So this week is a huge occasion for us down at Mitchell Park. Club legend, local character, champion footballer, family man and all around great bloke, Nat McDonnell, is playing in his 300th game.
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It’s funny whenever I say I am involved with Mitchell Park, almost every time they’ll know either Joe Leck or the McDonnell’s. Even recently against TTG their full forward asked me if the bloke at the other end was one of the “famous twins”. On a personal level I feel like I know Nat better than most, but when I think about it, I reckon just about everyone that has spent time with him would say that. Nat has that ability that so few have to be able to make you feel like his best mate – almost instantly.
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There are so many Nat stories I could tell, some of them decidedly NSFW and would involve copious amounts of streaking, skulling, close escapes and hilarity. Some are too personal. The one I’ll put on safooty is one that no-one has heard as it’s specifically unique to me and my friendship with the freckled one…
I was in I think just about my first year of senior footy – at least the first year that I played regular A Grade. Having not grown up with football I didn’t really understand what some of the social graces and faux pas were – and still don’t. I was about 20, a Uni student, raised by a hippy single Mum, didn’t drink beer, very much molly coddled and protected from the realities of the world – summed up I was very much an outsider to the culture of a decidedly blue collar, Aussie ocker, confident, classically bogan Mitchell Park Football Club. Knowing that it was good for me to get out of my comfort zone I played and did my best anyway.
The Coach at the time decided to try and get us to bond together as a team after a couple of losses by getting everyone in a circle and taking turns to pick out their favourite player, go over to them, present them with their guernsey and explain why they chose them. Bit of positive reinforcement I suppose. Being introverted, new to the sport and a bit of a social pariah I instantly felt pretty shitty and figured this wasn’t going to go well for me. I still didn’t know that many people and certainly didn’t have that many friends yet.
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A couple of people took their turns and it went as expected. Mates picked their other mates. Nat’s turn came around. He straight way made a bee-line for… me!
At the time Nat was the best player in the team. Recent Best and Fairest winner, funny, popular, life member, talented - pretty much a God in my eyes. He gave me my guernsey, said I always went in hard despite being skinny (ha!) and did my best for the team, scruffed my hair and walked back to his spot. To be clear, I was decidedly average as a footballer. Nat and I had a couple of conversations but nothing in depth - he really could’ve picked about 20 guys ahead of me but must of sensed my trepidation. At the time I felt like he had crowned me King of the World. That was 13 years ago.
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So this weekend for us is about thanking him and recognising everything he has done for Mitchell Park, and for me on a personal level for providing that little bit of acceptance that kept me around the place as the MPFC has been a huge part of my life.
Onya Grabba! Thank you! I know your family are incredibly proud of you. Beers are on us. Please don’t throw up in the cigarette bin.