By Jonty Ralphsmith
From one loyal servant to another, it was a special speech.
The adrenaline was still pumping for reserves captain Nathan Dawes when he came off the field after a come-from-behind win against Caulfield.
But his first priority was to deliver a speech to great mate Sean Winsall ahead of senior game 200.
They’ve played plenty of ones footy together and Dawes had 24 hours to prepare some words for his mate and used plenty of his Friday considering how to approach the task.
“He has had a tough run and kept mentally strong during some difficult years,” Dawes said.
“It was pretty much letting him know it hasn’t gone unseen and guys do look up to and respect him in that manner and it is a credit to him.”
The speech was one of the best and most emotional pre-game speeches coach Nathan Wilson has seen.
“It was really touching, and it was mentioned at selection on Thursday night as well,” Wilson said.
“He is much loved and the type of person (he) is, he didn’t want anyone there, he just wanted to focus on the footy – he is sort of just happy to shift the attention off him.
“(Captain) Corey Phillips offered him to lead the boys out and toss the coin, but he didn’t want anything to change so he’s a really unselfish character.
A talented junior, Winsall has been a long-servant and important presence for the Redbacks during some years of great adversity.
Individually, he has been selected for representative sides on a number of occasions.
A versatile player, Winsall is a creative half-back in Wilson’s 2022 side with his experience guiding the young defensive group.
Winsall can also play as a lockdown defender if a forward gets on a roll or go higher up the field.
But it is the steadfast off-field reliability he has provided the Redbacks that will likely define his legacy for club people.
Outside of a short stint with Pakenham, Winsall has remained at Hampton Park through much turmoil.
In his early 20s Winsall skippered Hampton Park, after the responsibility fell onto his shoulders in the wake of a mass walkout in the early 2010’s that had left the club with no senior heads and scrambling to rebuild.
“We basically had our ground ripped up at that time, so we were away with our club rooms and had young reserves players topping the team up plus under-16’s not being able to play under-18’s or under-19’s – they were straight into seniors just to make the numbers up,” Dawes recalled.
“They were really hard years, but Sean helped keep things together.”
Not only was Winsall loyal and helping look after the practicalities of getting a team on the park each week, but he was slowly rebuilding the club’s culture.
Wilson has been associated with the club for only two years but he, like Dawes, said Winsall’s great strength was his ability to connect with people.
“Sometimes with footy clubs you have young and old guys – but he is one of those guys that mixes with everyone and includes everyone,” Wilson said.
“We’ve had a big list turnover, but he goes out of his way to be involved with other people and is an absolute warrior on the field.”
On the field, there were weeks where the club was being bullied by well in excess 150 points and without the resilience of a select few, including Winsall, it may never have recovered.
A move from the SEFNL to the Southern Football League led to better times, as people begun enjoying their footy more and the tide started to turn.
When the club won the Division 3 premiership in 2019 – along with the reserves premiership – there were few, if any, who deserved to celebrate as much as Winsall.
When the final siren went, the first person Dawes got to was Winsall as raptures took hold.
Calf and hamstring injuries delayed Winsall’s start to the season, but he strung six consecutive games together to reach the milestone.
“He has had to do a lot of work away from the club with his injuries and I understand how hard he has had to work and sacrifices he has made to keep his body right and get himself back on the track,” Dawes said.
“To then keep that belief in himself to play ones football…it would have been very easy to either give up footy completely or give up seniors or commit to twos but he is immensely strong in that way.
“He always believed if he could get back fit and in the team, he could play a part in the side, and his best year to date was 2019 when both teams won the premiership.
“He had a fantastic year and finished it off with a premiership which I was extremely happy for him to achieve that.”
