Gryan Miers is a well known lover of US Sport, particularly NFL, and he spoke about the inspiration it’s had on his game and mindset.
Speaking to Jimmy Bartel on 3AW’s Wide World of Sport, Miers listed one of the recent Superbowl winning Philadelphia Eagles players as an influence on how he plays.
“My favourite player would be DeVonta Smith, I just like the way that, he kind of is how I want to be as a player that he when he gets the moment to star he does, but can also shy away and let others star when he needs to," Miers told Bartel on 3AW Wide World of Sport.
True to form, and with that in mind, Miers continued his form in 2024 after a career best 2023 season, adding an equally strong year while creating a balance of goals to his lofty goal-assisting standards of the previous year.
Whilst enjoying some influences of US sport on the field, the topic turned to off the field as the US system looms ever closer to inspiring a potential AFL takeover. Miers was open to the idea of transparent and honest club-player-league conversations in regards to trade and player movement.
“I’m comfortable as a player that if someone was saying they’re going after me or going after my teammate that its not going to have any rift in between us.
“I do love the tradition of loyalty though and I don’t like the constant movement but I think that as a recruiting department and as a list management team, they should always be going after the big names and the players that they think are really going to help our team.”
Having seen first hand experience of some open and honest conversation between player and club, Miers confirmed that the impact had on players from a teammates potential departure isn’t as severe as thought.
“It hasn't affected us in the past at all. I've been around with the Tim Kelly situation where he requested a trade and it got kind of rejected by the Cats, but, I was as close with him for the next year, it didn't matter that I kind of knew that that was going to happen again.
“He was our teammate for that time and a mate of mine at that time that I wanted what was best for him and his family. And, it rightfully became what was best for him and his family, he had a great season with us still, even though that that was always going on in the background.
“So as long as the individual can deal with it, I think the teammates, if they're a good teammate, will support them in every way to do what's right for their future.”
With Geelong taking on Brisbane in the first game of the AFL Season, the football obsessed Miers is looking forward to an earlier than normal opportunity.
“It's pretty special. I think it's awesome that footy just comes around so quick now. Like you get through the New Year part and as players, you’ve only got like two months to get ready. And I think that's the way we like it, and I reckon you would have liked it also back when you played.
“So it's pretty awesome to get that build up, a Prelim rematch for us, so I think we're itching at the bit to kind of get back at them, and also just trying to get back into the season mode. I think there's that extra fuel for that opening month of footy even, you just want to nail that first month of footy.
Geelong take on Brisbane on Thursday 6 of March in first game of Opening Round.
