JAYDEN Whitehead put the lessons of two missed grand final opportunities to good use on his way to his first Hampden premiership.
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The Koroit utility capped off a career-best season playing a role in the Saints’ 33-point Hampden league grand final win over North Warrnambool Eagles on Saturday. He said the pain of watching the Saints’ past two flags from the sidelines spurred him on.
“It is a little bit of internal motivation I guess. As much as it’s a team game, sometimes you’ve kind of got to find that will inside yourself to get out there and get that one,” Whitehead said.
Whitehead said hard work and determination helped him develop into a consistent contributor in 2016.
“I think confidence in knowing the ability (I have) and not trying to create things (helped me),” he said.
“Just taking my medicine when it’s due and I think the more I did that, the more steady my game became and the form kind of stayed.”