Hannant on game day: ‘Nothing compares to it’

Playing for the Queensland Maroons meant everything to Ben Hannant.

Growing up on the Gold Coast with 10 siblings, State of Origin in his house growing up was quite the affair.

“I’m one of 11 and we’re all mad, passionate Queenslanders… there was always a lot of yelling, a lot of screaming, a lot of cheering,” Hannant said.

“Representing Queensland was everything to me.

“Growing up looking up to guys like Mal Meninga, Billy Moore, Petero Civoniceva, Gorden Tallis, Shane Webcke, all those guys, and then to be able to have your turn of holding the torch and doing it proud was something incredibly special and something that definitely is very high up… something I'm very proud of in my career.”

Hannant said back then, there wasn’t as many wins for Queensland as what his eight children have been able to enjoy.

“My oldest son, who's now 17, took him to be the age of nine or 10 before he saw Queensland lose their first ever series,” Hannant said.

“So my kids are very spoilt compared to what I had as a young kid coming through.”

 Hannant said running out for the first time was mind blowing.

 “I was down in Sydney for my first ever game. I was super nervous but the excitement, the feelings you feel, there's nothing that compares to it,” Hannant said.

“I remember running out there and it felt like I was floating.

“I felt I was going to trip over my legs because I couldn't feel them… just the excitement, the nerves and then being out there singing the national anthem, looking into the crowd and seeing my mum, my dad, my wife and my older children… it definitely makes you realise what you're there for.

“You’ve got a great opportunity in that moment right then and there.”

Hannant said as a player, he loved game days.

“I was so excited… especially when we had home games in Brisbane,” Hannant said.

“We’d always do our team walk, play cricket, kick a ball around, play the games we normally do.

“And then after that, just after lunch, I'd always chuck on a hoodie that wasn’t my Queensland hoodie and head into Queen Street Mall and see all the different families around… some of them had driven over eight hours to be there, waiting for the game to kick off later that night.

“Seeing families that spent their full weeks’ pay-plus on tickets and accommodation despite  doing it tough with drought or animals struggling out west… they would, at this time of year, come together and really celebrate… it’s where we become one as a state. That, for me, was a really big highlight.

“And then that moment where you get on the team bus and you're with the boys… it's something I feel very blessed and still don't feel worthy to have been in that situation… but it’s one that I'll treasure forever and very proud of.”

Hannant said game days now, despite the fact that he worked most, were still “equally as special”.

“I'm probably more nervous because it's watching these guys that are like my kids… and a lot of these guys don't even know me personally, but being in this position now… I've been there and now it's the next generation coming through,” Hannant said.

“It’s sort of like when you become a parent watching your kids succeed.

“I am more excited, more proud, more nervous watching them play because it's great to see them, not only do what we did, but do it better.

“And that's the exciting thing. The jersey is in good hands.”

Hannant said he spoke to Johnathan Thurston three days into camp for this year's Game II and asked how the boys were looking – the response surprised him.

“He goes ‘I'm scared’. I'm like, ‘hang on JT, what do you mean?’ He said ‘I'm scared because the way they're preparing for Game II already, after two days of camp, is already 10 times better than what they were for Game I’.

“Right then and there I knew we would win 13-plus… this team is just something special.

“They bring in the Queensland spirit the way we did. They’re like us, but better… better training, better physio, better everything. It's exciting to see.

“We made the footsteps and they're now running in them and going leaps and bounds further than what we did.

“It’s exciting to watch. It’s what makes Queensland so special… it’s not that we have the most talented players… not the fittest or the strongest… New South Wales probably wouldn’t pick half these players in their team… but one thing we do better than anyone else is play as a team, stick to a game plan and when you come together as one, you can achieve so much more as a group than you can as an individual.

“This team is living proof of that and they're showing not only the football community, but just the nation, that if you come together as one and you work together and follow the same game plan, you can achieve anything.

“And that's the message I'm passing on to my kids from watching this year's series and I hope other people get that as well.”