Year Seagulls last tasted premiership success
“The base payment was $40 a win and $20 a loss if you played in the seniors and the highest any player got was $100,” Turner said.
“That was including people like Geoff Miles (ex-Geelong), Greg Sizer (ex-Melbourne), Terry Domburg (exCollingwood) and Peter Whyte (ex-Geelong).
“Not in that premiership side, but at some stage at Barwon Heads we had four players that were all AFL players.
“There was no point system or salary cap then, but we had some really good people helping the club. One of the great things we were able to do was help people get jobs.”
Miles’s addition topped off a list that included 1992 Les Ash Medallist Matt Walter, future league medallist Geoff Taylor and captain Tim Armstrong (ex-Newtown), who is the 2018 Seagulls football manager. Barwon Heads became a new home for Miles, who spent the next 20 years there, including four as president between 2004-2007.
Miles said it was time a new group took the baton off the 1993 premiership team.
“We had a reunion a couple of weeks ago, 25 years,” Miles said. “It was an absolutely sensational day but it’s time to move on. You’d like to think it may have been 10 years or whatever, but it’s been way too long.” Miles said the growth in population had been critical to the Seagulls’ return to the top.
“You’ve got to have the cattle (to win a premiership) as they always say,” he said.
“We don’t have a great base in terms of population. You can only compare to what’s around you and Ocean Grove has three times the population we have, so it was always hard to get kids into the town.
“Over the past five to 10 years that has happened, there have been a lot of young people move into the town and produce kids of course, and hence there are a fair few that have come through our juniors playing seniors these days. It’s been a massive climb to get there.”
Miles said the romance of another premiership would be special.
“Our captain back in 1993 was Tim Armstrong and he’s football manager at the club, so it’s going to be great for him,” he said.
“Warren Michell played and his son Luke’s in the grand final, as is Matty Walter’s son.
“I’ll stand with those boys and watch and hopefully can pat them on the back afterwards.”
1993 BFL Grand Final
Barwon Heads 19.17 (131) d Ocean Grove 10.16 (76) BEST: Barwon Heads: G. Caldow, A. Callan, M. Henderson, M. di Domenico, A. Fry, A. Greely, G. Miles, T. Renfrey, T. Machar, P. Kelly GOALS: Barwon Heads: P. Kelly 4, G. Miles 3, T. Renfrey 3, A. Callan 2, M. di Domenico 2, A. Greely 2, G. Caldow, D. Roderick, W. Michell