Back in October, Footscray Edgewater coach Steve Chapman was understandably a little irritable.
Not only did star opening batsman Wes Robinson return home to Western Australia after two games, but the arrival of replacement Shanuka Dissanayake was frustratingly delayed by red tape.
Dissanayake eventually got his visa approved and took to the field for the first time against Greenvale Kangaroos in round eight, making a solid 33 on debut.
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But scores of six, nine and five followed, along with two ‘did not bats’, so it was not the ideal start for a club professional.
After the mid-season break, Dissanayake notched his first half-century as a Bulldog against Melbourne University, but it was followed by a string of hot and cold performances.
Dissanayake is a proven performer at higher levels than Premier Cricket, with 120 first-class matches to his name. But was Chapman too heavily influenced by the veteran 36-year-old’s glorious past?
Dissanayake maintained his spot in the Bulldogs’ line-up for the finals.
He made seven in the quarter-final against Carlton then a crucial 45 in the semi against Geelong. That was an encouraging sign but no indication of what was to come in the grand final.
Dissanayake finally rewarded Chapman’s patience and the support of his teammates by hitting an explosive 175 not out in a man-of-the-match grand final performance against Essendon at the Junction Oval.
Dissanayake was relieved, not because of his own statistics or even a yearning for another premiership, but because of his fondness for the coach, captain Dean Russ, who he says is “born a leader”, and teammates who stuck up for him through thick and thin.
“These lads, they’ve made me feel welcome from the first game,” he said.
“When I had tough times on the field and off the field, they backed me all the time – maybe that’s why I hit that knock, because I wanted to do it for them.”
As the team’s elder statesman, Dissanayake knew it was time to step up and he did so with a great innings.
“I have the experience, so I knew I had to play a big role,” he said . “That’s why I didn’t throw my wicket away, even when I made
100.
“I got out playing silly shots this year and the coach wasn’t happy.
“But I said, ‘I’m not giving the wicket away’ … just bat, bat and bat until I got the message from the change room. I’m proud of myself – it’s a good feeling.”
