When it comes to football in north-east Victoria, Perry Meka is undoubtedly a dominant figure. During the past two decades, he has taken on coaching jobs at a range of clubs across the region, each time taking a swag of recruits with him.
These days, Meka, now aged in his mid-40s, no longer leads the way on the field, having retired in 2008 after booting more than 2500 goals in a brilliant and often-controversial playing career. But his passion for the game remains as strong as ever, as does his ability to pull off a notable recruiting spree.
Six months ago, the man his mates refer to as "Pez" signed on as coach of Shepparton Swans, a club that hasn't won a premiership since 1970. Since then he's breathed new life and new drama into the Goulburn Valley league outfit, whose playing stocks were so thin last year that it was forced to forfeit a reserves match.
Meka's rejuvenated team ran out for the first time on Good Friday, when it did battle with the Shepparton Bears in a drama-filled encounter at Deakin Reserve. Not only were a few locally renowned recruits on show, but the Swans' line-up also included former Melbourne teammates Adem Yze, Russell Robertson and Nathan Brown - a trio with 645 games of AFL experience. Big Pez doesn't do things by half measures.
"It's been a huge task to put it all together," Meka said after the final siren. "But it's fallen into place a little bit. Adem was the first target, and as soon as he signed Robbo said, ‘if I don't get drafted I'm playing'. I took him for his word and he kept his word. Then Nathan Brown just rang up and said, ‘I want play with those boys'.
"We're actually still looking, because we've still got room in our budget. People can go and throw big money at these players or they can look at what they want to do for the rest of their lives, and help them out. I'm in a position to do that, so I did. That means I've got some more to spend and I want to spend it. Stay tuned."
Meka has been helping Yze since his cousin retired from AFL football. As a result, the 32-year-old now holds a key position with The Global Group of Companies, a recruitment, transport and construction business, of which Meka is the managing director.
If that wasn't enticement enough to play for the Swans, Yze's two talented brothers, Damien and Ramadan, have this season also joined the club.
"It's the first time I've got to play in the same team as them, so that's really important to me," said Yze, who grew up in Shepparton. "Basically, I love footy and I want to stay fit, so while my body's up to it I want to play. To have Browny and Robbo here is great. I told them they'd enjoy it and they're both having a ball."
Yze made a solid contribution for the Swans on Good Friday night, in a game that attracted a 4500-strong crowd. However, the other ex-Demons dominated the contest. Brown collected more than 30 possessions and was judged best afield, while Robertson provided plenty of entertainment up forward and finished with seven goals.
"When I got delisted by Melbourne, I hadn't finished playing football by a long-shot," Robertson said as he cooled down in the changerooms afterwards. "I love playing football and my body feels great. It was never about money to come to here. I've been playing a lot of corporate music gigs and Perry has some great contacts up this way. I'm going to do some stuff for his company and that's what it's all about.
"The other thing is Adem Yze - a super friend of mine - he convinced me, and we convinced ‘Doggy' Brown. Bang, away we go. It's got to be good for the league. It creates interest and puts bums on seats."
Unfortunately, the clash with the Bears was marred by a number of scuffles, which had some onlookers commenting that teams coached by Meka have a reputation for targeting the man and not the ball.
Meka did himself no favours by aggressively remonstrating with a number of umpires and league officials at half-time, after a mix-up with the send-off rule had led to a head-count and a pronouncement that his team had too many players on the field.
Amid mass confusion, the Swans' score - 9.7 (61) - was wiped during the long break, but reinstated a short time later, following a re-reading of the VCFL handbook. At the end of the game, the scoreboard showed the Swans had won by 43 points, and Meka's players sang their song like they had won the grand final.
But in the days since, both Meka's behaviour and the head-count have become the subject of a league investigation, which could take up to three weeks to complete. As a result, the official result of the game remains undecided, as if the Swans are again stripped of their first-half score, they will lose by 18 points.
The fights and the circus surrounding the head-count didn't spoil what was a fun GVFL debut for Robertson.
"I was pumped when I saw the crowd, mate," Robertson said, while wearing a broad grin. "I thought, ‘this is my thing. I'm going take some hangers and kick some goals'. It was awesome to be out there playing some country footy and getting soaked up in that vibe. I could hear every word the people were saying in the crowd. They were really getting into me, giving me plenty of advice!"
Yze is also enjoying the more laid-back nature of country footy.
"These days AFL footy is all about defence. It's all about what you're not good at, instead of looking at your strengths. Here you can just play on your strengths and enjoy yourself."
Yesterday, the Swans hosted Echuca. Despite the threat of a suspension hanging over his head, Meka was back on the sidelines, barking instructions to his men. And if he gets his way, he might be there for a while yet.
"Two of my daughters play netball here and my youngest will start soon," Meka said. "So whether they like it or not, I'm here for the next 10 years. Whether I'm here coaching, watching footy or watching my girls, I'm here."
SHEPPARTON SWANS FOOTBALL CLUB
FOUNDED: 1928 (formerly known as Lemnos FC and Lemnos-Shepparton FC)
COMPETITION: Goulburn Valley Football League
NICKNAME: Swans
GUERNSEY: Red and white vertical stripes
HOME GROUND: Princess Park
SENIOR COACH: Perry Meka
SENIOR PREMIERSHIPS: 6 - 1937-38, 1940 (Goulburn Valley FA); 1959-60, 1970 (Goulburn Valley FL)
ADEM YZE IN THE AFL
Career: Melbourne 1995-2008
Games: 271
Goals: 234
RUSSELL ROBERTSON IN THE AFL
Career: Melbourne 1997-2009
Games: 228
Goals: 428
NATHAN D. BROWN IN THE AFL
Career: Melbourne 1998-2007
Games: 146
Goals: 36
SHEPPARTON SWANS' LAST FIVE SEASONS
Year Wins Losses Position
2009 5 13 10th
2008 13 7 4th
2007 15 7 2nd
2006 11 8 6th
2005 6 12 10th
RECENT GVFL PREMIERS
2009: Mansfield
2008: Rochester
2007: Seymour
2006: Seymour
2005: Seymour
2004: Mansfield
2003: Tatura
2002: Echuca
2001: Echuca
2000: Shepparton
By Adam McNicol
Article first appeared The Sunday Age, April 11th, 2010
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