Ziggie’s big moment

SATURDAY was a big day for both of Ziggie Alwan’s families.
The 21-year-old defender-turned-forward delighted a 50-strong contingent of extended family by playing a key role in Noble Park’s win over Scoresby.
The Alwans, who moved to Australia from South Africa during the 1980s, were hard to miss among the huge crowd at Bayswater Oval on Saturday, singing, chanting and cheering proudly as the family’s first Aussie Rules convert assumed centre stage.
They were there in the frenzied mob of Noble supporters who surrounded the players in the middle of the ground just seconds after the final siren, celebrating with their boy’s footy family.
Alwan, a member of the blue-and-gold brotherhood since under-16 level, then carried his nine-month-old son, Christian, up onto the dais to accept his premiership medal, raising the youngster aloft as if he was flying for a speccy.
The young dad later fought back his emotion as he reflected on the moment, but found the words to thank his cheer squad for their support.
“That’s not even half of my family,” he laughed.
“But I’m a very family-orientated person, so having them there for support meant the world to me.
“And this is what you play footy for. We weren’t playing well in the first half, but we knew we just needed to click and get our game going, and once we did that the result turned our way.”