After three losses to start his AFL career, rookie Jesse Joyce is yearning to belt out the SUNS theme song with his senior teammates for the first time.
The SUNS Academy product and Gold Coast local has dreamt of the moment since he was a kid, witnessing first hand the football club’s transformation from a pipedream in the mid-to-late 2000s to what it is today.
“Dreamt of it as a kid growing up, seeing this place turn from Carrara Stadium to Metricon Stadium and the team grow throughout the Coast and the community,” Joyce told SUNS TV.
“Support has just been phenomenal, how’s it grown as well so just to sing that song and know where this club’s come from to now and be part of that would be awesome.”
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The challenging awaiting Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium on Saturday is an in-form St Kilda line-up that has won four of its last five games, including a defining three-point victory over premiership contenders Geelong in their last start.
However, the Saints have lost all four of their games outside of Victoria in 2016 and if the SUNS can control the contested footy, it will put the home side in with a good chance of taking home the four premiership points.
“It’s definitely going to be a tough one, especially with their recent record,” Joyce said.
“We take every game as if it’s winnable. I think the main thing that we can get a leg up on them is our contested ball, especially on the home deck it’ll be good to hopefully get our first win after a couple of weeks (away).
“We’re on the home deck with the home crowd but contested ball will be the main focus point.”
The 18-year-old played his best game for the club against reigning premier Hawthorn last weekend and believes he has adjusted to the pace at the top level, growing in confidence with every appearance.
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“The first game was a bit wet so it slowed down the pace a bit for me, but I think I’m up to that now and I’m starting to build some confidence with my game and starting to get the attacking mentality into it,” he said.
“Biggest part over the last couple of weeks has been trying to build myself within the defence of the team.
“Trying to get all the talk throughout the group happening, especially being in the backline it’s tough at times but I think we’ve been really solid.”
Joyce admits he has learned plenty playing alongside the likes of Steven May and Jarrod Harbrow, two of the club’s most influential leaders on the field.
“It’s great to learn a lot of them every week, they’re really inspiring in the way they go about it and I’m very happy to be a part of their defence while I’m there and I hope to keep playing a part in their group,” he said.
