Nunawading hopeful of ending three-year losing streak in the Eastern Football League
THINK it’s bad being a Carlton or St Kilda supporter? Suburban footy club Nunawading has lost 53 games in a row, but they are hopeful of ending their three-year losing streak soon.
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FROM record losing margins to scoreless games, Nunawading Football Club’s performances have made national headlines in recent years.
They’ve been dubbed Australia’s worst football team.
The losing streak stands at 53 games, with the Lions last tasting victory on June 20, 2015.
Their average losing margin this year has been 140 points, down from about 43 goals in 2016, but there is no denying the Lions’ resilience.
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Volunteers have stuck by the club, players have endured 30-goal beltings and the committee has erased a crippling debt that put the club on its knees.
Nunawading coach Paul Bevan said he marvelled at the playing group’s determination in the face of regular thrashings as it looks to end a three-year losing streak.
“Half of it might be the challenge but I think for some of them, they have started something and they want to try and finish it,” Bevan said.
“The easy out is to walk away or quit when times get tough, whether it is footy, cricket, whatever, the easy out is to go, ‘this is too hard’.
“A lot of these blokes want to try and see it through and make sure when they do end up leaving, or when I end up leaving, that we are in a good spot.”
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Bevan believed the Lions had put the foundations in place to end their losing streak.
“We’ve come from a long way back, off the field we are getting to a really good spot so the committee has done a great job this year getting back on track financially,” he said.
“The good thing is we’ve got money in the bank so we can go out and buy footballs or buy supplies, whereas last year we were scratching for dollars to actually do stuff.”
Nunawading president Scott Cairns, who has been at the club since 1998, said the Lions were committed to keeping the club alive.
“In a way, certainly from a volunteers point of view, we do it for the boys and a lot of the boys went through a really hard time, especially during that 2016 season,” Cairns said.
“We do it for a little bit of the history of the club, it’s an older club now, we’re into our ninth decade and it’s just something we can’t let slip.”
Vice-captain Marty Lambe returned to the club at the start of 2016 and has played in 51 of the 53 senior losses.
While there’s been times “when you do want to throw in the towel”, Lambe said he was committed to seeing the Lions succeed again.
“The whole reason I went back was because they were struggling and I just wanted to help out,” Lambe said.
“We just want to stick together, especially the blokes who have been there for the last three years.
“They’re the ones who are really driving it forward and sticking it out and want that win because when it happens, it’s going to be a celebration.”
Nunawading’s next game is against Silvan on June 16 at Koonung Reserve, Blackburn North.
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