REPEATED head knocks ended Jordie McKenzie's football career but an interest in coaching is keeping his love for the game alive.
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McKenzie, a Terang Mortlake export who played 79 AFL games at Melbourne, returned to the Bloods two years ago with the hope of helping the club to its fourth premiership as a merged entity.
But it wasn't to be.
The hard-tackling midfielder had the news no player wants when visiting a concussion expert earlier this year.
"Unfortunately over the journey I've just had one too many head knocks," he says.
"A few months ago the neurosurgeon ruled me out from playing again.
"I'm going OK now but I still get a few issues here and there, but it doesn't stop me from doing anything (else)."
McKenzie suffered several concussions in his stint with North Adelaide but it was a knock in a Hampden league practice match which influenced the neurosurgeon's call.
He hoped to return but heeded the doctor's advice and hung up the boots after a final consultation.
Finishing his career at the Bloods - although earlier than anticipated - was a long-term plan.
"I always wanted to finish off my career back at Terang Mortlake," McKenzie says.
"But just to be able to be involved back at Terang Mortlake over the last couple of years was great. I have some great mates back there and my brother (Tom) as well.
"We travelled back on the weekends and clocked up some kilometres in the car with some good mates like Tyson Densley and Steve Staunton.
"I would've loved to get more seasons in and have chased a bit of success."
The 30-year-old's return to the Bloods meant he gathered valuable coaching experience under then mentor Michael Sargeant.
The tactical and man management side of footy is an interest still burning bright for McKenzie.
"I'd love to still be playing but I love my footy and I've got a bit of an interest in going into the coaching side of things," he says.
"I'm an assistant coach down here with De La Salle, in the amateurs. That competition has just been called off too (like the Hampden league).
"I'll definitely be looking to pursue that and stay involved in footy. While I'm still in Melbourne, I'll stay involved down here so I can get to training and that sort of thing.
"I'll keep pursuing that and any opportunities that may come along but my main motivation is just to stay involved in footy."
Things are taking shape off the field too. McKenzie has entered the finance industry and hopes to carve out a long career in the field.
"I just finished uni last year, so I was probably a bit of a late bloomer in that sense," McKenzie says.
"I've been nagging away at it for a few years. I chopped and changed a bit with it.
"I've now started a credit analyst role. I've been enjoying it.
"It's been funny in that I had six weeks in the office learning there, and the rest has been working from home.
"It's been interesting in that sense but I've still been able to pick up the phone, ask a lot of questions and I'm still very grateful to be in a job at the moment."
The former Terang College student originally planned to pursue exercise science and fitness but believes he's found his true calling.
"I've always been interested in that property and investing side of things," McKenzie says.
"When I was playing footy for a living, I was studying very part-time all along.
"I was sort of going down the health science sort of path. I didn't mind it, but as it was going on, I was probably getting more and more interested in finance.
"I was learning more as I went and doing a bit of my own investing and that sort of thing as well.
"My first year out of the AFL, I was still doing the health science stuff but I did a bit of a backflip. I obviously didn't get much credit but I'm really glad I made the decision in the end."
Melbourne is different, personnel-wise, to the club which selected McKenzie with the first pick in the 2009 rookie draft.
Some players remain from his tenure - ruckman Max Gawn, swingman Tom McDonald and former captain Nathan Jones among them - while other friends like Collingwood's Jeremy Howe and Hawthorn's James Frawley are spread throughout the AFL.
Despite the club's struggles - it won 33 of a possible 110 games in McKenzie's stint - he looks back fondly.
"Like a lot of people, it's the childhood dream. It sounds a bit cliche but it really was," he says.
"I wouldn't say I had tunnel vision but it was a really strong goal of mine to play at the highest level and I've always just loved my footy, loved training, loved watching it and love playing it.
"Over the journey it's been my number one passion. I've loved sport in general, mainly footy and cricket, but footy was always number one."
McKenzie said still pinched himself regularly when reflecting on his six-season career.
He said he gravitated to the happy times at the Demons.
I always wanted to finish off my career back there and I would've loved to get a few more seasons in and have chased a bit of success with them.
- Jordie McKenzie
"It's a rollercoaster ride, there are plenty of ups and downs," McKenzie said.
"We didn't have a heap of success, but when I look back, I probably naturally think of the good times.
"I think of the thrills, I think of running out on the MCG. There weren't a heap of them, but you think of the good wins.
"You also think of the good times you've had and all the great mates you've made. The overarching thing is that you look back and pinch yourself that you had that opportunity."
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