I reckon to this moment, I’m feeling like Melbourne is home. And I love that. I love being part of a team environment. But it definitely was hard leaving the Lions.
Expanding further, can you talk about what it’s been like for you at Melbourne?
JM: To represent such a big club on the MCG, with so much heritage and considering the generations that follow Melbourne and what the jumper actually mean - it shows just how young the Lions are, from a club perspective. That’s been the biggest thing.
Although you’re still only 26 and since Melbourne has the second youngest list in the competition, you’re now one of the oldest players at the club. How do you find that status?
JM: Even though I’m only 26, I’m really relishing the role of passing on experience or advice to some of the young guys. When you’re going up, you have your Nana in your bloody ear saying: ‘don’t do this and don’t do that’ - then you start to realise why Nana says those things (laughing). So I’m not a Nana to the young boys, but you are very observant to them. I like to try and help them out. So that’s been good for me.
Again, this year, you’ve had your challenges. You played the first match of the season, but didn’t return until last round. From your perspective, what’s 2011 been like so far?
JM: Apart from my knee reconstruction, it tested me the hardest mentally I reckon. You get to a stage where you’re in good shape and you’re feeling stronger, but you can’t get a place in the side still. The human instinct is to get negative, but you want to balance that part of your thinking. You can get shitty with the club, the coaches and think: ‘why me’. But I look back on it now and I’m glad I didn’t have a negative attitude during those eight weeks, because you’d be embarrassed about it now. Not everyone is going to be playing every week, so someone has to show leadership at Casey. And even though I wasn’t playing in the seniors and I’m not an official leader at Melbourne, I wanted to be a leader at Casey. So that helped a bit.
Considering the hurdles you’ve encountered before and during your AFL career, 100 matches must mean a lot to you?
JM: It does. You reflect on not ever thinking you’d play a game to thinking about 50 and then playing 100. You just want more. So considering what’s happened over the last few years - having to leave Brisbane and come here and fight my way back into the side - I can’t really explain how much it means to me. I’m pretty proud. I know where I sit in the ranks of the AFL, but I’m proud I’ve fought my way to forge this career. After footy, that’s what is going to make me tick. In the work place for example, I might not feel I’m the most talented, but I know I’ve got that foundation that if you put your mind to it - you can achieve it. I’ll probably get a bit emotional when I run out [against Carlton], but that’s understandable.
At the end of the match, win, lose or draw, how you will you look back on your 100th game?
JM: The most frustrating thing, not having been in the team recently, is that we’ve been called the nice guys of the AFL. But I love playing aggressively and that’s how I base my game. So how I’ll look back - we need to start responding and getting some grunt. We need blokes flying the flag and putting their head over the footy - some old school, tough footy. So I’ll look back on the match, knowing we’re heading in the right direction. When we tackle, pressure and win contested possession - that’s when we’re a good team. So I’ll look back on it from a team perspective, rather than an individual point-of-view.
A lot of people talk about the pride of being a one club player. But do you feel because you’ve been at two clubs, it actually highlights the challenges you’ve overcome to get where you are today?
JM: It’s how I play. I have to play on knife’s edge. What I learned at Brisbane was that I didn’t realise my last game for Brisbane in 2009 would be my last for the club. Every time I go out, I put everything out there - as if it’s going to be my last game. That’s just how it’s worked out.
Since coming to Melbourne, who has been a mentor or someone who’s helped you?
JM: Sean Wellman last year really helped me defensively. I came down from Brisbane as an attacking half-back. The defensive side of my game was an area I needed to address. I think Sean’s a really good coach and it’s paying off now at Essendon, but he’s been a massive influence. But Bails (Dean Bailey) has been a massive encourager of my game. He encourages the way I play and he inspires me how to play my game. They’re probably been the two biggest influences for me here.
And finally, away from the game, what are you up to?
JM: My girlfriend Jess, we moved to Melbourne together and she’s been a massive support to me. She’s always worried about where my headspace is and I can’t thank her enough for how much she’s understood the requirements of an AFL player. She’s helped me get a real balance in my life. I’m also still studying business and I’m doing a bit of work experience now at a business development company. It’s fair to say my life’s pretty balanced now (laughing).
