My Own Memories of Jack
One of the more amazing tries Jack scored in his career came on a Saturday afternoon, 2/7/88,at North Sydney Oval,in front of a live TV audience on the ABC. At the time it seemed like just another great Jack try,but the full story was not revealed until after the game. The Tigers had been engaged in a close tussle throughout the game,but had fought back strongly towards the closing stages.The players were giving it their all,Norths realising a loss would spell the end of their finals charge. During this time Mark Graham took the ball up for Norths,Jack moved in to tackle him but came off second best as he was accidently struck in the mouth.Shortly Jack realised he'd had three teeth knocked out,and tried to recover while the game progressed. He soon found them on the ground and while the trainers were expecting him to come off, Jack still had his mind on the game. The Tigers were now bearing down on the North Sydney try-line,hungry to wrap up the game.Such was his devotion to the team,Jack,his mouth filled with blood and missing teeth,casually slipped the teeth into his sock,found his place in the back-line as the ball was swung out,caught the pass,and beat a few Norths defenders on his way to score the match winner. After the game,everyone was astounded by Jack's decision to play on after losing his teeth.Most players would have been relieved to be replaced after suffering such a blow,but not Jack. His decision to play on for his team proved his tremendous loyalty and courage which has rarely been equalled.
One of the best Garry Jack tackles I can remember seeing happened on a Sunday afternoon in 1995,at the Tigers then-home ground of Parramatta Stadium against the now-defunct South Queensland Crushers. Maybe because it's more recent,therefore easier to remember,is why it's one of my favourites,but anyone who was there that day will recall just how hopeless the situation looked for Jack,yet he was able to stop a certain match-winning try. Quite late in the 2nd half,with the game evenly poised,a Crushers player made a break from just inside his own half.The Balmain wingers were up in the line and it was clear that it was left to Jack to make the tackle.The Crushers player had set-sail for the corner in an effort to go around Jack and was nearing the line with a support player inside him.Jack had been keeping his distance between the two Crushers and as the player in possession reached the 20m line,and was about 10m in from touch and veering towards the corner,Jack made his move.Instead of committing and rushing straight at him for a diving tackle,in which case the Crusher would have simply thrown the ball infield,Jack closed slightly and showed him the try-line.This was incredibly dicey for at this stage of his career Jack was on old legs and was the oldest fullback in the ARL.However,as the try-line loomed,the Crushers player,in two minds as to score or pass,backed himself to beat the veteran to the line.Making a bee-line for the corner increased the distance between him and his team-mate and showed Jack he was prepared to go for the line himself.With this,the former Test fullback zeroed in on the Crusher and brought him down in the corner,just metres from the line. Media remarked after the game that it was shades of vintage Jack,but it was a lot more than that.The Tigers were then able to hold out the Crushers for the remaining tackles but it was clearly Jack's tackle that saved the day. The effort proved just how much skill and intelligence Jack had as a footballer,even as a veteran he was still able to use his experience and judgement to produce what he had been doing years earlier.