So expect plenty of wily plays on Saturday afternoon when the Victorian Country Masters Carnival comes to Shepparton.
The one-day tournament will be held at Kialla Recreation Reserve on Saturday from 11am.
The competition features eight masters clubs from across Victoria, with teams playing two games each before the top two ranked sides compete in the grand final under lights.
Goulburn Valley Giants league delegate and carnival co-ordinator Jason Aspland said Saturday was a great opportunity for men who are 35 and over — who may be past their physical football prime — to kick the footy, have a beer and share a laugh.
“I was at the national carnival up in Maroochydore last year and it was very much a mateship thing,” Aspland said.
“Yes, they are playing against each other, but it didn’t really matter what shirt you had (on); everyone wanted to have a chat.
“(Everyone) wanted to socialise and get together with like-minded people who are — to a degree — past their time in football, but want to be part of a football club and want to be part of a group of guys.”
The bar will be open to keep the stars of the show refreshed, while there will also be a food van at the ground.
The teams will play a modified version of the game, with each match played over two 20-minute halves.
Aspland said the masters style of football, while still competitive, wasn’t about being a hero.
“The way I think of it is that it is designed so that we are all out there to still play a contact sport, but we want everyone to go to work on Monday,” he said.
“That’s probably the big difference between it and playing another sport like normal football, where it is okay to knee a guy in the back of the head while taking a mark because it looks good.
“That’s not the way masters football works.”
The Goulburn Valley has hosted previous editions of the carnival with great success.
Aspland was quick to thank the umpires and staff who were volunteering their time to help run this event.
One of the eight sides competing in the tournament is a mixed team of players from clubs that couldn’t make it to the carnival.
Aspland said it was important that there were events and opportunities like these for men to experience, especially given society’s focus on the importance of mental wellbeing.
“Men’s mental health is a major issue across the state and I think masters football is one of those things that allows people to do stuff that made them happy when they were younger,’’ he said.
“(To) be with like-minded people that are also aware that maybe our best days of sport are in the rear-vision mirror, but we are still going to turn up, have fun and then have a good chat at the end of the day and have a beer.”
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