NewsBite

Hills Football League forward Willy Serle notches 1000th career goal

IT’S a feat only reached by legends such as Tony Lockett, Gordon Coventry and Jason Dunstall — but local footy legend Willy Serle reached an iconic milestone at Callington Oval on the weekend.

Willy Searle, who plays for Bridgewater-Callington Football Club, kicked his 1000th career goal last weekend. Picture: Dean Martin
Willy Searle, who plays for Bridgewater-Callington Football Club, kicked his 1000th career goal last weekend. Picture: Dean Martin

WILLY Serle reckons he never gets emotional playing football.

But when his partner Meka and children Jordan, 15, and Mariah, 12, ran onto Callington Oval on Saturday to celebrate his 1000th career goal, the magnitude of his achievement hit him.

“Having my family there watching me … was the best — they’ve all been there from the beginning,” Serle, 34, says.

“They deserve this just as much as me.

“I never get emotional playing footy (and) I was OK until my family ran onto the ground, then I got bit emotional.

“Even the coach was very emotional and started to tear up, and all my teammates jumped on me.”

Serle, a forward for Bridgewater-Callington’s A grade, reached the milestone during the third quarter of the Hills Football League club’s division two match against Macclesfield.

It had been a long time coming.

Searle, who began playing A grade at Adelaide Plains club United in 2002, was sitting on 998 goals for six weeks while sidelined with an ankle injury.

“(Club volunteers) told me a couple of weeks ago that I was on 998,” he says.

“I kicked about three points (on Saturday) before finally kicking that second goal.

“It was a very good feeling.”

Searle booted 227 goals in six seasons at United before switching to Kadina, where he kicked 607 majors from 2009-15, including a career-high 14 in one game.

One year at Ironbank yielded 48 goals then he slotted 77 in his first campaign for Bridgewater-Callington last year.

Serle has kicked 41 majors this season.

He says there are no secrets to his goalkicking prowess — “just lots of practice” and emulating the set-shot routine of another forward to boot more than 1000 majors.

“Tony Lockett used to keep it pretty simple, so I just follow that,” Serle says of the Sydney and St Kilda great.

“He would just take three or four steps and kick it.”

Bridgewater-Callington is sixth on the ladder with a 6-7 record ahead of its away game against Birdwood this Saturday.

Serle is keen to play on next season “if the body holds up”.

Add your comment to this story

To join the conversation, please Don't have an account? Register

Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout

Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/messenger/sport/hills-football-league-forward-willy-serle-notches-1000th-career-goal/news-story/13c4d403a18263b134f62ad0b0e6f239