Like father, like son – History made at Old Peninsula

Old Peninsula legend Shaun Payze may remember 2022’s Round 1 even more fondly than 2021’s season opener.

12 months ago Payze was lining up for his 400th game, after having to wait over a year being stranded on 399 due to the cancelled 2020 season.

On Saturday, Payze played alongside his son Bailey against PEGS in Division 1 which adds even more romance to the game’s famous father/son rule. Last year Beaumaris had the Lucas boys and father Terry play in the thirds.

For the record it was Bailey who finished with 2 goals. PEGS walked away with the points, but it was a day to remember nonetheless.

Earlier this week he sat down with our Division 1 reporter, Mitch Dyer to talk through the lovely piece of history the Payze family has created.

Shaun, a lot of dads probably dream of being able to pull on the jersey and play a game at the club they love with their children, how was the moment for you?

I am not sure it’s something I ever dreamed about!

That’s mainly because it was never something that I really thought was a chance to happen.

Then COVID came along. I think the reality is I would probably be retired by now if we had played a full season in 2020 and 2021. Last year Bails played the first game of the season in the u19 and that was really the first time I thought that there was a chance it could happen.

I was lucky enough to play some games of cricket in the lower grades for Old Peninsula CC with Bails a few years ago which was great. But that happens every weekend at clubs across the country. Playing senior football with your son is something very few footballers get the chance to do, and I think we will both look back at it with great pride in the future.

Were the two of you able to link up a bit in the game, give each other a little spray for some poor skills or was it all just game time during it and take in the moment after?  

No, there wasn’t any linking up during play. I was playing down back and had my hands full against a strong PEGS team.

Bails was playing midfield/forward and we never got the chance to link from what I can remember. I did run down and congratulate him when he kicked a goal in the last quarter, that was about as close as we got.

I tend to be fairly focused during play so once the game started I was spending most of the day chasing PEGS forwards around, watching the ball go over my head!

He played pretty well given the result of the game, there were a few times though when the father instincts kicked in and I was slightly worried about him getting injured!

In your time at Peninsula you’ve managed 400+ games now and kicked over a thousand goals, where does this moment rank in terms of career highlights over the journey? 

It’s right up there for sure. Bails came to his first Pirates games when he was 6 days old – a win in the wet v Prahran Assumption at home Rd 3 2004. So he literally has grown up at the club.

He has lived the ups and downs over the years, and now gets to play with guys he idolised growing up.

He has been lucky enough to play senior cricket and football for Old Peninsula as a teenager and it’s been great to see him play for the clubs that I love. When my time is up I will happily sit on the hill and watch him hopefully get to 400 games. Bailey has a 12 year old brother Felix, who will hopefully follow in his footsteps and I can watch them run out together one day. I also have a 9 year old daughter Meadow so I guess we will have to get  women’s team up and running soon!

Old Peninsula will have a bit of movement up the ladder this year I believe; what’s the expectations of the group or what’s your expectations for the team in 2022? 

We haven’t set any expectations as a group in terms of ladder position. We have a new senior coach who brings a different game plan with him.

We are a young group – obvious exception aside! – so there will be some bumps along the way as we get used to each other and the new game plan. That said, the group is really keen to learn, and I am confident we will get better as the season goes on.

As long as the effort is there and we continue to learn and improve, the wins or losses will look over themselves.

Is there any plan, any thought in your mind that the time playing on the field might be nearing an end? Or is it full steam ahead and enjoy the time out on the park as much as possible? 

It is definitely nearing an end! For the last 5+ years it’s just been a year to year thing.

Get to the end of the year, have a rest and then make a decision. I don’t see any reason to change that unless I cant get a kick for the rest of the year! Once the season starts you get caught up in the week to week routine it tends to go pretty quickly. I certainly enjoy the time on the field on Saturdays a lot more than the time during the week trying to get the body ready to go.

I have been lucky to be able to play this long and have loved every minute of it. I am so lucky to have stayed relatively injury free, and have a family that has supported me the whole way along. Whilst I am sure Carla tires at times with all training sessions, meetings and Saturdays away from home – she has let me run my own race for the last 20 odd years.

Peninsula are in action this Saturday night in Division 1 against Glen Eira. You can watch that game through the VAFA Facebook page, supported by My Sport Live with Mitch Dyer and Josh Heriot calling all the action.