Josh Jenkins has developed a new passion for coaching made possible by the empathy he feels for some of his unlucky younger ex-Geelong teammates.
The 32-year-old called time on his career last week after spending two seasons with the Cats following one year on Essendon’s rookie list and 147 matches and eight years with Adelaide.
During his two years in the blue and white hoops, Jenkins was afforded a lot of time with the club’s younger players, particularly Ben Jarvis and Cameron Taheny who have not been offered contracts for 2022.
He feels for the pair who have had the early part of their careers ripped away due to the COVID pandemic wreaking havoc with the industry in recent times.
“I really developed a bit of an interest, I’d nearly call it a passion now, for the development aspect of coaching,” Jenkins said on SEN’s Bob & Andy.
“I’ve never even done my coaching course, but because I spent a lot of time with the young developing players at the Cats and also the terrible predicament they were in for two years.
“I look at some guys, Ben Jarvis and Cameron Taheny, both Adelaide kids who have been delisted. Their two years was spent playing 14 on 14 games on the Gold Coast and then this year we played eight games and had about 10 games taken away from us and then we never got to play finals.
“I’ve sort of developed a bit of a lot of empathy and sympathy for those guys. That was what I leant on as well. I certainly felt like there were times this year where I deserved to play more AFL footy, but every time I got a little bit down in the dumps I looked over at Ben Jarvis or Cameron Taheny or others and just thought these guys are having their careers taken away from them without even getting a shot at it.
“So how can I complain when I’ve had 11 years’ crack at it? It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and think woe is me, but over the course of 11 years I’ve had far more up years than down years so there’s no complaining.”
Jenkins took a trip down memory lane after his time at Geelong came to an end.
Looking back on an email from 2011 when he was with the Bombers, Jenkins can now take a lot away from the words he read, using it as a reference point of hope for the likes of Jarvis and Taheny.
“I got a new computer the other day and I scrolled to the very bottom of my email list and my first email was the year I spent at the Bombers on the rookie list,” he added.
“It was a bit of a season review from James Hird and the development coaches there. I looked at my stats and thought how on earth did I get a second opportunity?
“I remember thinking I might have done enough to stay on the rookie list and then all of a sudden I had three or four clubs who were keen to bring me in to their club.
“So sometimes it’s funny and something I’ve often said to the young guys, you just never know who is watching you and what they see in you, so always be trying to put your best foot forward.
“I didn’t really think I’d done much. I was happy to be at Essendon, but 12 months can go quick and I thought I was 50-50 to be out the door.
“Adelaide came calling and I took up that opportunity and a lot of things went my way and that’s pretty important in this industry. Kurt Tippett shot through and I said, ‘Give me the number four and I’ll try and fill his shoes’.
“Sometimes you need a fair bit of luck along the way.”
Jenkins, who is keen to pursue some work in sports media, bows out of the game after 149 games and 296 goals, all kicked for the Crows.