PORT Macquarie Magpies are making a strong charge towards the finals and will be spurred on this weekend by the milestone for two of their top guns.
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Damon Munt, 37, and Clayton Miechel, 35, will notch up 100 first grade AFL North Coast games tomorrow when the team takes on Camden Haven.
They aren’t the only players in the club to reach the century, with youngsters Scott Dickson and Riley Irwin set to play their 100th club games in the under-18s fixture.
“It’s a nice thing to achieve,” Miechel said. “You don’t necessarily set out to reach these sorts of milestones but when you love playing I guess you eventually get there.
“Being a one-club town, it makes the 100 games more special.”
Both men have been with the club for a long period, with Munt joining the club in 2000 and Miechel in 2004.
“I’m pretty proud of the achievement,” Munt said. “It’s been a long time coming. I started with the club in 2000 and won a premiership in the first year which was great.
“I took a few years off from 2006 and came back a couple of years ago to get the games up.”
While both men share a huge love for the game, Miechel isn’t too sure if he’ll play on beyond this year.
“I’m not sure if I’ll keep playing next year, there’s a bit of pressure from the family to take a break but I’d love to keep playing,” he said.
They each have fond memories of their past 99 fixtures, with premiership victories obviously atop the list for both.
“The main achievement and what I’m most proud of is the 2007 premiership that we won,” Miechel said. “When you play a team sport like this it’s largely about the team’s success so that sort of stands out for me.”
Munt said that the family-friendly club has made the 100 games a breeze.
“I’ve bonded well with the team over the years and it’s a great family club, the Magpies,” he said. “Everyone supports each other and sticks by each other.
“Anyone and everyone are welcome to the Magpies which is the best thing.
“The blokes you play with over the years and even now looking back to the guys you played with 13 years ago and you’re still mates, that’s a big thing.”