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Jeremy McGovern
McGovern playing for West Coast in July 2019
Personal information
Full name Jeremy Ronald McGovern
Date of birth (1992-04-15) 15 April 1992 (age 32)
Place of birth Sydney, New South Wales
Original team(s) Claremont Football Club
Draft No. 44, 2011 rookie draft, West Coast
Height 197 cm (6 ft 6 in)
Weight 99 kg (218 lb)
Position(s) Key defender
Club information
Current club West Coast
Number 20
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2011– West Coast 191 (38)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2024.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Jeremy Ronald McGovern (born 15 April 1992) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is a tall key-position player who has spent most of his career as a defender, although he occasionally plays forward.

McGovern was recruited from the Claremont Football Club with the 44th pick in the 2011 Rookie Draft. He was something of a late bloomer, only making his senior debut for West Coast midway through the 2014 season (aged 22). McGovern has been a fixture in the Eagles' line-up since then, and in 2015 played in the grand final loss to Hawthorn. He was named as a defender in the 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 All-Australian teams entrenching himself as one of the best key defenders in the league.

Early life

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McGovern was born in Sydney, New South Wales while father Andrew McGovern was playing for Sydney in the early 90s. The family moved over to West Australia in 1993 after Andrew was delisted and eventually played for Fremantle. His younger brother Mitch plays for Carlton.[1][2]

As a child, McGovern spent four years living in Warburton, a remote community in the Gibson Desert where his father was working for the Clontarf Foundation. He later spent time in Kalgoorlie and Albany, attending North Albany Senior High School.[1] McGovern played his junior football for the North Albany Football Club, in the same teams as two other future AFL players – Josh Bootsma and Marley Williams.[3] He played WAFL colts for Claremont in 2010, as a ruckman.[4]

AFL career

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McGovern was drafted by the Eagles with the 44th pick in the 2011 Rookie Draft (held in late 2010).[5] He was elevated to the senior list in November 2013.[6] In late 2013, McGovern showed up for pre-season training significantly overweight, after a holiday to Thailand. He was "banished" from the club and told to pursue an individual training routine if he wished to continue his career, eventually losing 10 kg and regaining the trust of the coaching staff.[7]

In his fourth year on West Coast's playing list, McGovern finally made his senior debut for the club in round six of the 2014 season, against Carlton at Etihad Stadium.[6] He was dropped for the next game, but returned in round twelve against Hawthorn as a like-for-like replacement for Josh Kennedy (who had a fractured cheekbone).[8] McGovern kicked 10 goals across the next four games, and held his spot for the rest of the year. Overall he managed 13 games in 2014, playing predominantly as a swingman in a similar vein to how Adam Hunter was used under John Worsfold.

In 2015, McGovern emerged as one of the best contested marks in the game as a result of West Coast's considerable injury list. Injuries to Eric MacKenzie and Mitch Brown meant McGovern was forced back into a key defender role.[9] He performed it with aplomb despite often being undersized and inexperienced compared to some of the best forwards in the game. He emerged as a reliable mark, often going back with the flight of the ball into packs to influence the contest, and he was rewarded with a position in the 40-man All-Australian squad (although he did not make the final team).[10]

In 2016, after a career-best season, McGovern was named as a defender in the 2016 All-Australian team. He was the first Eagles key defender to make the team since Darren Glass in 2011.[11] McGovern set a new overall record for the most contested intercept marks in a season, and recorded the equal-most marks from opposition kicks in 2016 (alongside Easton Wood).[12]

In July 2018, McGovern signed a five-year contract extension with West Coast reportedly worth $5 million.[13] Many clubs were interested in recruiting him, including Fremantle,[14] St Kilda[15] and Sydney.[16] In the West Coast game against Port Adelaide on Saturday 11 August 2018, McGovern kicked a goal after the siren to win the game for the West Coast Eagles.[17]

In Round 23, 2018, McGovern broke the record for most intercept marks in a season by taking his 77th of 2018. The record was previously held by Easton Wood of the Western Bulldogs at 76 and was set in 2015.[18]

2024 would be a successful season for McGovern as he achieved his fifth All Australian selection, his first in five years, and his first ever John Worsfold Medal as the West Coast Eagles Best & Fairest for season 2024.

Statistics

[edit]
Statistics are correct to the end of round 10, 2024[19]
Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
  #  
 Played in that season's 
premiership team
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2014 West Coast 42 13 13 6 114 46 160 84 18 1.0 0.5 8.8 3.5 12.3 6.5 1.4 0
2015 West Coast 20 20 3 2 159 110 269 109 24 0.2 0.1 8.0 5.5 13.5 5.5 1.2 2
2016 West Coast 20 22 3 5 239 100 339 137 32 0.1 0.2 10.9 4.5 15.4 6.2 1.5 2
2017 West Coast 20 24 10 14 266 135 401 192 43 0.4 0.6 11.1 5.6 16.7 8.0 1.8 3
2018# West Coast 20 24 6 2 259 97 356 169 31 0.3 0.1 10.8 4.0 14.8 7.0 1.3 6
2019 West Coast 20 23 1 1 242 101 343 164 36 0.0 0.0 10.5 4.4 14.9 7.1 1.6 0
2020[a] West Coast 20 12 0 0 114 43 157 72 14 0.0 0.0 9.5 3.6 13.1 6.0 1.2 2
2021 West Coast 20 15 0 0 196 50 246 111 15 0.0 0.0 13.1 3.3 16.4 7.4 1.0 0
2022 West Coast 20 10 1 0 111 53 164 67 12 0.1 0.0 11.1 5.3 16.4 6.7 1.2 2
2023 West Coast 20 9 0 0 110 42 152 64 9 0.0 0.0 12.2 4.7 16.9 7.1 1.0 0
2024 West Coast 20 10 0 1 153 50 203 64 14 0.0 0.1 15.3 5.0 20.3 6.4 1.4
Career 182 37 31 1963 827 2790 1233 148 0.2 0.2 10.8 4.5 15.3 6.8 1.4 17

Notes

  1. ^ The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "How Jeremy McGovern learnt to hunt for marks".
  2. ^ Baum, Greg (2 October 2015). "From red centre to epicentre: Jeremy McGovern's getting of football wisdom". WAtoday. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  3. ^ Career turns of four country teammates
  4. ^ Davidson, Brad (9 December 2010). "McGovern on Eagles' rookie list". Albany Advertiser/The West Australian. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  5. ^ "Eagle McGovern wins back coach's trust". The Age. 24 April 2014.
  6. ^ a b Hagdorn, Kim (24 April 2014), "Jeremy McGovern gets his chance to debut for West Coast Eagles against Carlton", Perthnow, retrieved 9 June 2018
  7. ^ Chadwick, Justin (29 September 2015). "'Unprofessional' McGovern learns his lesson". AFL. AAP. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  8. ^ Duffield, Mark (5 June 2014). "Eagles players told to fix it". The West Australian. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  9. ^ King, Travis (18 July 2015). "McGovern injury leaves Simpson with a headache". AFL. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  10. ^ Ryan, Peter (8 September 2015). "All Australian squad of 40 named". AFL. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  11. ^ Schmook, Nathan (1 September 2016). "All Australian: Five Swans in 2016's best 22". AFL. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  12. ^ Carrier, Tim (13 April 2017). "Why West Coast must swing All-Australian defender Jeremy McGovern forward". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  13. ^ Cleary, Mitch (23 July 2018). "No Gov lost: Eagle signs $5m five-year deal". afl.com.au. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  14. ^ Morris, Tom (3 July 2018). "AFL trade free agency news 2018: Fremantle players confident on Jeremy McGovern". www.foxsports.com.au. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  15. ^ "Saints meet with McGovern's manager". PerthNow. 28 May 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  16. ^ Elliott, Josh (23 July 2018). "Hand in Gov: Jeremy McGovern signs five-year deal with West Coast". The Roar. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  17. ^ Nick Rynne, The West Australian. Unbelievable-jeremy-mcgovern-wins-it-for-the-eagles-after-the-siren. Retrieved 11.08.2018
  18. ^ "Five talking points: Brisbane v West Coast". 26 August 2018.
  19. ^ "AFL Tables - Jeremy McGovern - Stats - Statistics". afltables.com. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
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