BEN Moloney reflects on his 103-game Victorian Football League career with pride.
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The Kolora-Noorat export, who spent time with Geelong, Werribee and Collingwood at state league-level, is now a senior assistant with Geelong Football League powerhouse St Mary's.
It's not quite full circle - Kardinia West Oval is still a different beast to the Noorat Recreation Reserve - but footy is back to being instinctual.
"It's pretty contested," he said.
"On the bigger grounds, the game opens up a lot. But a lot of the grounds are that bit smaller.
"You still get your muddy game every now and again, but it's a bit different to Warrnambool and District (league) where most games are muddy.
These are guys you're looking up to. As a kid, you're kicking bombs in the backyard saying you're Anthony Rocca and now I've been coached by him.
- Ben Moloney
"A lot of the decks are pretty high quality and the footy is good. A lot of guys are playing on VFL lists.
"The majority of players are local boys or people that have moved down after playing at a higher level."
Moloney helped St Mary's snap a three-year grand final losing streak last season. It's one of his proudest footy achievements.
"We basically had to win 11 out of 13 games (to get the final). It basically came down to point two of a percentage for us," he said.
"We were one and four after five games and ended up winning it by a kick with two seconds to go.
"We have a lot of guys who've played in the losing ones. So for them, the staff, and the people who so much time and effort in, I don't think we could've lost another one for them.
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"I beat Mary's when I was playing for St Joseph's two years earlier, so to sort of be on the other side of the fence and see how much it meant to them, that was one of the best feelings I've had in football."
Moloney, wife Mienna and the couple's two children live south of Geelong near Mount Duneed.
Life is good.
"I think we've been here about five years now, living here," Moloney said.
"I'm obviously off a dairy farm, so I'd like a bit more room, bit more space, but it's Geelong and everybody wants to live here so it's pretty expensive.
"It's really nice where we are, and we're close to the beach. I think we're 10 minutes away from the coast.
"And we're only two hours from home."
Moloney is proud of his achievements at state league level and looks back on his career fondly.
"I played 103 senior games and that was a big goal of mine," he said.
"Once I got to 60 or 70 I sort of thought 'I might as well keep pushing'. I thought it'd be good to get that 100 mark and have that as a personal achievement for myself.
"I've met some amazing people and still have some great friendships right through. I've played with some star players. Guys like Andrew Krakouer, Alan Didak and Quinten Lynch.
"They are guys you're watching on TV when you're a bit younger and they were just superstars. Then, you're playing with them.
"I had Anthony Rocca and Tarkyn Lockyer as assistant coaches as well. These are guys you're looking up to. As a kid, you're kicking bombs in the backyard saying you're Anthony Rocca and now I've been coached by him."
As for footy back home?
"I sort of follow The Standard, Warrnambool and District league and Hampden league pages to keep an eye on things," Moloney said.
"I don't have too many relatives playing now, but I have a few mates playing at the Power and stuff like that.
"It's cool to see guys playing now that I remember from my time there, like a Luke Justin.
"He was a kid kicking the footy at Kolora-Noorat when I was playing there and now he's a very good senior player."
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