Page 511 - History of Parkside Football Club (1897-2017) Editied Version Completed_optimized

Parkside Football Club 1897/2017

By Steven Milne

“PARKSIDE coach Larry Simmons cursed when injury forced quicksilver hack-pocket Srecko Salopek
from the ground late in the last quarter of Saturday’s epic A1 grand final against a fast-finishing
Yarraville.

Simmons glanced at his interchange bench in horror as two trainers carried Salopek to the sidelines.
He saw full forward Cory Klaaysen (knee) and veteran utility Zeno Tzatzaris (thigh) struggling to
stand, yet Salopek had to be replaced.

Worse still for “Simmo”, the Tigers were roaring back into the game, having cut a 20-point deficit to
just two with an inspired burst of three goals in four minutes. Simmons wasn’t expecting miracles
from Tzatzaris as the former Footscray fullback limped to a forward-pocket.

He got one, though.

Tzatzaris somehow managed to grab a mark and then kicked a fine goal from a tight angle at the 19-
minute mark to make the game safe tor the Magpies.

There were emotional scenes on the Yarraville Oval after the final siren signalled Parkside’s cliff-
hanger win.

Jubilant Magpie players embraced one another before disappearing in a sea of black and white.
Supporters were determined to celebrate with their heroes after so many near misses in recent
years. And what a day for them, with the reserves also triumphant.

Nearby, several despondent Tiger players, including Brendan “Stan” Memedi, slumped to the turf,
the bitter disappointment of being so close, yet so far, etched on their faces. Memedi looked
distraught.

Yarraville coach Robert Smith later confessed to shedding tears.

“Of course you do that after, something like this,” he said.

An “exhausted” Simmons paid tribute to his players for “staying very much in control”, especially in
the frantic last quarter.

“With so many going down, we could’ve easily panicked.” he said. “We just kept finding something,
that little bit extra. They really wanted it. I’m so proud of the boys, unbelievable ... it’s just great.”

He singled out the lion-hearted Craig Browne-Kerr for special praise.

The 28-year-old trouble-shooter concentrated solely on the ball and won plenty of it as he was
switched from centre half-forward to fullback and then into the ruck.

FDFL chiefs awarded Browne-Kerr the Herb Pascarl Medal for best player on the ground.

Once a Parksider, Always a Parksider