Outer East league: Michael Firrito chases flag success with Gembrook Cockatoo
A former North Melbourne fan favourite is hoping to play in his first flag in 30 years with Gembrook Cockatoo in the Outer East Division 1 grand final on Friday.
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They loved him at North Melbourne for his tough displays in the backline.
At 38, Michael “Spud” Firrito, is still a star playing for Gembrook Cockatoo in Division 1 of Outer East league.
But these days he plays at the other end of the ground, as a goal-kicking forward for the Brookers.
Firrito has returned to grassroots footy, going back to where he started. Gembrook is his original club and where he played in his only football premiership — in under-9s — some 30 years ago.
On Friday, Firrito will chase a fairytale premiership when Gembrook Cockatoo tackles Seville in the grand final at Woori Yallock.
It could be the perfect finish to a splendid career which took in 275 AFL games with the Kangaroos.
“He’s still a star,” Gembrook Cockatoo coach Brad Coller said of “Spud’’.
“And we’ll do everything we can to talk him in to staying.
“He won’t go anywhere else but if we were fortunate enough to win he may consider it (retirement) I’d say.”
Firrito has fired off 48 goals in 15 games this season and looms as a key figure in Friday’s grand final.
“It would be nice to have three of him,” Coller quipped.
“One to play in the middle, one in the backline and one up forward but he’s valuable wherever he goes and the boys feed off him and look for him a lot.
“He’s another coach out on the ground as well.”
Firrito won five best and fairest awards in Gembrook’s juniors as well as that one and only flag.
“It’s been a long time between drinks for him and probably no one is more deserving than him I’d say,” Coller said.
Coller said premierships build lifelong relationships and his Gembrook Cockatoo team would go into Friday’s flag decider full of motivation.
“I know we’re young but we’ve got the will and the want,” he said.
“We have got the experience in our team as well.
“I reckon that will get the job done.
“The feeling you get when that final siren goes and the relationships you build, the lasting relationships…I recently lost a family member, my uncle’s premiership teammates from 1963 were there (at his funeral), 60 years later.
“It’s definitely something that means a lot to me…those relationships you build.
“There are 14 boys through our two teams whose dads played for the club and a lot of them were premiership players.
“My three assistant coaches and my rotation guy are all premiership players at the club.”
Coller identified Seville midfielders Jake Strachan and Josh Weightman and centre half-back Jack Nolan as players the Brookers need to stop.
“It will definitely be a battle of the midfields,” Coller said.
“We’ve both got firepower up forward and some decent back men, it’s just who can get it inside their fifty more.”
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