THEY have enjoyed what hard work brings, but Gisborne team-mates Flynn Lakey and Pat McKenna also know about the agony of a grand final defeat.
It was the memory of a grand final loss against Sandhurst two Septembers ago which drove them and their team-mates to be number one in Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL senior footy once again.
The gun rover and full-forward played starring roles to earn the AFL Victoria Medal and Nalder Medal respectively as Gisborne won last Saturday’s grand final against Sandhurst by 29 points.
Both became dual premiership winners as they represented Gisborne in a 50-22 win against Strathfieldsaye Storm four years ago as torrential rain hit Queen Elizabeth Oval for most of that day.
It was not until the 14th round of this season that Lakey was back in action.
A knee injury had raised doubts about playing at all in ’26.
“I didn’t know if I would make it back to play this season,” Lakey said amid the euphoria of the celebrations in the rooms at Faith Leech Aquatic Centre adjacent to the QEO.
“Rehab was going really well, so I was given the all-clear to start training again.”
The comeback was through the reserves against Castlemaine in the 14th round.
A week later he played in the seniors against Eaglehawk at C and M Oval in Canterbury Park.
Although the Bulldogs were beaten, Lakey was rapt to be back.
After a rest he was back for the round 18 clash with Golden Square at Gardiner Reserve.
Then it was on the a remarkable four-game winning streak across the finals to claim the Bendigo Advertiser premiership cup for a sixth time.
Lakey’s ability to win the footy in contests and fire out handpasses to team-mates was to the fore in the biggest match of the season.
A broken jaw meant key playmaker Brad Bernacki would not play.
“We bat deep in midfield, so we knew we had the players who could step up to the challenge,” Lakey said of going into the clash without Bernacki.
By match-end it was the likes of Lakey, Dylan Johnstone, Adam Brancatisano and many more who had set up scoring chances for the likes of Pat McKenna, Matt Merrett and Shane Clough.
Although he is just 24, Lakey is one of the more experienced players in Gisborne’s on-ball group.
“It’s a young team packed with plenty of talent.”
For Lakey and the rest of the squad there is now the challenge of competing in Ballarat from next season.
A premiership medal, Nalder Medal, and Ron Best Medal as the competition’s leading goalkicker have capped one of the best seasons in Pat McKenna’s footy career.
“The first half was not so great for me,” McKenna said of the grand final.
“The key was to keep leading as things could, and did turn.
“The boys just kept on running and working.”
McKenna said the past four weeks had been among the most exciting in his time as a Gisborne player.
“To finish on a high like this is incredible.”
McKenna’s footy journey kicked off as an eight-year-old.
He became a star player, not just for Gisborne, but in the Bendigo FNL.
After making his senior debut in the 2013 season, McKenna became a mighty tough match-up for any defender.
Nearing the 300-game mark in his career, McKenna has slotted 638 goals.
It was a change in tactics for this season as he played a lot closer to the goalsquare.
“I was training just one night a week, but that helped keep me fresh.”
In a season where it played without key defender Jack Reaper, had gun ruckman Braidon Blake cut down by injury, and Bernacki out of the grand final, Gisborne just kept on fighting on.
Victorious captain Zach Vescovi led the team on a roller-coaster which included being beaten by Gisborne in both home-and-away matches, and also being overrun by Strathfieldsaye in Storm territory.
“There were plenty of lessons along the way to being premiers again,” Vescovi said.
Hard yards in pre-season, the cold and wet in mid-winter, to the pressure of finals are what all in Gisborne’s squad have gone through.
For Vescovi being a premiership captain is something he never thought would eventuate.
It has.
“The coaches obviously saw something in me to be the captain once Jack Reaper did his ACL and was out for the season.
“To have led these boys and to a premiership is really special.”
The words “We’re as happy as can be” in Gisborne’s theme song have been belted out many times already and will continue throughout the week.
It’s time to celebrate and reflect on an incredible 26-season run in Bendigo, but for all involved with Gisborne FNC the focus soon switches to pre-season and the build-up to new and exciting challenges.
