By David Nagel
“A champion becomes a legend.”
The words of race-caller Greg Miles summed up perfectly the third consecutive Melbourne Cup win of champion mare Makybe Diva, as she strolled away with the number-one saddlecloth on her back to win the 2005 edition of Australia’s greatest race.
Makybe Diva was already a champion, and would never be forgotten, but that third cup win elevated her above all others and was her coronation into racing’s Hall of Fame.
There were no Melbourne Cups up for grabs at the Tooradin Sports Club on Saturday night…but there was a familiar look and feel to that first Tuesday in November almost 17 years ago.
Just like Makybe Diva did that day, Tooradin great Beau Miller received a standing ovation in front of a packed crowd, and brought tears to people’s eyes, as his family was presented with the number-one saddlecloth as the champion player of the Tooradin-Dalmore Football Club of the last 25 years.
The late Beau Miller was already a champion – both on and off the field – but his recognition as being the best player to have played for the club, between 1995 and 2019, certainly elevates his legacy even further.
It was a magnificent night at Tooradin, befitting of such a legend, and the club should be extremely proud of what was presented on Saturday night.
Beau Miller’s coronation was certainly the highlight of the weekend, but what a weekend it was with football and netball returning in typical wintry conditions.
It had everything, and included the highs and lows that make our great games so exciting…but also such a leveller.
At Holm Park Reserve, Beaconsfield not only welcomed its 2001 premiership team for a belated 20-year reunion, but was also welcomed itself, as the newest member of the Eastern Football Netball League.
The Eagles are on a steep learning curve, and experienced the first low on what is sure to be a roller-coaster ride as they find their feet in the elite company of metropolitan football.
Two of Beaconsfield’s greatest rivals over the years, Cranbourne and Doveton, have also found a new home, with both club’s super-impressive in their debut fixtures in the Southern Football Netball League (SFNL).
Cranbourne jumped out of the blocks slowly, but a classic rev-up from coach Steve O’Brien inspired his players in the second half, leading to a comfortable victory over Springvale Districts.
Marc Holt kicked five, and familiar names like Brandon Osborne, Luke Bee-Hugo, Jordy Bertrand and Jake Carosella were on the best players list.
The Eagles – Cranbourne this time – are going to be mighty hard to stop in their new environment.
Cranbourne’s previous home – Outer East – also kicked off on Saturday night with Narre Warren hosting Pakenham.
These two – who last played off in a grand final in 2007 – are expected to be the powerhouse teams in this year’s competition.
The Magpies prevailed, but not before getting a taste of what the improving Lions might dish up later in the year.
And while the action was hot on the field, this week’s Volunteer of the Week, Daryl Weir, was doing what he does best in the Magpies’ nest.
He has arguably the most important job at any club…Weiry pours the pots!
And the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition (WGFNC) also kicked off on Saturday, with two great rivals, Nar Nar Goon and Bunyip, playing out an-after-the-siren thriller at the home of another great rival, Garfield.
The Goon’s Spencer Street home is currently undergoing some maintenance…but the Goon and Doggies delivered a typical Saturday-afternoon dog-fight that came right down to the wire.
Who better than Nar Nar Goon star Brendan Hermann, to deliver the knockout blow!
And combatants in the last WGFNC grand final to be played, all the way back in 2019, Cora Lynn and Phillip Island, played out a tough and physical contest at the Cobradome.
That 2019 grand final produced a four-point win to the Bulldogs, and they improved that by one point this time around.
It was another classic display of wet-weather football, with the two ruckmen, Cam Pedersen and Billy Thomas, once again producing a one-on-one contest for the ages.
Wet weather, Pedersen versus Thomas, it’s a great battle that we really have missed over the last two years.
But something we haven’t missed is the serious injuries that can take our players from the field…and most certainly impact their lives off it.
The sight of Doveton Eagles player Matt Robinson, lying on the ground with a broken leg, or Cora Lynn’s Hayden Spierings laying motionless with a dislocated hip…it reminds us all of the devastating lows that our local sport can deliver.
Standing at the netball courts at Cora Lynn, and watching the A Grade netballers run freely in the foreground, but with Spierings lying outside the boundary fence, waiting patiently for an ambulance to arrive in the background…it’s hard to decipher how our athletes get picked and chosen this way.
The only thing you can put it down to is…the highs and lows of sport!
It’s great to have it back!
