This year’s football season was a first for Gippsland United Football Club, with men’s, women’s and juniors playing football all under one organisation after a major amalgamation at the beginning of the year.
In its inaugural year as the primary footballing powerhouse of the Gippsland region, United experienced many highs and lows, but above all else, success.
The senior men’s and women’s playing squads recently celebrated the season with their presentation night, held at the Warragul Country Club on Saturday, September 23.
State League 1 Senior Men’s
In what was the 60th year of men’s football in the town of Warragul, the premier men’s side did not disappoint in the slightest, amassing 31 points in a tough league, consolidating on last year’s season while defeating some heavyweight opponents along the way.
In a season where many players stepped up and contributed, there was one person who gave his absolute all in every minute of every game, wearing his heart on his sleeve and fighting for the badge.
This person was none other than Nicholas Modaffari, who won the George Ritchie senior men’s best-and-fairest medallion for a second year in a row. Playing all 22 games during the season, Modaffari marshalled the team from the centre of defence.
“He is a well-deserved back-to-back winner,” said coach Stephen Maselli.
“He is quietly spoken but will always set an extremely high standard on and off the pitch.”
The accolade is named after George Ritchie and has been awarded in his honour since his death in 1999. George is a founding member and life member of the club.
Modaffari claimed best and fairest with 44 votes, but not far behind was the senior captain, Nathan Lugton on 41 votes.
This was also Lugton’s second year in a row being named runner-up best-and-fairest. Many would speak to Lugton in a joking fashion after winning the award consecutively.
But this bit of cheek from his supporters and peers won’t take away from the fact that he played another season where he reached an immense level of consistency. Playing as a box-to-box midfielder, Lugton is always up for a battle; his ability to win second balls and his tackling are hallmarks of his game.
“He leads by example week in week out and was probably our most consistent player over the course of the season,” Maselli said.
The senior men’s player’s player award went to former Sale United Football Club’s Ashley Ross. Playing alongside his skipper in the heart of midfield, Ross has an endless amount of weapons in his armoury.
But above all else, his intangible traits of dedication, selflessness and hard work, which you simply cannot teach, shone through this year and showed why his peers voted him as player’s player.
Ross has experienced many periods in his playing career where he has been sidelined through injury.
From Maselli’s point of view, this season showed that Ross had finally “got his body right” and back where he wanted to be as a real “mainstay in midfield”.
Rory Wagner rounded out the senior men’s awards as he was presented with his trophy for being the leading goal scorer for the entire league. Wagner was lethal in front of goal this season, scoring 17 times in 22 games.
Maselli spoke on the night about this being a massive individual achievement at such a high level of football.
“He was enormous for us, and we cannot understate the role he played in scoring almost a goal a game.”
Women’s State League 3
WINNING the league title and promotion with a game to spare was Gippsland United’s first triumph across the four senior teams.
This was done by Jason Reddiex’s State League 3 women’s teams, who romped their division, finishing on 49 points and only losing one game.
Shanasai Lorangi was crowned best-and-fairest of the State 3 side after a simply stellar season.
Lorangi won the accolade by some stretch, collecting 69 votes across the 18-game season.
Scoring more than a goal a game (20) and only missing out on being the league’s equal top goalscorer by one, Lorangi played a major role in her side’s promotion, at times winning games purely through her sheer goal-scoring ability.
“She’s worked hard every game, an amazing talent, and she has had a great season,” commented coach Jason Reddiex.
Tiana Reddiex, similarly to Lugton, was the captain of her side and took home runner-up best-and-fairest.
With 31 votes in total, the qualities of the promotion-winning captain were seen in her exquisite nature to read the game and calm composure on the ball.
“She’s another hard worker just like Shani and really deserved the award, being our captain in our championship side,” remarked coach Reddiex.
The team’s players player was awarded to Amy Radford, who spoke on the night about how it had been a pleasure to play with her peers all season. This humble attitude can be attributed to her winning this award, and so too can her big personality and her vital contribution on and off the pitch to make the inaugural season of women’s football for Gippsland United such a success.
State League 1 Reserves Men’s
AFTER 33 years of waiting, Gippsland United won a reserve league title again, and what a year it was for Jason Dastey’s side.
Many might remember the lowest of lows when they lost 3-2 to bitter rivals Mornington in match week seven. After leading 2-1 with not much time remaining, conceding two late goals was a harsh reality check.
However, their darkest day of the season wouldn’t live long in the memory, as they showed togetherness and resilience, going undefeated in their remaining 15 games, to win the league title on the last day by one singular point.
The reserves’ best-and-fairest was none other than their captain, Cooper Farr.
He had some huge moments during the season that, in isolation, can be looked at as match and title-winning contributions.
The first came against Collingwood away when Farr scored a captain’s goal to help his side win 1-0.
The second came in one of their wins of the season against Malvern away. With the game locked at 2-all, and not long remaining, Farr made an absolutely magnificent tackle just beyond the halfway line. He then got to his feet and delivered the match-winning assist to former Sale United Football Club player Cooper Coleman.
But the title-winning captain contributed much more than just these two moments all season. Winning with 40 votes, coach Dastey said, “Farr is a humble leader who puts the team before himself.”
“He has established himself as a tough, no-nonsense tackler, affectionately known within the club as the silent assassin.”
When speaking on presentation night, Farr reflected on how he has been at the club since the age of 16.
Now 23-years-old, the reserves captain has been through the hard times when only three reserves players turned up to some training in the past.
“He got everything he deserved,” Dastey said.
Runner-up best-and-fairest for the reserves was Harry Tosch on 37 votes.
Tosch’s physicality and defensive capability is undoubtedly his strong suit, playing at right back for the first half of the season and then at centre back for the remaining games.
This being his first year of senior football, Tosch has made a great start to life, playing all 22 games, scoring some absolute bombs from a distance with that strong right boot of his and defending consistently every game.
“He loves a shot from distance but always does the simple things well,” Dastey commented.
Jobie Heusmann was the reserves’ player’s player.
In his second season at the club, Heusmann struggled with a back injury right at the beginning of the season, but once he got back on the pitch, his back problems shifted from physical issues to putting the reserves side on his back at times during the season.
Heusmann turned up in big moments, scoring some stunners and also providing countless assists with his masterful left-footed delivery.
Dastey noted that Heusmann “played a huge part in the title win.”
Similarly to Tosch, Heusmann was another consistent figure playing predominantly at left-back for the majority of the year.
This season, United’s men’s squad wasn’t blessed with just one league-leading goalscorer. Daniel Edey helped himself to the Reserves Golden Boot, scoring 18 goals in 19 games.
He was the talisman for Dastey’s side and could be relied upon to consistently score and create goals when the team needed it most.
Dastey reflected “on the scoring rampage” Edey went on in the last six games, which was a huge factor in seeing his side get over the line on the final day.
Women’s State League 4
GIPPSLAND’S State 4 women’s side had the trickiest season of all four senior sides, finishing seventh in their section with 16 points.
However, in such a transitional year for women’s football in the region, it was cherished every time they won and a huge success that they remained in the division for next year.
The best-and-fairest player for this side was Stef Creedy.
Exuding confidence and experience on the pitch, Creedy scored five goals for the season and was just the right character to have around a young group.
Her peers value and love her leadership, and coach Jason Reddiex remarked that it was “no surprise” she won the award with 38 votes.
“Stef was definitely the general of the State 4 girls’ team, and her skill was so important for them during the season,” he said.
Young talent Phoebe Gati was presented with the runner-up best-and-fairest award, with 30 votes, and the most improved women’s player across the two squads.
Gati, still only 15-years-old, has many years of football ahead of her, however, these two accolades highlight the potential she holds.
Reddiex praised both Gati’s “composure on the ball and pace up and down the field.”
Finally, Mel Nicholls was voted as players player of the State 4 side.
Mel spoke about how the girls have really felt like a family to her this year, and some would say she was the mother of the two sides, guiding the younger players.
Nicholls, much like Creedy, was able to impart her experience and nous of playing many years to her teammates. Helping others grow is a big part of her game on and off the pitch.
*Solomon Nash is a former senior men’s captain of Sale United Football Club.
