Having his name called out by the Western Bulldogs on draft day 2008 was the greatest experience of Jordan Roughead’s life and after re-signing with the Club in July, he believes it is now his turn to repay the faith.
Growing up a Bulldogs supporter, there was no Club he would rather be - and now with almost four years and thirty games under his belt he is more honoured to wear the red, white and blue than ever.
“I was a basketballer as a kid and footy was my second sport and when I was seventeen it became a reality that this is what I wanted to do,” Roughead said.
Watch match highlights of Jordan Roughead's spectacular grab against St Kilda on Sunday on the media player above.
“To get called out by the Bulldogs on draft day was probably the greatest experience of my life… I never dreamed of it.
“To be a part of such a great footy Club with such a rich history is fantastic and I love being here.
“I love that I have an opportunity to be here for the next few years while the Club can hopefully take a few more steps forward.”
Truly believing that this Club is on the rise, the versatile tall is embracing his chance alongside a cohort of emerging young talents.
To view Jordan Roughead's player profile, click here.
Reaching the ultimate success representing the Club you grew up supporting is a pipe dream for most, but Roughead is driven and dedicated to trying to reach that goal.
“It is great to be a part of a young footy club that will be on the way up in the next few years and it is great to have coaches and staff that have some faith in me,” he said.
“I have to repay that faith now and go out and help the footy team and the club improve.
“I don’t know what the stats are but it feels like we have got a really young team out there every week and we have a lot of blokes that haven’t played thirty games yet - so it is great they are getting some games into them and everyone is showing signs that they can be a good player.”
Under the new coaching regime this season, headed by Senior Coach Brendan McCartney, Roughead believes that the Bulldogs will not only emerge as a force to be reckoned with on the field but also as better people off it.
Coach McCartney is a firm believer in developing people not just footballers and that mentality has certainly rubbed off on the 21-year-old.
“The coaching we are getting is second to none and if we can take on board everything that is coming at us we will come out the other side and be a better bunch of people and a lot better as a team,” he said.
Competing for spots with fellow basketball junior Ayce Cordy and elevated rookie Tom Campbell, Roughead has played thirteen games this season - but by his own admittance he won’t rest until he is selected every single week.
“I wanted to play every game this year, I wanted to be in the team and putting my best foot forward and helping the team and the footy club take steps,” he said.
“I have been getting constant feedback from Macca and the coaches about the areas of my game that I need to improve and that is what I have been trying to do.
“I don’t want to miss another game for the year, I want to be there and help the team improve and try to help the team win a few games.”
While predominantly seen as a ruckman, Roughead has been further validating his worth playing in the forward line and more recently providing a chop out in defence.
Adding a number of clips to his highlights reel last weekend, including a high flying mark over Saint David Armitage, Roughead proved to fans that they can expect big things over the coming years.
