“When I was old enough to play competitively, I just jumped straight in there…”
‘I have always been keen to get up on a Saturday and get my hands on a footy. When I was old enough to play competitively, I just jumped straight in there.’
It is this positive attitude and motivation that has allowed Jake Summers to consistently perform at an elite level.
‘I thought I’d go back to local footy after the Oakley Chargers but then the Eastern Ranges gave me a call and I was lucky enough to play another year at TAC level.’
While playing for the Eastern Ranges, Summers played his first Seniors game, as 23rd man, for the Box Hill Hawks at the age of 18 before moving to the club in 2013.
Since moving to Box Hill, Summers has found it very easy to motivate himself to constantly be at his best, surrounded by players such as David Mirra, Marc Lock and Sam Iles.
‘It’s blokes like Iles, Mirra and Lock who, from my first year, have always been extremely supportive. If you think there isn’t a game heading your way or when you’re not at your best, they are always the first people to pull you aside and have a chat.’
‘All those guys have consistently proven themselves at a high level and you can always see their work rate paying off.’
Using these boys as motivation, Summers has worked hard to improve his game. The Round seven clash against the Casey Scorpions saw Summers selected in the Seniors team, a great reward for his hard work and determination
‘I felt a bit of pressure personally as I had played a lot of Development footy recently, but really I was just excited to be out there playing, especially because it was Mirra’s 100th.’
Not only has Summers found motivation at the club, but at home he never has to look far for support.
‘Mum loves the footy and she’s always been so supportive. She’s my harshest critic but she will always go out of her way and drive across Melbourne to make it to as many games as she can.’
‘I’ve got two younger brothers who play football as well so mum does a bit of a cook up for us all. Her spaghetti bolognese is our go to meal the night before a game.’
‘Dad’s always been really supportive as well. He’s always said, “You get out of it what you want”. He’s always there if I need feedback and is the first person to help me out.’
‘I like to chat to Dad about the game and how he saw it and sometimes I’ll talk to the other boys on the phone and just speak about how the game went and how we played.’
Aside from this supportive network, Summers has always had a strong personal drive that has helped him to keep pushing the boundaries.
‘There has never been a time where anyone has pushed me to play at a certain level, I’ve just sort of led the way myself and everyone around me has been there for support.’
This personal drive has lead to his recent graduation from La Trobe University with a Bachelor of Business and Sport Management.
‘I graduated earlier this week and managed to get a full time job with the Western Bulldogs as a Membership Services Coordinator. They’ve been really supportive of my footy and training so that makes balancing the two a bit easier.’
Constantly striving for improvement, Summers is looking to keep his name in the mix for the Senior Squad for the upcoming home game against the North Ballarat Roosters.
Photo credit: Jenny Owens Photography
