ON THE PINE – JASON WADE
By Aaron Kirkby-Rodier – @AzKirkby9
“I played in my first premiership there it’s a great club the blokes have always been great to be around and a lot of them are still up there supporting. It’s a great place I’ve got a lot of life long friends there and I’ve never wanted to leave.”
In an age where football club loyalty isn’t what it once was Jason Wade has stuck fat with a footy club that’s been through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.
As a junior Wade started his footy as a sever year old at Ashburton. He moved around a few clubs but landed in the Eastern Football League as an under 18 at East Burwood.
“I started in the Under 18s with East Burwood and I was playing Richmond under 19s at the same time. So I played the first half of the year at East Burwood and then the second half at Richmond.”
Wade would play two seasons with the Richmond under 19s but for him it never felt like an AFL career would eventuate.
“I played about 40 games with the under 19s but I could never really break into the seniors, I few of the blokes I played with did but I felt I was probably a bit small.”
Wade would play the 1991 season in the seniors for East Burwood before making the move down to Rye.
“My mates parents bought a holiday house down at Rye so we went down and played there for three years. It was good fun as young blokes, we used go down each weekend play footy and have a good time.”
During his three seasons at Rye Wade had some success, making the finals in two out of three seasons.
After three years with the Demons, Wade had grown tired of travelling down the peninsula, Wade would find himself at the Donvale Football Club for a second stint in the EFL.
“Donvale had just gone up to Division 1 in 1995 and my mates older brother played there and said if you’re coming back to town you have to play at Donvale so that’s what we did.”
Wade would have an immediate impact as Donvale would go on to the Division 1 grand final losing to Vermont by a big margin. In 1996 it was a different result as Donvale would go on and win the Division 1 flag.
“We lost in 95 to Vermont by 10 goals then I think in 96 Vermont were going for 4 in a row so it was good to knock them over and it was one of the best times of my life as you could imagine.”
During the 90s and 2000s Wade would suit up for the EFL on numerous occasions as part of interleague.
“Interleague was good, back then though it was all over the shop it used to be on Queens Birthday weekend and not all of the best players wanted to play. There were no rankings or anything and its good how they have done it now.”
During the late 90s and early 2000s Donvale went through a difficult period and found themselves back in Division 2.
“We had a couple of rough years there and we ended up going down. We got Justin O’Dwyer to come and coach he played in the 96 premiership with me and a few of the older guys came back and in 2001 we came from 3rd and won it. That was my first year as captain so that was pretty good.”
Donvale would be back up in Division 1 and it didn’t take long before some success was back at Donvale Reserve.
“We got Adrian Whitehead into the club and he brought a lot of recruits from Port Melbourne with him, it took us a few years to build up.”
In 2005 Donvale would make their big move and make the Division 1 Grand Final against Vermont.
“I think we won about 11 games in a row at one stage during the season to make the finals and then in the end we only lost the Grand Final by a kick. It was a real rainy, windy, cold day and there was only a kick in it all day and we missed a few easy ones. It was really a bonus for me because I never thought after getting relegated that we would ever be there again.”
In 2002 Jason Wade would be named in the Donvale Football Clubs Team of the Century a massive honour for any footballer.
“I wasn’t expecting it, I was hoping I could sneak on the bench but to be named first rover was great. Donvale have had a lot of success over the years and a lot of great players so to make it in the side with some of my good mates as well just made it a really special night.”
The accolades kept coming for Jason Wade named the 49th Life Member in 2011.
“I’ve obviously been there since 1995 and it was a nice reward to have after staying with the club. I’d had a few offers to go elsewhere and have been through the good and bad times with Donvale but I really wanted to repay the club for being good to me at the start.”
During 2012 Wade would play his 300th game, an achievement which is almost of greater significance at the local level.
“It is a lot of games, most of the kids that I’m playing with now weren’t even born when I started playing senior football.”
“I just love playing football and while I’m still enjoying it ill keep playing it.”
Donvale did not compete in the EFL during the 2014 season and was the clubs lowest point in an illustrious existence.
“Pre season last year we were rocking up there was only 20 blokes at training and because we’d been down the bottom and middle of the road of second division for the last 3 or 4 years we had the younger blokes, not blaming them, wanting to leave and have some success. Once they left it sort of just snowballed and we were virtually just left with half a dozen senior guys and the under 19s that won the premiership.”
“The club should have been going alright with those younger guys coming through but unfortunately it didn’t work out so that was pretty hard to take.”
Donvale would merge with Whitefriars but it wouldn’t be a season to remember for Wade.
“It wasn’t the same, but to be honest I tore my hamstring off the bone in the first practice match and I thought that was the end of footy for me. When the merger fell through and a few of the under 19s boys wanted to get the club back together I though why not, ill see how the old body goes and any game I play from now on is just a bonus.”
Being back at Donvale Reserve is special for Wade.
“There’s no substitute for pulling on the jumper and running out at home again I never thought I was going to be able to do it again. To see all the older guys around the club with smiles on their faces is great.”
Wade’s son plays for Vermont in the under 15s and Wade hopes he can play a game with him before he retires.
“He’s about 6’1 so he’s got me covered, playing at Vermont has taken me a bit of getting used to but he’s happy playing with his mates. If the reserves are struggling for numbers hopefully I can play a game with him before I finish up.”
Jason Wade is a true legend of the EFL, one of the greats and will always be remembered for his loyalty to Donvale as well as his ability on the field.