Pride.
A stalwart of Goulburn Valley League football for much of the past decade, Mahoney is as experienced as they come on the interleague stage, with his team-first attitude and ferocious attack on the footy making him the perfect man for the job.
Speaking after training on Wednesday night, Mahoney said it was a massive honour to be named captain of the interleague side.
“To represent the league and be captain as well it is such a big honour and hopefully I can do the GVL and the region proud on Saturday,” Mahoney said.
“I am stoked that Paul looked at me in that way, I have played a little bit of interleague footy now so I know what it means and what it represents, so it was a very proud moment when he let me know.
“I’ll just be looking to bring the same things I do in any other game for Mansfield, you want to lead from the front and lead the way in terms of how the side wants to play.”
Coming together for the first time as a group on Wednesday night, Mahoney said the vibe among the group had been fantastic.
“Paulo (Newman) has been really positive in the way he’s gone about it, getting a smaller group together that wants to play,” he said.
"At the start you can be a little bit standoffish, but once you get together you realise everyone here loves footy.
“You play against all these guys and see them as quality opponents, so now being able to play with them it is really cool and I think all the boys have gelled very quickly.”
Having been unable to play any interleague footy for the past three years, Mahoney said this year’s clash would carry a lot of extra meaning as the GVL fronted its biggest rival.
“I think (interleague footy) is a great thing, you are representing yourself, the club and the league itself, so it is super important to go out there and give it your all,” he said.
“It definitely means a lot and obviously with the O&M being quite a close league it just adds to the occasion.
“They are a powerhouse league with some outstanding footballers, so this is the ultimate test for us, and we are really looking forward to the challenge.”
As for his thoughts heading into the game, Mahoney said he was confident the GVL side could come away with the win.
“I am really confident (heading into Saturday), we have got some really good strengths in our side that will really come to the fore,” he said.
“Obviously it is going to be a challenge, but hopefully we can come together with an exciting brand of footy and come away with the win.”
