Jeremy Finlayson

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Jeremy Finlayson
Finlayson playing for Greater Western Sydney in April 2018
Personal information
Full name Jeremy Finlayson
Date of birth (1996-02-09) 9 February 1996 (age 28)
Place of birth Albury, New South Wales
Original team(s) Sydney Hills (NEAFL)
Draft No. 85, 2014 national draft
Debut Round 15, 2017, Greater Western Sydney vs. Geelong, at Spotless Stadium
Height 197 cm (6 ft 6 in)
Weight 94 kg (207 lb)
Position(s) Key forward / ruck
Club information
Current club Port Adelaide
Number 11
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2015–2021 Greater Western Sydney 66 (90)
2022– Port Adelaide 46 (67)
Total 112 (157)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 4, 2024.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Jeremy Finlayson (born 9 February 1996) is a professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL), having been initially drafted to Greater Western Sydney.

Personal life[edit]

Finlayson was born in Culcairn, New South Wales, into a family of Indigenous Australian (Yorta Yorta) descent.[1][2] He grew up playing an array of sports including cricket, lawn bowls and tennis but mostly focused on Australian rules football. Finlayson attended Billabong High School in Culcairn and played his junior football with the Culcairn Lions in the Hume Football League, making his senior debut for the club in 2012 at the age of 16.[3]

In late 2012, he moved to Sydney to join the GWS Giants' academy program full time to increase his chances of being drafted.[4] Finlayson was selected with the 85th pick in the 2014 AFL draft.[5] He completed his high school education at Patrician Brothers' College, Blacktown.[6]

Finlayson married Kellie Gardner in 2023. Kelly learned in August 2021 she was diagnosed with terminal lung and bowel cancer just a few months after giving birth to a daughter with her future husband;[7] she started chemotherapy in 2024.[8][9]

AFL career[edit]

Finlayson made his debut against Geelong at Spotless Stadium in Round 15 of the 2017 season.[10]

Finlayson was traded to Port Adelaide via request, citing family reasons at the conclusion of the 2021 AFL season.[11]

2024 homophobic slur incident[edit]

See also: Homosexuality in modern sports § Homophobia in sports culture

In April 2024, Finlayson was suspended for three games due to making a homophobic slur during a Round 4 game against an Essendon player. Despite apologising multiple times after the fact, his suspension was upheld. However, he then vented about the suspension during an episode of his wife Kellie Finlayson's podcast Sh!t Talkers.[12][13][14]

During a regular segment on the podcast, in which hosts and guests highlight their "good, bad and offensive" talking points for the week, Finlayson said: "My 'offensive' is it pissed me off that I got a three-week suspension."[13][14]

After the fallout regarding his comments on the podcast, Finlayson issued a statement: "On reflection, I should have explained that I was bitterly disappointed that I said what I did during the game and I am bitterly disappointed that I put myself and the club in the position I did. That is what I am most upset with.

"What I said on the field that night was totally unacceptable. I knew that at the time and I know it now. I stress, I have no issue with the sanction at all."[12][13][15]

Prior to the three-week suspension, the AFL commented: "Jeremy's sanction would have been higher if he didn't immediately understand and take ownership of his mistake both privately and publicly."[16]

However, comments made by Finlayson in the podcast (which have since been scrubbed from the show[17]) said that the suspension had "pissed [him] off" and "tipped [him] over the edge", phrases that seem at odds with self-criticism and instead paint Finlayson as seemingly being upset over the sentence he was given, according to many public commentators, with some calling his initial apology just an attempt at PR to reduce his sentence, including calls to increase his sentence based on his handling of the situation.[18][19][20][14][12]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "AFL Players Launch 2019 Indigenous Map" (PDF). AFL Players Association. 20 May 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  2. ^ Forsaith, Rob (28 May 2019). "GWS star eyes AFL Indigenous coach pathway". Blue Mountains Gazette. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  3. ^ "2012 Hume Football League Player Statistics- Jeremy Finlayson". SportsTG.com. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  4. ^ Ryan, Peter (19 April 2019). "Jeremy Finlayson's giant climb to the starting line". The Age. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  5. ^ Giese, Susie (21 November 2018). "The Draft's Hidden Gems". gwsgiants.com.au. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  6. ^ Ryan, Peter (19 April 2018). "Jeremy Finlayson's giant climb to the starting line". The Age. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  7. ^ Kemp, Miles (9 April 2023). "'Hope she's watching. I love her so much': Finlayson's tearful tribute to Kellie". adelaidenow. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  8. ^ Madigan, Nicole (29 December 2023). "'Before I married my husband, he already knew he'd soon be a single dad.'". Mamamia. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  9. ^ "Kellie Finlayson's difficult cancer update: 'Today we start another fight'". 7NEWS. 16 January 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  10. ^ Moir, David (30 June 2017). "GWS youngster Finlayson set for AFL debut". The Northern Star. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  11. ^ @AFL_House (6 October 2021). "Trade paperwork lodged" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  12. ^ a b c "Port Adelaide's Finlayson vents frustration on wife's podcast over ban for homophobic slur". ABC News. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  13. ^ a b c "Port forward Jeremy Finlayson 'p***ed off' after homophobic slur ban". Fox Sports. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  14. ^ a b c "Finlayson says gay slur ban comments are misconstrued". PerthNow. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  15. ^ "Finlayson says gay slur ban comments are misconstrued". PerthNow. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  16. ^ "Finlayson cops three-game ban for anti-gay slur". ESPN.com. 10 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  17. ^ Vinall, Marnie (17 April 2024). "Podcast episode pulled as Finlayson 'rethinks' controversial ban comment". The Age. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  18. ^ "Jeremy Finlayson statement". portadelaidefc.com.au. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  19. ^ radioswayno (17 April 2024). "No one has ever said…". r/AFL. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  20. ^ edie-bunny (17 April 2024). "'Finlayson was spea…". r/AFL. Retrieved 17 April 2024.

External links[edit]

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