SUNS Media: How are you feeling ahead of this season?
Jarrod Harbrow: This is season number 15 for me. I’m feeling good. The body’s going well and I’ve been able to have a full pre-season so far. I’m training with the main group and just enjoying each day and embracing each day. I’m not looking too far ahead at all.
SM: Has it been good to have an uninterrupted pre-season?
JH: Yeah I think especially this pre-season I’ve been able to have a really good run body-wise and have got on top of a lot of little niggles which have put me back in past pre-seasons. I’ve got on top of those and have been able to go out to train feeling good and I’m pulling up and recovering really well so I’m in a really good space at the moment.
SM: Have you set any goals for this season?
JH: Not particularly. I think it’s just to stay healthy and keep the body in really good condition. I’m more so looking forward to how the team will go and I’m excited by the pre-season so far and seeing the growth of the whole group. Hopefully we’re in for a really big year.
SM: We’ve got a lot of exciting young players coming through, do you see an opportunity to help guide that next generation at the club?
JH: Yeah I’ve always taken it upon myself to play some sort of leadership role at the footy club. This year will be no different, I’ll continue to do what I’ve done the whole time since I’ve been here. I’m always there for support and to help out the group in any way I can.
SM: Off the field you’ve been active with your organisation Harbrow Mentoring – what are your plans with that this year?
JH: A big focus will be on my off-field stuff with Harbrow Mentoring. It’s going really well at the moment and my brother is doing really well up in Cairns and Far North Queensland. I’m looking to get more involved and get stuck into it down here. I’ve started at one of the schools down here and I’m looking to get out and about and really grow it a lot more on the Gold Coast.
SM: Our group of Indigenous players at the club is growing each year – what are your thoughts on the Indigenous talent coming through?
JH: I think with our partnership now with the NT we’re going to see a lot more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander boys and girls come from the NT and relocate to the Gold Coast. That’s a really good pathway that we’ve got in place now. Malcolm Rosas Jnr and Joel Jeffrey are really good examples of that and we’ve also got Janet Baird from the women’s program from the NT. That’s a really good pathway and it’s creating really good opportunities for players coming out of the NT. We always try and make it a really safe and inclusive environment here at the club for everyone. That’s our main role is to embrace the people that we bring in and make sure they’re comfortable so they can have a long career.
SM: In the past you’ve taken it upon yourself to take the Indigenous players out for cultural experiences – do you plan on doing more of that?
JH: Yeah of course, we’re always looking to do camps and get out and about and do some fun stuff. I think being more hands-on and going out and practicing and teaching culture is the best way to learn and we have a lot of fun doing it. The more opportunities we get to do that throughout the year, the more comfortable and happy everyone will be.
