Dean Galea ready to play on next year after premiership, goalkicking award at Riddell

There’s no slowing down Dean Galea. The local footy goalkicking great kicked five goals in Riddell’s premiership win and will be back to do it all again next year.

Dean Galea and Haydn Ross celebrate a goal for Riddell. Picture: Josh Chadwick

There’s no slowing down Dean Galea.

The legendary local footy goalkicker proved on Sunday there’s still plenty of life – and goals – left in his 39-year-old legs.

Galea kicked five goals in Riddell’s dominant 31-point RDFNL premiership win over Wallan, a match-winning display.

The flag adding to his league goalkicking title in a memorable first season with the Bombers.

He’s now a four-time premiership player, having won a VFL title with Port Melbourne and a pair of Essendon District flags at Keilor.

Dean Galea in action for Riddell. Picture: Josh Chadwick

His 50 goals in the home-and-away season secured a ninth league goalkicking award.

Galea said there were some surprise nerves before the big game but kicking the first goal of the match settled him perfectly.

“It’s probably the most nervous I’ve been heading into a grand final,” he said.

“Expectations, maybe, especially coming towards the end – I just want to win.

“I came here for a reason, to win a premiership, and we’ve done that so it’s a great result.

“I’ve had a bit of experience on this stage so I was looking forward to it.

“I’d been down the last couple of week, so I wanted to get back on the scoreboard – as long as we won, that was the main thing – so I was happy to contribute.”

That experienced showed.

After kicking the first goal, he booted two more in the second quarter against the wind to put Riddell in the box seat at half-time.

Riddell coach Arron Bray and Dean Galea during their time at Rupertswood. Picture: Andy Brownbill

With Wallan coming home with the wind in the last quarter and within 18 points, it was Galea again that answered to break momentum.

He bookended the match with the last goal of the game.

The bag of five is the most in a grand final since Nick Grigg’s seven for Rupertswood in 2019.

“It was a good result, we were challenged early and obviously late they came back but we settled into the wind,” Galea said.

“We pride ourselves on character and that’s what we showed in the last quarter.”

Galea played every game this season, kicked at least one goal in every game and won the league award comfortably ahead of Matt Perri.

He kicked a season-high eight majors against Macedon in Round 13 and also bagged six against Kyneton and Romsey.

Another Team of the Year selection will be confirmed at the RDFNL Bowen-Ryan Medal awards night next week.

And he’ll look to add to his impressive collection of awards next season.

“I don’t play footy for individual awards, so the goalkicking medal is nice, I’m happy to contribute,” Galea said.

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“I said at the start I’d give my goalkicking medal as long as we won this one.

“I managed to get both, so I’m pretty fortunate.

“I’ve signed for next year, I’ll keep playing while I’m playing good footy.

“The body is holding up, it’s the first time in five or six years I played every game, so I’ve got a couple more in me I think.”