Brendan Fevola, Guy Sebastian team up to spark revival for Masala Dandenong Football Club
Brendan Fevola and Guy Sebastian have teamed up to help a Dandenong footy club used to thrashings get off the canvas. But the win may have come at a cost.
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Carlton-great-turned Fox FM breakfast host Brendan Fevola is now the Masala king after leading a cellar-dwelling Victorian Amateur Football Association team to a stunning victory in Dandenong.
With Fevola booting six goals and hit-maker Guy Sebastian showing some slick skills through the midfield during the second quarter, the Masala Dandenong Football Club Thirds triumphed over South Melbourne in a nail biting finish 55 to 53 at the Lois Twohig Reserve on Saturday.
It was a remarkable turnaround for the side, which just a week ago was thrashed 236 to 7 by the St Bedes/Mentone Thirds.
An exhausted but euphoric Fevola, who was given a hero’s reception from the crowd of more than 2500 as he left the field, said the victory was sweet.
“We hoped to do better than last week — score more than seven points and not to lose by as much as 229 points,” he said.
Fevola kicked the first goal of the match, getting Masala on the board early, as part of a four goals first quarter haul.
As well as taking to the field, Sebastian also performed four songs at half time – a mini Dandenong Superbowl if you will. However the ARIA Award winning singer went down with an injury in the fourth quarter and had to leave the field.
“It’s great for Masala Dandenong to get a win and have a great crowd come out to support both teams,” Sebastian said.
“In a sign that ‘Maybe’ it’s time to hang up the boots, I sustained a little injury in the fourth quarter, but I’ll be fine and again I am stoked that the boys were able to get up and score a win today.”
Fevola and Sebastian’s involvement with the club was part of a promotion to support grassroots footy by Fox FM’s Fifi, Fev and Nick breakfast show.
“There are a lot of teams out there that are getting smacked at the moment,” Fevola said.
“When you live in the AFL bubble you don’t really think about country or local footy clubs but they are sort of the heartbeat of a town.
“It is easy to forget that we all started somewhere at local footy clubs and I think this was a great opportunity for us to go out and showcase and support a local footy club that is struggling.
“These guys don’t play in front of crowds. They have never had a banner, so we got them a banner, they don’t have masseuses so we had the Melbourne Storm myotherapists come down to give massages before the game.
“They don’t have a regular captain, so I appointed myself captain of the team at training on Thursday
“Two players, that’s it, turned up for pre-season and every game they have to ring around to find players. Sometimes they can’t fill a team properly.”
Fevola attended club training on Thursday night and was told for the first time they had too many people wanting to play.
The Masala Division 5 Thirds is a true battling team.
Of the 298 teams in the combined divisions of the VAFA, the Masala Division 5 Thirds sit right at the bottom of that ladder.
Minutes after the match, Fevola was on the move, heading to Sunbury to play his regular weekend game with the East Sunbury Football Club.
Masala Dandenong Football Club president William Bolch said he had never seen such a big crowd turn out for a Masala game.
“I have never seen anything like it,” he said.
“We ran out of bacon and eggs, we ran out of milk, we had to make multiple trips down to the shops to re-stock the canteen.
“I think today has given the club a massive spike, a massive bit of electricity.
“Fev and Guy Sebastian turning up was absolutely incredible. It shows the awesome stuff that can happen when good people come together and make things happen.”
Originally published as Brendan Fevola, Guy Sebastian team up to spark revival for Masala Dandenong Football Club
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