Sport
27 September, 2024
Lloyd's embrace 'special' time ahead of Jake's fourth AFL grand final
Jake Lloyd's Sydney Swans face Brisbane as he chases a first flag.
Despite being the fourth time that Horsham's Jake Lloyd will set foot on football's biggest stage, it does not get any easier for his father, Tony.
The family have made the trip to Melbourne as Lloyd's Sydney Swans face Jarrod Berry's Brisbane Lions in the AFL grand final.
"As a parent, I think you go through the same [as the players]. Anytime you get nervous, I still get sweaty palms," Mr Lloyd said.
"The rest of them are pretty calm about it, but I've got a great passion for footy and family. I just love it."
It is this passion for family that drives the Lloyd's.
Jake's brother Matty is on the Swans' VFL list, while Billy plys his trade in the WFNL with the Southern Mallee Thunder.
"It's a special time... We all do a lot of travel over the year," Mr Lloyd said.
"We share trips around over the year; you just dream of these things.
"Our daughter is in Geelong, where we stay... we catch up with family; it's very tight-knit."
So is the Berry family, with whom Tony and his wife Wendy caught up during the week of the game.
"We just chatted about their work ethics; that was probably the main thing," Mr Lloyd said of their chat with Jarrod's father, Troy.
"They're very good kids; they're well brought up. They're good to their families, they're good to their grandparents, they're good to their supporters.
"It's a privilege, the way they handle themselves to get this far. You can see why they get their rewards."
Mr Lloyd said a the family would kick off grand final celebrations with a special breakfast in Melbourne ahead of the grand final parade on Friday, September 27.
"That should be something special, there's a lot of people that pack the streets," he said.
"You see your son and all the other players and families, it's a big thing."
Regardless of the result, Lloyd said he was thrilled to see Horsham represented on the national stage.
"I want to get down there and get it done," he said.
"It's nice that we've got two kids from little Horsham playing on the big stage, and one of them is going to bring home the cup."