Trinity, Big V defender hangs up the boots

As the retirements start to roll in throughout the football fraternity, few come much bigger than Old Trinity champion, Luke Pacconi, after the club announced he was hanging up the boots yesterday.

Pacconi, who joined the T’s from the NFNL in 2007, has been one of the most consistent defenders in the competition over his 15-year career and finishes with 248 senior games. He ranks fourth on the Old Trinity all-time senior games played list.

Pacconi has carved out an incredible career as a defender and has battled famously with small to mid-sized forwards such as Old Xav’s Brendan Goss for over a decade, but he ends his career having slotted two goals this season after kicking just five in the previous nine.

“I actually came to the club as a forward,” he told the VAFA Podcast in 2019.

“Then (former coach) Adam Andrews said to me one day ‘have you ever thought of playing down back?’ I said, ‘not really’ but then found myself playing down the backline and the rest is history.”

He was vice-captain and an integral part of the T’s side who made consecutive William Buck Premier Grand Finals in 2015 and 2016, before being named co-captain in 2018-19.

Pacconi has twice been named in the back pocket of the Premier Team of the Year (2011 & 2016), including being named VC in ’16, and represented the Big V three times.

A long-time VAFA Media favourite, Pacconi has consistently represented his club on the VAFA Podcast, VAFA Tragics and at the VAFA Media Day.