After being drafted by Collingwood in 2010, JONATHON CEGLAR has dedicated almost half his life to playing AFL initially with the Pies then Hawthorn and now Geelong. The 31-year-old caught-up with The Border Mail's BRENT GODDE and revealed how racing provides a welcome distraction from playing AFL, how he struggles to put on weight and the day he was cheering for a horse he part-owned to get beat.
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BRENT GODDE: You are about to commence your 13th pre-season at the elite level. Do you find it hard to believe?
JONO CEGLAR: It may seem like a long time but it has flown by fairly quickly. I'm only 31 so I've nearly dedicated half my life to playing AFL. I'm proud to have played for so long because history says a lot of blokes only have a short time at that level.
BG: It has been a rollercoaster ride?
JC: Sure, I've had my fair share of ups and downs. But looking back on my career so far, it's been fairly enjoyable.
BG: What does your pre-season look like this year?
JC: My number one goal is to just get through it. I'm coming off an interrupted couple of seasons and pre-Christmas it will be fairly quiet. I've been running now for eight weeks and will up the intensity post-Christmas.
BG: It was a frustrating first year for you at Geelong after fracturing your foot early in the season?
JC: It was a nightmare season to be honest and I had three different lots of surgery before May. I had a clean out of my knee in February, fractured my foot and then after complications with the surgery had to have a third lot. I ended up playing four matches of VFL/AFL for the year, so it wasn't great.
BG: Coming off such a serious injury, you must have known it was always going to be an uphill battle to get back fit and firing before finals?
JC: I played my first match late in the season off a four week training block which is obviously not ideal. I knew I had to fast track it to be any hope of playing finals. But not being able to train and have that match fitness caught up with me.
BG: Did you realistically think you were any hope of playing finals and being part of Geelong's flag assault?
JC: I played the last round of the season and ended up with the coaches votes, so form wasn't an issue. The problem was it would have been a big risk to play in a final having not done a lot of work on the track. I still put my hand-up but fully understand why the club went the safest option.
BG: You spent the bulk of your career so far playing under Alastair Clarkson before switching to Geelong this year. Anything standout to you which the two clubs do differently?
JC: Probably the biggest thing is the relaxed nature about being at Geelong. The coaching staff are a lot more trusting of their players and set a schedule and then it's the responsibility of the player to get it done. The intensity at training at Geelong is also a lot higher.
BG: You feel training was a lot more regimented at Hawthorn?
JC: Hawthorn was a lot more structured and you knew what was going on every hour that you spent at the club.
BG: You've only had one season so far under coach Chris Scott. How have you found the dual premiership coach?
JC: I rate Chris highly as a coach and he has a much different style to Clarkson. Clarkson was obviously ultra-successful at Hawthorn and Scott is the same at Geelong but have different coaching philosophies. That's what probably stands out to me most, their contrasting styles they use to get the best out of their players and it's not an exact science being a premiership coach.
BG: Scott has been a revelation for the older players at Geelong?
JC: As an older player, 'Scottie' is unreal and trusts you to do the right thing. I've got no doubt that he has helped prolong the careers of Joel Selwood, Patrick Dangerfield, Tom Hawkins and Isaac Smith because of the freedom he gives his older players.
BG: Did you attend the grand final and the celebrations?
JC: I went to the grand final but the celebrations weren't huge personally because I'm over 30 now. I partied a lot harder when I was 24 when you would go for three or four days without much sleep. But those days are behind me now.
BG: Who got the votes during the celebrations?
JC: It would be hard to go past 'Jezza' Cameron who entertained everybody for a couple of days. You probably saw a bit of his antics on social media with his cows, cats and dogs which was hilarious at the time.
BG: You rate Cameron as one of the most talented players you have seen?
JC: 'Jezza' is one of the most gifted players I've played with but off field he is one of the most casual blokes you could ever meet. He just has that uncanny knack of knowing where the footy is going before anyone else which is why he is a nightmare for defenders to play on.
BG: You are contracted with Geelong until the end of 2023?
JC: Yep, I just want to focus on getting back to my best this year and I haven't thought much beyond that.
BG: Can you see yourself running around in the bush once your time at the elite level draws to a close?
JC: No, once I'm done in the AFL, that will be it. My body wouldn't be able to cope with running around in the bush when I get to my mid 30s. To be honest, I'm looking forward to the next chapter of my life, whenever that may start.
BG: Do you have coaching aspirations?
JC: It is something that I would certainly look at if I was given the opportunity, especially at AFL level.
BG: You are obviously a very lean ruckman and are the envy of most AFL players and blokes in general in that you have to be conscious of not losing weight in contrast to putting weight on?
JC: It's a bit of a luxury I guess but it's still hard work to try and keep weight on. I have to constantly think about eating enough food and staying consistent with my gym program. As I've gotten older, I know how to put the weight back on fairly quickly if I lose too much.
BG: You're not a huge fan of talking about football and you would much rather talk about your other sporting passion in racing?
JC: My escape from football is racing and spending time on my farm at Yackandandah, while a lot of people involved in racing use going to and talking about footy as their escape. It's funny, some days I will ring a mate involved in racing and he doesn't want to talk about racing and I don't want to talk about footy so it ends up being a short conversation.
BG: How passionate are you about racing?
JC: Racing has been a passion of mine for a long time and I would spend more time reading about and watching racing then I would football.
BG: David O'Prey loves telling the story that when you first got drafted by Collingwood in 2010 that you brushed Eddie McGuire when he first tried to call you and welcome you aboard at the Pies?
JC: Dave and I were on a farm and trying to load two horses into the float as there was a nasty storm approaching. I had just been drafted earlier that day and my phone rang and I said to Dave 'Eddie McGuire is calling.' Despite being a passionate Collingwood supporter, O'Prey said to me 'don't worry about Eddie, let's get these horses on the float before the lightning comes.' Now Dave loves telling the story after a few beers how I brushed Eddie McGuire.
BG: Working as a stablehand for O'Prey as a teenager was how you first got involved in racing?
JC: I think I was only 14 and one of my first jobs was working for Dave at the stables after school each day and during school holidays. With Dave being a passionate Wodonga Raiders man, that's how I ended up playing for the Raiders as well.
BG: Playing for Raiders led to you getting an apprenticeship as an electrician?
JC: Brendan Way was playing for Raiders at the time and was good enough to offer me an apprenticeship.
BG: You regard O'Prey as one of your close mates?
JC: Dave came to my wedding and I would probably speak to him three or four times a week. I race three horses with Dave at the moment that I have small percentages in.
BG: O'Prey was stoked when you originally got drafted by Collingwood?
JC: Dave is a one-eyed Collingwood supporter as all the Magpie army are. It's funny, he touched base with me a few times during the year telling me to look after him and get some grand final tickets when the Pies make the decider. My phone was running hot during preliminary final week with Collingwood supporters I know trying to get grand final tickets but unfortunately the Colliwobbles struck again.
BG: Personally, I'm terrified of being kicked when being close to horses but I'm guessing you are confident when it comes to handling gallopers?
JC: It's always in the back of your mind that you are a chance to be kicked. Horses are temperamental and a horse that is usually quiet one day can be a totally different animal the next. I'm always cautious, especially with playing footy because if I got kicked, the club wouldn't be too happy.
BG: Have you ever been kicked or injured by a galloper?
JC: I've been fortunate so far but I think it's inevitable if you are handling horses that you will eventually get hurt or injured somehow.
BG: You recently purchased property on the outskirts of Yackandandah that you are in the process of developing into a racehorse and broodmare agistment property?
JC: When Covid hit the wife and I were looking for a farm to purchase. We both love the outdoors and some land close to Yackandandah became available. It was fairly run down but with a bit of love and a lot of hard work over the past two years we have been able to transform the property into an agistment farm.
BG: How have you found the support from local trainers and owners?
JC: The support has been terrific and the business has grown from nowhere really. When we first purchased the property, we never specifically thought we were going to develop it into an agistment farm but I could see the potential it had if we wanted to go down that path. We started with one paddock which has now turned into 19 paddocks.
BG: Who have been some of your biggest supporters so far?
JC: The guys from Wodonga in David O'Prey, Peter Maher and Craig Widdison alongside Deb Delphin, Mitch Beer, Donna Scott, Ben Brisbourne and the McPherson family who are involved in harness racing.
BG: You plan to build a house on the property and eventually settle there one day?
JC: That's the long term goal to relocate back here, it's a nice spot and not far from town.
BG: You have part-owned dozens of gallopers both locally and in Melbourne?
JC: Over the years I have had a lot of horses with O'Prey and probably four or five with a few former Hawthorn team-mates with Danny O'Brien.
BG: You became instantly hooked on racing when your first runner, This Is The Show, won for O'Prey?
JC: I remember thinking how good is this after being lucky enough to get a winner so quickly. Then I don't think I got my next winner for two years.
BG: You were lucky enough to be a part-owner of the O'Brien-trained El Patroness who caused a boilover in Group One ATC Oaks at Randwick in April?
JC: It was a huge thrill but none of us were at the races because it was during footy season. Luke Breust, Liam Shields, Jack Gunston and Jarryd Roughead are also part-owners.
BG: Have you got any favourite punting stories that you are willing to share?
JC: I had a four-leg multi one day and the last leg was a race in Albury. The first three legs won and I had a runner in the same race in the last leg called Dhiaga but I didn't include it in my multi.
BG: You had the $4-favourite Miss Isolation instead with Dhiaga a $6.50-chance?
JC: It's the only time in my life where I wasn't cheering for my own horse. Anyhow, Miss Isolation won by a head and Dhiaga finished second so I enjoyed a big collect on my multi.
BG: You must have had mixed feelings watching the race?
JC: I felt bad not cheering for my own horse but I was glad in the end when it got beaten and I've never been so happy with my horse running second. It's not something that I will ever do again though.
