LEON Davis says the secret to his recent on-field success lies in his decision to embrace every game as if it's his last.
Speaking on the eve of the Indigenous Round, Davis revealed he believes he’s fortunate to still be playing for Collingwood, considering the roller-coaster nature of his career so far.
"I'm out of contract at the end of this season, so I'm trying to do everything I can to convince the club that they should keep me on," he told collingwoodfc.com.au.
"I'm playing like it's my last season, to try and stay on and get another contract. I'm trying to help the team win, and trying to give it my all every time I go out.
"I feel lucky to represent the club. I know in the past, I've been up and down with my form, and a bit unpredictable and not knowing if I'm coming to play or coming to just rock up and not play at all.
"I'm just trying to get a bit of consistency into my game, and I'm working hard off the field as well."
He rates his playing year as "not too bad", and said his move away from the forward line and into a more "hands-on" role in the midfield has rejuvenated his desire for the game.
"I've pushed up in the midfield now, which I'm happy with. I've been trying to get up there for a while," he said.
"It's been a matter of building up my endurance and working hard off the field and at training.
"I think I have, just being able to run out games in the midfield. Being stuck in the forward pocket, you have limited opportunities to get up in the midfield and actually try and get a kick and help the team out a bit more.
"It's better for myself and I'm enjoying it. But I do love kicking a goal, as you might know. I've always loved trying to kick a good goal.
"Mick (Malthouse) was waiting for me to build up my fitness and for him to be able to rely on me to have that fitness to have an accountable and offensive side to my game.”
The 25-year-old also said he regrets disobeying team instructions after the Magpies' round six win over Adelaide, when he left the club's hotel with two other players after the night match.
As punishment, the club made the trio - Davis, Chris Egan and Shannon Cox - ineligible for selection the following week. They served the suspension, and now Davis feels even more determined to prove his worth.
"That was just something I regret doing. The rules are the rules, and I got punished for it in the end," he said.
"The week off definitely hurt me a lot. I wanted to be out there and play with the boys, but I had to cop it on the chin.
"I'm lucky to be back in the side. I tried to get back out (on the weekend) and play well, because I knew a few of my teammates might be a bit disappointed in us.
"I had to get back out there and show them that I'm over it, and that I've learned my lesson."
Davis, Collingwood's most-capped Aboriginal player, believes the fact he is the oldest of the club’s five indigenous players makes him responsible to take on a paternal role.
"I try and steer them in the right direction, and try to look after them," he admitted.
"I just let them know anything they need to talk about, or if they're missing home, which is something I went through.
"Stuff like that. I tell them to come and talk to me, and I do my best to help them out.
"They talk to me about missing home, and ask me who else they should talk to, and about small things they can do outside of footy while they're over here.
"I know when I came over, I did a lot of sitting around when I wasn't at training, and it made me think about home a lot more.
"So I try and get them around to my place and have a feed, and try and catch up with them as much as I can."
He accepts the responsibility of "looking after" Cox, Egan, Sharrod Wellingham and Brad Dick, as he remembers all too well what it was like moving to Melbourne after being drafted.
"It's certainly a lot colder than Perth," he laughed.
"Leaving the family is the hardest. My mum and dad and both my brothers came over when I first got drafted, but the extended family didn't.
"My mum's got seven brothers, seven sisters, and missing the extended family and mates … moving over here where you don't know anyone. They're all the sacrifices you've got to make.
"Aboriginal people are very close knit with our families, so it's definitely hard, but I love playing footy, I wanted to play AFL, and I got drafted by Collingwood. I'm certainly happy about that."
