MELBOURNEFC.com.au's Matt Burgan speaks with Jeremy Howe about his second year, dealing with a tough start to the year and his Australian cricket cousin Matthew Wade
MB: THANKS for your time Jeremy. Firstly, in your own words, how have you viewed the team’s start to 2012?
JH: It’s been not too bad. Pre-season was pretty solid.
We’ve put all of the work in, but our first two matches were pretty disappointing result wise.
We’re trying to work together with the new game style and we’ve shown glimpses that we can do it. It’s just a matter of making it consistent throughout the whole game. And we didn’t do that in the first two weeks, and it cost us.
MB: And your own form early in the season - how have you rated it?
JH: Due to the pre-season, I feel the second pre-season under my belt has made me a lot fitter, and I feel stronger from the second pre-season as well. That’s helped me a lot.
Running through the midfield group has helped add to my game as well - not just playing forward, but adapting to different positions.
That’s helped my game a fair bit as well, so that’s good.
MB: You’re known as a forward, but have spent time on the wing/midfield and even pinched some time in defence. But what do you prefer: forward or midfield?
JH: I like them both. I like the best of both worlds. Down in the forward line, I’ve got good relationships with the forwards down there.
Also, running in the midfield, I like that as well, because I get a bit more run in the legs. It’s something different - it’s exciting playing with the mids, and you get a bit more of the ball.
MB: Did you play much in the midfield back in your Tassie days?
JH: I played a lot of underage through the midfield and then, at Hobart, I started in the midfield and then they took my down forward for the last six weeks. Then I managed to get picked up as a forward.
I’ve played midfield before, but not to this extent, where it’s so heavy and reliant on structures.
It’s different for me and I’m still learning a fair bit.
MB: You appear stronger, but leaner this year. Is that a fact?
JH: I lost probably three kilos from last year, but my strength has gone up.
I think I lost body fat and due to being fitter and stronger, it’s helped considerably.
MB: Given the several off-field happenings, which have happened at the club in the past month, collectively have they had an effect on you as a player?
JH: When it first occurs, it hits you pretty hard.
You think about it a lot and then, once your week gets closer to game day, as much as you think about it, you’ve got to try and have your main focus on the weekend.
It’s a fair bit to do with everything that’s happened.
On the weekend, your main focus is the game, so you try and block all other related things that are going on out. Then you just focus on the game.
But generally, when it initially happens, you think about it a fair bit. But [when it’s] closer to the weekend, you think about the game.
MB: Do you believe these issues have brought the players closer together?
JH: I think that’s how it’s going.
The perception of us at the moment is that we’re on a downhill slope and Melbourne is slipping. They’re almost expecting us not to do well, due to the things that have happened.
But the group knows that people think that, and I think everyone has got a lot closer since things have happened. And that’s what makes good footy clubs stick together. When things are going tough, everyone sticks together and pulls each other along, and I think that’s what we’ve been doing pretty well through a tough couple of weeks.
MB: It’s your second season at the club. How do you reflect on your time in Melbourne?
JH: It’s changed a lot in the last 18 to 20 months. I’ve definitely settled into the Melbourne lifestyle.
I got home the other weekend, which was good, but I still miss home every now and then. I find it a lot busier than back home, but I enjoy it and my footy more than ever now.
Everything is starting to feel good and fall into place, so hopefully I can continue to keep going well. I still think about going home and I still miss it, but I’ve got used to [living in] Melbourne now, so that’s good.
MB: Despite the fact you are playing an elite sport, do you miss your life in Tasmania?
JH: I miss friends and family a bit. I had a tight group of mates back home. I miss hanging around with them, but I’ve formed real good relationships with the boys here.
I was best mates with blokes from footy back home and that’s the same here. Your best mates are the ones you’re with at footy.
So I’ve managed to form good friendships over here, which counteracts the friendships I had back home.
MB: Your marking and high-flying leaps are a feature of your game. Has it always been a strength and what license do the coaches give you around it?
JH: My marking has always been a strength for me throughout my footy. I get confidence from Neeldy (Mark Neeld) and Leigh Brown and all the coaches to go for my marks.
Whether I mark it or not, it doesn’t matter. As long as I compete and bring the ball to ground - that’s all we want.
The confidence you get from them telling you to go for it - it gives me every reason to jump at the ball. And if I don’t mark it, at least I’m bringing it to the ground. I’m still doing what I should be doing.
Whether people expect me to take a big mark or not - I just go for my marks, whether they come off or not. As long as I’m competing and making a contest, then I’m happy.
MB: You’re cousins with Matthew Wade, who is playing his first test for Australia in the West Indies. What’s that like to have a family member playing international cricket?
JH: It’s pretty mind boggling. I managed to watch the last few overs [of his first test innings].
His mother and my mother are sisters. You sit back and it probably hits my brother more. I ring him a couple of times a week and it still blows his mind that I’m over here playing footy and he’s (Wade) playing cricket for Australia.
I probably don’t think about it as much as him, but it’s good to have him over here in Melbourne. He’s (Wade) my only family here … and just to see him do really well - it makes you feel good. It’s great to see him do well.
I’m pretty tight with him and when he’s in Australia, I catch up with him once or twice a week. Our relationship has got a lot stronger since I moved over here.
MB: THANKS for your time Jeremy. Firstly, in your own words, how have you viewed the team’s start to 2012?
JH: It’s been not too bad. Pre-season was pretty solid.
We’ve put all of the work in, but our first two matches were pretty disappointing result wise.
We’re trying to work together with the new game style and we’ve shown glimpses that we can do it. It’s just a matter of making it consistent throughout the whole game. And we didn’t do that in the first two weeks, and it cost us.
MB: And your own form early in the season - how have you rated it?
JH: Due to the pre-season, I feel the second pre-season under my belt has made me a lot fitter, and I feel stronger from the second pre-season as well. That’s helped me a lot.
Running through the midfield group has helped add to my game as well - not just playing forward, but adapting to different positions.
That’s helped my game a fair bit as well, so that’s good.
MB: You’re known as a forward, but have spent time on the wing/midfield and even pinched some time in defence. But what do you prefer: forward or midfield?
JH: I like them both. I like the best of both worlds. Down in the forward line, I’ve got good relationships with the forwards down there.
Also, running in the midfield, I like that as well, because I get a bit more run in the legs. It’s something different - it’s exciting playing with the mids, and you get a bit more of the ball.
MB: Did you play much in the midfield back in your Tassie days?
JH: I played a lot of underage through the midfield and then, at Hobart, I started in the midfield and then they took my down forward for the last six weeks. Then I managed to get picked up as a forward.
I’ve played midfield before, but not to this extent, where it’s so heavy and reliant on structures.
It’s different for me and I’m still learning a fair bit.
MB: You appear stronger, but leaner this year. Is that a fact?
JH: I lost probably three kilos from last year, but my strength has gone up.
I think I lost body fat and due to being fitter and stronger, it’s helped considerably.
MB: Given the several off-field happenings, which have happened at the club in the past month, collectively have they had an effect on you as a player?
JH: When it first occurs, it hits you pretty hard.
You think about it a lot and then, once your week gets closer to game day, as much as you think about it, you’ve got to try and have your main focus on the weekend.
It’s a fair bit to do with everything that’s happened.
On the weekend, your main focus is the game, so you try and block all other related things that are going on out. Then you just focus on the game.
But generally, when it initially happens, you think about it a fair bit. But [when it’s] closer to the weekend, you think about the game.
MB: Do you believe these issues have brought the players closer together?
JH: I think that’s how it’s going.
The perception of us at the moment is that we’re on a downhill slope and Melbourne is slipping. They’re almost expecting us not to do well, due to the things that have happened.
But the group knows that people think that, and I think everyone has got a lot closer since things have happened. And that’s what makes good footy clubs stick together. When things are going tough, everyone sticks together and pulls each other along, and I think that’s what we’ve been doing pretty well through a tough couple of weeks.
MB: It’s your second season at the club. How do you reflect on your time in Melbourne?
JH: It’s changed a lot in the last 18 to 20 months. I’ve definitely settled into the Melbourne lifestyle.
I got home the other weekend, which was good, but I still miss home every now and then. I find it a lot busier than back home, but I enjoy it and my footy more than ever now.
Everything is starting to feel good and fall into place, so hopefully I can continue to keep going well. I still think about going home and I still miss it, but I’ve got used to [living in] Melbourne now, so that’s good.
MB: Despite the fact you are playing an elite sport, do you miss your life in Tasmania?
JH: I miss friends and family a bit. I had a tight group of mates back home. I miss hanging around with them, but I’ve formed real good relationships with the boys here.
I was best mates with blokes from footy back home and that’s the same here. Your best mates are the ones you’re with at footy.
So I’ve managed to form good friendships over here, which counteracts the friendships I had back home.
MB: Your marking and high-flying leaps are a feature of your game. Has it always been a strength and what license do the coaches give you around it?
JH: My marking has always been a strength for me throughout my footy. I get confidence from Neeldy (Mark Neeld) and Leigh Brown and all the coaches to go for my marks.
Whether I mark it or not, it doesn’t matter. As long as I compete and bring the ball to ground - that’s all we want.
The confidence you get from them telling you to go for it - it gives me every reason to jump at the ball. And if I don’t mark it, at least I’m bringing it to the ground. I’m still doing what I should be doing.
Whether people expect me to take a big mark or not - I just go for my marks, whether they come off or not. As long as I’m competing and making a contest, then I’m happy.
MB: You’re cousins with Matthew Wade, who is playing his first test for Australia in the West Indies. What’s that like to have a family member playing international cricket?
JH: It’s pretty mind boggling. I managed to watch the last few overs [of his first test innings].
His mother and my mother are sisters. You sit back and it probably hits my brother more. I ring him a couple of times a week and it still blows his mind that I’m over here playing footy and he’s (Wade) playing cricket for Australia.
I probably don’t think about it as much as him, but it’s good to have him over here in Melbourne. He’s (Wade) my only family here … and just to see him do really well - it makes you feel good. It’s great to see him do well.
I’m pretty tight with him and when he’s in Australia, I catch up with him once or twice a week. Our relationship has got a lot stronger since I moved over here.
It’s been really good that it’s going well.
MB: As you and Matthew play at the highest level in your respective sports, do you feed off each other or lean on each other for advice?
JH: All through growing up, me and my brother were really competitive - no matter what we were doing.
That competitiveness between both of us - we push each other a fair bit, no matter what we do.
It helps in a way, being real competitive with each other, but it’s also good to catch up and have a bit of down time with him as well. It makes us feel better as well.
MB: You’re obviously close with your brother Justin. Can you talk about his footy career?
JH: He played footy and played state [under] 18s.
He had a couple of years off, due to two full knee recos, and he’s only 24. He did a pre-season this year and he’s back playing this year, so he plays forward line as well.
He’s a bit bigger than me and he’s playing at Dodges Ferry. He’s gone back there to play senior footy, but it’s just good to see him back out there.
MB: And finally, this Saturday the Demons take on the Tigers. What should we expect this round from the Dees?
JH: The week leading up to West Coast, we had a real solid week on the track.
MB: As you and Matthew play at the highest level in your respective sports, do you feed off each other or lean on each other for advice?
JH: All through growing up, me and my brother were really competitive - no matter what we were doing.
That competitiveness between both of us - we push each other a fair bit, no matter what we do.
It helps in a way, being real competitive with each other, but it’s also good to catch up and have a bit of down time with him as well. It makes us feel better as well.
MB: You’re obviously close with your brother Justin. Can you talk about his footy career?
JH: He played footy and played state [under] 18s.
He had a couple of years off, due to two full knee recos, and he’s only 24. He did a pre-season this year and he’s back playing this year, so he plays forward line as well.
He’s a bit bigger than me and he’s playing at Dodges Ferry. He’s gone back there to play senior footy, but it’s just good to see him back out there.
MB: And finally, this Saturday the Demons take on the Tigers. What should we expect this round from the Dees?
JH: The week leading up to West Coast, we had a real solid week on the track.
It was probably the best week we’ve had training wise. We showed patches in the West Coast game. I think the boys are up and about this week, because we know we can play good footy definitely.
It’s just a matter of playing four consistent quarters and I think this week against Richmond is always a big game. We’ve proved that we can play good footy, but we need to string it together for the whole game and on the track this week and hopefully we can come away with a win.
MB: Thanks for your time Jeremy. Good luck this round and best wishes for the rest of the season.
JH: No worries. Thanks mate.
It’s just a matter of playing four consistent quarters and I think this week against Richmond is always a big game. We’ve proved that we can play good footy, but we need to string it together for the whole game and on the track this week and hopefully we can come away with a win.
MB: Thanks for your time Jeremy. Good luck this round and best wishes for the rest of the season.
JH: No worries. Thanks mate.
