By David Nagel
Precede
10 years on from the greatest day in its club’s history, Berwick hosted a reunion of its four premierships on the same day in the under 18s, 19s, reserves and seniors in the South East Football Netball League in 2015. Gazette Sports Editor David Nagel winds back the clock to the post-game interviews with the coach, president and co-captains after a five-goal win over Cranbourne.
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Berwick coach Rhys Nisbet is a man who loves a punt and admits he was a bit nervous heading into the most important last leg of a quadrella in his life.
With premierships safely tucked away in the Under 18s, 19s and reserves, it was Nisbet who would either be remembered as the mug that ruined the party, or the man to put the icing on the cake.
“We were the fourth leg of the quaddie mate … and we were one out in the last leg,” the latest premiership coach in SEFNL said.
“That’s exactly how I was thinking.
“There was a lot of pressure building up on us, but it was a good type of pressure and that’s the best quaddie I’ve ever got in my life.
“It’s a great feeling; the head’s spinning at the moment, but at the end of the day it’s all about the players today, all about the players.”
Nisbet said the club had been through some highs and lows this year and richly deserved the rewards that had come its way.
“We lost some special people throughout the year, but we also had one of the gutsiest wins I’ve seen the club have against Doveton at Berwick,” he said.
“We also beat Narre Warren four times throughout the year, so we’ve had plenty of highs and it was great to go out and get the reward we deserved today.
“We really deserve this, a lot of people have worked super hard to get to this point and it’s a great feeling right now.”
Rhys said it felt special to join his dad Darryl; one of his best mates Clint ‘Boof’ Evans, and his dad Rod ‘Darkie’ Evans as a senior premiership coach.
“It is special, I’m really proud of what Dad’s done (pause) … and I’m sure he’s really proud of me,” he said.
“It’s something I’ve been driven to do, I was never the best player, but I thought I had enough knowledge to pass on.
“I learnt everything from him, all the way back to my first game, and my grandfather Des, he taught me a hell of a lot as well, so I’ve had a couple of really good teachers.
“Now I get to join Dad, and Boofa, and his dad Darkie, and that feels pretty good.”
As much as that last 10 minutes when he knew he had it won?
“You never want to celebrate too early, and you don’t know when the right time is,” he said.
“I was just rapt to have Toddy (assistant-coach Todd Devine) beside me, he’s a great man, I’ve played footy with him, I played footy under him and it was just special to share it with him.
“You just have to soak it up, enjoy it, and make sure it’s not too much of a whirlwind.”
Berwick president Simon Curtis was an emotional man after the game.
“I can’t believe it, it’s absolutely a dream come true,” he said.
“To make four grand finals is one thing, but to win them all, that’s something else, it’s amazing.
“I’m not a punting man but we’ve just won the ultimate quadrella.
“As I said to you earlier we had the outsider going into the last leg, and the boys got up.”
Curtis was quick to heap praise on the people who had worked so hard for the club over the years.
“I just happened to walk into the presidency this year,” he said.
“To Bruce Andrews especially, he’s been president for the last five years or so, and to turn the club around from being in a heap of trouble back then, to this, it’s just amazing.
“What a club, I’m pretty emotional right now.”
Co-captain Michael Harold was also emotional after the final siren.
“It’s probably the best day of my life, I can’t believe it, just absolutely amazing, words can’t describe how proud I am of this group, it’s just absolutely amazing,” he said.
He said the resilience of the win made it even more special.
“There’s no crack in this group and I’ve said that from the very start,” he explained.
“Every week there are 22 contributors across the board and it doesn’t matter who comes into this team, you just can’t break us.”
Skipper Madi Andrews said the opportunity to create history had driven the senior side to success.
“That’s what I said in my pre-match, that we had the opportunity to create history today and I think the boys responded really well,” he said.
“There’s no doubt about it, we will look back on this day as something special, and it’s created special friendships forever I think.
“I was talking to Darryl (Nisbet) before and he said in 20 years you’ll walk past someone that you played with today and you’ll just click … we’ve got that special bond now.
“I’m really going to embrace it all and just enjoy it.”
Andrews said it felt great to share the victory with others who had developed at the club.
“I know we’ve got some good recruits but the majority of today’s premiership players are guys who came through the Berwick juniors, that’s what makes it even sweeter,” he said.
“I played my first senior game at Berwick the year Paul Vanschilt won the best and fairest; it takes you back a long way.
“I played with Timmy Gunn in the Under 9s, so we’ve played a lot of footy together.
“This is just a once in a lifetime thing so I was just trying to stand back and embrace it all at the end.”
Madi said watching his brother Jordy miss out through injury would drive him into the pre-season.
“You’re always looking for those little things to motivate you and that’s definitely going to motivate me for next season.”
BERWICK’S DREAM DAY – 2015 SEFNL GRAND FINAL
SENIORS
BERWICK 5.2 8.5 14.11 17.17(119)
CRANBOURNE 3.1 10.2 11.4 13.11(89)
Berwick Goals: B. Kearns 4, M. Johnson 2, M. Andrews 2, T. Gunn 2, T. Brennan 2, B. Connelly 2, L. Nelson 2, A. Morozoff. Best: Lucas Jellyman-Turner (Medal), B. Kearns, A. Smith, M. Andrews,
M. Harold, P. Vanschilt.
Cranbourne Goals: M. Holt 4, M. Fletcher 2, M. Theodoridis 2, C. Barker, R. Jones, A. Vella, M. Leinmueller, T. Tharle. Best: M. Holt, R. Davey, G. Osborne, M. Fletcher, T. Tharle, L. Bee-Hugo.
RESERVES
BERWICK 4.2 8.5 12.8 12.11(83)
NARRE WARREN 2.1 6.1 7.5 10.8(68)
Berwick Goals: C. Tharle 2, T. Vrevc 2, K. Fowler 2, T. Andrews, C. Rutherford, T. Gillies, A. Nelson, A. Smith, S. Sigeti. Best: Tom Gillies (Medal), T. Harold, C. Rutherford, M. Talbett, T. West, B. Anderson.
Narre Warren Goals: S. McLean 3, M. Cowan 2, D. Collins, A. McIver, J. Gray, T. Papworth, B. Carter. Best: T. Papworth, S. McLean, D. Piening, D. Collins, C. Intveen, A. McIver.
UNDER 19
BERWICK 3.2 7.6 11.7 14.10(94)
CRANBOURNE 3.3 4.4 8.5 11.5(71)
Berwick Goals: H. Money 3, T. Thomas 3, E. Yawney 2, J. Harrison 2, N. Hillard, J. Trait, D. McLardy, A. Taylor. Best: Emmet Yawney (Medal), T. Thomas, H. Money, J. Trait, D. McLardy.
Cranbourne Goals: J. Rich 3, D. Kitto 3, L. Vella 2, K. Dickson, J. Stephens, C. Gardiner. Best: C. Gardiner, J. Miceli, J. Harrington, H. Bird, J. Stephens, S. De Paoli.
UNDER 18
BERWICK 3.0 5.1 7.4 8.6(54)
DOVETON 1.1 1.2 2.5 4.6(30)
Berwick Goals: B. Hoewel, T. Sawdon, R. Gains, E. Pickering, M. Stephens, D. Yawney, J. Hill, J. McLean. Best: Jonathon Bishop (Medal), J. Hill, T. Weinzierl, M. Stephens, D. Yawney, J. Bishop, J. Yields.
Doveton Goals: S. Muirhead 2, R. Johnson 2. Best: M. Cotter, S. Muirhead, T. Hoy, J. Smith, R. Johnson, B. Dalforno.
