Harper Sercombe
Fresh off a grand final win Parkside coach Chris Muratore is ready for the next challenge.
The Magpies, which were the top side all year, took out the Western Region Football League division 2 premiership snaring a goal with just 15 seconds remaining.
The flag is a deserved cherry on top of many hard years of work Muratore said.
“To be honest it still probably hasn’t sunk in what’s happened the last two weeks, it’s just been crazy the last couple of days,” he said.
“We had such a massive focus on what we’ve tried to go out and achieve for probably the last four years. A couple of lockdowns, a lost grand final, it was all that work and it probably feels like it’s more of a relief.
“We did it, it finally happened, it felt like there were some footy gods with how it ended, a lot of hard work, it was just great.
“We knew it was going to be a war and the crowd was going to be huge, it was just a magical day to be a part of.”
Muratore said with the club nearly 130 years old, he said seeing so much relief on peoples faces to see the club back in A-grade was probably the last real driving force for him.
While it has been a continual build for the Magpies some off season recruiting on the eve of the 2023 season has been a key reason to their premiership success.
One of the players they brought in to the side was long time mate of Muratores, Karl Staudt. Staudt and Muratore began playing football together in under-10s and always promised to reconnect on the field. This year Staudt played under his great mate and will now live in Parkside folk law, shepherding the match winning goal over the line.
“His leadership, to be 36 years old and give so much effort, on the goalline, that will go down as the best stat, the best one percenter you’ll ever see,” Muratore said.
“Hudson Barret’s a super talent, there’s so much upside… Lachie Langwell’s been super as well.
“We lost Harvey Daniher through the year, he was the best full back in the comp, he was enormous… but to bring in a 19-year-old kid, Isaac Dukic, to play the last four senior games of the year, how he performed on grand final day… was just phenomenal, I’ve never seen anything like it.
“We brought in Max Naughton, a really good wingman.
“We went after guys that we knew could fix holes, and these guys just brought so much to the table.
“These guys have all had the hardships themselves, they’ve lost grand finals or been dropped for grand finals so everyone had a story to tell on Sunday, which got us over the line in the end.”
Magpies co-captain, back-to-back league best and fairest winner, 2021 league leading goal kicker and best player in the grand final Shaun Campbell has been a major influence on the teams success.
“He’s accomplished more in 60 games at this football club than you’ll ever see,” Muratore said.
“He just has a crack, he just gives everything, he doesn’t know any other way than just go to war and do what you ask.
“He’s a pleasure to coach, he’s a great mate, what he did in that game, he just busted his backside for the footy club.”
Now, the club has its focus set on recruiting with exit meetings already in full swing. However, with the club frequently operating at almost full player points, it may be tough as they move up to the higher grade.
Parkside are one of the WRFL clubs with no juniors meaning young players coming in such as Dukic, are four point players.
Some of the point pressures will be alleviated by everyone losing a point at season’s end and some possible retirements from some of their older players.
“We knew those challenges were always going to be hard,” Muratore said.
“That’s why we have to be very tactical about how we recruit and what we recruit, we need to make them count.
“That being said we’ve already signed on 17 out of the side who were playing on the weekend, and 14 reserves guys who missed out.”
To keep up with the challenge of division 1, Muratore already has his eyes on the best.
“I’m going to go have a look this weekend (Werribee Districts, Point Cook grand final)… and we’ll use them as the blueprint, and see why they are so good and what works,” he said.
“You watch that and get as close to that as you can.
“We know it’s going to be two-three years until we’re in that zone but we don’t want to go up and win one or two games next year. I want to go up thinking why can’t we break even, why can’t we play finals.
“It’s just what you go out and recruit, I guess this is my grand final for the next two months, and we go from there and see what we can do.”
