Merrivale's Bryden Jubb secures under 18 premiership 11 months after car crash

But on Saturday, the 18-year-old played part in Merrivale's 4.8 (32) to 2.4 (16) under 18s premiership victory over South Rovers after playing every game this season besides round one.

Jubb, a plasterer by trade, suffered a broken pelvis, ribs and thigh bone as a result of the accident.

"I have two screws in my pelvis, a screw in my thigh bone and a screw in my back and they have to stay in there forever to hold everything in place," he said.

"It makes it (the premiership victory) heaps better. It feels a lot better to come in after that and win a grand final."

Jubb's return was a slow and steady one after months of rehab in Melbourne but getting back on the field with his mates was what drove him on.

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"I missed the first round and then played forward pocket for a bit and then later in the year I went back into the middle to run around as I was feeling better," he said.

"Footy has been a way to escape it and take my mind off everything. Getting to training with all my mates makes me feel better."

The long-serving Tiger played in last season's grand final where the under 18s finished runners-up.

Coach Cam O'Flaherty said the premiership was a victory over adversity, whether it was Jubb or his side itself.

"We had to call training off some nights over the summer because we didn't have enough there then it kept building," he said.

"It's a great club Merrivale, it's a great club to be around and we ended up with a squad of 26 and we got the job done."

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