ALTHOUGH an ankle injury ended Josh Delaney’s first senior game for Mernda since 2012, those who were at Schotters Road on Saturday afternoon saw the completion of one of the Northern Football League’s great stories.
I was given the opportunity to write this story about a brilliant bloke during the Round 4 match between Lalor and Mernda. I was pulled aside by Mernda president Jason Berry briefly. He asked me: “Can you ask the NFL if you can do a story about Joshy?”
It was an opportunity too good to pass up. For myself, it was an opportunity to write about a young man who’s not only left a major mark at Mernda, but a major mark on me – this was the man who suggested I begin writing Mernda’s notes, which then opened up the opportunity to write for the Northern Football League, which I’m forever grateful for.
For Josh Delaney, his story is one which is built through many of the pillars which has defined local footy for generations – mateship, courage, bravery, passion. Joshy – as we call him at the Mernda Football Club – has embodied all these elements in both his football career and his life thus far. While he needed to rely on these elements (and then some) in his battle, the fact that he was able to makes it by far the most inspirational story in my seven years at Mernda.
These elements are evident in parts of Joshy’s story which has left an indelible mark at Mernda. I remember one moment in the opening game of the season in 2010, and the under-19s competition where we came up against Whittlesea, and it was probably time on in the third quarter from memory. Joshy was given a pretty decent shepherd, one of those stingers, and he’s lying on the floor and his man gets the ball.
BANG! Joshy’s still on the ground and yet he gets a smother in. Same man gets the ball for Whittlesea, BANG! Again! Extraordinarily Joshy’s still on the ground, and he gets a second smother in, the ball rolls out of bounds and it’s a 50-50 contest in Mernda’s forward half. They are the acts that win respect off teammates, coaches, personnel and spectators. The acts that not only galvanise players, but galvanise clubs as well. As it turned out, from memory the 19s ended up winning by a kick as well.
His excellent 2010 season laid the platform for Joshy to become not only a regular fixture in the senior team, but also a very important playmaking pillar to build the club and move it forward. We may have been relegated to Division 3 in 2011, but Joshy set us alight in many of our games – in nine of the 14 games he played, he was amongst our best players.
What happened in Round 18, 2012, on August 11 is well known to those who were around the Northern Football League at the time, not to mention the Mernda and St Mary’s Football Clubs who were playing each other on what became a life-changing day.
Joshy suffered his spinal injury from an accidental head knock, having earlier had a fantastic game. In fact, he was having another very solid season, even though he had a knee injury slow his progress down – and for that to happen to him was rotten luck.
Personally, I was unable to make it to that game – however, finding out about Joshy’s injury was shattering. This was a fantastic young man forced into hospital with no guarantee at that stage whether he’d walk again, let alone play football. It was great relief to hear that he would be able to make a full recovery.
Joshy keeps a tattoo which serves as a reminder from that day: "It ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward; how much you can take, and keep moving forward, that’s how winning is done. 11-8-12."
His plight, although very unfortunate, also galvanised us to two premierships in the seniors and reserves that year. Joshy’s strength to come back and support the boys also gave us strength and for coach Brett Wilson to give up his premiership medal to Joshy spoke volumes about his standing at the club – put simply, he is the ultimate team man, fantastic bloke and is willing to put his body on the line when it’s his time to go.
It was the most poignant moment from a premiership triumph which was a fantastic achievement for the entire club. It wasn’t lost on Willo in giving up his premiership medal to a bloke who was indeed a major driving force towards our success.
Astoundingly, just a number of months after getting injured, Delaney joined us on the track and had a run. It lifted what was already a very good mood around the club, and although he was unable to play football in 2013, he was more than happy to take on a number of roles, including reserves runner and helping out Willo during the seniors game. He had agreed to coach the 19s, however, we were unable to gather the numbers to do so.
This year, a quite simply remarkable story turned full circle. Although he suffered more setbacks which would initially delay him, in Round 3, Ronnie ‘Rocket’ Russell announced that Joshy would return to football by playing in the reserves. It brought about very warm applause and it saw Joshy put in a huge performance first up. In the last quarter, Rocket saw fit to move Joshy forward with the four points in the bag. Very poignantly, although Joshy had a couple of misses from set shots, he kicked the last goal of the game. Teammates got around him and a huge cheer went up. It was a fitting return for a great bloke.
However, the seniors were his ultimate goal – and after fantastic performances against Lalor and Hurstbridge, Joshy was given the call up to play against Diamond Creek last Saturday. Having been named on the bench, Delaney came on to more warm applause and a pat on the back from captain Andrew Smith upon coming on to the ground.
Joshy was back in a big way – his trademark dash off half back evident as he was able to roam up the ground and become that damaging half back flanker we became so accustomed to in 2011 and 2012. I counted eight possessions for the afternoon – not a huge number by any stretch but a good return for his first senior game in two years.
However, a contest in Diamond Creek’s forward line midway through the last quarter saw Joshy land awkwardly, and turn his ankle, which forced him to be carried off the ground in agony. It was not the ending to the story Mernda, or Joshy, would have wanted on his big day. Gladly, the word is at this stage that Joshy has escaped broken bones, but will still likely sit out somewhere between four to six weeks.
Knowing Joshy, this will be a disappointment to sit out, having worked his backside off to return, but he will also take this in his stride and come back stronger and ready to have a major impact on the business end of the season, and hopefully the finals if we get there. After all, after what he’s gone through, four to six weeks is nothing.
Long may the story continue.
