KILMORE’S maiden voyage into the Northern Football League last Saturday was about more than just four points.
The Blues were gallant in their 29-point loss to St Mary’s at J.J. Clancy Reserve, in a performance which had a recurring theme: never give in.
After St Mary’s jumped the Blues early, kicking the opening four goals, Kilmore president Dave Milne saw his side pick itself up off the canvas.
“We were not quite sure what to expect, being so young,” Milne told NFL.org.au.
“After (the first 15 minutes) they pretty much decided they weren’t just going to get pushed over and pushed around.”
Kilmore rallied from there on in, led by its young up-and-coming stars.
“(Marcus) Webb is our superstar and he isn’t that old,” Milne said.
“They’re all pretty much 28 and under with younger kids coming through (and) we had three players in the backline who had only just turned 20.”
Milne believes Thomas Snaith, one of the young stars of the Blues’ backline, only knows one way – hard at the ball, and first into the contest.
“That’s why he has to wear a helmet. There’s a few times that he’s been that aggressive (at the contest) he does himself an injury.
“Over the past few years it’s been ‘mate, you’re going to have to wear a helmet!’.
“They say you can’t put an old head on young shoulders (but) he just loves the contest and he always loves to hit it as hard as he can,” Milne said.
It has been a team-first ethos instilled into the players over a number of years, coming through the junior ranks together, according to Milne.
“It’s been instilled in them over the past five or six years from their coach from the under 18s which was Nate Phillips.
“That crew have all come through together, and Trav (senior coach Travis McCarty) is starting to get the best out of them now, as in they will kill themselves before they let the team down. It’s good to see,” he said.
Michael Marratt wore a heavy knock in the final quarter and had to be helped off the ground by both sets of club trainers.
Despite St Mary’s kicking away to a match-winning lead, Marratt returned to the field, refusing to give in.
It has been Marratt’s influence around the club that has been beneficial to his team mates, especially after returning to the club two years ago.
“(Marratt) is one of our leaders this year which is a real good thing because he does PT (personal training) as well so all that is starting to shine out across the board,” Milne said.
After the Blues’ 2015 campaign in the Riddle District Football Netball League yielded just one win, Saturday’s performance and constant refusal to give in suggests they may surprise a few clubs in Division 3 this season.
While the goals at J.J. Clancy Reserve this season are modest, Milne believes the Blues are building.
“Our main goal is for everybody to get comfortable and happy with their own footy. That’s the club goal,” he said.
“After that, everything else will come. Once you get happy around the club and they’re playing good footy and better footy, more sponsors will come and (more) footballers will come.
“We haven’t set any huge goals this year it’s about everybody being comfortable within themselves and seeing what we can achieve and then build from that.”
And with the ground in pristine condition, ample room for spectators and great viewing facilities, Kilmore looks to showcase itself to the League this season.
“It’s a bloody good set-up. It’s taken us a fair while to get it. That’s the whole idea, if you invite people in you want them to like it,” Milne said.
“When they come in, you want them to walk away smiling.”
