JACKSON MEAD is determined that he will be wearing a Port Adelaide guernsey in round one, and after a year without a proper competitive hit-out, it won’t bother him whether that’s in the AFL or SANFL.

Mead landed at Alberton in the 2019 AFL National Draft as a highly regarded midfielder who had already had a taste of league football at SANFL level with Woodville-West Torrens.

The son of Port Adelaide’s inaugural AFL club champion Darren Mead, Jackson was just the second father-son recruit the club had brought in during its time in the AFL competition.

And while landing at the club he grew up supporting was like a fairy tale, his first season at the club was far from it.

Hamstring issues interrupted part of his first pre-season and then COVID-19 hit, ruling a line through Port’s SANFL participation, and robbing him of a chance to continue his development.

But, looking back now, the 19-year-old still enjoyed his first year on an AFL list and is looking forward to building into his second.

“A second pre-season helps. My first one was a bit interrupted,” Mead told portadelaidefc.com.au.

“I was a bit injured at the start with a few hamstring issues at the start of pre-season but the team was going really well.

“The SANFL didn’t get up and going but I think we snuck in about seven or eight trial games, which was good.

“At least we could still play to the game style and get a decent hit-out.

“I already feel better with my running capability and I reckon I still have room to improve.”

Despite the frustration at his limited opportunities for regular footy, Mead came through 2020 with a positive mindset about how the club responded to the many and varied challenges.

He said he learnt a lot about himself and what it takes to be part of a strong AFL club.

“It makes me appreciate how lucky we are because during the COVID time, we couldn’t really see family and friends but it made the connection between the group a lot stronger because we were spending all our time around the club and each other,” he explained.

“We really leant on one another to enjoy the year.”

Mead did enough during the 2020 campaign to be brought in as an AFL emergency for the club’s final minor round game against Collingwood at the Gabba in Brisbane.

He travelled with the side and took confidence from his selection in the game-day squad.

“It gives me another learning experience to see what it is like on game day and then build on that with another pre-season,” Mead said.

“If I can keep training well and keep performing well, I’ll come back in January and see how we go.”

With a taste of the big time, now he wants more.

But he realises he may have to bide his time in the SANFL to overtake a midfield stacked with class and experience.

“I think everyone’s goal is to play round 1, and I’m no different,” Mead said.

“Whether that’s SANFL or AFL, I need to just keep trying to improve myself, playing to the game plan and having fun and enjoy it.”

Having just finished a two-week training block with the first to fourth-year players, Mead had the chance to meet the club’s newest players – Lachie Jones and Taj Schofield, who he knew from the club’s Next Generation Academy and Woodville-West Torrens, and Sandringham Dragons product Ollie Lord.

He said he has some simple advice for them heading into 2021.

“Come in, have fun, appreciate every moment,” he said.

“Make sure you work hard, get to know everyone, be respectful and make sure you realise it’s good fun.”