Tony Gill plays 350th game for Eastern Park Football Club
TONY Gill has many fond memories from his 20 years and 350 games at Eastern Park Football Club.
TONY Gill has many fond memories from his 20 years at Eastern Park.
“I’ve won a grand final and played in three,” Gill, 40, says.
“I can’t tell you who we played the year we won in 2002 because it was too long ago.
“But the day we won the grand final has a funny story behind it because it was the same day as my teammate Damien Griffiths’ wedding and he got to the ceremony just in time.
“I know the first thing he said to his wife was ‘we won’.”
A second memory is closer to home.
It came when the centre-half-back/ruckman played his 350th game for the club last month.
Gill shared his milestone – a C7 match against Trinity Old Collegians – with his 18-year-old son Damien.
“Playing 350 games has been 20 years in the making,” Gill, of Craigmore, says.
“I play with my oldest lad so running out with him was pretty good, it’s something special.”
Before signing up with Eastern Park, Gill was playing state league darts, but switched to football to “have a kick with a mate”.
That mateship that has kept him going for all these years.
“I played school football as a kid, but I missed nine years because I was involved with the state junior darts team.
“I went back to playing footy at 21 years old because of my mates and wanting to have a kick with a mate and it’s just continued from there.
“Mates and a family environment make the club good to be involved with.
“I still enjoy it and both my boys have grown up playing for the club.”