Jaryd Cachia returns to St Kevins

SKOB are thrilled to announce the arrival of former St Kevin's star Jaryd Cachia to the Club for season 2021.

After a career that took him to Carlton then to the SANFL and back through the VFL at Richmond, Jaryd is heading back to play with SKOB next year.

“Everyone at SKOB is delighted that Jaryd has committed to the club in 2021. He is a St Kevin’s boy who is looking forward to playing with a lot of old school mates. He is a quality young man who will be a great addition to the club.”

Michael Doble - President

From the Herald Sun:

Football was never a trivial pursuit for Jaryd Cachia. He gave it everything, and then some more.

Yet last year his name was thrown up on radio as a good AFL trivia question.

Name the former Carlton player. He rose from his second listing as a rookie to be best first-year player in 2013, only to be a delisted player in 2014?

It was Cachia, considered promising Bluebagger one year, but expendable the next.“It was interesting. When I played all those games in 2013, when I was in the side each week … I have no hesitation in saying I held my own at AFL level … I didn’t set the world on fire but I was consistent enough in my performances,’’ Cachia, who has joined VAFA power St Kevin’s, said today.

“And then the next year I was emergency a lot. I had some really good VFL form but for some reason was never picked. Came close a few times and then I had a shoulder injury. Then I was delisted.’’

Football is a brutal business.

Cachia wonders if people know how demanding it is for players, many of whom have short careers and live it on the edge of selection.

“There was an article in the media a few months ago about how much players are being paid, showed the glamour side of it,’’ he said.

“But for most of the guys in the system it’s pretty cutthroat, such a high-pressure environment. I don’t think it’s seen enough and portrayed properly to the public.

“The pressure that you’re under … I think a lot of it is the pressure the young guys put on themselves to perform. You could have a purple patch for three or four weeks in the VFL and getting close to a senior call-up, and then you have a quiet game, and then you’re sort of back to square one. You’ve then got to put another month of exciting, high-quality football together in the VFL to be in line for selection again. It can be a real rollercoaster of emotions. And even when you’re flying in the VFL, you’ve still got that pressure to keep the performances up.’’

There will be far less pressure on him at St Kevin’s in the Premier section of the VAFA.

Cachia, 29, was a nine-year student at the school: he began there in Year 4 and went through to Year 12.

He said the club had contacted in the past two years about playing amateur football. 

“I think it’s well known now that there are job opportunities that present with the old boys connections,’’ he said. “I’m sort of at the time in my life where it’s a smart decision to explore that opportunity and also reconnect with the St Kevin’s community and a lot of friends I’ve got down at the club.’’

He’ll also reconnect with his Carlton teammate Jarrad Waite, who joined Skob in 2019.

Aside from school football with St Kevin’s, Cachia played in the TAC Cup for the Northern Knights.The Blues took him as a rookie at the end of 2009 and he had two years in the VFL with the Northern Bullants. Delisted, he went to Norwood in the SANFL, had a high finish in the Magarey Medal and played in a premiership. Carlton came for him again, giving him another go as a rookie.

The 2013 season brought him 14 AFL games and his gong as best first-year player. But never played for Carlton again (and he finished his league career with quite a few less matches than his grandfather, North Melbourne’s Terry Benton, later a legendary coach in Gippsland).

“I would have loved to have a long and successful career, like most young kids do, but I’m very grateful for the opportunity I was given,’’ he said.

Cachia went to Richmond as VFL captain 2015, enjoyed it and thinks in hindsight he should have stayed at Punt Rd for longer.

But he wanted to go back to Norwood and he did in 2016, for one season.

Then came stints at Strathmore and Aberfeldie in the Essendon District league. This year he would have played at Golden Square in the Bendigo league.

“I’ve done a bit of travelling with footy and that’s the beauty of it, it can take you everywhere,’’ he said.

And next year it will take Cachia back to his school days.