Geelong may be out of the AFL finals, but the Geelong Masters Over 50s will be waving the Cats’ flag high this Sunday, as they take on Tony Liberatore’s Northside Lions in the Grand Final at Crofts Reserve in Altona North.
The Cats are reigning premiers and have only lost two games in the past six seasons, according to Geelong ruck, major sponsor and spokesperson Stephen McHenry.
Geelong beat Northside in Round 1 by six points, but their second clash was called off after a player received a neck injury.
Masters footy is all about having fun and keeping fit, with everyone out to have a good time, but there is a serious side to every sport.
“There’s only one rule different in there’s no knees up, so it is not modified in any way other than you can’t go knees up, which suits me in the ruck, because you just don’t want a knee in the back sort of thing,” McHenry said.
“It’s just great to see guys who can keep running around and enjoying it and people see it as a physical and mental outlet,” he said.
“Everyone is in quite good spirits, but everyone has to go to work on the Monday.
“Masters footy is ‘footy for fun’, but there is a premiership to be won for Geelong.”
The Geelong Masters Over 35s Reserves team will also be playing in their grand final on Sunday at Crofts Reserve.
Geelong Masters’ home ground is Grinter Reserve in Newcomb and the team trains on Tuesdays and Thursdays, although McHenry said most players in the Over 50s team only train on Thursdays.
“We play on every second Sunday because our bodies can’t cope every week, and it takes us until about Thursday to come good, before we can go to our first training session,” he said.
McHenry said Geelong Masters is looking for 20 new players across its Over 35 senior and reserves teams and its Over 50 team for 2024.
Anyone interested in playing next season can contact club vice president Ben Mitchell on 0419 850 212
Eight players from Geelong Masters will also be heading to Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast for the annual AFL Masters National Carnival from 1 to 7 October.
