By Matt Fotia
Playing over 100 games of football – at any level – is some achievement.
Stepping out for 150 is an even bigger one and notching up 200 is a rarity at the highest level, let alone the local level where factors like work, family life and time constraints affect a players ability to commit for years on end.
That’s what makes Adam Booth’s 251 (and still counting) games a simply incredible accomplishment.
Want the cherry on top of this herculean effort?
Booth’s played all 251 at the one club, the Mulgrave Lions, during the most active transfer era the local game has ever seen – and the big man wouldn’t have it any other way.
Booth runs out for game 251. Photo – Davis Harrigan Photography
Like every other player in the Eastern Football Netball League Adam Booth was giddy with excitement as local football returned last Saturday following 2020’s brief hiatus.
Unlike the rest of the competition, Booth was about to break a 50 year old club games record at the ripe (football speaking) old age of 39.
He didn’t do too badly either, booting two goals on his way to being the Lions best player in their disappointing 59 point loss to newly promoted South Belgrave.
The performance gave the veteran reassurance that he could still compete at the level required by his beloved Lions in 2021, as he looks to add to his impressive goals tally (650+) this season.
“I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing (the year off), it was refreshing to have the break, but sometimes when you’re in the grind it’s better to just keep going,”
“So, it was nice to get through a game and get that confidence that you can still compete at that level.”
Football wasn’t always Booth’s sport of choice.
A tall man, Booth played predominantly Basketball throughout his schooling days and didn’t venture down to Mulgrave until his early 20’s, following a slide in passion for the hardcourt sport and the recent success the Lions, and in turn his friends, had been having in the Colts and alike.
“I’d had enough of basketball and was looking for something different and a couple mates of mine had just played in a Colts premiership recently, so I wandered down to have a look and they (the club) were pretty successful at the time and I thought, this looks like a good club to me – and I haven’t left since.”
Given his stature, the Lions were more than happy to throw the former ‘baller into the ruck, and many moons ago Booth made his senior debut for the club against Bayswater (a club he would enjoy playing against as the years went on) in a hard fought win, despite Booth – by his own accord – running around aimlessly for two hours.
“It (his debut) was against Bayswater at home and I pretty much just ran around in the ruck like a headless chook,”
“We had a good close win, so I’ve still got good memories of that day, but I was so green (naïve) at the time and luckily had the support of some good older boys at that point.”
“I think it took me around two to three years to really adapt from Basketball where you’re trying to run around people to footy where, as one of the bigger boys in the side, you’ve got to try and run through people – in a legal sense of course,”
“I still sometimes think I’m more of a basketballer than a footballer.”
Like any footballer, or athlete, premiership success was the pinnacle for Booth, something he and the club finally tasted in 2010 when they broke a 31 year drought, defeating Bayswater by 25 points at Boronia’s Tormore Reserve to win the Division Two premiership.
Premiership Glory for Mulgrave in 2010.
The club’s return to the premiership dais had followed three failed assaults on the premiership.
They made the finals in 2007 when Hayden Stanton took over the coaching reins, before making back to back Grand Finals in 2008 (lost to Wantirna South) and 2009 (lost to South Croydon).
Booth recalls the way that playing group continually picked themselves up again and again on their way to completing their mission.
“We picked up again in 2007 (following multiple years outside of the finals) when we made finals again, before losing the Grand Final in 2008 and 2009, so it was a long build up and there was a bit of scar tissue that had developed before we finally tasted success,”
“But we were very fortunate that each year we were unsuccessful we managed to top up the list a little further and we had an exceptional strong side in 2010.”
Booth is one of very few players still playing from that side, with current Mitcham coach Neil Winterton the other, still prominent, name still pulling on the boots each Saturday.
Winterton is just one of many storied players that Booth has played with including club legends and current day stars.
“I was fortunate enough to play with Gerrard Boonkkamp (seven club best and fairest’s in a 10 year stint) at the end of his career, he was an enormously talented player but was also a great leader who’s still heavily involved with the club today,”
“Then there was Brad Fowler (2010 Premiership Captain), again an incredible talent, but was as tough as nails on the field and held the respect of everyone in the league,”
“And of the current day, Dean Siakoulis, who I’m hoping to watch win his seventh straight best and fairest this year, he’s not built like Tarzan, but he’s never taken a backwards step, he’s highly talented and I love playing football with him.”
Siakoulis is just one of several players ready to lead Mulgrave into a new era according to Booth.
Following investment from various levels of government, the club is ready to shake off its previous detractions, with their home deck now a pristine surface and the social rooms ready for an expensive facelift.
“When I joined the club we had a working class brand,”
“That’s really changing now, the facility is improving, we’ve had $1 million spent on the ground and there’s a $3 million revamp of the clubrooms happening this year, so we’ll have as good of facilities as anyone in the competition at the end of this year,”
“We’ve also got some new social groups in play that will help position us in a strong place moving forward, so I think that combined with Ryan (Webster) and Scott’s (Davidson) leadership, there are a lot of things coming together that will hold the club in good stead.”
As for his ability to stave off other suitors throughout his long, illustrious and still ongoing career, Booth says it’s the connections and bonds that he’s created at the club which have made it easy for him to be a one club player.
“It just comes back to the people,”
“I’ve got so many connections, teammates, coaches, supporters and so on, that are bonds that will last together,”
“It’s still overwhelming when you come up to milestone games the amount of messages you get from all corners of the community and those (bonds) will be there for life and I couldn’t imagine playing anywhere else.”