2025 Flag Feature – The Pirates finally find their treasure

If a “week is a long time in football,” then 45 years feels like an eternity.

Having joined the VAFA in 1980, Old Peninsula had spent four-and-a-half decades pouring blood, sweat and tears into the pursuit of that elusive breakthrough premiership.

They had come so close so many times – 7 Grand Finals for 7 losses – leading some long-suffering Pirates to wonder whether the treasured silverware would ever come.

Yet hope springs eternal, and when coach Brendan Dunne returned to Old Peninsula at the end of 2024, he arrived with a two-to-three-year plan to finally break the Pirates’ premiership drought.

Dunne had captained the school’s First XVIII and spent two seasons with the club more than two decades ago.

“I played as a 16- and 17-year-old in 2003 and 2004 and loved the club,” said Brendan.

He then built a successful playing and coaching career elsewhere, including stints at Frankston, Karingal, Hastings and the Mt Eliza juniors.

Twice named ‘Coach of the Year’ in the Mornington Peninsula Football League, Brendan had also experienced his fair share of finals heartache, leaving him in no doubt of how difficult flags are to win.

“We lost a Grand Final at Peninsula when I was younger, then I played under Brett Lovett at Frankston and lost a few finals there as well,” Brendan reflects.

“I went to Karingal as a player-coach, and we lost a Grand Final in 2011, as well as a few Prelims. I was a player-coach at Hastings for five years, and we won the 2016 flag, which was a 25-year drought breaker for them. They’d been historically successful, but not for a long time.

“Then I went back to Karingal, where it felt like I had unfinished business – but we lost another Grand Final in 2019. So, all up, I’d won 1 Grand Final and lost 3 before returning to the Pirates in 2025.

“It started with a chat with club legend Shaun Payze about how I thought they could improve their club. They felt like they had underachieved in previous years, given the players they had. Consistency was hard to find – they either won or got smashed. There was no in between.

“I didn’t know much about the VAFA, but I gave him a few initial suggestions, and that eventually turned into a coaching chat about a two-to-three-year plan. It normally takes a year to suss out the issues, then the second year is generally about consolidation, and the third year could see you have a crack at a flag.”

“So, looking at 2025, playing finals was the initial goal, but you should go into every year trying to do everything you can to win the flag. That should always be the aim, as it’s a great mindset that challenges you to improve.

“It was good to rip into pre-season, and I quickly realised we had some good-quality players. I’m a ‘player’s coach,’ so early in the pre-season, it was important for me to get around everyone and make sure they were enjoying training. Have a laugh and a smile to break the ice early.

“But I’d also done a bit of research amongst opposition clubs, and the general feeling around Peninsula had been that once you get in front of them, the Pirates would fold.

“In a lot of our early games last season, we were really challenged and found ourselves behind. But we responded. We’d had a good pre-season, and we started running over sides. The players had belief in what we were doing and were fit enough to trust each other, even when behind.

“The Brunswick game in Round 3, for example. We were behind at half-time in the wet, but played an awesome second half, despite having a few injuries. We showed that belief in each other.”

“It took me some time to get used to Ammos’ footy, which is more open and free-flowing, and we were getting ‘done out the back’ a bit. So, we fully changed our shape around Round 5 or 6 and moved away from our heavy zone. It was really good to see the players engage and adapt to that change.”

“As the season rolled on, I started thinking that we could really have a crack at it. Preston smashed us all day (in Round 7), but we kicked 8.10 in the last 15 minutes to win. Our group just realised that if we turn it on, we can beat anyone.”

The Pirates entered their Round 9 clash against Kew in second position at 7-1, a game behind the unbeaten Ormond (who had beaten Old Peninsula by 13 points in Round 4) and two games clear of the Bears, who had just fallen to the Monders by 34 points.

It was a golden opportunity for the Pirates to open a 3-game buffer inside the Top 2 approaching the midway point of the season, and with a major club function scheduled for that evening, Harry Macdonald Oval was buzzing in anticipation of the Top 3 clash.

“We’d built that week up, and although we had a few outs, we got smashed. I’m a very intense character and have given plenty of ‘sprays’ in the past, and when we were four goals down at half-time, I gave this group their first spray.

“But it just didn’t work. I could tell on their faces. Kew went on to beat us by 76 points. It was fairly embarrassing.

“I chatted with our coaches, and it was clear that our players don’t respond to being sprayed. So, there was never another spray for the rest of the year. Not at training, not on gameday – never.

“So, we grew from that experience and turned it into a positive. It was the opportunity we needed as coaches to learn that our group doesn’t need that. We need to communicate more constructively to get through to them.

“After that game, I told them ‘I’m giving you a gimme. We’re not going to review this game. Let’s just park it and make sure it doesn’t happen again.’

The Pirates bounced back to comfortably defeat Monash Blues and UHS-VU before facing the undefeated league leaders, Ormond, for a second time.

It turned out to be a thriller, with little separating the teams all afternoon. The Pirates led by 1 and 4 points at the first two changes, before a 4-goal third term saw the Monders snatch a 7-point three-quarter time lead, which was extended to 13 points early in the last quarter.

The Pirates booted the next two goals to get back within 2 points approaching time-on, but the Monders held on in a 4-point thriller to kick three games clear on top and drop Old Peninsula out of the Top 2 entering the mid-season bye.

It was a result that would lead to the most pivotal moment of the Pirates’ entire campaign.

“I’d read a few books and listened to podcasts about what Richmond did back in the day when they were winning flags.

So, in the bye week, I ran a ‘Hardship and Hero’ highlight night,” Brendan recalls.

“I’d always wanted to do it, but never had. The VAFA bye week was the perfect time. Don’t worry about pounding the grass that week. Sit down and have open communication about what’s happening in our lives.

“It was open to the whole club – players, committee, even supporters. We had twenty blokes share their stories, and it went better than I thought it would. We were all bawling our eyes out.

“It was one of the most powerful nights I’ve been involved with in footy. We were already a tight-knit bunch of friends, but we now knew things about each other that we’d never known in 15 years. It was very powerful – not just as a footy club, but to be able to look after each other on a human level.

“Storytelling is a massive part of how we build connections, and that’s something I’ve really worked on with the players and the committee – building connection. It was the most important thing to our group, for sure.”

Old Peninsula returned from the bye refreshed and recharged, peeling off four straight wins, including a 174-point thumping of Elsternwick in Round 16, which coincided with the inclusion of one of the VAFA’s most highly decorated recruits of 2025 – former Melbourne skipper Nathan Jones.

“Jonesy is a good mate of mine,” says Brendan with a smile.

“There are six of us who are really tight. We all grew up in Mount Eliza and played school footy together, so our connection goes back to when we were 6 or 7. Jonesy is coaching Peninsula Grammar, and Sam Gill is his assistant. I was the best man at Gilly’s wedding, and he was a groomsman at mine.”

“I spoke to Jonesy early in the year, and he was meant to play more games for us, but he’s a super busy man. We’re really trying to build our club’s connection with the school. It’s one of our weaknesses compared to other clubs. We admire the way they’ve connected their club and their school. That’s our goal, and it will grow as our junior program gets bigger.

“We’ve had a few students training with us as part of growing that connection piece. We wanted to show our school kids that Old Peninsula is a good enough club for a bloke like Nathan Jones to come and play there.

“I only got to play with Nathan once over the years, and even though I broke my wrist, it was still one of the most special days of my life. We’d been trying to get Gilly and Jonesy to be able to play together, but we’d never been able to make it work. So, getting them both to play was probably the most special aspect of the season on a personal level.

“My son runs water for the team and looks up to him so much. When he spoke, the players just listened. The boys saw him engaged and caring so much about our group. He’s such a humble man. He didn’t have to come and help us the way he has. But we’re all mates, and he loved just having fun with his mates. I will be forever grateful for him coming down and being a part of us.”

The big win over Elsternwick was followed by a stumble against Oakleigh in Round 17, as the fast-finishing Krushers kept their finals hopes alive with a stunning 45-point win.

That defeat set the scene for a blockbuster final-round return clash with Kew. If the Bears could repeat their belting of the Pirates, they could leap back up to second and not only secure the double chance but also establish a clear psychological advantage over Old Peninsula entering September.

But Brendan Dunne’s team seized control with 8 goals to 1 in the second term, leading by 51 points at the half on their way to a 79-point win – a remarkable 155-point turnaround from Round 9. The Pirates would enter the finals with the double chance.

It set up a Second Semi Final showdown with Ormond, who had successfully navigated the home-and-away season with a perfect 18-0 record.

“We took a punt on a couple of injured players that didn’t pay off,” said Brendan.

“They spread to the outside more effectively and repeatedly caught us out as they released from stoppage.”

The Monders led at every change – by 9 points, 17 points and 12 points – and ultimately progressed directly to Grand Final Day with a 17-point win.

But Brendan walked away from that loss with some fresh perspectives that would prove vital. He and his coaches had spotted some things in the loss to Ormond, which made the tactical pathway to the premiership clearer.

“We studied the Ormond Second Semi loss more leading into the prelim against Kew. We didn’t study Kew so much. We knew how to beat them, so we spent most of our week trying to solve Ormond, as we felt we could learn more from that, then focused on Kew from Friday onwards.”

Brendan’s confidence was well-founded, and a 5-goal-to-1 second quarter saw his team open up a 34-point halftime lead on the way to a comprehensive 56-point victory that sent them through to Grand Final Day and a fourth shot at taking down the unbeaten Monders, who quite rightly arrived at Box Hill City Oval for the premiership decider as short-priced favourites.

“The lead-up was funny, you know. We hadn’t lost to them by much the whole year (13 points, 4 points and 17 points), whereas Kew had beaten us by 76. In Round 4, we had 7 players out and just fell short. We felt like we could match them physically, but they’d been a bit more polished and controlled the games really well.

“We felt like we had been just as good as them for two or three quarters, but they are great at staying in the game and pipped us by putting the hammer down or us taking the foot off. They got challenged a lot throughout the season and still managed to win. As a coach, I really respect that. They are so even across the ground.

“After the Second Semi loss, three of our senior leaders Ben Williamson, Kurt Thiele and Jake Lovett came to me and said, ‘We won’t lose to them again.’ That was pretty special, and I love that as a coach, because 3 losses to a team in the one season can go one of two ways. But we were quite calm after that loss.

“I think we performed so well against Kew in the prelim because of that resolve. Our players maintained a belief that we’re good enough to beat Ormond if we address a few structural things and work them into our game.”

“And because we’d spent time studying Ormond during Prelim Final week, we’d come up with a gameplan if we were to beat Kew. We addressed Jackson Hille, who is a gun player. We addressed our stoppage set-up and what to do when they keep sending extra numbers. When would we let them have a plus-one?

“The massive ground at Box Hill should play into Ormond’s hands, so we can’t let them get to the outside easily. We’re not a fast-running side, but we can move the footy quickly with our skills.”

The pre-game routine was thrown into chaos when an epic Reserves Grand Final between Ormond and Oakleigh went to extra time. The Monders came from 10 points down at three-quarter time to level the game, and it took 23 minutes of extra time, including 7.5 minutes of Golden Point, before Ormond kicked the winning goal in an all-time classic.

Brendan knew that result would inspire Ormond’s senior players, so he needed a narrative that would focus his players on what is possible if you execute when it matters most.

“In the pre-match, I mentioned some local footy Grand Final results from the day before,” said Brendan.

“Somerville had been undefeated in the Twos all year and lost. Frankston Bombers had smashed everyone all year, only lost once, but then lost the Grand Final. Another country team was undefeated and lost.

“I mentioned these results because while Ormond hadn’t lost a game, it didn’t mean they were unbeatable.

“But I remember that being the most nervous I’ve ever been.

“We have a lot of players who are very structured and build themselves up to the minute they run out. When we got back into the rooms after our third warm-up, I had a little clip to play for the boys.

“It was a motivational video about the All Blacks, and I ended up playing it on my phone. We all huddled around my phone, and the boys ended up charging out of the room and down the race before the video even finished! They were ready and just went for it!”

The wind was blowing a howling gale to one end of Box Hill City Oval.

“We lost the toss and kicked into the wind,” Brendan recalls.

“I like kicking with the wind, but half our group likes kicking into the wind. If we could outscore them into the wind, we knew it could become really hard mentally to come back from that, as they would know that they would have to do everything right to stay in the game in the second quarter.

“It was an arm wrestle early, but then we got them out the back a few times late in the first quarter when we loosened the shackles a bit in the last seven minutes or so.”

Against the wind (and the odds), the Pirates led by a goal at quarter-time, then used the wind to their advantage in the second term, booting 5 unanswered goals to head to the rooms at half-time with a commanding 39-point lead.

“I wasn’t really surprised that we played that well. The boys were confident we could beat them, and our strategies to create confusion on the Ormond bench about how we were getting players loose got us a few goals. We’d been confident that if we kept a few of their key players quiet, we were a big chance of winning.”

But history can be a millstone around your neck, and it said that Old Peninsula had played seven Grand Finals and lost all seven. There was still half a football game to play against a team that hadn’t lost all season and would be breathing fire with all-out attack on their mind.

“I remember walking up the race at half-time. I looked at my wife, and she was a bit teary. ‘Wow,’ I remember thinking. She thinks we’re playing awesome and have got this.

“My mind immediately went to the importance of composing ourselves. Ormond would have the breeze in the third term, and they would only need a 10-minute run to get themselves back in the game.

“Nathan also had a chat with the boys at half-time about what the next 15 minutes need to look like and how we stay focused and connected. How do we keep our heads if they come back at us?

“So, we played that third quarter totally different to the rest of the game. We played as slowly as possible to stifle them a bit. If we could get halfway through the quarter without copping any major damage, we’re almost home. And I remember feeling something special midway through the term. I was confident we were nearly there.”

The Pirates held Ormond to 3.5 in the third quarter while adding 2.1 into the wind themselves, leaving them with a 29-point lead and the breeze at their backs in the last term. They then kicked the first 3 goals of the final quarter, including the first two from Nathan Jones, effectively putting the result beyond doubt.

“I’d honestly thought that if we win it, it would be by a goal or two. All our other games had been tight, but Grand Finals can blow out like that. If it’s over by the last 15 minutes, it’s party time for one team, while the other just wants to get off the ground. Even though the players reckon I didn’t think we had it won until two minutes to go!”

One particular moment sticks clearly in Brendan’s mind.

“Payzey (Bailey Payze) came to the bench with about 12 minutes to go, and that was the first time I got really emotional, just knowing what it meant to him. I’d played with his Dad, Shaun, in 2003-04, and had looked up to him as a kid. I appreciate all the hardship that he and the club have been through. It had been really tough since COVID.

“Shaun then came to the bench, and it was a full emotional release. We had a massive hug on the bench. Then there were the little moments when the boys came off late in the game. I was hugging all the coaches, trainers and volunteers.”

The siren sounded to confirm Old Peninsula’s 45-year premiership drought was officially over.

“Being the first flag for the club is so special,” said Brendan, with emotion in his voice.

“You think of all the people who have put in so much hard work over the years. My assistant Phil Stone and I have been together everywhere I’ve gone. He’s my best mate and like a second Dad to me, but I didn’t initially realise he’d played at Peninsula too, so when I found out, we talked about how great it would be to finish what we started.

“After the siren, he looked me in the eyes and said, ‘Can you believe we’ve done this?’

“There’s a great photo of us with all the wives and supporters circled around the cup in the middle of the ground, singing the song.

“We had hired a bus, so we bussed home from Box Hill, as we wanted the players to have an hour to themselves. They were just sitting on the bus, looking at each other – proud – having genuine conversations about how we were feeling. There was no loud music or anything.

“And that comes back to connection. The team that wins is often the most connected. Our group was so connected and believed in each other and our coaches, so we could change things from week to week and had the confidence in each other to do it. We changed the game plan after the Second Semi, then flipped the script in the Grand Final. That takes trust and connection.

“It was a twelve-month process of building that connection, and it was the most important reason why we won. One night during the finals, we didn’t actually train. We just sat in the rooms and chatted for an hour-and-a-half about what footy means to us.

“This is the most connected group I’ve been a part of. No egos. It means a lot to me, and I feel like I’ve made lifelong friends.”

Brendan was aware of how significant the club’s first premiership would be, but even he was pleasantly surprised by the depth of reaction.

“So many people came up and said, ‘The monkey’s off the back. You don’t know how much this means to me.’ I realised how much of a weight was being carried. It felt like the club had been cursed, in a sense. Seven Grand Finals in 45 years but just never able to win one.

“That night at the Mt Eliza Club, seeing the joy and the weight lifted is amongst my fondest footy memories. I’ll always remember those conversations with all these special people.

“And the most special thing is that we’re all in each other’s lives now forevermore. We get to reminisce every year for the rest of our lives, which is a beautiful thing.

“The club hadn’t had a presentation night for a couple of years, but this season, we were able to thank our wives, supporters and volunteers.

“The VAFA does a great job at maintaining the community connection that football brings, and this premiership caps the most special year in my coaching career. As a coach and business owner with a young family, coaching – while it has been great for me – puts a lot of stress on the people around me.

“I was 100% done with it, but when Payzey and our skipper George Fletcher got me back involved, it felt like a legacy piece to come full circle and finish what I started. But getting the club its first senior flag was a distant reality.

“It’s the smallest club I’ve been a part of, and one of the smallest in the VAFA. It’s been underrated and undersold. We sit right in the middle of the MPFL as the only Ammo club down here.

“In the last twelve months, they’ve really opened their doors to change and shown willingness to grow. Sometimes it’s a good thing to be out of the limelight, but it’s also a reason why we’re a small club.

“It’s an unbelievable little community that all look out for each other. It’s so tight-knit – everyone is friends, which is unique. They all play golf with each other every Sunday. Footy is almost a by-product and excuse to hang out with each other.”

“Our old boys are really connected to the playing group now. This is what footy used to be before money ruined it – that connection piece that’s so special. They’re down here by themselves on the Peninsula, so they’re even more connected because they have to be.

“We have some unbelievable players who could be earning mega-bucks anywhere in the state. But as a community, they’ve decided that they really want to have success and grow the club.

“There are people behind the scenes with some big dreams, which I love. We have Under 8’s and Under 9’s now – that’s the beginning of a new journey, which means we will have Under 19s in 10 years. We’re putting things in place to survive and prosper for decades to come.”

Attention has turned to the club’s next chapter in 2026, and Brendan is excited by this group’s potential to continue its upward trajectory.

“We’ve pretty much retained everyone,” he says, with satisfaction.

“We lost Max Kleverkamp to Somerville, but apart from that, everyone else is staying. Last year, we had a lot of recruits who hadn’t played for a couple of years. But this year, we’re targeting what we need as a team, and have picked up a couple who can fill holes for us.

“We’re looking at the style of footy we want to play. We’re adding some younger, quicker players because that’s what we need to go up to Premier C.

“One of our big mantras is ‘raising the floor’ – our minimum standards as a club. We’ve done that with some little things, such as our jumpers always being on the hook and never touching the ground. Our training standards. Now that we’re in Premier football, that should be the ‘new floor’ for us.

“The VAFA system makes you hungry as you go up a level. We want to prove that we belong. Our goal is to make finals. Do we have a lot of work to do? Absolutely. We’re a little club that needs to keep growing and improve our processes.

“We’ve added Aaron Pacey as an assistant. He’s had senior experience coaching against me in the MPFL and will coach our midfield. That’s a great get for our club. We want to provide more help to develop players personally as well as collectively.

“As a club, we want to be known as always competitive and always in games. We know we’re coming up into a bloody good competition, and we’ll all need to improve at least 5-to-10% to stay competitive. We’ll need to improve as players, coaches and a committee.

“I’m big on legacy. We’ve spoken about how winning that first flag is a monumental feat that no one can ever take away. But what do we want our legacy to be? A great 12 months, or do we follow it up with a really good year and continue to grow our legacy? There’s something special about going into a season as absolute underdogs.

“People still talk about what Bevo (Luke Beveridge) did at St Bede’s/Mentone Tigers when they won three straight flags. It’s legendary. VAFA people will still talk about it in 80 years’ time.

“So, if we want our legacy to be greater than just 2025, that’s what keeps us motivated.  

“I’d love to see Old Peninsula in A-Grade at some stage. So, to help them get some success, and finish the work that we started at the beginning of my career, has a really special feeling about it.

“There’s something magical about what happened last year, to be honest. I’m so glad I didn’t retire!”