79 Wests skipper keeps passion

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GRAND finals still do not get boring for Ashley Mcculloch. If anything, this year will be his most special.

The Wests skipper will lace up for his 24th consecutive Townsville Hockey decider, and this time his son, Lachlan, will take to the turf with him.

Mcculloch can still recall that first A-grade final almost a quarter of a century ago. A young kid, buzzing head to toe in anticipation — hopefully of raising the silverware at the end of it all.

Now he is the stalwart, the leader, and the experienced head to guide the side around the park.

Throughout the 2020 campaign he has seen his son grow and develop as a player, and become far more confident in his abilities.

While he may surpass his old man’s calibre one day, for now he will have to contend with playing side-by-side.

“It’s pretty exciting for me, not many get to do it in an Agrade final. I really enjoy watching him develop and grow, and to be able to be alongside him in a final will be pretty awesome,” Mcculloch said.

“I think his dream is to get better than Dad, but he’s a bit hopeful there. He knows Dad’s been around for a long time, he’s got big shoes to fill but he’s doing the hard yards off the pitch to get there.”

Last year’s grand final loss to Commercials still burns deep in those who have remained at Wests.

Even after five consecutive premierships, the end of their dynasty came as a bitter pill.

That perhaps is what has made this charge for the title more heated; fuelled by an insatiable appetite for success.

Their semi-final triumph over Parks, coming from 4-2 down in the final quarter to win it on the full-time siren, showed the energy the side had and its willingness to dig deep to the last second.

Such a combination of desire and past heartache could be Wests’ key weapon, when they add yet another chapter to their Commercials rivalry.

“The excitement the boys showed on the weekend after we played a really tough game in the semi-final … shows the passion of the boys there, even though we’ve been here for 25 years,” Mcculloch said.

“Last year’s loss was tough to take and it was a tough year for us all with the floods. It’s never good to lose a final, never enjoyable.

“(But) it’s a lot of grit that the team’s got, they can play out the games.”