Harbrow rises to task Defender grows from reserved junior to indigenous leader
heads a list of six indigenous players currently on the Suns list.
Harbrow and his Suns teammates will wear a guernsey designed by local Yugambeh man Luther Cora for this weekend’s Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round but the defender doesn’t need any more motivation to play.
The 28-year-old is in the form of his life with a careerhigh average of 27.17 disposals per game coming secondary to his ability to break lines at pace and get his team going.
Harbrow has improved on a career-best 2016 season where he finished runner-up in the best an fairest and Suns coach Rodney Eade said there was a link between his form and his recent desire to take on more responsibility in the indigenous space.
“He has been really consistent – I think his leadership has been terrific,” Eade said.
“He is certainly showing the way with his form at the moment, it’s been terrific.”
Harbrow launched the Jarrod Harbrow Leadership Academy in 2015 and is a constant source of help for other indigenous players at the Suns including Steven May, Callum Ah Chee, Jack Martin, Brandon Matera and Sean Lemmens.
Eade was coach at the Western Bulldogs when they drafted Harbrow and has witnessed his growth first hand.
“He was quiet then as you would imagine but he was very determined,” Eade said.
“He was very focused on being an AFL player and being the best he could be.
“I think it’s quite. impactful that it is Indigenous Round this week and he is seen as a real leader among the indigenous boys.”
Harbrow said it was timely to play this week’s Round 10 game against Melbourne in Alice Springs as he looks to educate those in the game about indigenous culture.
“It’s a pretty symbolic game in the red centre, it’s a really good place to play our Indigenous round,” he said.
“It’s got a lot of cultural history in Alice Springs.”