EFL 2019: Ryan Mullett finishes as a five-time premiership player
One of the great suburban careers has come to an end. Vermont legend Ryan Mullett bowed out as a five-time premiership player, revealing the emotional finish to his journey in local football.
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The final siren has sounded on one of the great local football careers.
Tears welled in Ryan Mullett’s eyes as Vermont clinched back-to-back premierships in the EFL Premier Division grand final on Saturday.
The 36-point win over Blackburn gave the suburban superstar a fifth flag to go with his 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 triumphs.
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Mullett, 36, also captained the club from 2008 to 2014 during the peak of his career as a damaging midfielder when he won three Chandler Medals, giving him legend status in the competition.
And the premiership celebrations start for @VermontFC. pic.twitter.com/4nDEn1SF67
— Toby Prime (@T_Prime2) September 21, 2019
He is also an eight-time club best and fairest winner, including stints at Rye and East Malvern.
An emotional Mullett said he absorbed the final moments of his career at Bayswater Oval as Vermont eased to its 21st senior premiership.
“I definitely looked around to the crowd a bit more than I normally do, just trying to soak it all in,” Mullett said.
“When I knew we were going to win, it was a weird feeling. I was half going to cry and half wanted to celebrate.
“I held on for a few minutes until the siren went and then just broke down.”
Vermont coach Harmit Singh labelled Mullett “as the ultimate professional”.
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“I don’t think I’ve coached a more professional player with how he goes about it and his attention to detail,” Singh said.
“The reason he is a winner … (is) that champions like him are made for September.”
Two-time Chandler medallist and dual VAFA Premier A best and fairest winner Bernie Dineen rated Mullett as one of local football’s greatest.
“He’s been phenomenal,” Dineen said.
“For what Ryan’s done, I got to play in his first senior game in 2005 and 14 years later to see him come out here at 36 and perform the way he has and finish on that note, he’s going to be one of the greatest ever to have been at the club and one of the best ever in the comp.
“He’s just a jet and a really humble champion.
“Across 20 years, played with some great players and he’s easily in the top handful I’ve played with or against.”
Mullett left Vermont at the end of 2014 and spent two seasons at Rye in the Mornington Peninsula competition, before a two-year stint at Southern Division 1 club East Malvern.
He said his period away from the EFL powerhouse had given him an appreciation of its success.
“I’ve obviously played most of my footy at Vermont but being at Rye and East Malvern the past few years, you see how well Vermont do it,” he said.
“Not that I ever doubted that, but you go away from home and you’re like, ‘Gee they do things so well’.
“It’s the people we’ve got here — it’s the Lee Bidstrups, the coaching staff — they just have that foundation for success.”
It was announced in November that Mullett would be returning to Terrara Rd, declaring in February this season would be his last.
He confirmed to the playing group before the finals he would be retiring.
“I am just grateful for how lucky I am to be able come back to my home club,” he said.
“I felt like I got carried along in the year a little bit with this young group because they’re a bloody good team and I was just trying to enjoy the little moments.
“I’m lucky enough to have five premierships at my home club … I’ve had some good times and everything fell into place.”
A chant went up in the victorious Vermont rooms: “One more year.”
But Mullett ruled out a return.
“I definitely won’t be coming back next year,” he said.
“If it will be, it will be in the veterans. That’s it for me, I’m done.”
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