Page 592 - History of Parkside Football Club (1897-2017) Editied Version Completed_optimized

Parkside Football Club 1897/2017

COCK-A-HOOP Port Colts coach Matthew Larkin has described Saturday’s courageous premiership
win over the highly fancied Parkside as "one of my proudest moments in football".

“Larko” didn't hesitate in comparing the exhilaration of the never-say-die Borough going back-to-
back with the highs of his glittering AFL career with North Melbourne — namely his captaincy, three
best and fairest awards, VFL/AFL goal of the year and Victorian representation.

And Larkin made a point of telling his Flag-winning players just that — moments before he locked
arms with them to scream the club's theme song at the top of their lungs in the dressingroom after
their marvellous finish had shattered the premiership dreams of the shell-shocked Magpies in front
of a bumper crowd of 5000 at the Yarraville Oval.

"I thank you from the bottom of my heart," an emotional Larkin said.

"It was magnificent"

He paid tribute to his side's toughness- in mind and body.

Only minutes earlier a pumped-to-the-maximum Larkin had screamed "You bloody beauty" as he
and his equally excited captain Ricky Mantle held the premiership cup aloft high up in the Pedley
Stand — to the delight of his players and hundreds of jubilant supporters who were milling around
on the ground below.

Port Colts — plagued by some wretched inaccuracy in front of goal — took until the last quarter to
smash open the hard-fought game.

And smash is exactly what the hard-running Borough did —slamming on 4.7 to 0.0 to win by 17
straight behinds after facing a worrying 14-point deficit early in the term.

Parkside had led at every change, but faded badly as Port Colts midfielders Stephen Pearce and
Robbie Hart ran riot and forwards Peter Matthews and Brad Pierce (two goals apiece) finally started
kicking accurately.

It was a cruel end to what had been an outstanding season for the Magpies.

Playing coach Phil O'Keeffe has done a splendid job in his first year in the top job at the Merv Hughes
Oval — but that will be of little consolation given the scoreboard at the end of the day on Saturday.

And that's a crying shame.

Once a Parksider, Always a Parksider