Damien Cleary to break VAFA Games Record

When Oakleigh’s VFA team closed its doors at the end of 1994, 21-year-old Damien Cleary still had the itch.

“I played in that final Oakleigh game and wanted to keep playing. I felt like I still had plenty of footy left in me,” he recalls.

That may be one of the great understatements of all time!

“I looked around my area and knew that Ormond was one of the best local clubs. They were in A-Grade, so I headed down for a game.”

Almost 30 years later at 51 years of age, Damien is still heading down for a game and this weekend he breaks the VAFA’s all-time Open-Age Games Record of 430 currently held by Shaun Payze from Peninsula Old Boys.

A two-time Reserves best and fairest winner in 1996 and 1999, Damien’s 431 games consist of 39 Senior games, 190 Reserves games and 202 Thirds/Club 18 games over an incredible 29 years.

“Breaking the record hasn’t really sunk in. I see it as a privilege to have been able to play for that long. I still love the game and it keeps me active.

“The club has always been good to me. It’s provided me with the chance to play footy, and with good people to be around. Ormond do a lot of things well, like the Thursday night dinners. It becomes a way of life.

“I play cricket over the summer and around mid-March each year I start looking forward to playing footy again. Cricket has always helped me stay fit so I’ve always known that my body would be able to go around again.”

In his prime, Damien was a hard-at-it left-footed centreman renowned for being super fit, as evidenced by his habit of riding his bike everywhere. One of his more notable rides was out to St Bernard’s in Essendon, with those steep hills leading up to the ground the perfect warm-up for a game.

“Now I just sort of play in defence. I’ve been pretty fortunate with injury over the years. A couple of 4-week shoulders and a couple of hammys. Apart from that, no long-term injuries thankfully. Having Thirds & Club 18 footy has been great – it’s helped me keep playing.

“As you get older, it takes longer to recover and to get used to playing again at the start of the season. It takes a bit of time to harden up the body. Often once you get into it, you’re ok.”

Damien’s involvement at Ormond has extended well beyond the boundary fence. He has been a Coach, VAFA Delegate, Club Registrar and has been on the Committee for 21 years, regularly assisting on match-days as an umpire and selling raffle tickets (the club estimates somewhere in the vicinity of $50-60,000 in sales over 26 years!)

“I saw how much people behind the scenes were putting in to let others like me play each week. And that inspired me to get more involved. The more you put in, the more you get back. It’s a pleasure doing work for the club and making a contribution. You get a sense of camaraderie, belonging and achievement. You become part of the furniture.”

“Damien is a stalwart, gentlemen and legend of the Ormond Amateur Football club who is about to step into rare air,” says club Secretary, Malcom Roach.

“He has also contributed in nearly every aspect of the club; Committee Member, Coach, Fundraiser, Volunteer and Teammate. He is often the first to arrive on a Saturday and the last to leave as he performs the duties of the Thirds Team Manager as well as taking the field.

“The Ormond community looks forward to embracing this achievement and celebrating the GOAT – Damien ‘Pistons’ Cleary – with as much enthusiasm as Damien shows with all aspects of his life.”

Why ‘Pistons’?

“I think they started calling me ‘Pistons’ due to my running style,” Damien laughs.

“But they just call me ‘Pisto’ today.”

On-field success has been elusive for Damien, who won a Reserves premiership in 1998 but has also played in six losing Grand Finals.

“I’ve played in plenty of good teams, but it always seemed like there was one just a little bit better,” he smiles.

But hope springs eternal and a second premiership 26 years after Damien’s first remains a possibility.

“We’re currently sitting second and going okay. Hopefully we get some guys back in the next few weeks. You just never know!

“But as you get older, you realise there’s more to it than winning and losing. It’s also a wellbeing thing. It’s good to have those long-term friendships, especially the bonds with other players who have been around for a long time.

“Singing the song after a win. The fifteen minutes afterwards having a beer and a chat about the game. You think you might miss that when you retire. I’d miss being around the club three times a week. I’ve been living that way since I was 8 years old!”

“I enjoy being a part of the Ormond and VAFA communities and having the chance to play alongside 39 other blokes each week. I’ve had a lot of team-mates over the years who had to hang them up before they were ready. I see us long-term guys as the lucky ones.”

A ‘lot of team-mates’ is another understatement.

“We worked out at one stage that Ormond has been around 90-odd years and had about 6500 players. I’ve been playing for about a third of that time, so yeah, I’ve probably had about 2000 different team-mates!

“I’ve always just taken it as it comes. I just sort of kept going because I was never forced to stop!”

And long may you continue, Damien.

Congratulations on your incredible service to Ormond and the VAFA more broadly. It’s selfless servants such as you that represents the very essence of our competition – it’s all ‘For the Love of the Game.’