Magpies set to celebrate

Narre Warren will celebrate its 2019 premiership in the standalone fixture to kick off the season on Saturday. 198315 Picture: ROB CAREW

By Nick Creely

When that highly anticipated first ball of 2021 is bounced into the turf on Saturday at Kalora Park, it will signal a new era for Narre Warren.

That familiar sound of the siren, the roar and chatter of the crowd, and the steely look of both ruckmen looking to crash in – it will truly be the start of something fresh and enthusing for the 2019 reigning AFL Outer East premiers.

But before embarking on that new era, it is important to recognise the achievements of the past, and in particular the stunning 2019 premiership win – which was the last game of football played anywhere in the competition.

It was a day never to be forgotten as the Magpies downed Berwick in a rain-soaked affair at Toomuc Reserve

And the Magpies – prior to its standalone fixture against Olinda Ferny Creek to open up the Premier Division season on Saturday – will unfurl their 2019 premiership flag and are hoping for a large crowd to come recognise and celebrate the momentous achievement.

“What happened at the end of 2019 was quite unexpected, there was some great work done by Matt Shinners and his group to get us that flag,” Magpies president Stu Stephenson said.

“So, I guess we’re looking forward to a new era but also looking forward to celebrating 2019 at the same time.”

Stephenson said that the club simply couldn’t wait to welcome back footy and netball fans with open arms after so many testing times throughout the last 18 months.

“We were a bit nervous, maybe a month or six weeks ago, because it had been a slow start, particularly getting guys back who have played reserves football, so our numbers were down,” he said.

“But our attendance in our practice match against Red Hill was like a normal home and away game, the crowd was fantastic and that was the commentary from people coming, they were just so happy to be back supporting their local footy and netball teams.

“They were happy to stand on the hill and have a beer and catch up with mates, so we’re hoping for more of that this year, and we believe it’ll grow throughout the season.

“People will get a taste for it again, and want to be a part of it as a community.”

Stephenson said there was plenty of reason to head on down on Saturday and catch a glimpse of the action, with two highly-confident sides set to play out an entertaining game of footy.

“We’ll be debuting a number of new players up from the 18s and 19s, so that’ll be exciting for them,” he said.

“And (Olinda) were one of the strong clubs in the Yarra Ranges before we all came together to form the Outer East, and I know they had a lot of guys away, so they’re certainly really gearing themselves up for a big year.

“It’ll be a really good test for us – we’ve had a number of players move on, so it’s a good challenge with a new coaching group and a bunch of young blokes, it’s a good start to the season for us.”

The Bloods also have plenty of quality on the park, including its boom recruit, ex-Collingwood defender Matt Scharenberg, who will undoubtedly be one of the top players in the competition.

There’s no doubting Brendan Donovan’s group is a side well and truly on the rise after showing immensely promising signs in 2019 after a strong off-season of recruitment and retaining the majority of its list.

Under new coach Shane Dwyer, the Magpies have had a bit of a list turnover of sorts, with club legends such as Michael Collins and Dylan Quirk joining Bunyip and Col McNamara retiring, but Stephenson said the next wave of Narre boys – including two-gun recruits – were ready to take the next step.

“There’s been a fair bit said about the players that have left the club, and that’s understandable, but for us, we’ve got Kurt Mutimer playing his first game for the club since returning from West Coast which is exciting, Mat Suckling is another who has come in after spending time in the SANFL and other high-level competitions,” he said.

“Those guys, alongside some great kids such as Harry Brain, Luke Hartley, Will Howe, who are all likely to play their first senior games that week, are really exciting.”

The Magpies’ clash with the Bloods will kick off at 2.10pm from Kalora Park in Narre Warren.