WERRIBEE Centrals’ most important addition to its list in 2021 might not necessarily be a recruit to Galvin Park.
Co-coach Nick Smith has confirmed son Jackson, who hasn’t played since he suffered a scaphoid injury in Round 5, 2019, has set the wheels in motion for a comeback.
“He’s recently been back in training, played twos in our (first) practice match, and will probably have a run around with the ones on the weekend,” Nick Smith told K rock Football’s Coaches Catch-up.
“We’re pretty excited to have him back and get that long left peg going again.”
Jackson Smith made an immediate impact on joining the competition as a teenager in 2018.
The now 22-year-old won Centrals’ best-and-fairest, finished third in the Whitley Medal on 22 votes and was named on a wing in the GDFL Team of the Year.
“He struggled to recover from the scaphoid injury,” Nick Smith said.
“I remember being told they can be problematic, and that’s what he found.
“He kept trying to come back. He had surgery, but it just never felt right, and it really killed him to have to watch that prelim.”
Meanwhile, veteran midfielder Matt Miller has been elevated to co-captain for 2021.
The former Leopold star will share the role with Brayden Quarrier, who was co-captain with Jackson Smith in 2019.
Blake Taylor will be vice-captain.
“Then we have an expanded leadership group of about 8-10 players that we consult, in terms of making sure the club is listening to the players,” Nick Smith said.
“That was one of the things I brought in a couple of years ago, and it’s just been great.
“I can always bounce it (ideas) off them; they’re very honest and open, and that has 3-4 members of the reserves represented in that as well.”
Werribee Centrals has practice matches against Newcomb (March 20) and North Footscray (March 27) before opening its season at home against Geelong West on April 10.
Twitter: @tom_king79
