By RUSSELL BENNETT
HALFWAY through the Pakenham Silverbacks’ debut Gridiron Victoria season, the club identified a need to address their lack of experience in the game at an elite level.
Everyone involved in the fledgling club loved the sport – they just wanted to improve as quickly as possible.
What happened next, though, is exactly why the Silverbacks are already leaps and bounds ahead of some other teams in the competition.
One of the club’s co-founders and inaugural players Richie Howlett started scouring the internet for anyone with knowledge to pass on.
“I think I emailed around 100 different people in the States, but I also found this website where local coaches and players would put up a profile about themselves in terms of looking for kids to coach,” he explained.
“I just sent a message saying I know it’s out of the blue but would you be interested in coming to Australia to help us? We don’t have much out here but we have enthusiasm for the game.”
Enter Reggie McGill and Mike Richmond. McGill is a former NFL running back who was Arizona’s offensive player of the year in 1985, went on to be a four-year starter at the Arizona Wildcats in the college system and then had stints with the San Diego Chargers and Detroit Lions at the top level. Richmond, a high school friend of McGill’s, played in the Arena Football League.
“They were both interested – they just love the sport,” Howlett said.
“It’s been a bit of a logistical exercise because we can’t pay these guys up-front – we just don’t have that kind of cash as a club – so we’ve organised a gym in Carrum Downs (MAD Sports Performance Training Centre) for them to run some sessions out of and make a bit of money.”
McGill and Richmond are due to fly back to the States after their whirlwind month-long visit, but the knowledge and experience they’ve passed on to the Silverbacks will last the Pakenham boys a lifetime.
The junior Silverbacks, meanwhile, came away with a remarkable 25-24 win over the Geelong Buccaneers on Saturday.
Pakenham held a two-point lead with 1:32 on the clock but the Buccaneers threw a 35-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass and capped that off with a two-point conversion to take a six-point lead.
Yet instead of dropping their heads, the young Pakenham charges took to the field and marched the ball to the end zone, finishing the game with a gobsmacking 29-yard touchdown pass to Jack Lock to level the game with two seconds to play.
The field goal unit then sealed the win with kicker Brody Pearse keeping his cool to bring the much-needed championship points back to Pakenham.
