GAWLER Central A-grade captain Charlie Molyneux spent the past two seasons with the Greensborough Football Club in Victoria’s Northern Football League, but after returning home, he says the brotherhood is as strong as ever, and is the key to his side’s success.
Molyneux played in three consecutive grand finals with the Tigers, winning one against South Gawler in 2014, before leaving the club with a Schluter Medal hanging from his neck following a 2017 season that featured an uncharacteristic eighth-place finish.
He said he turned down the opportunity to captain the club years ago before the move, but with a couple more years of maturity under his belt and some valuable experiences, he grabbed the chance with both hands.
“I captained Kilburn when I was younger –I think I was only 20 at the time and definitely wasn’t ready for it then,” he said.
“Before I left to go to Melbourne, I was approached with the role but I didn’t think I was ready at that stage, but I feel like I’ve matured – at least a little bit – and the time was right.
“It’s been an awesome privilege leading such a good group of lads – they’re so respectful and switched on.
“In Greensborough I learned I lot from my captain – he was only my age, but the way he made people feel welcome is something that stuck with me.
“Obviously coming from interstate, he welcomed me, my family and my friends with open arms, and that’s something I’ve tried to adopt and bring back to Gawler with me.”
Molyneux’s experience in big games is extensive, and after playing on grand-final level teams at three different clubs, he said the one common denominator for great sides is the bond they have to share.
“It sounds pretty cliché, but we’ve got the whole brotherhood thing around the club, and we do really live by that,” he said.
“We’re always there for each other, and we love to have a few beers together and enjoy each other’s company – I think that’s really crucial.
“You need to have that bond because it makes everyone want to go into battle with the bloke next to you, so we’re very fortunate with the boys we have at the club who have that in spades.”
With COVID-19 wiping out some SA football league seasons, the Tigers were one of many beneficiaries of some overflow talent landing in the Barossa Light & Gawler league.
“Through COVID we got Tom Phelps from Paskeville, and Shane Moss from Balaklava who some of the boys knew through zone footy,” he said.
“They’ve added some real insight into our footy club, and obviously they have a lot of talent, so they’ve both had really good years and we’re very fortunate to have them.”
Molyneux said he couldn’t really pinpoint at what stage in the season he knew just how much of a juggernaut this Gawler Central side is,  but he credits the performances, especially early in the season, with the offseason program that left no stone unturned.
“It all comes from hard work,” he said.
“We’re very lucky that we have people at the club like Matty (Whelan) and Sean Baker who were all over it the minute we were allowed to train in groups of 10.
“I don’t know how much the other clubs had done, but I know that in our backyard we did all the work we possibly could… Sean Baker’s knowledge in sports and fitness is absolutely unreal.”
The grand final is all that is on Molyneux’s mind, but as the presumed favourite for the Schluter (which was drawn after The Bunyip’s print deadline), he said he would be lying if he didn’t hear some of the noise.
“It’s actually a bit of a funny story,” he said.
“The league shared the announcement on Facebook of how it’s going to be held online, and my uncle shared it, which meant all my aunties and uncles have been messaging me congratulating me on the medal.
“So yeah, no pressure.”