Football
20 July, 2026
AFL honour still sinking in for Horsham's Jake Lloyd
For current AFL and ex-Horsham player Jake Lloyd, being awarded AFL life membership hasn't quite fully registered yet.
Lloyd, the brother of local Southern Mallee Thunder players Billy and Matty, earned life membership of the league by notching up his 300th game recently.
Unfortunately for Lloyd, celebrations didn't go to plan in his official 300th match, with Fremantle defeating his side, the Sydney Swans, 15.21 (111) to 10.13 (73).
Lloyd has played 288 premiership matches with the Swans and a further 11 official pre-season games, as well as one match representative for Victoria.
He was drafted originally by the Swans with pick 16 in the 2013 rookie draft and made his debut the following season.
Lloyd chatted with Wimmera Mallee News after the milestone and said he was proud of the achievement but hadn't had a lot of time to think about, let alone digest, it.
"It obviously occurred last week but it's probably something I'll reflect on more once the season comes to an end," Lloyd said.
"To think about it now, I'm proud, but it's a journey so far I haven't been on by myself, and I have had a lot of amazing support over the years from close friends and family, so to see the joy it brings to those people week in, week out is something I'm proud of."
Four years after joining the Swans, Lloyd claimed his first club best and fairest, backing it up a couple of years later in 2020.
Across his career Lloyd has averaged 23.3 disposals per match (14.7 kicks and 8.6 handballs), 5.5 marks and 2.1 tackles.
In the 17 games he's played this season he's averaged 17.2 disposals (9.5 kicks and 7.6 handballs), 4.4 marks and 2.2 tackles.
But there was a time when footy didn't exist in Lloyd's life, as he admitted he got into the sport later than most.
"My journey has been a bit different to a lot of guys," he said.
"I was a real keen basketballer back in the day and I didn't start playing footy until I was 14.
"For me, it was I loved basketball and played a lot of tennis, but footy came to the scene pretty late for me and once I got into the thick of it, I'm a person who has always chased the highest levels and wanted to make the most of it."
Through hard work, aided by the assistance of his father and close friends, Lloyd said he was able to get himself on track for a chance of playing at the highest level.
It all comes down to attitude, grit and hard work, Lloyd added.
But footy wasn't his first love when it came to sport, basketball was, and although Lloyd can't remember exactly what turned his head, at 14 it became his go-to when basketball wasn't on on a Saturday or Sunday.
"I really only got stuck into footy when I was 16, and that was at the Demons in Horsham," Lloyd said.
"I was lucky to have some good people and mentors around me: great coaches around the Wimmera even now in Scotty Batchelor and Stuey Farr, who took me under their wing and gave me great opportunities as a youngster to experience footy at a higher level.
"That's held me in good stead, and with the work I was doing at home with Dad, just wanting to be fit and healthy at the time, it's all helped shape who I am now and helped me get to where I am now."
With his brothers Billy and Matty still playing in the local league, Lloyd said he kept an eye on how they were travelling.
"Bill's been back there for four or five years now and Matty joined them this year so it's a cool little connection that they can play together and they've got a great club up there in the Mallee and it's awesome to see them doing well," Lloyd said.
Asked if we could expect Lloyd to join his brothers back in the WFNL when his AFL career came to an end, he laughed and said he certainly wouldn't rule it out.
"My focus at the moment is trying to extend my career here as long as I can," Lloyd said.
"I've played one game of footy with my youngest brother, Matty – he was up in Sydney VFL last year so we ran around together for a game – but I've always said I'd love to get back and play a game with my brothers.
"Where that is, who knows, but I won't rule it out, for sure."
With an AFL career spanning 12 years, Lloyd said he had been fairly lucky when it came to injuries.
"I've been fortunate in my journey so far, not having had any significant injuries, touch wood, but I think the biggest challenge is the season itself," he said.
"Backing up week in, week out, and for me I'm a player who prides my game on consistency each and every week.
"I want my teammates who run out alongside me to know what they're going to get each and every week.
"The ups and downs of winning and losing, staying strong in the mind and what you're capable of, is something that's also a challenge every year and as I get older, positional changes weekly, it's about staying sharp in that space and giving myself every chance to perform every week."
Lloyd has also had plenty of highlights in his career so far, including, he said, playing for such a good footy club in Sydney.
He added he had been fortunate to experience a lot of what footy had to offer.
"That's been unreal, but obviously I can't go past being out on the ground for 'Bud's' (Buddy Franklin's) 1000th goal at the SCG," Lloyd said.
"That was a pretty special moment but I've also played in some big prelim finals, like against Collingwood at the SCG, and then experiencing what grand final day has to offer quite a few times, albeit I haven't won one yet, but the experience itself is crazy.
"There is still a lot to write in my chapter as a footy player and I'll keep working hard and see where it gets me."
With AFL careers not infinite and Sydney travelling extremely well this season and currently second on the ladder, could this be the year Lloyd claims that elusive premiership with his side?
"It would mean a lot," Lloyd said.
"And a lot of work goes into that but it's not really the focus right now.
"Our group is in a really strong position and we're playing some good footy.
"We've got a really tough six weeks ahead of us coming into finals so it's all about implementing our game plan and sticking to it for longer.
"We had a great challenge against Freo over in Perth.
"They sustained their game plan for longer and it was a good learning curve for us.
"We aren't far off it, which is exciting, but it's about continuing to build for the next couple of months as we get into finals footy.
"I'm really excited about it."