At 36, Jeremy Howe did not need another reminder about feeling old.
He was constantly sore from match-day combat, his close mate Steele Sidebottom was pulling the pin, and he was initially reluctant about pushing on for one more season.
But when the Magpies’ AFLW arm selected Tasmanian teenager Mischa Barwin from Howe’s junior club Dodges Ferry for their first game this year, he really felt his age.
“I played footy against Mischa’s father for a few years,” Howe told The Age. “I played for Dodges Ferry, he played for a team called Sorrell, they were arch rivals that are only 10 minutes apart.
“He was a genuine star. But after I got drafted, he ended up joining Dodges … and he’s close mates with my brother Justin. So, it’s funny how it’s worked out that now I’ve got his daughter at the same football club. When I departed, I think she might have been two.”
While 18-year-old Barwin will play just her second game on Sunday, at Victoria Park against Fremantle, Howe is nearing the finish line. He will line up for his 288th match on Friday night, taking on the Brisbane Lions at the MCG.
It will be the high-leaping defender’s first game back since cracking a bone in his left arm against Geelong in round 21 – the same arm he broke in six places against Geelong in round 1, 2023.
The timing of the break was significant. It had several ramifications. Unbeknown to the public, Howe knew Sidebottom was going to retire. He knew their on-field time together was running out.
“Sidey was the first person to message me after the game [in which I broke my arm],” Howe recalled. “He said, ‘I’ve got a feeling we haven’t played our last game together’.
“I had a quick procedure. I was out of hospital the next day, and then I was like, ‘What can I do to get back as quickly as I can and enjoy what moments left we have to share?’
“So, with any luck, that’s six more games. It might be two. We’re not too sure, but I’ll make sure that I’m there for all of them.”
Howe watched first-hand how retirement played on Sidebottom’s mind, knowing that he, personally, was likely to commit to one more year.
“I’m really tight with Steele and felt like he was wrestling with it,” Howe said. “He openly said he was wrestling with it for a while, and to be honest, ever since he made the decision to hang them up, it was almost like a sigh of relief.
“There’s an element of lightness, and he’s always bubbly and positive, but you can tell that there’s not that added stress of having to think about it. So it’s been good to see that.
“But watching him talk and retire, that’s something that I fear. It was hard to experience that, but he did a tremendous job.
“We all understand that it’s going to come to an end at some stage, and for us [veterans], it’s not in the too distant future. ”
Howe expected this AFL season to be his last. After 16 years, countless mark-of-the-year contenders and the 2023 premiership, he felt he had achieved enough. But his form dictated otherwise.
“At the start of the year, I had the intentions of hanging them up at the end of the season,” Howe revealed.
“Then as the year progressed, in the footy that I was playing, I felt like the conversation started steering in a little bit of a different direction.
“The club obviously were encouraging in terms of the conversations of where they were going, and I said, ‘If there’s a need or a want, a desire for me to hang around, then I’m certainly not going to knock it back’.
“It’s all ended up in a positive manner, and hopefully that [the contract] will be done in the next week.”
While Howe’s games alongside Sidebottom were running out, he had no clarity on Scott Pendlebury.
“You can chat to ‘Pendles’ about that,” he said when asked if the games-record holder would be there for his 300th game next year.
“No one knows but Pendles. That’s a discussion for the big fella. The ball’s in his court, I assume, and like everyone, we’ll all be left waiting to see what he does.”
In the meantime, Howe will continue to watch first-hand the development of fellow Tasmanian Barwin’s career.
It will be somewhat of a role reversal. She grew up following his.
“Dad always talked about him playing for Collingwood, so I’ve always kind of followed Collingwood in that way,” Barwin said.
“There was always a lot of talk about Jeremy and, you know, ‘Oh Jeremy’s playing tonight’ and kind of looking out for him as a family friend. We’ve always kind of followed his footsteps when he’s been playing.
“So, I’ve always looked up to him. And it’s just nice to kind of catch up and have a bit of a talk.”
So, what advice does a 36-year-old, 287-game veteran have for a fledgling star?
“[Howe said] just to keep being myself and keep having fun and just, you know, really delve into this whole experience. And to kick some goals,” she said.
Howe was not the only one offering advice. Barwin’s family – father Heath, mother Sophie and 16-year-old brother Zac – came across to Melbourne last week to watch the small forward make her AFLW debut, an 18-point loss to Richmond.
“Dad was there yelling from the sidelines, and telling me what I need to do better next week,” she said.
“Unfortunately, they won’t be here on Sunday. They’ll be watching from home from Tassie, but I’m very excited to play at Vic Park. Obviously, Collingwood’s got a great historic connection there.”
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