By Dyson Baker @thefirstbounce
SOME players choose clubs for money; some choose them because of their geographical location others just love playing with their mates.
For Adam Molinaro, heading to Doncaster East from Beverley Hills (The Lions feeder club) was a no brainer,
“Generally speaking I just wanted to play with my mates, the older guys at the time were really welcoming” he said looking back at his decision to join Doncaster East.
Twenty-One years on the now 37 year old Molinaro has become one of those elder statesmen at the Doncaster East Football Club and has established life-long friends through being a one club player.
The former Lions skipper has become part of fabric of the Doncaster East Football Club and with good reason. Mola, as he is known to everyone at the Den is a Best and Fairest winner and Premiership player, more importantly though this weekend he brings up with 300th game in a Lions jumper.
A feat that he is remaining relaxed about, to say the least, “Never really think about milestones… you just play each game and its only when a big one dawns like this that you reflect on the rest” he said.
For Molinaro “the rest” is 299 games of hard noised football, a trait of his game that leads many around him to walk taller.
Playing in the 2007 premiership is a clear highlight for Molinaro who skippered the side in the three years prior which included a couple of near misses,
“14 years trying to achieve the ultimate… we had a couple of close call, but we had a side that was well drilled and determined” he said. Speaking of being well drilled Molinaro holds Premiership coach Cameron Gillett as one of the best coaches he has played under.
“It was his way or the highway…we were a club that had a lot of issues, Razor [Gillett] came in and made the tough changes that needed to be made” He chuckled highlighting the mean streak the former James Medallist had in him.
When teams are successful the quality rises above. Mola believes that Leigh Murphy and Ben Holmes are two of the better plays he has played with over the journey at the Lions, although knows that there is one team mate who, although somewhat biased, is considered top of the list.
Ash Neville will play his 100th game this weekend alongside Adam, a fantastic achievement for Neville who is also a dual best and fairest winner at the football club.
“Ash is quality, you have to give credit to someone who has managed two B&F’s before he has played 100 games” he laughed.
In fact the highlight for both of them is sure to be celebrating their milestones on the same day, as Ash and Adam are in fact half-brothers.
100 or 300 im sure that Doncaster East Football Club has made this Saturday’s game as big as possible for both players.
For Molinaro, this weekend won’t only be a chance to tick over 300 but also to look back on the past 299 and reflect on a massive career, more importantly a football career as a one club player.
When asked if he would go round again next year he said “ I would play on forever if the body held up… at the moment the body feels good on Saturdays, its Sunday through to Thursday that i’m sore.”