This article first appeared in the May 2020 edition of EAGLE EYE.

The final siren of a football match has the ability to evoke a broad range of emotions.

For the victors that piercing, unmistakable sound elicits a sense of momentary joy that is hard to match. For the defeated it is a heart-wrenching noise, one that marks the end of a failed quest for glory.

But when the final siren sounded at Optus Stadium on March 22 there were no cheers or groans. There was just uncertainty. Season 2020 was on hold and no one knew when it would resume.

Like the rest of the AFL community, emerging West Coast Eagles utility Jarrod Brander did not know how to feel.

“It was quite an empty feeling after the game,” Brander said.

“We had a win but there was no crowd and there was nothing to look forward to next week.

“I was pretty flat to be honest. I was thinking that we’ve done all this hard work and now we’re going to have to miss out after one round.”

Of all the Eagles who took the field against Melbourne on that day, Brander should have been among the most satisfied at game’s end given it was the first time he’d tasted success following a tough induction at the game’s highest level.

The talented 21-year-old’s three previous outings in blue and gold were, arguably, the hardest road trips in the league: Sydney at the SCG (15-point loss), Brisbane at The Gabba (44-point loss) and Geelong at GMHBA Stadium (58-point loss).

“It was awesome to get my first win, even though it was in unusual circumstances,” Brander said. 

“My first few games were quite tough and we were a long way from winning those games. To share that moment with the boys and to sing the song was special. It was a good feeling and I look forward to the next one.”

A huge off-season and positional switch helped Brander break into West Coast’s star-studded line-up.

After spending the majority of his first two years at the club playing as a key forward or back, Brander was thrown down a challenge to learn the ins and outs of the wing role.

It was a task he relished during the summer slog.

“When I returned to training I was initially with the backs group and then a couple weeks in I was moved to the wing,” Brander revealed.

“There was no formal discussion about me sticking to one position this year, it was more about what positions were available in the team and the coaches identified that was a spot that was up for grabs.

“I started to train in the role more and I felt like I was quite fit and running well.

“I enjoyed it because I could get on my bike, run and create a bit of a mismatch on the opposition winger because there aren’t a lot of blokes my size (195cm) that play on the wing.”

The Wentworth product showed he had what it took to play the role with two productive hit-outs against Essendon (11 disposals, three marks) and Fremantle (17 disposals, five marks) in the Marsh Community Series and a solid performance against Melbourne (13 disposals, seven marks) in round one.

“Getting a bit of confidence playing at that level is quite important at this stage of my career,” Brander said.

“I’ve had some previous opportunities and didn’t quite take them, so it’s more in my own mind that I need to seize my opportunities and I felt I did that during the pre-season and round one.

“If I can keep building that confidence for when the season restarts that’d be great. Hopefully I can keep my spot in the team for as long as possible.”

Unlike some of his eastern-states born teammates, Brander elected to stay in Western Australia during the AFL shutdown period.

He enlisted housemate Jack Petruccelle as a training buddy and the dynamic pair have been pushing each other to maintain the gains they made before the season was suspended.

“We are training in pairs and I am training with Jack every second day,” Brander said,

“It’s just a matter of going for running sessions and trying to get some weights in wherever we can. We’ve got a few weights at home and a spin bike. We’re trying to make the best of a pretty unusual situation.

“I want to be fit and ready to go when we get back into it.

“My ultimate goal is team success and playing finals. I want to play in the big games in front of big crowds at Optus.

“That would be awesome and hopefully it comes sooner rather than late."