By Nick Creely
It almost didn’t feel real for current Doveton president and player Aaron Henwood as a premiership medallion was draped around his neck in the Woori Yallock rooms on Sunday evening.
The magnitude of it all. The emotional rollercoaster he has been on with his beloved footy club over the last few years. And the journey back from the depths of despair with the club on its knees and battling to survive.
Almost speechless, soaking in the moment as waves of supporters – some in tears and overcome with emotion – overflowed the rooms, Henwood could barely believe what he witnessing.
“It feels a bit fake, to be honest with you – it feels like I’m dreaming, but I’m definitely not though,” he told the Gazette.
“It’s been a long career, you know 20 years at this wonderful footy club, and it could be my last one, I’m not too sure at this stage to be honest, but to finish like that if it is my last game is pretty special.
“And from where we were last year, these boys deserve it, the coach deserves it, and this club deserves it.
“I couldn’t be more proud of everyone involved, it’s just such a special feeling.”
As club president and current player, Henwood’s position and his emotional attachment to the Doves has seen many hardships of late, with the club going winless in 2018 and almost considering shutting the doors on the famous old club in the south-east.
But he said that the club stuck fat, refused to throw in the flag, and worked even harder to bounce back, knowing all too well it’s in Doveton’s DNA to scrap, battle and eventually, prevail.
“That’s what the club has been founded on, and it was (difficult) – there were times there that I really, really struggled to be honest,” he said.
“But I had good people to sound off, we got it right, attracted a few more players and enhanced what we sort of had going.
“Whether we were going to win the flag this year was probably a big dream for the group, but it’s funny what happens when you surround yourself with good people, and there are plenty here.”
Henwood paid special tribute to senior coach Daniel Charles – a club icon who simply brings people together and never panics under any circumstances – with the Doves’ main man coming back to the club in an extremely difficult position at the start of 2018.
“When he went for the job, we still had a fairly healthy list, and then blokes started jumping off one by one and that was really hard, but we fought our way through and he was really positive all the way through,” he said.
“He never gave in, and this is what happens when you don’t give in.”
Henwood – who was part of the 2005 premiership glory too – said that the Doveton Football Club is a place of inclusion, culture and positivity, and one where people from all walks of life can feel accepted and part of a community.
“It’s been 14 years in between flags obviously, and I was lucky enough to play in that one as well, but the thing about Doveton is that we don’t have anyone that actually lives in Doveton, we’ve attracted people from everywhere, from brothers, to cousins, to family members, to come and play for this club,” he said.
“When people step inside our club, they can feel how inclusive it really is, and how welcoming we really are – when you’ve got a bloke like Matty Boyd, who didn’t have to come back this year after we didn’t win a game last year, that in itself tells you what a great footy club it is.”
On Boyd – who was simply phenomenal late in the game – using all of his 292-game AFL experience and helping keep the calm as the Lions surged late, Henwood spoke how the club brought the champion into the club last year.
“I did but I didn’t (know him), but he is good mates with one of our club legends in Leon Egan, and he rang me and told me he was going to work on Boydy, and he got itchy feet, and we had a chat on the phone for about 25 or 30 minutes, and that’s how it all kind of started,” he said.
“Boydy loves the joint now, and he’s just been incredible for us.”
