By Adam McNichol

IN THESE money-driven times, local footy followers tend to ask just one question when a club dominates a competition: how much cash is it spending?

 

Often there is an obvious answer. Plenty. From the Mallee to the Murray and down to Gippsland, clubs are forking out hundreds of thousands of dollars to win the silverware their supporters crave. This is what makes the success of the Tyrendarra Football Club, located 30 kilometres east of Portland in Victoria's far south-west, so remarkable.

 

Since 2000, the Darras' senior team has played in every South West District League grand final, winning four premierships. Even more impressively, their reserves have notched a staggering seven straight flags, and yesterday extended their unbeaten run to 118 matches. Yet, only the coaches have been paid for their efforts.

 

Tyrendarra has, in the past decade, done what many country football administrators say is now impossible. The club has brought together a team of talented footballers, who play just for the love of the club and the love of the game. The Darras players have their own motto that demonstrates their commitment: "Mates not money, we're here for the beer!"

 

The rolling green hills around Tyrendarra are dotted with picturesque sheep and dairy farms. They have recently been joined by large swathes of plantation timber. But the tiny town and its surrounds are home to a population of just 250 people. Tyrendarra has no pub and the general store closed almost a decade ago. So, how does the footy club do it?

Selwyn Jones, who is in his fourth year as Darras president, credits a club culture that focuses on nurturing a close community.

 

"Like with players, money doesn't buy success," Jones said. "Not long-term year-in, year-out success that we've enjoyed. People want to be here. They want to come here to socialise and to play. They want their families to come here and enjoy the club. The kids that are growing up here will play football here in years to come and their kids will."

 

By not spending money on players, Tyrendarra has been able to substantially redevelop its once-maligned facilities. With no pub in the town, the football club's new social room has become a focal point for the locals, who congregate before a roaring open fire on training nights and match days. "It's the hub of the community," said Jones. "We have our past players and other community people who love meeting here on a Thursday and a Saturday. They talk about their farms and what the markets are doing for cattle, sheep and wool. They all get together to watch the boys train and they come along on a Saturday to watch their nieces and nephews play football and netball. We've got third and fourth generations of families playing here."

 

Jones believes the focus on the social side of football is what encourages a steady stream of young men from nearby Portland and Heywood, towns that both have clubs in the strong Western Border league, to join the Darras.

 

Among them is full-forward Jamie Walsh, who has played in all of Tyrendarra's seven consecutive reserves premierships from 2000 to 2006. He also coached the team for five seasons and in a number of those years booted more than 100 goals.

"We're all out here playing for our mates," said Walsh. "Everyone comes out to have a good time on a Saturday. Everyone comes in from the farms to have a look at the footy. We all just love being here."

 

Boasting the type of rotund build traditionally associated with reserves full-forwards, Walsh is not a fan of training too hard. "You can have a muck around and still get the job done properly," he said.

 

But there is no doubting his commitment on match day, or that of his reserves teammates, who have not lost a match since midway through the 2000 season. "I played footy for a long time before I came down here and I didn't play in any premierships," Walsh said. "I might have played in an under-10s flag. When I got here I played in a grand final and lost and that was pretty hard to handle. Then it all started to happen."

 

Andrew Stutchbery and centre half-forward Brett Baker are the only others who have played in all seven consecutive reserves flags.

 

"Our players just come out because it's a good place to be," said Baker. "We put on a good show socially. It's a great family club and people just love being around Tyrendarra. I know I do."

 

The club is also breaking down gender barriers. This year, Jodie Outtram has been appointed an assistant coach for the reserves. She is believed to be the only woman on the coaching staff of a football club in country Victoria.

 

Both Tyrendarra's senior and reserves teams are again at the top of their respective ladders this season and yet more success beckons.

 

Talented onballer Adam Hawke has returned to the position of senior coach, after Glenn Kane, who guided the Darras to a shock win over Coleraine in the 2006 grand final, stepped down on the eve of the season.

 

Tyrendarra's seniors thumped Dartmoor last weekend, holding their opponents goalless, while the reserves extended their winning streak to 117 games thanks to a forfeit. Yesterday, they travelled to Heathmere, where the seniors and reserves sides again won.

 

Through concentrating on community, not cash, Tyrendarra has set a benchmark that its rivals are finding difficult to match.

Article first appeared: The Age May 27, 2007