Shepp News |
Matt Storer has long been there for Mansfield and on Saturday his beloved Eagles were there for him.
It was Storer’s 200th game and his team made sure he celebrated in style, by defeating Echuca by 36 points — its first win of the Goulburn Valley Football League season.
The result meant almost as much to Storer as earning life membership at his home town club.
‘‘It’s just more important getting off the mark,’’ Storer, 32, said.
‘‘The club has worked hard, so it was nice to sing that song.
Regarding his career, Storer said there was little to tell, but that simply isn’t true.
In his day he was a prolific on-baller.
After bursting onto the scene with the league Rising Star award in 1999, Storer joined Ovens and Murray Football League club Wangaratta for two years in 2002.
He returned to the Eagles’ nest in 2004 to help steer the club to its first Goulburn Valley Football League premiership.
Another premiership followed in 2009, with interleague jumpers and regular appearances in Morrison Medal and club best and fairest counts in between.
However, for Storer, his career has been more defined by the people he has met along the way.
‘‘The old catch cry is you play footy for premierships and footy trips and I’ve been lucky enough to win two premierships,’’ Storer said.
‘‘I got to play footy for five years with Hotton boys (Trent and Cameron) and I enjoyed my two years in Ovens and Murray as well. I went to five weddings over the two years I had up there and that’s what it’s all about.’’
Another good mate returned to the club this season in Josh Fraser.
The pair went to school together and were best man at each other’s weddings and Storer said it had been great to play alongside each other again this season, even if it had been one to forget so far.
Injuries are starting to take their toll on Storer, but he still has a role to play for the Eagles.
What that role is, is often left up to the man himself.
‘‘It just varies, week to week. For me it’s about the body, I go out there each week and there are times when I feel really good and spend a lot of time on the wing and some days my legs feel heavy and I go forward, but that’s the beauty about playing under Fraser, he’s very flexible,’’ he said.
‘‘I was a little bit stiff all day (on Saturday), I kicked a goal, missed four and I just couldn’t lift my legs in that last quarter.’’
As for his future, Storer said he would finish this season first and let his body decide.
