Heathcote District: Ben McEvoy playing one-off game for Colbinabbin

Ben McEvoy will play the final game of his long career Saturday for Colbinabbin — and the first with his two brothers.

Former Hawthorn captain and premiership player Ben McEvoy is ticking off the final item on his “football bucket list” when he plays for Colbinabbin in the Heathcote District league on Saturday.

McEvoy retired from the AFL at the end of last season, but still held hopes of playing alongside his two brothers, Matthew and Peter, for the first time with the reunion becoming reality against Mt Pleasant.

“We just thought it would be cool to play a game together and Colbo just seemed the ideal fit,” Ben said.

Ben McEvoy is chaired off the ground by Hawthorn teammates Luke Breust and Jack Gunston late last season. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The McEvoy boys’ father John and grandfather Tom are both premiership players at Colbinabbin and Ben’s wife Nicole is from the town.

Ben and Peter have previously played together in an under-14s premiership for Dederang-Mt Beauty and Matt and Peter played together once in Tasmania.

Ben said he strongly doubted the one-off game for Colbinabbin would lead to him playing more games this year closer to his new base on a 100,000ha cropping and sheep farm east of Stawell.

“I wasn’t just retiring from the AFL, I was retiring from football altogether,” he said.

“It was just the right time to get on with other things in my life.

“You never say never, but this was the last thing on my football bucket list if you like.”

EARLIER COVERAGE

Former Hawthorn captain and dual premiership player Ben McEvoy will come out of retirement and play a one-off match for Colbinabbin with his two brothers, Peter and Matt, on Saturday.

McEvoy’s father John played for Colbinabbin before the family moved to the northeast where Ben began playing for Dederang-Mt Beauty and was drafted to St Kilda in 2007 as a top-10 pick.

He later switched to Hawthorn and played in the Hawks’ 2014-15 flags and was made captain of the club for his last two seasons in the AFL.

Former Hawthorn captain Ben McEvoy, right, at Colbinabbin football training with brothers Peter, left, and Matt, centre, last week. Picture: Supplied

After retiring at the end of last year McEvoy moved to a farm he runs near Stawell.

The three brothers have never played together, but that all changes on Saturday when Colbinabbin takes on arch rival Mt Pleasant in the Heathcote District league.

Ben trained with Colbinabbin last Thursday night, with Peter also making a one-off appearance for the club after joining Bundoora this season.

Matt is a permanent player with Colbinabbin.

“They were all keen to have a game together,” Colbinabbin coach Jed Brain said.

“Ben hasn’t played a game since he left the Hawks.

“He wasn’t keen on just rocking up and playing and wanted to train two or three times before the game which has been great.”

Ben McEvoy on the family farm at Dederang in the lead-up to the 2007 AFL draft.

Ben is expected to play in a key defensive role against Mt Pleasant and “pinch hit” in the ruck.

“He will have a run in the ruck, but he’s said if he plays the whole game in the ruck he wouldn’t last 25 minutes,” he said.

Brain is in his first senior coaching job, but is presently serving a four-match ban for a sling tackle incident in last year’s first semi-final.

A depleted Colbinabbin lost to eventual premiers Lockington-Bamwam United in the preliminary final.

“We just didn’t have any luck at all,” Brain said.

“Halfway through the last quarter against (LBU) we were a point up and lost.

“Earlier in the year we beat them by 60 points and we were probably the side to beat.”