By Tyler Lewis
When Berwick Football Club president Glenn Gambetta met the Andrew family many years back, he knew instantly they were special.
“His dad is about 6’5 and his mum is about 6’0, they looked like royalty, it was awesome,” he said of his first encounter with Mac Andrew’s parents.
Despite being swamped by media commitments after being drafted, Mac Andrew (Pick 5 Gold Coast Suns), Judson Clarke (Pick 30 Richmond) and Miller Bergman (Pick 38 North Melbourne) found time to head back to the old stomping ground for a photo-shoot.
The truth is, the famously confident Berwick planned it before the boys heard their names called.
“We were so excited – it’s a bit arrogant – but one of the dads had pre-planned that once they get drafted, we will get them to the footy club,” Gambetta said.
“So that photo-shoot we did the other day was half organized three weeks ago.”
While admitting the trio didn’t spend much time at Berwick Senior Club – frying much larger fish – the president was over the moon for the ‘brand’ the club is producing with such a plethora of young talent emerging from Edwin Flack Reserve.
“I think from our brand point of view, it really supports that,” he said.
“We had Oscar Clavarino drafted a few years ago and then these three.
“You get 60 guys drafted around the country and three of them are from one club.
“I am as proud for the junior club as I am for the senior club.
“We really wanted to create a really strong culture that attracted – not only good players – but good people to the club.
“The focus is about getting good people to the club and good coaches and then that’ll flow through to the senior club.
“Each year our senior guys go down and train with the juniors, when there is a bye, every senior player in groups of four will go take a junior team for training.
“Every team from the under-10’s through to the under-17’s, I think that is important, creating the connection,” Gambetta said.
While there is plenty of excitement coming around the trio of stars that are yet to play a game, Gambetta is already excited for the younger brothers of Mac Andrew and also some other Bergman players.
“I am assuming they’re going to be 6’5 and super athletic,” he joked of what Mac’s brothers will become.
“There are two more to come through; you have big Mac and then those two coming through.
“There are a couple Bergman boys coming through too, we could be having this conversation every two years.”
