Sharp now a rising Docker
Jeremy Sharp thought he was paddling out for the last time as a Sun.
It was mid-october, 2022, when Sharp was on an Indonesian surf trip with Sydney players Luke Parker, Isaac Heeney and Chad Warner.
Far from the clear waters and bustling jungles of Mentawai just west of Sumatra, the AFL trade period was entering its final hours.
The group hit the waves and expected Sharp to be a Docker by the time they returned.
Instead, they were met with news that the trade had fallen over and Sharp would remain at Gold Coast in 2023 after Fremantle prioritised a trade for Jaeger O’meara.
“At the time, I wasn’t promised but the club indicated to me that they really wanted to get me across,” Sharp said as he reflected on that failed trade.
“For that to then fall through, to be honest, it was a really tough pill to swallow.
“I was actually away at the time on a surf trip with a bunch of the Sydney Swans boys. They were all getting around me and were pretty pumped for me.
“Then we came in from the surf and my phone was full of ‘next year’ sort of texts. It hit me at that moment.
“The next two to three months were really tough for me. But it was important for me to get back on the horse and really put in a solid season.”
If things had gone perfectly back in 2022, Sharp would be in his second season at Fremantle. But the resilience that the extra 12-month wait instilled is a big reason why Sharp is firming as one of the recruits of the year.
The 21-year-old has played every game so far this season for Fremantle but had arguably the performance of his career against Carlton on Saturday, finishing with 29 disposals, a game-high 655m gained and a goal.
So far this season, Sharp is averaging 502.4m gained, five inside 50s, 18.8 disposals, 16.5 uncontested possessions and 3.8 score involvements.
Compare those numbers with what Liam Henry produced on the wing for Fremantle last season (309.5m gained, 2.3 inside 50s, 20.4 disposals, 15.6 uncontested possessions, and 3.6 score involvements) and Sharp is an instant upgrade on the injured Saint.
Given his start to the year, it’s a wonder why Sharp didn’t play an AFL game for Gold Coast last year despite averaging 22.4 touches in 18 VFL outings. But the East Fremantle product said he doesn’t believe he was black-listed by the Suns despite signalling his intention to move back home.
“It was a little bit awkward those first couple days but it is an industry,” Sharp said. “A lot of players understood the position I was in and the fact that I wanted to get home at the end of the year.
“When the trade didn’t go through, I sat down with the coaches and we came up with a plan. We all wanted me to keep playing my best football and hopefully get that opportunity at the end of 2023.
“They were always talking about AFL. When you’re at an AFL club, that’s what you’re aiming to do. We didn’t speak about playing VFL all year, that’s for sure.
“There’s lots of different factors you can look into; you can look at form, you can look at personnel, the coaches not picking me in the team. For whatever reason, they just didn’t have me in their sights.
“I didn’t get the opportunity I really wanted but I held myself well throughout the year and managed to keep a level head instead of throwing the towel in. I stayed true to myself.
“We were lucky down in the VFL as well. We had such a great group. Now we’re seeing lots of boys from that twos team thrive at AFL level.
“On the weekend, we had the likes of Elijah Hollands playing for Carlton, Chris Burgess at the Crows, and Mabior Chol at Hawthorn. There’s lots of examples of people who were in my position last year and it’s a credit to them and myself that we’re playing good football now.”
Even if he didn’t get recognition in the form of AFL games, Sharp always remained confident that he’d secure an AFL lifeline. Not even a call from newly appointed Suns coach Damien Hardwick could convince Sharp to re-sign and so club and player came to an agreement to part ways.
“I was very lucky that throughout the whole year, I was able to stay in contact with Fremantle,” Sharp said. “At the back end of the season, we were able to build up a strategy to get me to Freo.
“When that opportunity came for the club to sign me early in the supplementary period, I think they labelled it the quickest SSP signing of all time. The club was awesome throughout the whole year.”
It meant that when Sharp arrived at Fremantle in late November, he didn’t need to beat Olympian Peter Bol in a series of 1km time trials to prove a point to himself.
He did anyway though. “I had a lot of confidence,” Sharp said. “With Liam Henry leaving, a spot opened up.
“It was important for me to build that trust within the playing group and the coaching staff that I was here for the right reasons and a second chance was going to be gold to me. I wanted to play a pivotal role for the team.
“Being back around AFL football, doing what I’ve always dreamt of doing, you never take it for granted. I’ve learnt to soak it in and know how lucky I am.
“I feel like week by week, I’m building more confidence. The team is really getting around me and I’m owning my role within it. I just need to keep believing in myself because when I’m confident, I know I can take it up to my opponent.
“I’m riding a really cool wave at the moment.”