Charles’ heritage runs deep

Daniel Charles with his children Jack (left) and daughter Alli (right) on Sunday. 198094 Pictures: ROB CAREW

By Nick Creely

Doveton premiership coach Daniel Charles was taught a valuable lesson not only in football, but also in life by his son some years ago.

It’s a lesson that’s resonated with the Doves icon, and helped form an impenetrable bond between his now premiership players and himself.

It was almost obvious just how close his group was at the final huddle on Sunday, with Charles imploring his boys to let their bond, and tightness of the club, drag them over the line.

“You can see we rarely shake hands, blokes hug each other,” an emotional Charles said after leading his side to a drought-breaking premiership against Pakenham on Sunday.

“My son who was here before, when he was in grade four, taught me that handshakes are for strangers, so this is a tight knit group, every time we see each other we hug, it’s such a good feeling.”

That connectedness, and love for each and every teammate is what has set the Doves apart as the club clawed its way back from a dark chapter in its history when Charles walked back through the door in 2018 after a plea from president Aaron Henwood.

“I got a phone call off Azza Henwood asking me to apply for the coaching job, and the words were, ‘if this doesn’t work, the doors will close’, and so my message to him was that more important than getting good footballers is getting good people,” he said.

“We set out to try and get as many young kids to the club, and good quality senior players that were great people, and that’s what we did.

“The tightness of this group is a credit to the people we got down to the club, because they actually care about their teammates, and that was the message we’ve pushed since I’ve got here.”

After the Doves held off the Lions to clinch its first flag since 2005 on Sunday, there was also another slice of history on a special day for the football club – it was exactly 50 years since the club won its first ever premiership in 1969, with inaugural premiership player Steve Charles and club icon, the father of Daniel, presenting the cup to his son on the podium alongside inspirational skipper Matthew Stapleton.

Steve Charles (left) presented the premiership cup to his son Daniel, and Doves skipper Matt Stapleton.
198094

The Charles family has a rich lineage in the Doveton football and netball community, with the emotional coach opening up on what the club has done over the course of 50 to 60 years for his family.

AJ Robinson Reserve – and everyone involved within the club – means the world to him. It’s home.

“Dad played in the first ever premiership in Doveton – the football club has had a reputation for a long time as being a rough place, but the reality is, it’s a family club,” he explained.

“My mum’s uncle, ‘Titch’ Edwards, came to the club in the 50s and that was the model he based it on, and all these years later, I’m doing the same thing.

“It is a community club, people came back in the 50s and 60s when it was not socially acceptable to associate with Aboriginal people, and the club opened the door for my mum and dad, and my aunties, and made it home.

“It’s a fantastic club with many cultures down here – we had two young Indigenous boys out there in Will (Smith) and Deakyn Smith, and they were amazing.

“Will with the season he had, winning the league best and fairest after only 11 games and his brother, who’s just turned 17, he’s every chance to get drafted I hope.”

Pressure was the mantra for Charles’ side as they came face-to-face with the Lions at Woori Yallock, playing a brand of football that stacks up in finals and keeps supporters on their toes with anticipation. It was a similar tale to when the Doves toppled the Lions only a few weeks ago.

“We knew it was going to be a contest, you don’t go into a grand final if you’re not any good, and Pakenham were the benchmark all year, so we knew we had to put them under pressure, and the minute that dropped off, they capitalised on it,” he said.

“That was the message all day to stay in their face and try and put as much pressure on as possible.”

Charles has been blessed with the chance to coach some great names this season, and lauded the impact of the wise former Western Bulldog premiership champion, Matthew Boyd, who he described as almost like another on-field coach.

“He’s been amazing for on the spot feedback, by the time the runner gets out there, he’s already told them, and that’s so valuable in a game of football to actually pick up when they’ve done something wrong or something right,” he said.

“When we have been in trouble, we’ve been able to just roll him back like we did in the last quarter (on Sunday), so he can just position people and he reads the play so well.

“He helped set up his teammates (late in the game), and that was a major reason in why they were goalless in the last five minutes.”

Charles said that the inaugural Outer East competition has not only provided the opportunity for his beloved club to rebuild from the ground up and give supporters hope, but to provide opportunity for youngsters to flourish in a family environment, and others to reignite their careers.

“I think the league has been a great thing for not only us, but for Pakenham,” he said.

“People don’t care whether you win a grand final up in the hills or just down the road, so the league’s been great for the club, and to give kids an opportunity.

“Max Sheppard, couldn’t get a game at Narre, and Mitch Cotter playing last year, gets an opportunity at Collingwood and comes back to play with mates, so that’s been a great opportunity for Maxy, who wins a league best and fairest at Narre and only comes here because they’re so strong.

“And he’s now a premiership player – he loves it, and his family loves it.”

Doveton sing the song in the Woori Yallock rooms.