AFTER 48 consecutive losses at an average margin of more than 50 goals, the Callington United Eagles, the notorious battlers of the Adelaide Hills Football League, have finally broken the drought.
Emotions spilled over at picturesque Callington Oval on Saturday when the home club overcame fellow league battler Sedan-Cambrai by 11 points.
“The celebrations were huge,” says club president Bill Filmer. “You couldn't get in the dressing room for the club song, it was like a grand final. There were tears from people who have been around the club for a long time and waiting for this.”
These loyal fans had endured a wretched run dating back to July 2008. A mass exodus of players followed that season, and a series of lop-sided games against all but Sedan-Cambrai have resulted since, the worst being an 85.25 (525) to 0.0 (0) defeat to Torrens Valley in 2009. “It was completely one-way traffic that day,” Filmer recalls. “At one point our full back ran back through the goals just to waste some time and give them a point instead of another goal.”
After a similarly disastrous year in 2010, Filmer and the board decided to wipe the slate clean. They appointed a new coach, Shayne Mitchell, whose playing and coaching career included a stint at SANFL club Glenelg, changed the guernsey, and, most pertinently, dropped 'Callington' from their name in a bid to change club culture.
“We wanted to get away from being the thugs and easybeats,” says Mitchell. “Little steps, but I'm loving it – I'm here for the long haul. So is the current playing group.”
Mitchell is emblematic of the club's spirit. He makes the 75-minute journey from Woodcroft each Tuesday and Thursday night for training, and coaches the club's under-13 side who are likely to play finals this year.
Filmer says Mitchell has instilled belief among the playing group, and delivered a "hair-raising" speech at three-quarter time with the game in the balance.
The result, Filmer says, changes the club's focus. "Now there's a much better chance of another win before the end of the year. It's all about belief."
Note: published published in The Weekly Times, June 7, 2011 (no longer online)
