Jason Sheather reflects on his time at the elite level, Albury, Culcairn and Thurgoona

BRENT GODDE: You made your senior debut for Albury in 1993 as a 15-year-old under coach Barry Edmunds?

JASON SHEATHER: Manny Edmunds, Matt Salisbury and I made our debut on the same day. Matt Fowler had turned 16 in March and also made his debut earlier that season.

BG: What are the memories of your debut?

JS: Being 15 I was just happy to be playing football. I guess it was a bit daunting playing against grown men but looking back I feel it was good for my development at the time.

BG: How did you find Edmunds as a coach?

JS: We had a fairly ordinary side at the time and Baz used to get a bit frustrated and fly off the handle. I remember one day he slammed his folder down in frustration and hit his head on the coaches box and split himself.

BG: It was a bit of a talking point at the time whether you were too young to be playing senior football?

JS: The Murray Bushrangers was in its infancy and there was a bit of a discussion whether the Bushrangers was the right pathway to the elite level.

BG: It was a bit controversial at the time?

JS: Because the Bushrangers were just starting, clubs were reluctant to release their players to a club that was just starting out and wasn't a proven pathway to playing at the highest level at the time.

BG: You father, Terry, also played for the Tigers?

JS: Dad played for Albury and then went on to be a selector for a few seasons including 1982 under Tom Doolan when the Tigers won the flag.

BG: Your father was a talented tennis player as a teenager?

JS: Dad played at Kooyong a bit as one of the more talented juniors in the North-East.

BG: Did your parents have an opinion on whether you should be playing senior football?

JS: My father, Terry, was keen for me to play Bushrangers.

BG: What about yourself?

JS: It was a tough decision for me because I wanted to play and train alongside my mates where I was comfortable. Playing Bushrangers you had to travel to Wangaratta for training and then play down in Melbourne, Gippsland, Bendigo and Ballarat.

BG: History says you chose to follow the Bushrangers pathway?

JS: I don't have any regrets about the pathway I chose. I missed out being a part of some talented sides at the sportsground during a golden era for the club but playing Bushrangers opened up a lot of doors and opportunities for me.

BG: You always had aspirations to play AFL and made all the elite junior sides as you went through the grades?

JS: It was my dream as a kid. I played state football at primary school, made the All-Australian side as a junior, played Ovens and Murray Schoolboys, CHS sides, State sides and Teal Cup.

BG: The following season in 1994 you decided to commit to the Bushrangers?

JS: I did all the pre-season with the Bushrangers and played the year under coach Kelly O'Donnell.

BG: You played your first match as a tagger?

JS: Adam Smith was at the Northern Knights and had 12 touches in the first term. I got the job of tagging him after that and kept him fairly quiet and was named in the Bushrangers best.

BG: You quickly established yourself as one of the Bushrangers best players and won the best and fairest?

JS: After I got named the best in my first match I just grew in confidence and was really enjoying my football.

BG: You also played a handful of matches in the AFL reserves?

JS: At the start of that season I played for Collingwood reserves against Carlton on the MCG. It felt a bit weird being a passionate Blues fan.

BG: No doubt an unbelievable experience though for a teenager?

JS: It was, there was a crowd of about 80,000. I probably only got about 15 minutes game time but playing on the MCG was a memorable experience.

BG: You also played on the MCG later that season?

JS: Vic Metro played Vic Country and I was captain of Vic Country and it was played as a curtain raiser to an AFL match.

BG: The following season in 1995 you were elevated to captain of the Bushrangers?

JS: It was an honour to be captain.

BG: You enjoyed an outstanding season to finish runner-up in the Bushrangers best and fairest and were also named in the TAC Cup Team of the Year?

JS: I also got to play half-a-dozen matches with the Sydney Swans reserves that season. I used to fly up on the Friday night and play the following day.

BG: You played against Carlton once again?

JS: I played on a wing against Ron De Iulio and we were a bit like chalk and cheese when it came to speed. But I got a few touches despite Ron being a lot quicker than me.

BG: You were widely touted as an AFL draft prospect at the end of 1995?

JS: A few clubs including Western Bulldogs, Geelong, Sydney Swans and Carlton showed a bit of interest in me in the lead-up to the draft.

BG: You were obviously nervous about the draft?

JS: I followed it closely and knew straight away that I had missed out. I was at home and the phone rang about five minutes after the draft and my brother 'Spud' answered it and said 'David Parkin wants to speak to you.'

BG: You thought he was joking?

JS: I did but thankfully he wasn't. Parkin was calling to see if I would be interested in going to Carlton on the supplementary list.

BG: What were your emotions at the time?

JS: I was disappointed that I hadn't been drafted because I was surprised at the time by a few of the blokes that did get drafted ahead of me. But I was still thrilled to be going to the club I supported and had won the flag in 1995.

BG: You basically got to rub shoulders with all your childhood idols?

JS: It was a bit surreal to be training alongside blokes like Kernahan, Bradley, Williams and Ratten. Peter Dean and Adrian Whitehead were also there and are back living on the Border now.

BG: Did you get to socialise much with the Blues' legends?

JS: Fortunately I did and the Tunnel nightclub was the destination of choice for a lot of AFL players of that era.

BG: The owners used to look after AFL players?

JS: If you were on an AFL list you would usually get free entry and a drink card with 10 free drinks.

BG: The Carlton Social Club was also popular?

JS: Players used to still go into the opposition clubrooms and mingle back in that era which is unheard of these days.

BG: You also attended a few post match functions at Crown Casino?

JS: Carlton would have a few social functions at Crown throughout the season.

BG: Besides not playing seniors, you were basically living your dream?

JS: I was also studying at the time and enrolled in an economics and finance course at RMIT which was a smart decision looking back.

BG: Who did you live with at the time?

JS: I lived with my brother-in-law Martin Smith and a few of his mates in a house in Fitzroy. I suspect it was a former brothel because of all the padding on the walls.

BG: What position did you predominantly play with Carlton reserves?

JS: It was obviously a hard side to crack into as a regular midfielder. I played mainly on a forward flank and would rotate a bit through the midfield as well.

BG: You popped your shoulder mid-season which plagued you for the rest of your time at Princes Park?

JS: Once I did it initially it just kept popping out. I had to have both shoulders reconstructed.

BG: The club recommended that you have the surgery?

JS: I didn't want to because I knew it would make it hard for me to get elevated onto the senior list if I was out injured.

BG: So you had the surgery?

JS: I did and was going through all the rehab for the second half of the season.

BG: It was tough financially for you when you weren't getting paid to play football?

JS: I was on $300 a match in the reserves which was pretty good coin considering I wasn't much older than 18.

BG: You did a bit of part-time work as well?

JS: I worked in a sports store and was studying full-time.

BG: You got a pleasant surprise at the end of the season when you went to the ATM?

JS: I went to grab $50 out of the ATM and my balance read $5500.

BG: You initially thought your parents had put the money into your account?

JS: I rang mum and dad and they didn't know anything about it. Turns out Carlton paid for my insurance if I was injured and that was my match payments for the time I missed injured.

BG: A fair amount of money at the time?

JS: For a uni student it was like winning the lotto. I went and bought a VR Commodore.

BG: You got the news you were dreading at the end of season review?

JS: I was basically told there wouldn't be any more opportunities for me at Carlton.

BG: Your Bushranger connections in Kelly O'Donnell and John Byrne contacted other clubs to gauge whether there was any interest in you?

JS: I appreciated their help at the time and Hawthorn and Geelong showed some interest in me.

BG: You were invited to train with the Cats over the pre-season of 1997?

JS: Matt Byers and I used to make the trip from Brunswick to Geelong to train during the week. We used to train then whack a few bets on for the trip home.

BG: There were a few familiar faces at the Cattery?

JS: I played Bushrangers with Adam Houlihan and Steven King who obviously got drafted to Geelong. Gary Ayers was coach at the time.

BG: How was your shoulder?

JS: I had fully recovered by then and played a few practice matches.

BG: You played an intra-club with Gary Ablett Sr, one of your team-mates?

JS: It's funny we were at the quarter time huddle listening to the coach and a bloke bent down and done up my boot laces and said to me 'mate you should have double knots.'

BG: Who was it?

JS: I couldn't believe it when I realised 'God' (Ablett) had just done up my boot laces.

BG: It didn't prove to be a good omen for you?

JS: Later in the match I copped a bump from Jason Snell and I landed on my elbow and popped my AC joint and missed another month of football.

BG: The timing couldn't have been worse?

JS: It was terrible timing and it was a real kick in the guts. I was determined to make the most of my second opportunity and was the fittest I had been. But deep down I knew that was probably my last chance to prove myself.

BG: You ended up spending the season with Williamstown?

JS: It was a bit of a battle at Williamstown because it was always wet and windy and I didn't know any of the players initially.

BG: Sam Keenan was one of your team-mates who would later play for Yarrawonga?

JS: I got to know Sam fairly well and he is an entertainer.

BG: The following season in 1998 you decided to rejoin Albury but travel home from Melbourne each weekend?

JS: I wanted to get back to enjoying my football and I was still studying so I didn't want to relocate from Melbourne.

BG: You joined Coburg in 1999?

JS: Sam Keenan played for Yarrawonga in 1998 and then we both ended up at Coburg.

BG: After a stint at Coburg you decided to head overseas on a working holiday with Manny Edmunds?

JS: We went on an African safari on our way to London and met up with my brother-in-law.

BG: You still had a kick with the Wimbledon Hawks?

JS: My brother-in-law played for them so Manny and I decided to have a run as well. It was an unreal experience to get introduced to 40 blokes who were all Aussies and had a lot in common with.

BG: The football wasn't serious and was more about the social side of the game?

JS: After training most nights you would have a few beers at the club rooms and end up going out on the town later that night.

BG: There were a few hangovers on match-day?

JS: A lot of us would go out on the Friday night and be still drinking at midnight before playing the next day. We would all catch the tube to the game on a Saturday and more often than not someone would have a spew on the way.

BG: You played in the grand final?

JS: We got rolled but still celebrated like we had won.

BG: You were working in London during the 9/11 terrorist attack on America?

JS: I was working in Bank Street and like a lot of people watched the live vision. We decided to cut our trip short after that and started planning our return home.

BG: You had itchy feet and were keen to play back at the sportsground?

JS: There were rumours circulating that Spargo was coming back to coach in 2002 and being an Albury junior had a burning ambition to play under Paul.

BG: You had a stop over in Thailand on the way home?

JS: I got engaged to my wife, Jo, and we spent six weeks relaxing before getting back to Albury in late February.

BG: Spargo enhanced his coaching reputation after the Tigers finished the home and away season with the double chance?

JS: We faced Wangaratta Rovers in the second semi-final at Birallee Park.

BG: It was a bizarre final with Nick Carroll receiving a red card during the third-quarter?

JS: I don't really like talking about the incident because I know Nick hates it when it comes up in conversation. But it certainly was a dramatic final to be part of.

BG: It proved to be a costly brain fade by Carroll?

JS: History says we were one man down for more than a quarter and got beat by six points.

BG: The Tigers were bundled out in straight sets after losing the preliminary final the following week to North Albury?

JS: Nick was one of the favourites for the Morris medal that season but copped six weeks at the tribunal. Losing him for the preliminary final was a huge blow at the time.

BG: You remain close mates with Nick?

JS: I get a real thrill watching his son Fletcher playing for the Tigers this year. I remember Fletcher was always around the footy club as a kid when Nick was playing.

BG: Carroll was assistant coach but dropped a bombshell at the end of the season and joined Eastlakes in the Canberra AFL?

JS: It was too good an opportunity for Nick to refuse. There was a bit of a changing of the guard at Tigerland with Stuart Hodgson replacing Spargo and I took on the assistant coach role.

BG: You won your first best and fairest at Tigerland in 2003?

JS: From memory I think we just missed finals with the club going through a bit of a rebuilding phase.

BG: You joined some elite company in 2005 when you won your second best and fairest?

JS: At the time there was only Jim Matthews, Terry Cross, Peter Brouwer, Jay McNeill, Glenn Page and Tim Scott who had won two or more best and fairests. Now there is Shaun Daly who is up to five.

BG: Luke Carroll was appointed coach of Albury in 2005 after playing in a flag with Lavington the previous season?

JS: It was a big shock at the time but I rate Luke as a champion both on and off the field. Nick was back at Albury from Canberra which had a fair bit to do with it.

BG: The Tigers started to climb the ladder under Carroll?

JS: I think Daniel Maher arrived at the same time as Luke which was another huge signing at the time.

BG: It was a memorable trip away in 2008 after attending Derby Day and most of the players jagging the quaddie?

JS: It capped a huge trip after we put in $50 each for the quaddie and Rebel Raider won the Derby at 100/1 and we had a $45,000 collect. Everyone got $3000 back except for a couple of unlucky blokes who decided not to go in.

BG: Carroll stepped down as coach at the end of 2008?

JS: Spargo was appointed for a third stint at the helm.

BG: Spargo was the mastermind behind one of the biggest recruiting blitzes in league history?

JS: I guess Spargo had a bit of an aura about him as a coach and to be able to sign players the calibre of Chris Hyde, Shaun Daly, Joel Mackie and Andy Carey probably underlines that.

BG: You also played a role in landing Mackie?

JS: Being assistant coach in 2008 I had a coffee with Joel and had a bit of chat of where he was at with his football.

BG: What were your impressions of Mackie?

JS: Joel probably had a short fuse on and off the field but I thought we had the right group for him to flourish on the field. It was a huge signing at the time and he went on to win two Morris medals.

BG: You still shake your head in disbelief of Mackie's performance in the 2009 decider?

JS: Joel's opening quarter was one the most dominant performances I've seen in a final.

BG: Signing Andy Carey was another big piece in the Tigers' premiership jigsaw puzzle?

JS: I was rapt when the club signed Andy because he should have got reported on at least half-a-dozen different occasions for whacking me when he was at Myrtleford. I much preferred playing with the big fella than against him.

BG: Do you think Carey suffered from whiteline fever?

JS: I'm not sure but I do know when he was at Myrtleford and if I copped one high or in the guts big 'Undies' wouldn't be far away.

BG: Carey seems a mild mannered bloke off the field?

JS: Andy is fairly quiet unless you are a pig, then you are in a bit of trouble. He loves his pig hunting.

BG: Albury enjoyed one of the most dominant seasons in league history in 2009 to go through the season undefeated and win the grand final by 77-points?

JS: It was a ripping side that year and a relief to win my one and only senior flag.

BG: History says it was your last match in yellow and black?

JS: To go out on the ultimate high playing alongside quite a few close mates was something that I cherish.

BG: You predominantly played as an impact playing coming off the bench for most of the season?

JS: Initially it was a slap in the face to be coming off the bench.

BG: You weren't happy with Spargo?

JS: I think it was the first match of the season, it was longer but it felt like I would have been on the ground for about 20 minutes. I got up the next day and ran Nail Can Hill because I felt like I handn't played the previous day.

BG: Spargo found out?

JS: Paul rang me up and we had a bit of a discussion. I suppose in the end I just had to swallow my pride a bit and play my role for the side which I did and ended up with a flag.

BG: You were playing alongside Matt Fowler in 2004 when he was informed at three-quarter-time that his house was on fire?

JS: I remember Matt came up to me and asked what he should do. I said 'You're on fire today mate and you're not a fireman, you should stay and win us the game.'

BG: One of the young Tigers challenged Fowler to a cheese burger eating competition coming home from the trip away one year?

JS: We pulled into Seymour McDonalds and Brendan Paull and Matt bought a dozen cheese burgers each.

BG: Who won?

JS: Brendan struggled to get through eight while Matt polished off his dozen with ease and then washed it down by skolling three Vodka Cruisers in the beer bong.

BG: An impressive feat by the big fella?

JS: It was but the prank backfired on 'Fowlsie' when the cheeseburgers clogged him up and he was constipated for the next five days.

BG: Can you name some of the Tigers you rate the highest along the journey?

JS: In the early days Glenn Page and I rated 'Jezza' Masterson as one of the toughest I've seen. Marc Duryea was underrated and Robbie Walker, Craig Ednie and Kade Stevens were the best of the opposition.

BG: You also have a lot of admiration for Fowler and Luke Packer?

JS: Their longevity and to be an integral part of a golden era for the Tigers is testament to their character.

BG: Who are the modern day Tigers you rate highest?

JS: I suppose you can't go past Hyde, Daly and Mackie.

BG: Wangaratta had a fair crack at landing you as coach in 2006?

JS: I got a promotion through work and relocated to Wangaratta. Jon Henry had just stepped down and I had several meetings with Magpie officials and seriously thought about taking the job.

BG: You decided against it?

JS: I had a bit of discussion with Spargo about it and in the end decided against it. History says the Magpies appointed Jason Lappin and won back-to-back flags in 2007-08.

BG: How many times have you been in the Joss jet?

JS: A couple of times but I haven't been in the new one yet. I'm hoping Paul can take a few of us to the Birdsville races in the jet one year.

BG: After retiring in 2010 you made a comeback with Culcairn in 2011?

JS: Kade Klemke was coach and I knew quite a few of the guys playing with the Lions in Graham Fruean, Shannon Gilson, Scott Sheather and Trent Logue.

BG: You were a bit of a mentor for Klemke?

JS: Kade was a young coach in his first gig that now boasts an impressive record in the AFL Canberra league. We certainly had the side to win the flag that season and let a golden opportunity slip.

BG: You finished your playing career at Culcairn in 2011 before being appointed non-playing coach of Thurgoona in 2013?

JS: We were able to land some handy recruits in Mark Bush, Sam Cross, Aydan and Kade Brown, Trent Logue, Shannon Gilson and the following year Matt Fowler.

BG: Despite having a star-studded line-up, Thurgoona seemed to choke during finals in both 2013-14?

JS: I'm not sure if choke is the right word but looking back we definitely should have won at least one flag during those two seasons.

BG: You were coach in 2013 when both Mitta and Thurgoona were involved in some unsavoury incidents that resulted in five players being suspended a total of 15 weeks?

JS: It definitely was an eye-opener to be part of. I'm not exaggerating when I say it was a bit like the Bloodbath in that there were spot fires everywhere that day but not to the same degree.

BG: The umpires did threaten to call the match off?

JS: Unfortunately the umpires lost control of the match and I was concerned for the safety of the players.

BG: There was a significant brawl shortly before half-time?

JS: I remember talking to the players at half-time and trying to get the players in a headspace to concentrate on the football in the second-half and win the match.

BG: It was a sweet victory for the Bulldogs?

JS: I rate it as one of the best wins that I have been involved in and just how physical and tough it was.

BG: What do you rate at the highlight of your career?

JS: The 2009 flag with Albury. I remember running out with the players before the 1982 grand final as a mascot and then to win a flag with my home town club almost three decades later was a special moment for me.