James Condos joined the Deer Park Football Club when it was slugging it out each week in division 2.
Now he has seen the club rise to the top of the tree in the Western Region Football League.
The superstar full forward took over as coach of the club in 2011 and led the Lions to the division 2 premiership that year.
After a positive first year in division 1 he was forced to take a break from football because of a back injury.
However, he returned to the Lions as a player in 2014 and is now a three time premiership player at the club.
“It is a super feeling. That’s what we play footy for,” Condos said after Saturday’s win against Werribee Districts.
“Goldy (president Mark McGoldrick) and Bully (head coach Marc Bullen) have done an outstanding job putting a plan in place over the past couple of years.
“Last year, rocking up to the game we felt like we were a bit of an unbeatable side. This year, we have played kids and I think there is a good future for the club. Obviously the scoreboard reflects that with the list that we have got at the moment.”
After only playing seven games during the home and away season, Condos brought his best to his club’s finals campaign.
He booted five goals in Deer Park’s qualifying final victory and backed that performance up with another two goals in the grand final.
Despite going into last week’s match as the favourites, he said at no stage did his teammates take Werribee lightly, instead the Lions learnt from some early season struggles against the Tigers.
“Anything can happen in finals and especially on grand final day,” he said.
“They had our measure in the home and away season. I thought we were lucky to get away with the win we had early in the season and then they touched us up at Werribee by about 12 goals.
“To get that first final win was super and it gave us a lot of confidence going onto the big stage. I think our power start was what we wanted and it was great to have that.”
Condos has kicked 87 goals for the Lions in the past two years.
