Luke Jenkins returns to Southport

The following article is on the AFL Queensland web site - http://aflq.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&aid=123217

Luke Jenkins returned home from the United States and a stint with the Chicago Sharks in the USAFL to register his 100th AFLQ State League game last weekend.

Jenkins took a year’s sabbatical from the game in Australia last year to travel to the US for work reasons, and ironically had a kick with the Sharks’ American sister club.

“It was inspiring,” Jenkins said of his experience. “The Americans who were involved just love the game and it was good to see how committed they were.”

An air conditioning mechanic when he arrived on the Gold Coast from Box Hill in 2001, where he played 80-plus games over five seasons, Jenkins moved into the hydraulics industry with his father-in-law last year.

The overseas venture involved training with a product that his company imports and onsells, but gave him the opportunity to travel at the same time.

In between work commitments, he played local football on two Friday nights out of every three in the three-team Chicago competition, and once a month traveled interstate for matches against the likes of Milwaukee, Dallas or North York.

“It was the trip of a lifetime,” Jenkins said.

However, he was always keen to return to Southport and achieve the 100-game milestone.

“It was something I wanted to do because I hadn’t reached that milestone with any club before,” he said.

Jenkins did not arrive back in Australia until late April, after two rounds of the Velocity Sports Cup had already been completed.

“When I rang Southport they said they would be happy to have me back, but I would be a bit behind the eight-ball,” he said. “I trained for a couple of weeks and played reserves for three or four weeks before getting back against Zillmere five weeks ago.”

It was against the Eagles, again at O’Callaghan Park, where the milestone finally eventuated for Jenkins, and he got there in style.

Jenkins was one of the Sharks’ best players as his side pieced together some of their best football of the season to be a very gallant Eagles outfit.

“It was one of the my best games for the year, but the win is what you want in your 100th,” he said.

The day will be one of his treasured football memories, although not in the same league as the Shark’s 2005 grand final win.

“That was definitely the highlight – everyone aims to play in a premiership and we had finished runners-up or just missed the grand final in the first four years I was here, so it was good to finally get one,” he said.

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