Jesse Hogan says playing 23 games, not kicking 69 goals, is what the new Coleman Medal winner is proudest of in 2024

Watching Geelong goalkicking rival Jeremy Cameron boot seven in a half last Saturday was about the only time newly minted Coleman medallist Jesse Hogan gave much thought to the “cool” individual accolade, more thankful with just how many games he’s managed this season.

Injury plagued for so much of his 10-year career, Hogan wanted to become a mainstay for the Giants in 2024 and his 69 goals in his career-high 23 home-and-away games for the year have put them within two wins of the grand final.

Having managed just nine games in his first season at the Giants in 2021, after just seven in what was his final year at Fremantle in 2020, Hogan said his target was games not goals.

Playing, and winning, with his teammates was the driving force for a player at his third club, and with that in mind Hogan worked hard on getting his body right, meeting his target of 18 games in 2022, enough to leave him “over the moon”.

The 29-year-old contested marking beast has now put together back-to-back 23-game seasons, a total that included three finals last year and will at least hit 25 this year after his Coleman Medal winning haul helped GWS secure the double chance, needing to beat the Swans next Saturday in a local derby to get to another preliminary final.

“When I got to the Giants I’d had a lot of issues with my body and being able to play consecutive games. In 2022, we planned to get 18 and I got 18 and I was absolutely over the moon with that,” Hogan said on Monday, having added the new award to his football resume.

“So to be here two years later, and play 23 games, and be standing in this position, it’s not something I never thought would happen, but it was never really something I was aiming for. It’s all kind of happened pretty quick.

“Just extremely grateful to be out there and play and win and lose with the boys each week, it’s something I haven’t had a lot during my career.”

Hogan was watching with those boys as Cameron, who started the final round with 49 goals, 18 behind Hogan, went on a tear against West Coast.

Cameron finished with nine for the game, enough to finish second, but still 11 behind Hogan.

“We were watching Jez (Cameron) kick seven in a half and thinking if there’s one bloke who could kick 20 in a game it would be Jez,” he said.

“(Teammates) are really happy for me and the messages of support have been fantastic. There are bigger fish to fry, but it’s a cool little accolade.”

The last time a GWS player won the Coleman Medal was in 2019 when Cameron won as a Giant. That year the Giants went all the way to the grand final, losing to Richmond.

While Hogan longed to play as many possible games, he conceded it was “taxing” as a key forward, playing up to 95 per cent game time each week.

With that in mind he said the bye before his team’s first final against Sydney had come at a nice time.

“We’ve got a few beaten =-up and battered boys, it’s come at a perfect time for us,” he said.

“It will be a pretty light week for me but before you know it I’ll be locking back into gear.

“When fixtures come out there are certain games you circle and get up for and it’s definitely the derby.”

2024 Coleman Medal top 10

1. Jesse Hogan (GWS) 69

2. Jeremy Cameron (Geel) 58

3. Charlie Curnow (Carl) 57

4. Ben King (GC) 55

5. Jake Waterman (WC) 53

6. Joe Daniher (Bris) 50

=7. Nick Larkey (NM) 46

=7. Harry McKay (Carl) 46

9. Josh Treacy (Fre) 45

=10. Kyle Langford (Ess) 43

=10. Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (WB) 43