IT was music to the ears of Altona midfielder Reece Miles. A sweet sound that got some ribbing from jealous teammates after Saturday’s grand final.
Every step Miles took, a jingling reverberated around the winning Vikings’ rooms , a constant reminder of greatness.
It was, of course, the Herb Pascarl Medal for a ‘best-on-ground’ in the grand final jingling against a premiership medallion, a melody that doesn’t get any better for a footballer.
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‘‘This is the ultimate prize,’’ Miles said, proudly showing off his premiership gong. ‘‘It’s the best feeling. It’s indescribable. The ‘best-on’ is just a little bonus.’’
The Vikings are a close-knit unit, having built their foundations on home-grown talent.
Miles, however, was an outsider. The smooth-moving midfielder joined the Vikings from rivals Hoppers Crossing. Naturally apprehensive at the start, Miles took no time to settle in and has blossomed at his new club.
‘‘Coming to a new club, you’re always nervous,’’ he said. ‘‘From day dot, I felt like a mate. I felt like one of them and I’ve never looked back. The coach, the boys, we’re all as one.’’
Miles has the same emotional connection to the club that the players who came through the Vikings junior system obviously would have.
He’s proud to be a Viking, speaking of the importance of the mateship that exists at the club, his pride in the jumper, a coach he would go to war for and the work of the people behind the scenes who keep the club alive. ‘‘You can’t ask for much more.’’
Vikings coach Anthony Eames says Miles has fitted in seamlessly since switching clubs.
While Miles is a flashy footballer with his blond hair and quick turn of foot, it is mid-week where he sets a shining example for the club’s younger players.
‘‘Reece came to us looking for that culture change,’’ Eames said.
‘‘He’s been one of those guys who have lifted the intensity at training and has been a fantastic role model for the under-18s coming through.
‘‘He’s a terrific young man; he’s got his own business and responsibilities.
‘‘His wife Alana had a baby last Saturday, so she held up her end of the bargain and freed him up to play this week and he certainly repaid her.’’
