His father and grandfather were both ministers for the Uniting Church in Australia, but Jonathan Giles is instead taking on the AFL heavyweights every weekend as the number one ruckman for the Greater Western Sydney Giants.
After missing just two games last season, Giles has played every match in 2013, shouldering the Giants’ ruck division and winning the praises of AFL pundits.
But unlike most who play at the highest level, Giles doesn’t come from a footballing family. In fact, his pedigree is rather unique.
Growing up in the Barossa Valley town of Tanunda in South Australia, the Giles family was heavily involved in the local Uniting Church.
“My dad was a minister, so going to church was a part of my life every Sunday,” the 200cm ruckman explains.
“Mum’s dad was also a minister for the Uniting Church, so it was sort of a rich family of ministers. Mum also played the guitar and she was a singer at the church.”
With ministering in his pedigree, Giles could have chosen the same path as his ancestors, but he says it was never really on the cards.
“People have asked me if I would ever be a minister,” he says. “I was always very sporty and… now I’m studying business, so becoming a minister wasn’t really one of my goals.
“So at this stage of my life it doesn’t interest me to follow in my dad’s footsteps.”
Although he now attends services at Hillsong in Sydney regularly, the 25-year-old says his family were the most important influences of the development of his Christian faith.
“My parents taught me good values and good morals in terms of respect and treating everyone the same way you want to be treated so I’ve always tried to live that way,” he says.
“It helps define me in a way, the values you get taught through the Bible and the good morals that you get taught.
“You don’t need to go to church to be a good person at all, but I find that church is great for me to keep practising my faith and living out a good life.”
Giles says the club has always respected his Christian faith, and he’s got the support of two Christian teammates, Anthony Miles and Josh Growden, who join Giles at church services on weekends.
“The footy club’s got lots of different people in there from lots of different backgrounds,” he says.
“Everyone loves to have a good joke and good banter… but it’s all good fun and it makes us closer. Everyone respects [our] decision to go to church, so it’s not really a big deal at all, it’s just normal.”
Nevertheless, Giles says he often has discussions with friends and teammates about God.
“They challenge me because they want to know what it’s about or why I go, because it’s not the most common thing in footy,” he says.
“But I think a lot of the guys know I’m pretty open and I’m always up for a talk about whatever they want to talk about.”
While there are several players in the AFL who practise their faith, including North Melbourne’s Daniel Wells, a Catholic, they remain a minority.
But Giles has no fear at all of making his beliefs known.
“I enjoy going to church and it’s never been a big thing for me to worry about what other people think or what they say,” he affirms.
“At the end of the day, if you do what you believe in, people like you for who you are and they respect you for who you are.”
While he says his Christian values affect how he lives his life, Giles is quick to reject any notions that he’s more inclined to be gentle on the field.
“My faith doesn’t deter me from wanting to hit the ball hard or hit the player hard, it’s all part of the game,” he says.
When it comes to off-field behaviour, however, Giles has a strong awareness of the influence he can have on the lives of others.
“I think it’s a very fortunate position that footballers are in, that they can make a positive impact on people’s lives and kids’ lives,” he says.
He admits the position of footballers as role models has its challenges, but simply says it’s part of the package.
“You’re always in the public spotlight and the kids look up to us as role models so we have to be doing the right things all the time,” he says.
What’s unique about Giles is that his road to AFL success has been one that’s required persistence, perseverance, and a burning desire to achieve his potential.
Described by former teammate Warren Tredrea as the “poster child for never giving up on your dream”, Giles was first drafted to play in the AFL by Port Adelaide in 2005, as a promising 17-year-old.
But he couldn’t break into the senior team and, after four years without an AFL game, Giles was delisted.
His chance to play in the AFL seemed lost.
For most players, there would be no return from such an experience. After four years of being unable to make it into the big time, it seemed Giles was destined to play in the State league for the rest of his career.
Instead, Giles worked on his game, improved his fitness, and reaped the rewards. In 2010, the newly formed GWS Giants selected Giles in the rookie draft.
In the Giants’ debut season, he came fifth in the club’s Best and Fairest award, and was described as “one of the great surprise packets of 2012” in the 2013 season preview written by Inside Football.
In the club’s first win over Gold Coast in Round 7, the man nicknamed “Joffa” polled three Brownlow Medal votes in a 21-disposal, three-goal display.
Another best-on-ground performance in Round 19 helped secure the Giants’ second win over Giles’ former club, Port Adelaide.
After his outstanding season, Giles attracted interest from several clubs during the AFL’s trade period, but he eventually signed on with the Giants until the end of 2015.
Despite the lack of on-field results, Giles says the feeling around the club is still one of excitement.
“It’s fantastic to be part of the 18th club in the AFL,” he says.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of a new club and set a new culture, and we’ve got such an exciting bunch of players here.”
Although the Giants have struggled at times, Giles says the team’s morale is not in dire straits.
“We’re just constantly trying to build on what we’re doing and just keep improving to get better as a team,” he says.
“We’d rather be winning than losing, but it just builds resilience in the team.
“We’re not going to give up and we’re not going to stop until we keep improving and keep getting better.”
It’s a brave, somewhat faith-filled optimism that perhaps only someone with the faith of Jonathan Giles can have.