500 looms for GGGM stalwart
By James Matthey
David Logan has been at GGGM for so long that even he can’t remember exactly when he started.
“Aww I don’t know, I remember wearing the old maroon jumper, but I don’t remember when exactly, but it was back before you know it.”
The club veteran has donned the GGGM jersey 498 times to date, and will be hoping to make his record 500th appearance in the final rounds of the home and away season.
Despite his less than perfect recollections regarding the exact beginning to what has become a long and illustrious career, Logan traced the origins of his journey back to the early 1980s, and has been strutting his stuff on the turf at Ganmain Sportsground ever since.
Logan has never chased the 500-game milestone, it is just something that has been born more out of an inability to let go of such an important part of his life.
“Probably the last three years I’ve said well I’m not going to play this year, but when the boys start training again out at Ganmain, you turn up for a training run and then two training runs, and then of course the first week of footy the seconds are always short so they ask me for a game and then all of a sudden the bug bites and you play for the rest of the season,” said Logan.
“With that personal thing, I mean it would be good to get to that 500 but it’s not the reason I play.
“Personal milestones, I don’t chase them, I’m more concerned with the team and trying to help out the young guys and the seconds, especially when they’re short.
“I just enjoy the game and enjoy the training with all the boys, I really enjoy the game and the competitive nature.”
Although having a comparatively late introduction to the game, starting out in his late teens, Logan has still managed to run out in over 300 first grade games, while the twilight of his career has been mostly spent helping out depleted reserve grade sides.
David’s father, Barry, said there was no secret formula behind his son’s incredible durability, other than a love for the game.
“He just loves his footy.
“He just loves football, that’s probably the main thing that’s kept him going over the years really.
“I didn’t think he’d get that far, but going back to the late start probably helped him span it out a bit further.”
Returning from a groin injury that has kept him out of action in recent times, Logan is no certainty to stroll out in his 500th appearance this season, but if he does, it would be just reward for someone who has devoted so much time and effort to GGGM.
Club secretary, Jack Cedelland, who has been at the club for the entirety of Logan’s career, said his off-field contribution to the club has been just as valuable as his on-field impact.
“That would be a great achievement, I don’t think anyone else at the club has done anything like that before,” said Cedelland.
“He gives his all every game…he’s always had the club at heart.
“He’s helped out all the time on the committee as well as playing, and whenever there are any BBQs on or anything he’s always helped out with that.
“There’s a big job in the pre-season when the grounds are dry and he comes in working the watering system, he’s got to come in at different hours of the night to turn that on and off so he’s put a lot of work into the club.”
The GGGM life member said that the friendly environment at the club has kept him coming back year after year.
“Just the atmosphere at the Ganmain footy club I suppose, it’s a good club to be at, you always feel welcome, it doesn’t matter who you are, they’ve always made everyone feel welcome and it’s just a good place to be around.
“In a small country town it’s just hard to meet people and get involved with things, so footy is a social outlet, you basically know everything that’s going on around town when you get to footy training because all the boys are talking.”
Logan is certainly a rare breed, willing to put his body on the line time and time again for more than 30 years, but don’t expect his feats to be matched anytime soon by any of his fellow teammates.
“I don’t think so (laughing), they all think I’m an idiot, they say ‘we’re not going to be playing when we’re your age mate,’ which is fair enough.”
He will be hoping to make appearance number 500 in Round 18 when GGGM take on current ladder-leaders Coolamon.
