THEY named Jake Peacock the best player on the ground for the Poowong Reserves on Saturday after their narrow loss to the higher ranked Lang Lang side.
There could be no doubt about that.
Jake took the field, through a guard of honour, mounted by the Poowong Fourths’ players, wearing his younger brother Noah’s Number 8 guernsey.
The tears had been flowing from early in the morning as Poowong club members arrived and consoled each other or met with Noah Peacock’s family members, the Poowong Senior Player who had been tragically killed in a collision on the South Gippsland Highway, on his way home and ultimately to football training the previous Thursday afternoon.
And they flowed again as Jake ran out, the Number 8 emblazoned on his back.
The Poowong Reserves, in 7th place on the ladder, were leading the 4th-placed Tigers at three quarter time, but with a final series in front of them, the Lang Lang boys rallied to kick three goals to the Pies’ one in the last quarter, to get up by two points.
But it hardly mattered.
Members of the Lang Lang team hugged Jake and offered warm words of support on his family’s tragic loss.
And between the Reserves and Seniors’ matches, the whole club, together with the visitors, including the netballers, footballers, umpires and supporters came together in the middle of the ground for a moments silence for Noah, “8 seconds silence” actually, for his number.
Among them was Poowong and Hawthorn sensation, Jai Newcombe, a mate of Jake’s and the Peacock family, who came down from Melbourne to share his community’s grief.
He took some of the emotion back with him on Sunday when all of the Hawthorn senior players ran out against Richmond with an extra black armband, for Noah.
Other clubs in the Ellinbank League, and nearby, did likewise.
The situation is beyond tragic, beyond reason or belief.
After everyone had gathered, there were a few words from the Poowong FNC President, Ted Attenborough.
Ted welcomed everyone and thanked them for their support, on behalf of the family and the club.
They had Noah’s Number 8 jumper laid out on the ground, in the middle of the circle, and many people linked arms, around shoulders as they observed the 8 seconds.
“We decided on the eight seconds and also to keep it brief because we just felt it would have been too much for the family who were all there which was great,” Mr Attenborough said.
Noah’s mother Michelle and father Jason, Jake and the youngest brother, Bailey, together with the extended family, they were all there.
“They were very grateful that everyone came together but it’s had such a huge impact on everyone,” said Mr Attenborough.
A spokesman for the family said afterwards that the occasion had helped “break the ice”.
“I’ve known Noah pretty well for five years or so. I used to coach him at junior level. He was a young bloke just starting out in life, at the age of 19,” said Ted.
“These sort of incidents, and I’m not talking about the specifics of this one, but you hear of these things happening to other people, fortunately not as much as they used to, but when you hear about them, at arms-length or in another area, you really feel for those people.
“But you think of it as happening to someone else. It’s completely different when it happens to you or someone close to you. It’s been an absolute tragedy for the family, for Noah’s mates, their families and the whole community.
“His cheeky smile, a dry sense of humour that was starting to come out as he was getting older.
“Look, I’ve no doubt he was going to become a very good footballer for the club. He was underestimated because of his slight build but he had a happy knack of getting a hand in, of getting involved to get the ball across to a teammate, of deceptive speed when running down an opponent.
“He was on his way to becoming a really good country footballer.
“He was always one to text you if he was running late, or to tell you if he could play or something about his position. He was a good communicator.
“He was a really good young bloke. It’s a terrible waste.”
Mr Attenborough said there had been a huge amount of support for Noah’s family and for the football-netball club, from across a wide area, and on behalf of the club, he wanted to thank all those who had reached out.
Mr Attenborough said the club would also to be mindful of the welfare of the Poowong football-netball community, in the weeks and months ahead, a message that was brought home recently by a guest speaker at a club function.
