BACCHUS Marsh coach Doug Hawkins has not shied away from the fact that money was the driving factor behind getting Brendan Fevola to the club for a one-off Ballarat Football League match.
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Fevola will play for the Cobras against Sunbury on Saturday, with Bacchus Marsh hoping to reap massive financial rewards.
When appointed as coach last year, Hawkins said one of his first decisions was to try to get Fevola to the club.
“My first thought was go get Fev, go get the gun for hire,” Hawkins said.
“I saw him playing in Darwin last year where he kicked 10 goals and thought ‘how can this bloke not be playing AFL footy?’”
Hawkins is hopeful up to 5000 people will attend the match at Maddingley Park on Saturday, making for a large financial windfall for the club.
It is hoped the money generated from the match will help Bacchus Marsh become more professional and finally start heading towards the upper end of the BFL, albeit a while down the track.
“It’s not about Fev kicking 10 goals, being best on ground or beating Sunbury, although all those would be great. It’s about making the money we don’t have,” Hawkins said.
“If you want to be up there with the likes of Redan and Sunbury, you have to be professional both off the field and on the field and this will be a step towards that.”
“The committee and the people behind the scenes are doing a huge amount of work, not just for this game, but to take this club forward.”
Darley found itself in a similar predicament earlier this year, with Carlton legend Anthony Koutoufides scheduled to play a one-off match.
However, coach Rod MacPherson poured cold water on the decision, declaring it would be of detriment to the senior team.
But Hawkins said there was never a second thought to having Fevola in the side.
Fevola will take the spot of another 32-year-old – Adam Skrobolak, who will be unavailable – instead of taking a young player’s position.
It will add to a string of one-off country football appearances from the former Carlton and Brisbane Lions superstar, who kicked 623 goals in 204 AFL games.
He booted 10 goals for Western Australian side Rockingham in the Peel Football League on Sunday and is leading the Ovens and Murray Football league goalkicking, with 34 goals from six games for Yarrawonga.
“Everywhere he is going he is kicking goals,” Hawkins said.
“I think our midfielders will get enough ball to him. Our players have really embraced it.”
The match between Bacchus Marsh and Sunbury kicks off at Maddingley Park at 2.15pm on Saturday.
patrick.nolan@fairfaxmedia.com.au
