After guiding Maitland the the minor premiership/grand final double and top-flight promotion, outgoing coach Graham Law had one final gift at the club’s presentation ceremony on Friday night.
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Addressing the 100-strong crowd at Easts Leisure and Golf Club the Scot finished with an anecdote from legendary Celtic coach Jock Stein, who happens to be one of Law’s coaching idols.
Stein had led the Scottish powerhouse to victory over Italian giant Inter Milan strictly using players born within 15 kilometres of Glasgow’s Celtic Park.
It was something that Law had seen in his own playing group during his all-conquering 12 months at Cooks Square Park.
“I knew it was going to be the last time I was addressing the club, and the boys, and I just mentioned a little something, a little quote, at the end,” he said.
“It very much reminded me of the Maitland boys, and I wanted to make sure I finished with something that would resonate.”
It was fitting, then, that the Magpies’ player of the year went to Justin Broadley, who along with brothers Ryan and Chris have epitomised the black and white spirit for over two decades since starting as juniors at the club.
It was Justin’s second player-of-the-year gong, having also won the award in 2007, and goes with the two each of his brothers have earnt during their time at the club.
Ryan claimed the coach’s player of the season award this season, while Murray Leyland was recognised as most-improved.
But the loudest cheers of the night were reserved for long-standing Magpies man Paul Osland.
Osland, who had received the same award some 38 years ago in 1976, was recognised for his tireless efforts around the club with clubperson of the year and received a standing ovation for his efforts.
With the presentation done and dusted, Law now takes a well-earned break before taking the reins at rival NPL club Adamstown.
He said he hoped the standards that the Magpies playing group had set throughout 2014 would continue long into the future.
“I addressed the guys at the end and said ‘don’t you dare think this is the end of the job’,” he said.
“This club has to now go on and do two things; one, overhaul Weston and become the dominant club in the region that people want to play for, and two, go on and be a competitive club in the top flight year-in, year-out.”
