FOR Jarrod McNally, footy is a mental game.
And that’s why he believes Imperials are undefeated, coming into round six of the season.
“It’s about staying focused and ready for the contest each week and each minute of the game,” he said.
“It was good to refocus this week, and put in the effort the whole game – that’s why we won.”
Although he said he’s not very flashy, McNally said it was great to see some of the other guys kicking “bags” of goals.
“I like to lead up to the footy, I try my best each time the ball comes near me and hope for the best,” he said.
McNally played Auskick with the Imps and the 32-year-old has only spent two seasons away from the club – one stint in Geelong and one in Adelaide.
“I was nervous at the start of the year … having a year off you just don’t know where your side is going to be,” he said.
“Every win early is worth a lot, as long as we can stay clear of the pack and we don’t have to fight for spots later in the year.
“I certainly rate every one of our players but being undefeated and some of the wins we’ve had have been a bit of a surprise.”
And when it came to goals this year, McNally said he was “just trying to get a kick”.
“I’m getting older now but I hope I can just play my part and be a bit of a voice up forward,” he said.
“My motivation for the year is probably just to play one more year with my brother, Reece, 30, who has just come back,” he said.
“Reece played juniors at Imps as well, then he went down to play for Southern Mallee Giants, where my dad played footy … I would have liked to have gone down there too but I just couldn’t with work.
“He’d been playing good footy down there and he’s one of our best recruits this year.”
When asked how he had been balancing firefighting and footy this year, McNally said it had been a juggling act.
He said consistency with training while working nightshifts had been the hardest part.
“But we’ll get there, work gives me time to work on my fitness too so that’s helped.”
On the park, McNally said Imps keep it pretty simple.
“We’ve got a bigger side than most other teams and we’re more mature so we need to use that to our advantage,” the forward said.
He also said the team thrived on rebound football.
“We’ve got some really good players off half-back, if we get the ball in their hands they do really well,” he said.
“Hopefully we can take more risks and get a bit more adventurous later on in the season but we’re playing consistently with good targets all over the ground.”
There’s nothing like home, according to McNally, and now with a couple of young kids, there’s nowhere he’d rather play.
“The club has a big focus on being a family environment,” he said.
“And it’s good for my wife to be able to come and have a good time as well … it’s not just for the players.
“Everyone helps out, it’s a very trustworthy club and it’s just a good place to be.”
