Player Watch Jason Horne-Francis - You were always one of us

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Forgot to post this a few weeks ago when SA Weekend magazine in the 'Tiser did a featured spread on Jason.


Port Adelaide star Jason Horne-Francis on his time at North, the crowd boos, lessons learnt and a new hobby​

Jason Horne-Francis has had plenty of scrutiny in his first two years in the AFL. He opens up about the lessons learnt, his year in Melbourne, the boos from fans and his new hobby.

There’s a story Port Adelaide players who played with future Australian Football Hall of Fame member Nathan Buckley like to tell about his early days at Alberton.

Basically, when Buckley was competing in the SANFL for Port in 1992, he had a crack at a darts game other players were playing and he was terrible. This being a footy club, his teammates well and truly let him know about it. Months later, Buckley was smashing his teammates on the dartboard. It was subsequently discovered that he had been coming in early to practice ever since he had the piss taken out of him.

In his short AFL career to date, Jason Horne-Francis has had plenty of comparisons to the Buckley of more than 30 years ago. There’s the looks, blond hair, pulled up socks, black boots – although Horne-Francis has been sporting some bright ones this pre-season at Alberton. There’s also the highly publicised move from a club after their first season. Buckley was drafted by Brisbane but moved to Collingwood. Horne-Francis shifted from North Melbourne to Port Adelaide.

And then there’s the darts. “It would have probably been two months now and I have been playing probably every day for about two hours,” Horne-Francis says. “But yeah I have been grinding in a sense.”

However, unlike Buckley, it seems Horne-Francis has taken to the game more naturally. “I’ve had about 20 I think … so I’m going all right,” he says when asked about how many (top score) 180s he has hit. “When I put my mind to things and want to be good at something and if I have a little bit of ability I’ll just try and be as good as I can be at it. “So that is one of the things at the moment.”
Horne-Francis’s love of his new hobby is set to result in the installation of a darts board in the new Port Adelaide facility at Alberton.
“I’ve made a joke to some of the boys that whenever I go to America next I might play in a tournament over there if I get good enough,” he says. “A few of the boys are into the darts now that I’ve been sending them videos of me hitting a couple of 180s. There’s probably six or seven boys getting into it.”

[Maybe its the left over when Phil The Power Taylor visited the club in 2012 and became a club ambassador - See this 2012 thread]

But Power senior coach Ken Hinkley is yet to be won over. “He’s giving me s**t at the moment about not being good at darts, so I need to be good to prove him wrong,” Horne-Francis says. “If we get a dartboard at the club then I can show him.”
[Anyone who gives Hinkley s**t is alright in my eyes]

It is this single-mindedness to be not just good but great at everything he does, as well as his ability, that has Horne-Francis being touted as one of the most exciting young players in the AFL. But at the same time, there is a big focus on the 20-year-old to slow down and stop being so manic on the field.

Off the field, the life lessons for Horne-Francis have been many, especially over the past two years. For the second time, he has moved out of home and, interestingly, that process meant he again crossed paths with the legendary Malcolm Blight. With partner Isabella, Horne-Francis has recently moved into a new house and their new neighbour is one of the legends of the game. “I haven’t met him yet (since they moved in); I’ve met my other one but haven’t met him yet,” he says. But the two have crossed paths before. “(Blight) presented my guernsey to me (when I was drafted by North Melbourne at No.1 in the 2021 draft); it is kind of funny.” That night wasn’t just memorable because Horne-Francis became the No.1 pick.

Just before it was confirmed, the TV feed cut out at the Cathedral Hotel in North Adelaide, where Horne-Francis was watching the draft with family and friends. It left the room in silence for nearly a minute, with Horne-Francis being filmed looking at his watch and his manager Ben Williams needing to use his phone to get a stream of the broadcast – and confirmation of the young star’s selection. Eleven months later, Horne-Francis requested a trade to come back to South Australia with a year remaining on his contract.

...........

When he returned to Adelaide, Horne-Francis spent the first year at home with his parents in Christies Beach. It allowed him to be with his younger siblings, sister Phoebe and brother Fabian junior. Horne-Francis says wanting to see the young Fabian grow up was a big part in the move back. “We are a really close family and we enjoy each other’s company,” he says. “My siblings missed me a lot and I missed them, whenever they can get over to my house they are straight over there.

“(Fabian) is loving it, he is in the pool 24/7. It went green the other day so he wasn’t happy about that cause he couldn’t get in.
“It is good to be able to go down into the rooms and have my family there. And him especially, he is kind of just like me, so it means a lot to me and my family. “I get to watch him grow up, which is the important thing, and when he gets into footy hopefully I can help him and give him someone to look up to.”
 

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the best thing about jhf is he isnt like rozee and butters and he a huge upgrade on wines because he actually creates with his disposal. I think the best comparison is joel selwood but he has a bit more speed and forward smarts.
 
Jonts said:
With Rioli too yea?
Click to expand...
The biggest of thanks has to go to West Coast who took way unders in that trade. I think JHF’s move worried them even more about the go-home factor so they were content with letting the other 3 clubs benefit as a result lol.
 
Fizzler said:
The biggest of thanks has to go to West Coast who took way unders in that trade. I think JHF’s move worried them even more about the go-home factor so they were content with letting the other 3 clubs benefit as a result lol.
Click to expand...
That and the giants having that money first rounders they were willing to throw in an extra 2nd rounder as if it was nothing at the last minute
 
Jonts said:
That and the giants having that money first rounders they were willing to throw in an extra 2nd rounder as if it was nothing at the last minute
Click to expand...
The Giants made that deal happen

When combined with their song, Guernsey, lack of supporters and amazing online content, they're the only opposition club I don't vehemently hate
 
Jonts said:
That and the giants having that money first rounders they were willing to throw in an extra 2nd rounder as if it was nothing at the last minute
Click to expand...
More that they were desperate to get first pick to ensure they could pick the Vic County kid, who was seen as the least flight risk compared to all the other Vic Metro boys that were a good chance of wanting to go back to Victoria.
 
wgt said:
the best thing about jhf is he isnt like rozee and butters and he a huge upgrade on wines because he actually creates with his disposal. I think the best comparison is joel selwood but he has a bit more speed and forward smarts.
Click to expand...
Mad Ew GIF
 

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Heard Georgi on ABC say that after Charlie kicked his goal he was heading to the goal square for 6-6-6 set up and he said Jason told him to stay out of it as he had a mismatch.

Indeed he did and Zak then Connor got it up there quickly, and he did his magic.

Kid is a natural leader. Doesnt need the C after his name, but one day will get it.
 
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