Mark Geyer’s tribute to son Mavrik Geyer before Penrith Panthers NRL debut

“I said, ‘What the f—’. His mum was also in the lounge room on loudspeaker. My mum happened to be down with us from the Central Coast when he called. When she heard, she just started crying.

“At first I didn’t [cry], but when I started to tell other members of the family, it hit me. I got emotional hearing their reactions and how proud they were of him. I got very emotional because I know how hard he’s worked for it. Not many people, other than his teammates and family have seen what he’s done to get to this spot.”

Mark debuted for Penrith back in 1986, playing 135 games for his junior club over two separate stints. He also represented NSW and Australia on multiple occasions throughout a decorated career.

His name is synonymous with the Panthers but he insists Mavrik has never relied on the family connection to make it in the sport. He’s been plagued by injury over the past few years, including a ruptured testicle and a dislocated elbow, but has fought his way back to earn his debut on the bench as a replacement for the injured Scott Sorensen.

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“It’s very hard having the last name he’s got, especially in Penrith,” Mark said. “One thing he’s always wanted to be is his own man, not my son.

“I know how hard it is, seeing ex-teammates and their young blokes coming through. They are always the son of someone, it’s never their own name. I’ve always been conscious to never make it about me. It’s about him. We rarely talk footy when he’s at home. We just pay his food bill and off he goes.

“He’s a very positive kid. He always has a smile on his face. He loves training. I’ve never seen a bloke who loves to work hard as much as he does. He’s a consummate professional when it comes to that. I’m proud of him.”

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