By JARROD POTTER
Mick makes a mark with his 500th game…
JOHN Reid can vividly remember the moment his son was guided towards Australian football over his beloved soccer.
A decision from his wife, Hilary, to give their eight-year-old son a football for Christmas has paid off handsomely in the long-run – as Michael, 46, played his 500th match for the Dandenong Football Club on Saturday morning.
“I was a wee bit against it because I was caught by surprise,” John said.
“Being an ex-soccer fan and player, I was hoping that he’d grow up and play soccer and be a big name.
“But one year, I’m wrapping up the Christmas presents and Hilary has a Sherrin ball in her hand.
“I asked ‘who’s that for?’ thought it might’ve been for a nephew or something – ‘that’s for Michael’ she said.
“I said he’s going to play football and she said he’s not and that was it.”
With his newly acquired football under his arm, Michael – known to all and sundry around the club as Mick – went to play juniors at Lyndale before heading to Dandenong West Football Club in 1984 for his first match.
“I was just thinking I wanted to get a kick somewhere and I came down here and thought ‘oh yeah, see how we go’,” Mick said.
“Wasn’t too sure at the start, but then again got a call up from the reserves coach as an 18-year-old and said come train and 28 years later I’m still here so it’s quite good.”
A total of 499 games later he got to run out for the major milestone and surprisingly (at least to Mick) he was wearing the DW jersey once again – with ‘Michael Reid – 500 games’ monogrammed on the top of the jumper.
“I’ve enjoyed every moment of it,” Mick said.
“You can at a good club – when you’ve got good mates everyone pulls together and you get great results like today (Saturday).”
He kicked four goals against Hallam reserves in Dandenong’s 23.11 (149) to 3.8 (26) win – with a huge crowd cheering on Reid’s every possession.
His mum couldn’t be prouder of her son – win, lose or draw she’s always there cheering him on at Dandenong – or as she still refers to them – Dandy West.
“To me it’s always been exciting coming here and watching him – I remember his 400 and I was crying my eyes out – I’m not crying yet, though.
“When we see him going on with his mates it’s really exciting and whether they win or lose, they’re still to me Dandy West.
“It’s marvellous and, really, this club has been fantastic over the years – Michael has made many friends here and it’s his life – he loves it.”
In a career full of highlights – league best and fairest in 1995, back-to-back premiers in 2003-04 and a club best and fairest at 40-years-old – it’s the people and the culture at the club that keeps Reid coming back year after year.
“Just the people around here – that’s why you stay at a football club for so long.
“Everyone involved with our football club and even generally in sport – if you love it, it doesn’t matter what club you play for, there are good people.”
