Check out The Northern Footy Show’s feature on Heidelberg West ahead of the Hawks’ first NFNL finals appearance since 1987.
ACT 1: BACKGROUND AND PERSONNEL
Local footy has a funny way of re-enacting historic moments in the sport – sometimes for the better, sometimes for worse.
For Heidelberg West, the moment of reckoning was experienced on Saturday in a similar sense that Melbourne supporters might have recognised back in 1987.
It was Round 22 of that season. The Dees needed a victory, but they also needed results to go their way – specifically, Hawthorn beating Geelong at Kardinia Park. If that happened, they would play finals for the first time in 23 years.
The Demons won by 15 points. With less than 30 seconds to go, a huge roar erupted from the Melbourne supporters. Commentators thought it was the siren. It wasn’t.
An hour down the road, Jason Dunstall put Hawthorn in front against Geelong after trailing for the whole day. The Dees were in.
Back to Heidelberg Park in 2026. This is where the Hawks come in.
With two minutes to go, Shannon Smith kicks a goal for Lalor – and promptly receives the loudest roar of the day. However, it wasn’t for his goal.
For much of the day, Heidelberg West supporters were glued to their phones, keeping an eye on the score between Old Eltham Collegians and Reservoir.
The Hawks needed the Turtles to repeat their earlier season victory and defeat Reservoir for a second time. Should Reservoir lose, the Hawks are in.
After a rocky start, the Turtles did the double over the Mustangs – winning by 13 points.
With the Hawks eventually winning by 80 points, it sparked scenes of delirium with just under two minutes left in the game. It was almost as if a curse was lifted in real time (well. It actually was).
The Hawks are in the finals for the first time in 32 years. Watsonia on Sunday awaits – for both seniors and reserves.
If the Hawks win on Sunday at Lalor Reserve, it will be their first senior men’s finals victory since the Division 1 preliminary final in 1958. That is 68 years without a finals victory.
But the Hawks can dare to dream. And why not?
The Demons’ example of 1987 was one where the club rode the crest of a wave over the next month, smashing North Melbourne by 118 points in the elimination final, before doing a similar job on Sydney the following week, winning by 73 points.
That story ends in heartbreak, however. The famous case of Jim Stynes running over the mark, handing Gary Buckenara a chance to win the preliminary final for Hawthorn after the siren, one which he duly delivered.
For Heidelberg West, going as far as possible will be the goal. A finals win would be one step in a build that’s taken so long.
Since 1994, the Hawks’ overall senior men’s record reads: 148 wins, two draws, 377 losses.
While the last 10 years have been much kinder (65-77), the club’s toughest period lasted from 1997 to 2016. Fifty-two wins. Two draws. Two hundred and eighty-five losses.
That included just 29 wins across the entirety of the Noughties (29-2-141).
The Hawks are determined to become a regular contender under the stewardship of Michael Missen, who returned to the hot seat this year after spending time as an assistant at Diamond Creek – a stint he credits with garnering massive personal improvement.
Missen has now delivered the two finest moments in Heidelberg West’s history this century – the 2019 Division 3 reserves premiership and breaking the Hawks’ senior men’s run of outs.
“It’s an awesome achievement just to get there firstly. You look through the history of the results over the last couple of years, it’s been tough,” he said.
“Last year, we won three games. No one’s really given us much of a chance, but our form in the back half is fantastic. We’ve won seven of our last nine, the last match up with Watsonia was really positive, winning by 40 points here. Obviously, there were different weather conditions at the time, but the form line stacks up, and it says we have played good footy.
“We are hungry and we want to knock those wins off. We want to make a shake of it.”
Missen’s experienced the heartbreak of missing finals in the past, ironically, with better records than the club’s 9-7 run this year.
“My previous stint here, 2022, 2023, we missed finals in a nine-team comp, as we finished fifth. The second time we missed out was a 10-6 record and missed out on percentage,” he said.
“Results went our way this time around, the footy gods smiled on us, and there’s a monkey off the back. It gives people involved within the footy club to think about the future in a different way – a lot of optimism, ambition, what can be achieved and reward for effort for a lot of heavy lifting.
“We had a close idea of where it was going to be late in the game. We were getting live feedback on scores.
“Supporters in the grandstand, injured players, reserves players, there were all floating around and watching phones, cheering, fist pumping. Once the siren went, it was clear what happened.”
Missen says he’ll lean on the experience of winning a premiership as an assistant at Diamond Creek last year to help the group on Sunday.
“Spending the last two years at Diamond Creek, playing in two Division 2 senior grand finals, having that opportunity to lean back on those experiences and what I’ve taken away from there will be enormous,” he said.
“Watsonia and us are the two teams who nobody expected to mount much of a case for finals. They’ve surprised in the same way, young team, energetic, we know with these teams, they bring a lot of spirit, and it can be dangerous if you let it breathe.
“It’d be huge. I don’t think anything is a free swing, but we’re really confident. There’s five teams left. I don’t want to just qualify; I want to win games. The playing group is excited; we’re in no rush to just call it stumps after this Sunday.”
Missen said one particular moment stood out on Saturday.
“There were past players like Damian Moore, who is Brad’s father, who played in the 1994 final, being here the whole journey, being a team manager, done a lot of jobs, helping out the committee, a matchday volunteer, he was in tears. He had his granddaughter with him. To be able to see what it means to other people, not just the guys on field, it was really the shared experience,” he said.
“That’s what footy clubs are to me, and that’s why I love the club. My journey’s been great because I’ve made lifelong friendships off the back of that. To be able to share those moments with these guys, you wouldn’t change it for anything.”
For Damian’s part, he praises Missen, while also speaking about what Heidelberg West was all about.
“Mick has come back a better coach than when he left, getting a bit of experience at Diamo,” he said.
“We were stiff a couple of years ago in COVID, and we were about fifth when Mick was coaching, and the year was called off.
“It’s hard attracting players when you have so many clubs in the vicinity, but we have a pretty good culture. It doesn’t matter what your ability is, everyone has a fair go. We don’t knock anyone back, which is probably a part of it.
“To have our seniors and reserves in is so good.”
President, Paul Antonello, said there was a big belief around Heidelberg Park.
“It’s a proud moment for the club. There’s been people who have done some hard yards with no real finals or success, so it’s a tribute to everyone,” he said.
“The club has a tight culture and supporters. Everyone is embracing the week and going with it.
“No one really expected us to be there, but we believe we can do some damage being in there. We’ve won about six of our last seven, which is good form going into a finals series, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s a 50/50 go, and if we give it our best shot, who knows how things can turn out?
“The guys have a big belief in their ability and the game plan, led by Mick and the assistants.
“It’s a group effort, and their belief is sky-high. Everyone was elated after the game, so that sort of momentum, whether it takes us into the game or not, we’re in unchartered waters.”
Antonello said there was a point of difference he wanted to promote around the club.
“We have probably been among some big Division 1 clubs. We always thought to be a point of difference. We might not compete with them, but what we do is be a community club where this year, there was a big emphasis on giving back to players and trying to support them as much as you can and really give a good culture and vibe,” he said.
“Walking through the door wasn’t a chore, it was something enjoyed. Whether that was having additional trainers, physios, extra benefits, or an extra couple of meals, we wanted to give the guys a sense of belonging, and once you have that, the players are the best spruikers for the club.
“Players these days talk to many other clubs, and I feel they are proud to be here, and that’s the most important part.
“Mick has a great supporting cast, and they do things to support, they’re there, they do many different roles within the club – they don’t just come here and leave on game day, they get involved, so it’s a real family where everyone helps.”
That includes an anecdote from last year’s Annual General Meeting, where he said the players had the opportunity to create their own history for the club.
“When I was at the AGM and I nominated for the presidency, I talked about the new guys, the new recruits, old, young, whoever was there, I spoke about history. In our rooms, you see a lot of history. It’s an older clubroom, there’s guys from the 50s, 60s, 70s on the wall. I talked about these guys making their own history, being humble and creating a legacy, so when they leave, it’s better than where they started,” he said.
“I encourage them to go the extra mile and understanding the accomplishment of getting to finals. That’s a big thing I promoted to the playing group, and so did the coaches.
“The group has never lost focus, and it shows how much they love the place. After the Kilmore game, they could have gone through the motions against Reservoir, but we tried to sell the possibility of things going their way, and they did.”
ACT 2: THE PLAYERS’ STORY
This story couldn’t have progressed without the incredible insight of some of Heidelberg West’s longest serving players.
Brad Moore has been one of the faces of the club for a long time – 15 years of playing at the club, apart from a one-season stint at Diamond Creek in 2024.
He has played 218 games for the club. Game 219 will be a long-awaited final.
“The one thing that drives Brad to keep playing is to try find success. He’s a three time best and fairest winner, past club captain, played over 200 senior games after debuting as a 16-year-old. His father’s a life member, his grandfather, grandmother’s a life member and his sister has played footy here, so you can see the importance of what success is for him, and being able to do it at his family club is huge,” coach Michael Missen said.
As for the man himself?
“I don’t know what to feel at the moment. I’ve dreamt about it for a long time. I was getting close to the age where I thought it wouldn’t be possible, and here we are,” he said.
“It’s a great feeling. I have played with a lot of different people here, probably over 150 guys, maybe 200, but I think everyone is just as happy as me just to see us in the finals.
“It was hard to play the last five minutes thinking about next week. I was ecstatic, a bit lost for words to be honest.
“There’s at least eight or 10 of us that have been here since I started. I was water boy a couple of years before I started playing. To see what we’ve come from and to finally make it has been great.”
Brad was honest when he spoke about exploring his options over the years to try and get some finals experience, and you couldn’t blame him for doing so given his individual achievements – a five-time NFNL Team of the Year representative in 2014, 2015, 2018, 2022 and 2023 and a three-time best and fairest winner at the Hawks.
However, loyalty is Brad’s biggest strength. As soon as he got that joy, he came back.
“A couple of years ago, it crossed my mind. It was one of the reasons I went to Diamond Creek, they were a good side and I was itching to get some finals experience, it was one of the things I wanted to do,” he said.
“In coming back, I always thought we had a competitive team, but getting over the hump of getting into the five has been massive.”
Ryan Offer is another who has stuck in through the hard yards.
Arriving as someone who helped make Heidelberg West a much more competitive unit, he spoke candidly about the emotion of Saturday.
“It was a very emotional day on Saturday. To be honest, I didn’t think it’d affect me too much, but coming off and seeing all the blokes, the community that’s been here from day dot,” he said.
“I’ve been here 11 years, but then you look at Damian Moore, he’s been here 35-40 years, and to see all the work he’s put in, they’re always here, everyone always sticks fat, the older generation, to see them get the reward, it’s more than us, really.
“I was in the ruck, Lalor kicked a goal, but all our crowd was going nuts. We had a few more on the bench than what we should’ve, but we knew about 10 minutes in the last that the Turtles were gonna get it done, and it was a different feeling.”
Missen said it was a blessing for Offer to play finals.
“I sometimes forget Ryan Offer is a 21-year-old, but he’s 30, he’s been through the journey, he hasn’t left, he keeps ticking boxes, loyal, sticks fat. For him to turn up year after year and finally be able to say he played finals footy here is a blessing for him,” he said.
Offer returns the complement.
“Mick coming back has been good this year. He’s been here forever and was here when I started playing. He brought more families,” he said.
“To be honest, Mick hasn’t put a ceiling on us all year. We’ve shot ourselves a couple of times in the foot this year, but he kept saying there was a chance, that the footy gods were playing with us.
“All season, his aim has not been finals, it’s just to get better each week, and we’ve done that, well and truly, and we’re starting to believe now.“Those under-a-goal games the last four, five years are the ones we’ve lost, and it costs us, but we have the game plan, we know we can do it, and if we stick to it, it works.”
Offer says there is always a family club aspect around Heidelberg Park.
“It’s always been a family club. My brother played here, I started playing here, you start making friends, and their friends start coming down. You get people to stick around. Sure, people are always gonna come and go, but the family aspect has always stayed here,” he said.
Another who has got to enjoy the spoils of playing finals is Tom Kimpton. He plays in the reserves now, but he was also very willing to offer an insight into the vibes around the club.
“On a personal level, it’s unbelievable. I’ve been at the club a long time, 15 years now. I think of the bigger picture, though, the volunteers who are still here from the 90s when we last played finals, the fathers who now have sons who play in the team, and the community who have been through a lot, and the people who keep the doors open,” he said.
“When I first came down here, we were really struggling, but I love the place, and I love the culture within the club. That’s why I’m still here, and I hope when my young fellas grow up, they play here as well.
“It’s a phenomenal feeling for those people to have tears of joy after the game and see what it means to so many people.”
Kimpton said he’ll forever be grateful to have memories of Saturday.
“It’s something that I’ll always cherish, and I’m so glad people got photos and videos of it, because it’s a culmination of a lot of hard work for a lot of people, and I’m lucky to be part of the playing group, playing in the reserves, but I remember playing senior football and missing out on finals for a couple of years, and it was heartbreaking, as we knew about the drought and the history, but it still means just as much for me to be involved in my little part in the club and seeing these blokes realise it,” he said.
“One of the best things is that it’s not lost on a lot of these young guys. It’s still a big deal and they understand the historical ramifications, and they see what it means to people. They’ll go in all guns blazing.
“You also have to thank the committee. There’s tireless hours that don’t get recognised between past and present committees and presidents. The club is in a great place, and I know we’ll give it a red-hot crack on Sunday with both teams.
“We have high expectations for how we play. It’s not good enough to just make up the numbers. The attitude the boys are bringing in is one where we go all in and try and get the absolute most out of it.
“We want to build and make a little bit more out of every situation. I hope we have this week, next week, and even a little more.”
Current reserves coach Jason Butera is another who has spent plenty of time at the club, who’s also pleased to see the success the club has enjoyed in 2026.
“It’s fantastic. I’ve been here about 14 years now, and I’ve had some success with the reserves, but to have both teams involved in a final is something you hope and dream for,” he said.
“There’s a lot of effort that goes into a footy club, and there’s a lot of clubs out there that go into similar situations, we have hope and endeavour, and it can be a bit hard when you haven’t got a junior side to push through the younger guys and get those consistent numbers through the door.
“But we’ve always been on the cusp now and to finally get there and experience it with both sides on the day, we can’t ask for more to be in this position.
“This week, we’ll have two teams and two squads trying to fight for their spots to push their names up and get the best out of themselves. That’s the best bit about it, not just having one team there where half the team is keen and the other half has clocked off a bit, we have both teams and full squads who are keen. Everyone’s excited and pumped up about it.”
The last word about the group belongs to president, Paul Antonello.
“It was a good result for our captain, Nicholas Paton, who’s played here about four or five years, coming across from Monty. He’s probably played more back than mid this year, but he’s had a fantastic year, considering the amount of work he’s put into the club,” he said.
“For him to go around as captain, lead these guys and see success playing off the half-back flank, delivering the ball the way he has. He’s been a revelation in that position and adds another string to our bow.
“Brad Moore off the backline, we have experience back there that can steady the ship and make good decisions.
“We have a young group, our profile is young, but we have three or four guys in their 30s, including Louis Hill. They can steer the ship and show leadership, character and pick up the young guys when they’re down or make a mistake. They understand they need to keep on having a crack.”
Who knows how far this level of confidence will take the club as they prepare for a first crack at finals football in 32 years.
– Michael Thompson (via The Northern Footy Show)
