By: Daniel Cencic
Twitter: @DC_EFL
Matthew Harrison has etched his name into club history and folklore at the Waverley Blues.
Reaching the 250-game milestone last week comes not only as a personal achievement, but a club record as the 34-year-old became the first player to accomplish such a feat.
It comes only weeks after Harrison broke the club games record previously held by Matthew Watts (247 games), in a career that has known no different to Mt. Waverley Reserve.
PHOTO: Paul Spence.
First donning the red, white and blue in the Blues’ inaugural year in 1999, Harrison, a former club junior, began playing reserves in 2002 before forging a senior career which has taken the 250-gamer on his footballing journey for over 15 years.
The marriage between club and player was always the perfect match, as Harrison followed his mates to the Blues in the 1990s where the record-breaker still finds himself in 2017.
“When you’re that young you pretty much go to a club where all your mates play,” Harrison said.
“I was lucky enough that older brothers were friends with players that were already playing at the club (and) made it a pretty special place.
“You build a friendship up (and) we all stuck together, a core group of us.
“That has led us through to where we are now and a few of them are still playing.”
Breaking the club games record is an honour Harrison has not taken lightly – nor for granted – after seeing the likes of Matthew Watts and Greg Hindson forced into retirement on 247 and 246 games respectively, followed by current player Dan Molloy – nearing 250 games – who suffered a broken leg in the pre-season.
“I’ve been very, very lucky that I haven’t had too many injuries,” Harrison said.
“I have been at the forefront seeing those close mates get pretty seriously injured – (and) needed an ambulance.
“It’s terrifying that your career can be pretty much over in the blink of an eye.
“There were three or four of them that were pretty unlucky whose injuries are still playing a bit of trouble with them now.”
Along with staying relatively injury-free, the 250-gamer couldn’t be more grateful for the support of his family on the way to the big milestone.
“My parents (Terry and Denise) are very big supporters of my football – they’ve been involved since day-dot,” Harrison said.
“(They) still go to every game, they’re still pretty heavily involved at the club, and a lot of other parents are which makes our club run so well.
“I’m very lucky I’ve got a wife (Laura) that’s very supportive.
“It’s a little difficult when its Tuesday, Thursday training and all day Saturday.
“It’s a very supportive group behind me that’s made it a lot easier to do what I want to do.”
PHOTO: Paul Spence.
The season Harrison succumbed to injury would ironically go on to be the highlight of his 250-game career.
2008 saw the Waverley Blues storm the Division 3 competition to claim the senior premiership from third position, in a thrilling two-point win over Mooroolbark.
It was however the weeks leading up to the big dance that remain the most special for Harrison.
“That season I must admit, was the one season I got injured – I was out with a knee injury and my first game back was the last game of the season,” he said.
“We were on top for most of the season and we dropped about three of the last four (and) we were favourites to get knocked out in the first round (of the finals).”
A rousing 42-point win over Boronia in the first semi-final was to be followed by a 30-point victory over second-placed Nunawading in the preliminary final.
Harrison recalls the side peaking at the right time of the season, despite being written off.
“We just had (a finals campaign) almost like the Doggies last year – just the perfect three weeks of football that got us over the line,” he said.
“The one thing we do remember is that Mooroolbark had all three teams in the grand final that day and they lost them all – we made sure we buried their seniors.
“But looking at the replay, I suppose we were very lucky to win by two points.”
Eight points in front of the Mustangs at the last change, the momentum ebbed and flowed for the Blues in a seesawing final term which Harrison remembers going right down to the wire – but being confident of claiming the club’s first piece of silverware in three years.
“I remember when they kicked a goal to get in front and their crowd started singing a chant – but I remember just thinking that we’ve got this game won – it was a weird feeling,” he said.
“Even though we were behind and it was late in the game I just knew we were going to get over the line – big Ryan Tily came up with the mark and the goal in the dying seconds.
“But I do remember them singing the song and thinking they were home and then we nailed that goal late which was another awesome feeling.”
The overwhelming feeling of premiership joy would bestow Harrison six years later in the Waverley Blues’ 2014 reserves grand final win, but this time for personal reasons.
“It was a different kind of feeling – my best mate growing up through high school (Luke Taunt) was actually the coach and my brother in-law was the assistant,” he said.
“Winning a grand final is winning a grand final; but I suppose the feeling wasn’t as much as what it would have been if it were in the ones.
“It was another two-point win – we like to keep them nice and close!
“(But) that was an awesome feeling to share with a family member and one of your great mates that you’ve grown up with.”
Across the course of 250 games, Harrison remembers a number of the best he played with – unable to name them all and single out one – such has been the depth of the Waverley Blues since its inception year in 1999.
“’Wattsy’ (Matthew Watts) was underrated as a player – he’s definitely top-three that I’ve played with,” Harrison said.
“Opposition teams knew he was our go-to guy so he constantly got tagged which made life hard for him.”
“Glenn Mahoney probably playing the hardest position on the ground (centre half-forward) was a gun and (Andrew) Slevison kicking 100 goals one year in half a season was ridiculous.
“There’s definitely a lot of good players that I’ve played with over the time and I’ve probably left a few out – it’s been a long career!”
PHOTO: Paul Spence.
As cliché as it sounds, Harrison will be taking it year by year as for how much longer the Waverley Blues’ faithful can see their favourite son run out on a Saturday afternoon.
“My body could definitely handle a couple more years – definitely get through the end of this year and it all depends on how we go,” he said.
“When you get to this age, with a young family, you take it year by year.”
But regardless of how long the 34-year-old continues on, Mt. Waverley Reserve will always be home for the unassuming, quiet-achieving Matthew Harrison, who believes being a one-club player is a feeling that will stick with him forever.
“I’m not a guy that likes to acknowledge his milestones, I just wanted to go about playing my football,” he said.
“As the coach did say, a lot of people play 250 at different clubs, but when you play at one, you can always call that club your home.
“When I’m retired, or look in the paper, I’ll always go ‘that’s my club’.
“It’s a pretty good feeling to have.”
