Tara Murray
“As Tom Brady says, the next ring is the best one,” was the feeling of Deer Park defender Tim Quick after helping his side claim the Essendon District Football League division 1 premiership.
Quick himself knows a thing or two about winning premierships, on Saturday winning his seventh one with the club.
He missed the first one of Deer Park’s run of seven in a row in the Western Region Football League division 1, before playing a key role in the next six.
On Saturday, he made it number seven helping the Lions claim the EDFL division 1 premiership in their first season in the competition.
“I really enjoyed it,” he said.
“It was a change for the whole group, not just moving divisions but we obviously had a new coach and new panel, new players.
“It took time to gel and cream rises to the top and by the end of the year, we sort of got it right, rapt with the win.”
Quick said while there was confidence rising in the group in the back part of the season, they were still wary of what West Coburg could do.
The Burgers had gone through the regular season undefeated, but the Lions easily accounted for them in the first week of finals.
“We knew West Coburg were the best outfit throughout the year,” he said. “We knew it would take a lot of work to knock them off the mantelpiece.
“I think after that first final we had a lot of confidence but even up until half time today we had no idea that we would come away with it, and here we are.”
Quick and his defensive partners did their job down back, making it hard for the Burgers to score.
In the end, the Lions put out a dominant performance, winning 21.14 (140)-6.8 (44).
Even though they were in control for the whole match, it wasn’t until late that Quick felt that had done enough to win the premiership.
“You still don’t think you’ve won it until there is five minutes left,” he said. “Even 70 points up I didn’t think we had it in the bag completely.”
Now with seven premierships in this incredible run, Quick joins Chris Stewart and Kwame McHarg as seven-time premiership winners, with those two playing in all seven in the WRFL run.
“I’m very respectful of it,” he said. “I’m very grateful to be part of a really good organisation at a really good time.
“I’m grateful for each one of them and I’ll reflect back on it one day, I’m reflecting today as well.”
While the premiership celebrations were only just beginning, Quick and the rest of the group were already thinking of the challenge of being in premier division next season.
“They [Keilor] are the standard and they are an amazing outfit and I have so much respect for the boys there.
“A lot of healthy rivalry, hopefully between a few of us in premier division.”
