Bendigo Advertiser |
LEITCHVILLE- Gunbower’s Craig “Oyster” Taylor is content to share the club’s games record with his father, Len.
Craig equalled Len’s club record of 348 games last week in the Bombers’ reserves match against Colbinabbin.
And he’s happy to remain on 348 and share a piece of club history with his father.
“I’m not playing tomorrow, so I’d say that’s about stumps,” Craig said today.
“Dad wasn’t there last week – he was away on a holiday – but it was a special day.”
Craig’s tally of 348 games is made up of 242 in the seniors and 106 in the reserves.
He played his first senior game with Leitchville as a 16-year-old in the late ’80s and has played in four different leagues with the Bombers – Northern Echuca, North Central, Central Murray and now the Heathcote District league.
Craig also had a two-year stint in the Loddon Valley league with Pyramid Hill in 1997 and 1998.
A full-back through most of his career, Craig has played in three senior premierships with the Bombers – 1991, 1994 and 1995.
His team-mates in the ’91 grand final win over Moama included his father.
“I was very fortunate to play in a premiership with my dad. I played a few years of senior football with him, but the ’91 grand final was obviously a very big thing,” Craig said.
Four years later, the ’95 premiership came in the first year of the merger between the Leitchville and Gunbower clubs.
His playing days may have now come to an end, but Craig won’t be lost to Leitchville-Gunbower as the next generation of Taylor’s come through the club.
“I’ve got my two oldest boys (Zac and Bailey) playing juniors there now, so it’s not as though I’ll be finishing up and just walking away,” Craig said.
Craig also has children Cooper and Lillie.