Leopold player James Edmonds on winning elusive premiership after missing out twice

Leopold player James Edmonds was part of his side’s 2022 grand final loss, but his fate in 2023 when Leopold won was truly agonising. Now with a flag in his grasp, he opens up on that time.

Leopold's James Edmonds opens up on his road to a premiership. Picture: Mike Dugdale

Friday was third time lucky for James Edmonds.

The small forward had been part of Leopold’s 2022 grand final loss to St Mary’s, but 2023 was even more agonising.

Edmonds played 11 straight senior games to finish the season, his last being their semi-final win over Newtown & Chillwell where he suffered a calf injury.

The Hamilton product did his utmost to get his body right for their grand final clash against South Barwon but it wasn’t quite enough, with coach Garry Hocking made the difficult call to leave him out.

Edmonds went on to play in Leopold’s heartbreaking reserves grand final, which the Lions drew to St Mary’s at the final siren and lost in extra time.

Even this season he was in the reserves for Leopold’s final home-and-away game and their first final.

But after returning to the senior side for Leopold’s second semi-final win over St Joseph’s Edmonds didn’t miss out on this flag – and he wasn’t just making up the numbers either.

Playing as a deep forward and up on the wing, Edmonds kicked two goals and 10 of his 13 disposals were score involvements – the equal most on the ground with Jake Pitt, who also missed last year’s premiership after taking a season off footy.

James Edmonds (middle) celebrats one of his two goals. Picture: Mike Dugdale

“It was a bit of a double whammy last year, we went to extra time and lost and then I was so happy when the boys won last year but it is one of those things as a player that you want to be on the ground. But once that final siren goes, it is party time,” Edmonds said.

“I did my calf, and got up enough to get in the ressies. Obviously with that injury cloud the coaches said no to senior football which is totally fair. But to be part of one and get one, obviously there are a few boys who have missed out over the years like ‘Gordo’ (Tom Gordan), Tommy Feely, ‘Bumpy’ (Kyle Bumpstead) and some of the other boys who have come to us this year, it is unreal.

“I am stoked, I am pinching myself.”

Watching on from outside the boundary in 2023 as his teammates tasted premiership glory lit a fire inside Edmonds.

After several soft tissue injuries in the past, Edmonds sought the expertise of Leopold player and Lions strength and conditioning coach Luke Justin.

“I did a lot of work with Luke Justin, he owns a gym – Grind, shout out,” Edmonds said with a laugh.

“And he really helped me get my body right, because I was doing a lot of soft tissues (injuries), so Lukey was a big catalyst in getting my body right and playing consistent footy. When you miss out it definitely makes you hungrier.”

There were more hard luck stories to come out of Leopold’s win this year, and ironically it was Justin’s work which contributed to the selection squeeze.

Defender Daniel Pitcher cruelly missed his second Lions premiership as an emergency after being an unlucky omission from their line-up that knocked off St Joseph’s, having also been left out of their 2016 premiership side.

Nick Ash and Riley Hayden were the others who made way for big inclusions Tevan Nofi, Ollie Tate and Andrew Pepper.

Forward Max Annandale and Geelong VFL key defender Bailey Van De Heuvel rounded out the emergencies, with the pair not quite classed fit with their own injuries.

“50 doesn’t go into 22 and you’ve got to get the best team for the club to win, and we didn’t want to make too many changes from the prelim, we only made three and we could have made five or six,” Hocking said post-game.

“It was a luxury at this time of year to have a full complimentary of players and that’s credit to Luke Justin.

“But also disappointment and you’ve got to have the hard conversations with those players. Look, they get it, they are disappointed but they get it.

“They have fallen short but work hard over the pre-season, put your hand up again and you might be lucky.”

Edmonds experienced the pain last year, and he’ll be sure to make them feel as welcome as the Lions did during their 2023 celebrations.

“I love all these boys and again there was a few boys that missed out and we will get around them, because they are as much a part of today as we are,” Edmonds said.

“The beautiful thing about Leopold is there is no real segregation. Everyone knows that it takes a team to win matches but it takes a whole army to win a flag.”

Originally published as Leopold player James Edmonds on winning elusive premiership after missing out twice