Jy Simpkin’s pop would sure be proud.
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Simpkin starred in the Indigenous All-Stars’ 43-point win over Fremantle at Optus Stadium on Saturday night to claim the Polly Farmer Medal for best on ground in an emotional night for the gun midfielder.
The 26-year old in the second quarter made a touching tribute to his late grandfather, pointing to the sky after kicking a goal, before he was overcome by emotion.
Simpkin appeared to be in tears on the bench thereafter with his face in his hands as he was consoled by teammates.
The Kangaroos skipper revealed to Fox Footy post-match he was saluting his pop as he fought back tears.
“Pretty special. My pop passed away just over Christmas so one of the last things he said was, ‘When you kick your first goal make sure you give me a thumbs up’, so it was a pretty special moment,” Simpkin said.
Indigenous legend Shaun Burgoyne described Simpkin opening up as a “beautiful moment,” adding “I guarantee his family would be watching.”
Fellow Indigenous great Eddie Betts also lauded Simpkin for his moving gesture.
“That’s why we play footy — for our family. We go out there every week and want to put on a show for them,” Betts said on Fox Footy.
“He’s an amazing footballer and amazing leader. That’s why he’s the sole captain of the North Melbourne Football Club.
“He went out there and had 30 disposals and was best on ground.”
As well as racking up 30 touches, Simpkin had 18 contested possessions, 10 clearances, eight score involvements … and that very special goal in a night to remember.
The Indigenous All Stars’ star-studded side lit up Optus Stadium, with the likes of Jason Horne-Francis (three goals) and Bobby Hill (four goals) also dazzling in front of over 37,000 fans in Perth.
A decade since the last Indigenous All Stars took the field, there’s great reason to be optimistic we won’t have to wait that long to see them again, if Saturday’s clash is anything to go by.
“It’s a pretty special moment. Obviously it’s been 10 years since the last game and to see the crowd turnout, to have a couple of bags with the boys — it’s a couple of pretty special days and no doubt we’ll cherish this for a long time,” Simpkin added.
“It’s pretty funny, we were all having a joke about it, the connection we just have no matter what. We were laughing on the bench saying, ‘If this was a team going out through the proper season I think we’d actually go alright’. It’s pretty special.
“Once I saw the team up yesterday, I was looking at the forward line and was like, ‘Good luck to any backline trying to line up on them because that is fast’.
“Kozzy Pickett stood out to me today. His ability to zig zag in and out, his agility. He’s so fast and strong when he gets the ball. He’s a pretty special player.”
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