By DAVID NAGEL AND RUSSELL BENNETT
MICHAEL Collins sent more than a scare through both the SEFNL and Narre Warren camps when he was knocked out cold for the first time in his career at the eighth-minute of the final quarter of Saturday’s interleague triumph over Sunraysia.
For a minute or two, he felt numb down his left side and the champ looked vulnerable.
He was carried from the ground on a stretcher, also for the first time, but not before he had inflicted such influence on the contest, through the midfield and around stoppages, to be a clear top pick for the VCFL Medal.
He was back on his feet after the game, far too modest to acknowledge the impact his loss would have had to Narre Warren’s chances this season.
A six-foot-three, 100-plus kilo battering ram that controls stoppages and centre squares for fun, Collins was deeply insulted when his league was ranked 17 when ratings began back in 2012 – showing just how strong that competitive spirit pumps through his veins.
Around the same time that the revered Collins put his body on the line for the South East’s cause, Longwarry star Tye Holland was doing the same for Ellinbank at Princes Park in Maryborough – albeit not quite to the same ridiculous extent. His smother in the final term – not his first of the game – just typified his approach to the contest.
The EDFL was up by 10 goals and cruising to a big win, yet Holland was still unflinching in his determination to throw his body on the line for the cause.
It’s an attitude and a spirit that the Crows faithful have become so familiar with over the years, and on Saturday the EDFL’s younger players got a first-hand taste of it as Holland also earned the VCFL medal.
For much more interleague coverage, including comments from both VCFL medallists, pick up a copy of this week’s Gazette – out now.
