It is hard to believe that Chris Cain has now been playing VFL football for 10 years.
The club best and fairest winner, premiership player and now vice-captain will this weekend join a select group of current Peter Jackson VFL players in the 150-game club.
Only three other current VFL players have played more VFL games than Cain, with teammate Toby Pinwill (151), North Ballarat’s Orren Stephenson (160) and Williamstown captain Ben Jolley (197) the only others on a high quality list.
With Pinwill currently on the sidelines, Cain will lead Port Melbourne as captain in his milestone match against the old enemy in Williamstown.
When Cain first arrived at North Port Oval back in 2006 as an 18-year-old fresh out of the TAC Cup system with Oakleigh Chargers, a 10-year career in the VFL at one club must have seemed a long way off.
While he played only a handful of senior games in his first year the club, Cain has since emerged as one of the stars of the competition,
The appointment of coach Gary Ayres in 2008 was a pivotal moment in Cain’s career with the forward-come-midfielder only missing a handful of senior games since on his way to his 150th this weekend.
“He (Ayres) gave me a pretty good opportunity when he arrived and I am thankful for that,” Cain said.
“We have a really good relationship, which has only got stronger over the years.”
The milestone game almost never occurred as Cain contemplated an early retirement post the 2014 season. Off-season surgery took its toll on him, as his body struggled to recover from both hip and shoulder operations.
However, the burning desire to be a leader for the new generation of Borough players, with the departures of club stalwarts like Sam Pleming, John Baird and Shane Valenti, motivated Cain to return for another season.
“I had a couple of operations in the off season and wasn’t coming back as quickly as I would have liked, or would have a few years ago,” he said.
“A lot of older blokes did leave, so I decided I would stay around as I was not too happy with how last year ended anyway. I still felt I had another good year in me.”
Port Melbourne coach Gary Ayres said it was not until the final training session of 2014 that Cain committed to this season, and he is thankful he did.
“Chris Cain is just a class act,” Ayres said.
“He is an amazing player over the journey - he has star qualities that he has been able to bring to the table every week with his skill, ability to conjure goal from next to nothing and his leadership.
“He is a player that has made a huge impact on the history of the Port Melbourne Football club, and was so important as a combination with Patrick Rose and Dean Galea in the premiership year with 40 plus goals.”
The 2011 premiership holds fond memories for Cain, along with a hard fought Preliminary Final win against Williamstown in 2008.
Most of all Cain has relished the lifelong friends he has developed at the club.
“My best mates are John Baird, Sam Pleming, Sam Dwyer, Shane Valenti, and Toby Pinwill.
“They are friends I have and still see all the time now, so it is a privilege to have those sorts of blokes that I will have as mates for a long time from playing football at Port Melbourne.”
Many believed Cain should be on an AFL list like his best mate Dwyer but Cain is now content with playing out his career with Port Melbourne.
“I am content now that the AFL ship has sailed.
“There has been talk every year for the last five years, but I am happy now doing my part for the club.
“The reason I am still at Port is to win games and play finals and hopefully win another premiership.
“I am more than happy for the young blokes to be getting lots of article written about them and that sort of talk.”
Cain explained that in the end working in the family real estate business - J.A. Cain Real Estate in Camberwell that his grandfather started over 60 years ago -and not his body, might be the reason for him to be lost to football.
With Cain found collecting kicks and not sales most Saturday’s between March to September, his time for expanded responsibilities in the family business gets closer every day.
“In the next few years dad may look at retiring so it will be time for me to step up and take over.”
“I’m looking forward to moving into the business more seriously as Saturday is a big day in real estate and I am not there half the time during football season.”
When he does hang up the boots for the real estate open for inspections, Cain will know his name is forever etched on the honour boards at North Port Oval as a major part of the club’s history.
Last Modified on 06/05/2015 21:27