By RUSSELL BENNETT
NO-ONE was to know at the Nyora footy club’s main training session on Thursday night just what was about to unfold at the ground less than 48 hours later.
But there was an aura about the place – something positive was brewing.
For a young senior side that sat winless at the bottom of the Ellinbank and District Football League ladder, there were plenty of smiles and laughs on show; a far cry from where the Saints were just weeks earlier after parting with then coach Pete Smith after a 69-point loss to fellow league strugglers Ellinbank.
“We’ve definitely taken a step forward from three or four weeks ago,” said Scott Clark on Thursday night, having recently added the coaching role to his playing duties.
“The club is really positive and the attitude of the boys is really good.”
Of course, Clark’s seven goals on Saturday in the side’s breakthrough win against Catani helped grow the step forward he was referring to, but there was more to it than that – signs that the morale and chemistry of the group had stayed strong.
The average age of the senior group is around the 19 or 20 mark, with Clark – 29 years old – and skipper Matt ‘Nugget’ Layton two of the outliers.
The hard man bleeds red, black and white and Saturday was a day fairy-tales are made of – playing a role for the Saints in their first win of the season … which just so happened to double as his astonishing 350th senior club game milestone.
He openly refers to himself as a beat up old car fitted with a turbo engine since losing 15 kilograms in the last 12 months.
Having turned 40 in April, his body may not be all that reliable any more but he’s relishing the chance to run through the midfield in five to six minutes off the bench – something he admits he couldn’t have handled at senior level anymore had he not lost the weight.
Nyora club icon Jack Heylen is optimistic about what’s in store for the future, with a bright young crop of youngsters growing up before his eyes.
“We’re there, we just need topping up,” he said.
“With another four or five genuine senior players, we’d definitely be a lot more competitive.”
Clark and Layton both agree that a big part of the club’s future is rising star youngster Dylan Heylen, who was selected in the EDFL interleague side earlier this year.
“He’s just a class above and he doesn’t even turn 20 until September,” Clark said.
“He’s something special – I just hope he can hang around as we move forward.”
In the coming seasons, Clark said the Saints would look at attracting key position players who could play roles through the Saints’ spine.
“Our kids are lightning on their feet, they’ve got good skills and they’re only getting better.
“We just need more experience.
“Their attitude is great – they all know we’ve got a tough road ahead of us and they accept that.”
Having been around the club his whole life, Jack Heylen was adamant that some of the best years he’s had in footy have been when the Saints were at or near the bottom of the ladder.
“Everyone gets a game – there’s no bitching and there’s no backstabbing and if you happen to have a win … well that’s like winning a premiership,” he said.
Layton said the attitude of the Nyora youngsters is a credit to them.
“They knew what we had and what we didn’t when it came to our playing list,” he said.
“They didn’t take it the wrong way when Pete left and they never put their heads down.
“I think that core group knows that if they stick together they’re going to be something special.”
So far, a whopping 68 players have represented Nyora in the reserves this season alone. Each week there’s been at least half a dozen new faces.
“You get that amount because older blokes put their hand up to play, turn up for one game and don’t worry about it again,” Layton said.
Experience – now that’s something ‘Nugget’ has in spades, having played his first senior game way back in 1991.
“I remember it because I’d trained a fair bit with the senior side but I was too small,” Layton said.
“I was only 16 and I can remember it because I got to play with blokes I looked up to.”
Nugget’s resume at the Saints is nothing short of extraordinary.
Having started his football journey as a junior at Loch, he made the switch to Nyora in 1992 when the Loch Football Club folded – a fate that some thought was awaiting the Saints if they chose not to merge with Poowong earlier this year.
But they stayed strong, with the likes of Heylen and Layton leading the way.
Nugget has been a life-member since 2004 and was named to the ‘Team of the Decade’ from 2000 to 2010.
When asked to name the best players he’s played with, Jack and Dylan Heylen both spring to his mind, as do Brad Francis, Nathan Osler … and Paul Alger who coached Catani on Saturday.
Nugget is a three-time reserves best and fairest winner – having won the award last season – A whopping 20 years since being named most determined player in the seniors in 1994. What a journey.
Matt ‘Nugget’ Layton – a timeline of his Saints career…
1993 – Reserves Most Determined.
1994 – Seniors Most Determined.
1998 – Seniors Coaches Award.
2002 – Seniors Most Improved.
2005 – Reserves Runner-Up Best and Fairest.
2007 – Reserves Runner-Up Best and Fairest.
2008 – Reserves Best and Fairest.
2009 – Reserves Runner-Up Best and Fairest and Most Courageous.
2010 – Reserves Best and Fairest.
2014 – Reserves Best and Fairest and Most Courageous.
– Coach – Thirds (1999 and 2000), Reserves (2005, 2008, 2009, 2010), Fourths (2013, 2014).
– Nyora Football Netball Club Team of the Decade 2000-2010.
– Life-member – 2004.
– Senior captain – 2015.
