NEWCOMEN Road, which darts off Springvale Road and runs parallel to the Dandenong railway line, was home to Springvale Football Club during its halcyon days when it entered the VFA in the 1980s.
The Scorpions won five premierships from its Newcomen Road base before it moved to Casey Fields in 2006.
As the calendar years have ticked over so, too, the last playing links to Newcomen Road have disappeared.
Evan Panozza, who this week plays his 100th match for Casey Scorpions, remembers sitting in the coach’s box at Newcomen Road on some match days with then coach Peter Banfield, who also taught him at school.
“That’s how I was exposed to the Springvale Football Club,” Panozza said.
“It was an easy enough decision for me to play under Peter when I left school and take the next step in my footy.
“I’ve been glad that I have been able to stick around at Casey and to become the first Casey player to play 100 games is quite special. It’s a reward for effort after all that time.”
Former dual best and fairest winner James Wall played 99 games with Casey before moving to Williamstown, but when the Scorpions host Essendon this weekend Panozza will become the longest serving Casey Scorpion.
It’s been a memorable journey, quite apart from lingering memories of Newcomen Road for Panozza now in his second season as Casey captain.
“My role the last couple of years as a senior player has been a challenging and rewarding role with such a young list,” Panozza said.
“It’s something I’ve really enjoyed and something that I’m proud that I’m captain of such a great club with a lot of history.
“Now we’re trying to forge our own history.”
The opportunity to play with talent laden youngsters like Melbourne phenom Jesse Hogan is something that Panozza also finds satisfying.
“While Melbourne is there to help us win some games, we are also there to help them improve their young players,” Panozza said.
“I know it has been tough at times for the Melbourne guys, they enjoy coming down and competing with Casey because they know they are going to get a really honest effort.”
Panozza has played under six coaches the past eight years and, significantly, Casey has played finals in the past six successive seasons.
Last year Panozza was selected in the VFL Team of the Year and earlier this season he was chosen to represent the VFL against Western Australia.
One record that Panozza hopes he can erase come September is the Scorpions’ woeful recent finals record.
“My record over the eight years is 12 or 13 finals for one win,” Panozza said.
“That’s part of the reason why I stick it out. I just want to get a good finals result, taste some of those later September games.”
Such a result would add an exclamation point to Evan Panozza’s career.
Last Modified on 18/07/2013 16:32