GERARD FitzGerald is no stranger to big moments. Six times he’s taken a VFL club to a Grand Final.
While no premierships are at stake this weekend, it doesn’t diminish the moment for FitzGerald who coaches his 300th VFL match.
It’s a moment for the ages in the competition; the enormity of which should not be lost on any football observer.
FitzGerald joins legendary VFA coach and former South Melbourne star Bill Faul as the only person in the 136-year history of the competition to coach 300 games.
Faul, a premiership coach at Prahran and Moorabbin, who also coached Northcote, coached his last VFA game in 1959.
Until FitzGerald appeared the closest to Faul had been former South Melbourne great Jim Cleary, who coached 264 VFA games with Brunswick, Port Melbourne and Dandenong. More recently Brad Gotch, along with FitzGerald, passed Cleary, with Gotch on 268 games before his move from Casey Scorpions to Port Adelaide.
“I’m really looking forward to it. Maybe as you get older milestones mean more to you as run the cycles of life,” FitzGerald said.
“One it is great to be in the game a long time because I still love what I’m doing.
“And, it’s nice to be celebrating my 300th at what really I call my home – North Ballarat – and to celebrate here in Ballarat.
“It means a lot to me because this is where it all started 300 games ago. You get a bit nostalgic, you look back at the wonderful opportunity I was given by the footy club as virtually an unknown way back then.”
FitzGerald’s service at North Ballarat was broken by four years.
Initially, it was driven by a desire to enter politics and represent the region, but that was a victory he was not able to secure.
With the North Ballarat coaching post filled by Stephen Wright at the time, FitzGerald moved to Springvale.
He took the Scorpions to the finals, but they exited after the first round. FitzGerald would have been keen to continue coaching Springvale, but the club could not commit to the full time position that he desired.
Port Melbourne quickly snapped up the services of FitzGerald for the following season. The Borough made the Grand Final, only to lose to Sandringham.
But, it was not enough for FitzGerald to retain his position.
Next stop on the trail back to his spiritual home was North Ballarat Rebels in the TAC Cup. After two years with the Rebels, the North Ballarat coaching post opened up when incumbent coach Gavin Crossica accepted a position at Carlton.
FitzGerald put his imprimatur not only on the long, proud, distinguished history of North Ballarat, but also on the competition during his second stint as coach of the Roosters.
After two Grand Final appearances in his first stay, FitzGerald shook the monkey off his and the club’s back when he led them to the 2008 VFL Grand Final.
It was the first leg of a threepeat, matched by only Sandringham (2004-05-06); Port Melbourne (1980-82); Williamstown (1954-56); Northcote (1932-34); Coburg (1926-28) and North Melbourne (1914-15 & 18 – WW1 broke the sequence when football was not played).
The 2008 premiership remains to the forefront of FitzGerald’s achievements.
“It’s what I dreamed of being able to achieve when I first started,” FitzGerald said.
“North Ballarat’s history in its own right is fantastic, its longevity and its preparedness to take the next step and that’s what I’ve admired about the club.
“For me to coach North Ballarat’s first premiership in the VFL was a great milestone and will always be a special part of the club’s history.”
Not only has FitzGerald proved his prowess at club level, but he has also set standards when coach at State representative level.
He coached the VFL in its historic wins against both South Australia and Western Australia, the first time in 50 plus years the competition had triumphed against those States.
What FitzGerald has really enjoyed –apart from winning games – is the relationships forged not only within North Ballarat Football Club, but those outside.
Regardless of the result, even if the Roosters have copped a shellacking, you can take to the bank that FitzGerald will be front and square in the social club of the opposition club socializing with the team’s coaches and players.
One of the few regrets FitzGerald has in football is that four year absence from North Ballarat.
“The opportunity to have a significant role in community life did appeal to me and I was offered that opportunity to have a crack at State politics,” FitzGerald said.
“That didn’t work out, but what it did do was reinforce that I do love coaching. I then had to do some very, very hard years.”
FitzGerald has swatted up on Faul and his extraordinary career. He’s fascinated by the history of Faul’s career in that it replicates the history of the competition.
Just as the VFL has evolved significantly since FiztGerald started, the change from the days when Faul coached has been even more dramatic.
None of the clubs that Faul coached – Northcote, Prahran and Moorabin – are members of the VFL.
“That helps guide me in terms of my contribution at North Ballarat as it reminds me of how tough and challenging the competition is in regards to doing well, but also to survive,” FitzGerald said.
“What Bill’s history has also taught me is don’t take things for granted.”
What history will record is that Gerard FitzGerald is one of the greats of the VFL.
Last Modified on 27/06/2013 08:52