Gutsy Heidelberg rover reaches Northern Football League game No.300

BLAIR Harvey’s long march to 300 Northern Football League games has been paved with gold.

s01hb202 NFL (Div 1) football: Lower Plenty v Heidelberg Blair Harvey runs out for his 300th game with sons Brax in arms and Hunter with ball.

BLAIR Harvey’s long march to 300 games has been paved with gold.

In 19 seasons he’s won five premierships including four as captain, best-on-grounds and best-and-fairests.

When Heidelberg was best, Harvey most often was too.

The gutsy rover has been at the heart of the Tigers’ stint atop the Northern Football League for the past decade.

Despite having been slowed by injuries in recent years, Harvey stepped out for his 300th game of NFL/DVFL football at Lower Plenty’s Montmorency Park on Saturday.

Harvey, 35, said he was glad to get there.

“It gets harder as you get older,” he said. “Especially the last couple of years with a few injuries and stuff.

“The first part of the ­career went pretty smoothly. It comes down to old age I think. Hopefully everything’s right now.”

While Harvey made his name at Heidelberg, he earned a senior debut at Northcote Park in 1996 as 17.

Two years at his dad’s old club Parkside in the VAFA followed, before a three-season stint at North Heidelberg.

It took a call from family friend Michael Sullivan to get Harvey to make the cross-town switch.

“I had always said I’d play where he was coaching,” Harvey said. “He happened to get the job at Heidelberg and convinced me to come across.

“It was a great decision. I’ve been lucky that I’ve been able to play in some good sides and we’ve been successful.”

Fortunately for Harvey, after a couple of lean years by Heidelberg standards, the Tigers are right in contention again in 2014, sitting atop the Division 1 table with nine wins and one loss prior to the weekend.

The Tigers are ahead of schedule after something of an off-season rebuild.

Harvey said he was enjoying playing a mentoring role.

“At the start of this year we lost a lot of experience. We didn’t know how we would go,” he said.

“We’ve got a few senior players who’ve been able to pass on that winning culture to the younger blokes.

“They’ve taken to it. They’re getting the reward on the weekend. I don’t think anyone expected us to be where we are.”

With injuries becoming a factor – Harvey played just four of the Tigers’ first 10 games – he knows the end of his career is approaching.

But Harvey isn’t willing to pull the plug just yet.

“I’d like to keep going,” he said. “I don’t know if my body will allow me to. I have a young family now; I’ve got to look after them as well.

“It most probably will be my last season, but you never say never.

“It would be fantastic to end my career with another flag. It’d be great.”

Unfortunately, Lower Plenty spoiled the milestone party, winning 10.9 (69) to 5.10 (40) .