By RUSSELL BENNETT
A HOST of Brooker favourite sons are headed back home, and with one shared vision in mind – to return their beloved club back to the top tier of the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League (YVMDFL).
The Gembrook Cockatoo Football Netball Club has endured a rollercoaster ride over the past few years since the heartbreak of losing three straight YVMDFL Division 1 senior grand finals.
They’ve spent the past two seasons in Division 2 – finishing seventh in the nine-team competition in 2014, and sixth this year. But enough’s enough now, and the club has taken a stand.
Brookers legends Matt O’Neil and Andrew Shipp have returned to the club from Hampton Park, while Nathan Leversha, Steve Nuutinen, and Liam Henzen have also found their way back home.
All told, up to 10 familiar faces look set to return to the club alongside heart-and-soul player-coach Craig Clarke, and great mate Shannon Richardson who has been desperate for reinforcements up forward. The Brookers cult hero has given his all to the club, and now many of his former team mates have returned to do the same.
“We want to get back into Division 1, so we’re not going to hide that,” said O’Neil, who along with the likes of games record holder Steve Pantorno, president Damian Kee, Clarke, Shipp and Darrell Maher has been pivotal in reigniting the spark under the senior side.
“We want to capture some of that success that we missed out on a few years ago.
“We had a bit of heartbreak – losing three in a row, but we just have to get back into Division 1, and whatever happens from there happens.”
Penne Asling has also put in a power of work in rejuvenating the Brookers’ netball arm. The club is now looking to boost it, as well as its Under-18s ranks under one, unified umbrella.
In Division 2, the Brookers face the unenviable task of travelling to play games against Thornton Eildon, Kinglake, Yea and Alexandra.
That then has a huge flow-on effect when it comes time to attracting players to join the Brooker army.
The club desperately wants to be back up in Division 1, but the Brookers know they won’t just be given a spot. They have to win it back, and they don’t have to go far for motivation – with Emerald winning an emotion-charged Division 2 title this year and earning promotion.
Like Emerald, Gembrook Cockatoo is in the process of rejuvenating their home base. The playing surface is currently getting some much-needed upgrades, while the Brookers are also keen to see their clubrooms – which haven’t been touched in decades – also receive a vital facelift.
But first thing’s first – bringing some of the Brooker faithful back where they belong.
“We’ve worked on this for a little while – we’ve had a plan, and we did speak to some players,” O’Neil said.
“As soon as we finished we were already talking to Leversha and these guys and trying to get them signed up first. They were the first priority.
“We’ve been looking for a lot of skill, pace, and some firepower up forward.”
Clarke praised his backline from 2015 – beaming about their ability to stand up under pressure. He was also glowing in his endorsement of the reserves group, and the depth that the senior side could pull from.
But he knows the work that needs to be done, and better than most.
“It’s about getting the right people back at the club, most importantly,” he said.
The Brookers have long prided themselves on being a family club, and O’Neil is determined to use that as a selling point.
“For a few of the guys we’ve signed up, they’ve got young kids and they can bring them up here,” he said.
“It’s a big selling point for guys who’re 26 and 27, and they’re the ones we have to add into the mix. It’s really important.”
And no one knows the pull of their home club more than O’Neil and Shipp.
“I wasn’t going to get involved in coaching again but when the role popped up at Hampton Park it sparked the interest,” O’Neil said.
“They were tough yards down there, for sure, but we enjoyed it.
“Still, this is where we’re from, and we want to finish off up here.”
For Kee, his philosophy is simple – and it sums up what he wants for his club.
“When we all came through the ranks, we started in the Under-9s and we never had to leave,” he said.
“We want that back, and for the success of the footy club we need it.
“It’s all about family for us.”
