Football
30 June, 2024
Westley leading from the front at Pimpinio
In his second season at Pimpinio, Jason Westley has transformed from a quiet man to an onfield leader of a football team on the verge of playing finals for the first time since 2009.
The 23-year-old joined the Tigers from Berri in the South Australian Riverlands at the start of last year. He moved over for work and for his partner, who was from Ararat.
Liam Jakobi convinced him to join the club, and he became captain halfway through last season.
He immediately impacted his 15 games, kicking 32 goals and being named the best player on 13 occasions, which led him to be the Tigers'' best and fairest winner.
The Tigers hired Guy Smith as coach in 2024, which has helped Westley thrive as a leader.
Regarding the Dellar Medal, awarded to the league's best and fairest, Westley should be up there competing for the win. He has been consistent this season in the midfield, providing excellent attacking nous with 21 goals and defence when needed. More importantly, he is respected by his peers.
"This is one of my better seasons individually, and as I am getting older and more experienced, it is helping my football," Westley said.
"If I am up there in the medal, that will be good, but right now, I am only focused on the team.
"I would rather have team success and want to focus on us getting a chance to play finals football and improving as a team."
Westley said it was a special moment when he was given the captaincy.
"I used to be a quiet kid, and to come to a new club and to get appointed as captain, I am pretty stoked about that; it feels quite special," Westley said.
"We have a structure that we like to follow, and I just refresh the player's memory of the structure because if we follow that, we win games.
"Everyone knows their role and what they have to do. I tell the boys that they know what they must do and go do it, and they are a great group of people."
"I just want us to be successful; if we are, it will be pretty unreal."
"I love the club and enjoy being here."
Westley is one of Guy Smith's assistant coaches, and he speaks highly of him.
"He leads from the front and comes from a good football background," Smith said.
"He has beautiful skills on both sides of the body and is brilliant and an excellent asset to us.
"He has been unreal, leads from the front, and is continually among our best players. He wants success for the club."
"On his leadership, he says, 'Follow me, boys.' There is no better way of doing it."