Omnia   

heyfieldIn the past two decades, Heyfield has been the dominant club in the North Gippsland footy league. The Kangaroos have played in 11 senior grand finals in that time, winning eight of them.

 

Last season, however, they endured some rare heartbreak. Having finished on top of the ladder, they were beaten by Glengarry in a remarkable grand final that was decided in extra-time.

It was the kind of result that could have crushed the spirits of Heyfield's passionate players, coaches and supporters. Instead, the loss has inspired them to come back bigger and better.

Prior to Saturday's last home and away game against Woodside, the Roos' senior side, which is co-coached by local legend Damien Birss and former Hawthorn player Adrian Cox (both are non-playing coaches), was undefeated and four games clear on top of the ladder.

"It's been very enjoyable and we haven't had too many hiccups along the way, which is good," said club secretary Danny Rodaughan. "You always need a bit of luck.

"We've had a few injuries, but probably no more than any other year. Our playing numbers have been good, we've had plenty of people at our functions, so we're cruising along pretty well."

With the start of the NGFL finals just six days away, the Heyfield boys are now priming themselves to return to the top of the tree.

"That's been their motivation since the grand final," Rodaughan said. "They just want to make amends for getting so close and not being able to come away with it."

There was a time when Heyfield regularly suffered disappointment in September. The Kangaroos made five senior grand finals between 1985 and 1991, but they lost four of them.

However, the club turned its fortunes around by winning four straight flags between 1997 and 2000.

Birss, who played in the last three of those premierships and was part of another one in 2005, believes the strong culture that was built back then is what has kept the Kangaroos at the top for so long.

"We're not the wealthiest club going around, but when blokes come and play with us they don't want to leave," he said.

Added Rodaughan: "Players want to play with us. They enjoy the club and they've got a good chance of being in the finals each year. That's a fair attraction.

"And we've got around 1400 people, so that's an advantage for us compared to some of the other clubs in smaller towns. We're still big enough that the core of our group can come from our town."

Although Birss enjoyed plenty of success as a player, he is particularly keen to hold up the cup at the end of this season, as his recent years as a coach have proven very frustrating.

During a stint as senior coach of Rosedale, which is one of Heyfield's arch-rivals, Birss led the Blues to defeats in the 2010 and 2012 grand finals. In the latter of those games it was Heyfield that spoilt his day.

Birss returned to the Kangaroos last season, only to be beaten again on the biggest day of the season.
"Things were a lot easier when I was playing," he said with a chuckle.

Birss is very much taking things "one game at a time" right now, but the results during the home and away season suggest that his personal run of outs should come to an end in a month's time.

Despite losing Cox from its on-field ranks (he starred in last year's finals series before a chronic knee injury forced him to hang up his boots), Heyfield has proven to be a much stronger combination this season.

The addition of some talented recruits over the summer is one factor in the Roos' improvement, while a number of local lads have lifted their output after changing roles in the team.

Indeed, Heyfield's strength has been powerfully demonstrated in the past month, with the Kangaroos defeating second-placed Churchill by 39 points and third-placed Rosedale by 83.

And they would have been even stronger if Collingwood premiership player Leigh Brown, who came through Heyfield's juniors, had been able to play in the finals.
Brown suited up in two home and away games, and kicked eight goals against Yarram in June, but he is busy most weekends coaching Gippsland Power in the TAC Cup.

Nevertheless, he is sure to be keeping track of the scores when the Heyfield boys launch their campaign for redemption in the second semi-final on August 30.

"Most of our players are between 19 and 25, but their professionalism to focus from week to week, without getting ahead of themselves, has been the key," Birss said. "We've given ourselves the opportunity to have another crack at it and we need to stand up and go again."

By Adam McNicol.

Article first appeared The Sunday Age, August 17 2014