BY NATHAN DOLE
PREMIERSHIP captain can now be added to Jack Geary’s incredible list of achievements with Golden Square Football Club.
Not only did the 32-year-old mark a sixth grand final victory in Saturday’s finale to the Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL senior footy season he was adjudged best afield against Sandhurst.
It was the third time in his career Geary was presented with the Nalder Medal.
“The Nalder Medal is the cherry on top,” Geary said.
“The goal was to do what I could to help the team win another premiership.
“It had been a long time since we had won a grand final.”
After marking a fifth consecutive premiership in 2013, Geary had played in just one more grand final – the 2016 loss to Sandhurst.
He had been captain for eight years and at times wondered if Golden Square would challenge for the Bendigo Advertiser premiership cup before he called time on his playing days.
On Saturday he started right in the thick of the action at the centre ball-up and later had a great impact across half-back.
In the final quarter it was Geary who made some big plays as Golden Square was under intense pressure from the Dragons’ attacks.
“It was too long to go to try and hold the ball up and go ultra-defensive,” Geary said of the last five minutes of a great contest and season.
“I was able to be in the right spot a few times.”
Geary’s running power is a major strength of his game.
The amount of times he was in position to win or influence a contest, dish-off the footy or receive was uncanny.
It happened too many times to be luck.
“My running ability and workrate have always been the main areas of my game,” Geary said.
“I cannot leap above a pack like Hamish Morcom or take a strong pack mark like Jon Coe, so it’s running which is a big part of my game.”
Golden Square now goes from being in the chasing pack to leading the pack.
“We will be the hunted again,” Geary said of going into next season.
It’s a challenge he has faced many times before.
“There is so much talent in this group and the age demographic is ideal.
“The club has been longing for a bit of success for a long time.”
Premiership-winning coach Christian Carter who had been a team-mate with Geary in past grand final wins praised his outstanding play.
“Leading into the match I spoke to Jack about one of the few things missing from his footy CV was premiership captain,” Carter said.
“I have never seen a better big game player for Golden Square than Jack.”
It’s a praise that was hard-earned by a player who is likely to one day be elevated to the Bendigo FNL Hall of Fame.