Adelaide Crows captain Jordan Dawson has opened up on his outpouring of emotions after last week's win over Geelong, revealing he 'just wanted Jaryd there' to celebrate with him. The star midfielder has been playing through grief following his brother's death earlier this year. Support has come from far and wide since, and football has given him the time and space not to forget but to put his mind to something.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow. And when the Crows held on for a one-point win over the Cats last week, it was Jaryd who was on his mind. Dawson courageously offered the insight in an interview with Channel 7's Hamish McLachlan prior to Thursday night's clash with the Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium. The pair had already spoken privately, Dawson comfortable with McLachlan revealing the skipper's tears were because he 'just wanted Jaryd around'.
Dawson's Emotional Revelation
“Yeah, I think that's it,” Dawson said. “Everyone goes through it, you lose people — especially something like this, it's so unexpected. It's still hard for me to talk about obviously. But at that time after a close game like that, the emotions are high and for me it was just a moment I really felt like I wanted him there for. Be the first to know: Add 7NEWS as your preferred news source on Google. And so to not have him there, it kind of hit me straight after the game, and obviously the emotions are really high as it is in a close game — that the adrenaline's going. Just looking around the stands and up to the sky, and knowing that he wasn't there, it was pretty overwhelming. It didn't take away from the joy and happiness I felt in that moment (from winning). It's a bit of a contrasting kind of feeling, but I appreciate the love and support I've been getting the last couple of months and especially after last week.”
Football as a Refuge
Dawson agreed that football is a refuge from the thoughts rattling around in his head. He has missed multiple matches, most notably the intense Showdown against Port Adelaide, in the wake of Jaryd's death but has otherwise thrived on the field. “The first few games back I kind of felt like in my life there's always been clarity, and throughout the last few months I was lacking a bit of understanding about the world,” Dawson said. “Footy has been that release and that understanding for me. I know how to play footy, and I was pretty clear in my role and within the team and how we go about it. I did find myself enjoying footy and the couple of hours to be able to switch off and have real understanding and clarity of what to do for those couple of hours.”
Gratitude for Support
He said it has still been “a bloody tough time” for himself and his family but is seriously grateful for the support from Adelaide and beyond. “I can't thank the AFL enough, and the captains, and obviously the Crows as well — they've been unbelievable to myself and the family,” Dawson said. “You obviously never hope or wish this upon anyone, but you also don't realise the support or the generosity you have around you until something like this happens. From the bottom of my heart I just want to thank the AFL, and the Crows have been awesome.”
Tributes from Fellow Captains
Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield was quick to console Dawson after the full-time siren last week. Dawson's counterpart on Thursday night, Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli, said Dawson had been “unbelievable”. “Incredibly inspiring from his own perspective and what he's been able to do through adversity,” Bontempelli told Channel 7. So impressive has Dawson been in compartmentalising and performing that Bontempelli's thoughts also quickly turned to the threat his opposite number posed in the match. “We'll have to really continue to keep a close eye on him,” Bontempelli said. “You watch other captains and you know you've got to deal with different things at different points. He's incredible and I expect the same from him tonight, he's always a tough person to shut out of a game and keep quiet so we're expecting his absolute best.” On cue, Dawson kicked the Crows' second goal of the night.
