As the Calder Cannons celebrate 20 years in the TAC Cup, the list of players who have represented the club makes interesting reading.
Dane Swan, Jude Bolton, James Kelly and Paul Chapman are among those who spring to mind and all are likely to be named in the club’s team of the past 20 years at a hall of fame dinner on January 31.
For two-time AFL premiership player and the club’s first AFL draftee, Darren Milburn (bottom), joining the Cannons was a leap into the unknown.
“Being the first year in, everyone was unsure how it would work,” Milburn said.
“We trained out at the showgrounds … it wasn’t the ideal set up, but we made it with what we had.
“For a country kid from Kilmore, it meant playing against the top players and trying to learn and adapt and ultimately get drafted.
“I only spent one year at the club, but I’m grateful for what people did for me. It was a great stepping stone.”
Milburn said there wasn’t a standout in that inaugural Cannons line-up.
“It was a good side and anyone could have been drafted first,” he said.
“Ashley Fernee went to Adelaide and David Round went as a father-son pick [to Footscray]. It makes me feel old [that it’s 20 years ago].”
Milburn is these days coaching players who have come from the Cannons in his role as an assistant coach at Adelaide. They include one of the latest draftees, Jake Lever.
“It’s a great system and has developed over the past 20 years to be a great set up,” he said
They may have been at the club 20 years apart, but current Cannons player Mark Kovacevic is just as grateful as Milburn for his time at the club.
“It has been a whirlwind and it feels like I joined yesterday,” Kovasevic said.
“It’s great at providing a platform for football and for life. I didn’t know what to expect … it was a lot more professional than what I expected.”
With many of his friends drafted, Kovacevic was given the opportunity to play a third year at the club.
He said the idea of returning to the Cannons as a 19-year-old was very appealing.
“It was a very quick decision to make,” he said. “It’s a privilege to be part of the Cannons.”
The hall of fame function, at which the club will induct its inaugural hall of fame members, will be held at the Victory Room at Etihad Stadium on January 31.
Tickets cost $100 for a three-course meal and drinks.
For more details, go to www.caldercannons.aflvic.com.au or email cannons@sub.net.au.
