HFNL football grand final: Michael Barlow, North Warrnambool Eagles

North Warrnambool Eagles' Michael Barlow speaks after his side's 2025 Hampden league grand final win against Koroit.

Transcript

00:00Mick, it's been a long time coming. How good's that?

00:03It was unreal. To be fair, I reckon we were a little bit nervous throughout the week.

00:07It's been a big build-up since the qualifying final win against Karoit.

00:11Probably showed the first quarter in a bit. Probably get a bit of luck.

00:15The boys get involved with some of those goals later. It was just an unbelievable way to finish.

00:19Is this your first senior premiership?

00:20It is, yeah. I've lost two here. One-one now.

00:23Coach won at Werribee, lost that. Lost at Frio.

00:26So, it feels a bit different. A lot different, but gee whiz, it's better.

00:31Yeah, and it's great resilience from the side to come back.

00:33The whole town and community, the people attached to the club, like all local footy clubs,

00:38the 22 play, but the cup is really for, I couldn't even name the amount of people attached to this over the time.

00:48So Wyant's family, Gerard Lowry, so many families connected.

00:52Tony Batten played 350. Matty White played 350 and they get this today.

00:58It's got a fair bit of hard work, but yeah, how cool for them.

01:02You've got nothing left to prove, but what makes you come back year after year?

01:05What about this club?

01:07I love staying fit and healthy, and I reckon 2019, I kind of fell into playing in the grand final here,

01:12just through the rules with Dan Bell, and being eligible here, we fell short.

01:16Ever since then, I've just stayed connected and stayed attached,

01:19and probably would have retired, I reckon, 12 months ago here, if we only got the result last year.

01:25Yeah, and last year I played two games throughout the year.

01:28This year I was able to print more and become entrenched, and yeah, it's pretty cool.

01:33Is this you done, or are you not sure yet?

01:34No, who knows?

01:35I'll just try and go beer for beer with Baths tonight, and that might top me off,

01:40but I don't know, I'll have a good feel over the next month, and see what the schedule is.

01:44I'm fairly busy in Melbourne, but this is cool.

01:47And did you get any of the Footy and Friends boys up here to watch?

01:49I don't think they got here.

01:50I don't think they got here.

01:50I've got a few of the listeners in the crowd, but no, it is unreal.

01:57I'll let you enjoy. Thanks for that.