By Terry Wilson
JONAH Farry does not turn 18 until November, but by then he should have chalked up almost 20 games of senior football in the QAFL.
Hailing from a family steeped in Sandgate Hawks tradition, young Farry, marking a mark playing his trade for the Wilston Grange Gorillas where last weekend, he played his ninth game of the season against Western Magpies.
And as has been the case in most of his top-grade appearances – he played six games in his 2017 debut season for the red, blue and whites – Farry was again one of the shining lights when the Gorillas fell to the Magpies.
His consistency across the year has earned him the QAFL Rising Star Award nomination for Round 15 and it is an honour the 17-year-old wants to build on.
“I thought I did go all right,” Farry told aflq.com.au of his effort on Saturday.
“I played up forward and down back in the same game, which is good.”
Standing at 190cm tall and weighing in at 82kg, Farry is a more than a useful size to handle several roles.
The name Farry is synonymous with Sandgate.
Jonah’s father Gavin made his debut with the Hawks as a 16-year-old and did not have another senior club.
Also a legend of sorts for the green and reds was Jonah’s uncle, Paul, who was a Queensland representative in the mid-1980s when the QAFL was a strong competition.
But young Jonah began his career as a four-year-old with Aspley where he stayed until the end of 2016.
That was when a decision had to be made.
Because he was only 16 at the time Farry was too young to be listed by the NEAFL club.
“I couldn’t play NEAFL and was playing the next level down with Aspley in the QFA,” Jonah said.
“I had a chat with my Dad and he suggested I play at a higher level in the QAFL.
“I’d heard that Clarkey (Grange coach Nathan Clarke) was going to coach there so I made the decision.”
The inevitable question of why Farry is not at Sandgate, where his father and uncle were such big names in the club’s better days, just has to be asked.
“I’m the child who saw the light and went to Wilston Grange,” Farry joked.
Farry’s main strengths is his kicking and he also works hard at not wasting his possessions, but he also displays commendable composure under the hammer.
He is like any other young hopeful, with a dream of one day playing in the AFL the ultimate goal.
“First of all, I’d love to crack it at the NEAFL but after that it’s every kid’s goal to play in the AFL – and I reckon I can get there,” he said.
There is another target for Farry, though. This one is all about the jumper number he wears for the Grange.
“I was given number 47 but, trust me, I’d go a lot lower if I could,” he laughed.
“But I know the older guys get in first, so I have to bide my time before I can pull rank like they do.”
