Three months shy of the 20th anniversary of his lone senior appearance for his beloved Torquay, Travis Boak is preparing to honour a promise to his mother that he would return to the Tigers at the end of his AFL career.
The 37-year-old former Port Adelaide captain will don the no.5 jumper worn by his late father, Roger, in four premierships across a 200-game career that earned him selection in the club’s Team of the Century in Saturday’s clash with Queenscliff at McCartney Oval.
Boak was presented with the jumper, which has been worn in recent years by co-captain Ben McNamara, by his mum, Chicki, at Spring Creek Reserve last week.
“I reckon it’ll be a little bit emotional, for sure,” Boak told K rock Football’s Beyond the Boundary podcast.
“It’s obviously a big day for the club as well with the new ground being launched and the new changerooms and all that, which would be really special.
‘I haven’t played a senior game at that oval, so it’s going to be a pretty special moment.
“Dad’s ashes were scattered there, so it is definitely a special ground for our family.
“And putting on the jumper, (I’ll be) probably a bit emotional and probably a bit nervous as well, but excited to run out there with the boys.”
Ironically, it was the Coutas that Boak played against in Round 12, 2006, with the Tigers handing out a 95-point hiding on their way to becoming the first team in Bellarine history to win the premiership from fifth spot.
“The whole reason I wanted to play against Queenscliff at Queenscliff was because that was my dad’s 200th game (venue) and I got to run out with him with my sister for that game,” Boak said.
“It was kind of a special moment that just so happened to overlap with a (Geelong) Falcons bye in 2006.
“The great (Geelong Falcons Talent Manager) Micky Turner let us go back and play my one and only game against Queenscliff.
“We got the win. I got to play with (cousin) Brent Dixon, with (Adam) Skrobolak, and a few of these other players as well.
“And singing the song – The Torquay song, which I absolutely love, I still remember the words.
“So hopefully we get a win again on the weekend, and I can belt it out.”
Click this link to hear the full interview with Travis Boak
X: @krockfootball
