500 ankle straps, 500 pre-game warm ups, 500 pre-game speeches, 4000 sirens and countless memories and friendships along the way.
A who’s who of the Doveton Eagles Football Club flocked to Power Reserve to celebrate the remarkable milestone of the club’s favourite son, Life Member and games record holder, Tony Mertis.
‘Merto’ was welcomed to the arena through a guard of honour before charging through a banner held by fellow club legends Steve Chisholm and Tim Evans with a Sherrin tucked under his arm, as his mum Dimitra and partner Simone joined the hundreds-strong contingent who made the trip to witness history.
It was almost a milestone that wasn’t, with Mertis avoiding disaster by shaking off a bout of the flu during the week to put the boots on for the 500th time.
Having sat-out round 17 in order to play the match at the Eagles’ home ground, the milestone man said there was no way he would not take to field for the occasion 34 years in the making.
And the weather gods played their part, serving up a stunning sunny Saturday akin to ensure everything – bar the result of the match – went to script.
“Someone said ‘we’re going to have to get you in a wheelchair and roll you out’, and I said ‘okay’”, Mertis said of pre-game discussions.
Mertis’ tenure at the Eagles dates back to 1990, and to date he has kicked 270 goals, played in four grand finals, won a reserves Best-and-Fairest, won the leading goal kicker award three times in the reserves.
Describing himself as a “true Dovetonian”, Mertis grew up over the road from Power Reserve, played junior football at the Doveton Lions and still calls the suburb home 34 years later.
He thought he had convinced himself to hang up the boots after game 450, but found it too hard to resist the call when the club was short on numbers.
It wasn’t a case of love at first sight for Mertis, who still remembers succumbing to running laps of Indian File in 38 degree weather at his first training session, but seeing the club taste senior success for the first time in 1995 solidified what would become a life-long friendship.
“The seniors won the club’s first premiership and the celebrations that day, we’d finally reached the mountain top as a club,” Mertis said.
“I was already in love with the club then, but that was it for me; I’m here for life.
“I played reserves that day and we lost, and that hurt me, but looking back now, that moment for our club, to finally win a premiership and get the monkey off our back as a club… all the people there, they’re like family.”
He attributes his success to sticking to the basics; eating well, looking after your body, turning up to training, showing resilience and being grateful for every day.
Club president Mick Odgers said he can’t imagine the football club without him.
“He’s what Doveton’s all about,” he said.
“He’s been through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows and he’s still kicking through.
“He’s an inspiration to the young blokes, he says to them ‘If I can get out there then you blokes can’.
“Turning up to training is his biggest thing… if he’s not here it means he’s sick.”
Despite reaching 55 years-of-age, he has no plans to stop playing any time soon, with the competitive fire still burning inside.
Away from the field, he’s busy documenting the history of the football club, such is the man’s passion for the Eagles.
The humble hero said he hopes to be remembered as “a little battler who was determined to get a kick”, who always strives to get the best out of himself.
“I love football and I’ll keep playing until I physically can’t,” he said.
“I’ve lived in Doveton all my life, so Doveton is in my veins.
“Playing sport, whether it’s football, cricket or table tennis, I’ve always enjoyed the competition and being competitive.
“Football, that little red ball we chase around, is what we keep playing for, just to have a kick.”
