Originally Published September 20 2022
Not only can Kerang’s Josh Nitschke add three-time premiership player and premiership captain to his list of achievements – but he can also include VCFL Medallist after being adjudged best on ground in Saturday’s senior’s grand final.
The Kerang skipper was a standout performer in the Blues 10-point victory over the Cohuna Kangas, with Nitschke’s endurance and ability to break the lines one of the key factors in his team securing their ninth senior premiership.
While all of Nitschke’s teammates – and most of the Cohuna Kangas players as well – all contributed on the day, Nitschke was one of the few who genuinely put in a four-quarter performance in perhaps the most important position on the ground.
When speaking with The Final Score following his team’s hard-fought premiership win, Nitschke struggled to find the words to describe the emotions he was feeling – especially when considering the obstacles his side had to overcome to get there.
“It’s hard to put it into words to be honest – right now, it’s just the best feeling in the world,” Nitschke said.
“To achieve what we have after all the injuries we had this season is just incredible – these guys here have got some serious heart, and it’s just an absolute pleasure to share it with them.”
While in the eyes of most, Nitschke was the obvious choice for best on ground honours following his match winning performance – in true style born of a natural leader, the humble Nitschke immediately deflected the attention back onto the team’s performance in the immediate aftermath.
“It takes twenty-two blokes to win a premiership and it took all of us performing to get the job done today,” Nitschke said.
“Everyone stood up and played their role. We all knew that going into the game, they’re a great side Cohuna, and we knew they would just keep coming at us, which they did, but to the boys credit we just wouldn’t lie down – especially in that last quarter.”
Having already played in Kerang’s 2016 and 2017 premierships, Nitschke has now become a three-time premiership Blue in a season in which he broke into and became a key component of Kerang’s midfield brigade. What isn’t widely known is that in order to push his way into the Blues engine room, Nitschke embarked on an extensive pre-season – which included an extraordinary achievement in itself last December.
“I was looking for a way to challenge myself and do something a bit different, so I decided I’d run a marathon last pre-season,” Nitschke said.
“I did it back in December last year and I think it has definitely helped my endurance – as I said, I was just looking for a challenge and something different to do. Looking back now it’s certainly been a big positive for me and my game.”
