Five Flagstaff Hill Football Club players win four-straight Southern Football League premierships
Some footballers can go through a career without winning a single premiership. Others have a bit more luck, like these five Flagstaff Hill players who have a remarkable record of flags.
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Four years ago Flagstaff Hill Football Club stalwart David Kearsley was wondering if he would ever play in a Southern Football League A-grade premiership side.
Now the 230-game champ is a member of a select group of five Falcons to have played in the club’s four consecutive flags — this year as a captain.
Kearsley, Daniel Butcher, Brad Kirk, Sam Osmond and Mitch Fazekas are part of that group which began its run when it beat Morphett Vale in 2016 to win its first division one flag, ending a drought of 31 years since it won the division two decider.
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Kearsley said it was a great feeling to win and to share success with so many supporters and club helpers.
To be in that select group of five also was special.
“Internally we believed we could win as we had been there before,” Kearsley said.
“But we knew we had to execute our plan after they (Noarlunga) had beaten us easily in three meetings before.
“It just came together on the day. Being captain doesn’t make it any sweeter but it does make me proud to think I was captain for this season and to have won.
“Last year there were nine of us who had played in the three wins now there is five.
“This flag is probably the most rewarding.
“The first was a relief, the second and third we probably went in favourites while this one not many gave us much of a chance.
“Each of the five players probably has a story, Kirky and Mitch came down from the Riverland, Sam has been here awhile and Butch played juniors here, went away for a short time and came back at the right time.
“He probably never thought he would play in one flag, let along four of them.”
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Kearsley, 30, plans to have a quiet summer pottering in the garden with his wife Elizabeth and 10-month-old son Connor.
He is certain to go on next year but may be handing back the captaincy to Michael Shearer, who looks a chance to resume playing in 2020 after suffering a knee injury which put him out for the past 12 months.
Brother Andrew Shearer is a big chance of also playing next season.