Daniel Tung has been a stalwart of East Point for the best part of a decade.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Up until this year though, he has never valued so much the comradery of a playing group at Ballarat Football League club.
While the finals could not have finished on a bigger high for Tung with the grand final victory, the finals series was a roller coaster ride of emotions for him.
It's down to hard work. This isn’t just one year (of work), this is five to six years.”
- East Point's Daniel Tung
Tung broke down into tears after East Point opened its finals campaign with a memorable comeback win against North Ballarat City in the qualifying final at the Eastern Oval - embraced by his coach Jake Bridges.
There was joy in the victory, but there was much more than that for Tung and those close to him.
He had in the week leading up to that match endured the emotion of the death of someone close, and it all spilled out as everything came to a head at the end of that match.
Tung, who wore a black armband throughout the finals as well as wrist bands with the names of people special to him, said it had not been easiest of times personally with ups and downs, but the tight-knit nature of the whole playing group and the support it had provided had been important for him on and off the field.
He said everyone had been positive and it made the premiership all the more special.
Along with captain Paul Koderenko, Tung is one of the club’s longest serving players.
He played in an under-18.5 premiership in 2009 – the same year East Point had played in it latest senior grand final before this season.
Tung was the Kangaroos’ in a one-point victory and has been a permanent fixture in the senior line-up ever since.
Although East Point had an influx of young talent this season, Tung put the premiership down to years of work.
“This isn’t just one year (of work), this is five to six years.”
And he is hopeful that this might be just the start of a successful era.
Now that he has the one flag, Tung is hungry for more and at 28 years of age the young veteran has plenty of time to do just that.
Tung played in all but one game for East Point this year. He missed the last home and away round against Darley.
He was among the Kangaroos’ most consistent performers, with his experience and cool head a constant for them.
Tung began the year playing largely a defensive role, but as the year wore on became more involved higher up the ground, where his strength and poise complemented his younger and less experienced teammates.