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Playing The Best Footy He Could Pays Off For Martiniello

By JULIA MONTESANO


WHEN Will Martiniello was growing up in Benalla, all he wanted to do was play the best footy he could.

Now in the thick of a competitive metropolitan league, the Maribyrnong Park midfielder has got reward for his lifelong efforts.

Martiniello took home the 2018 Reynolds Medal after kicking 14 goals in 18 games, appearing in his team’s best players nine times and getting a spot in the Strathmore Community Bank Premier Division Team of the Year.

He says it was an honour to have the medal wrapped around his neck, but he was also surprised about receiving the prestigious award.

“Obviously it was a great honour,” Martiniello said.

“I didn’t expect it at all, really.

“I thought I had a consistent year but there were a lot better players than myself running around.

“But very happy with it, (it’s a) great honour and a good achievement personally.”

One of Martiniello’s other achievements was winning a TAC Cup premiership with the Murray Bushrangers.

He was in a star-studded team that featured the likes of Collingwood vice-captain, Steele Sidebottom, North Melbourne skipper, Jack Ziebell and Port Adelaide midfielder, Tom Rockliff.

He says his experience at the Bushrangers was a memorable one.

“It was a great experience to have a couple of years at the Bushrangers, I reached two Grand Finals and won a premiership,” Martiniello said.

“To play with the likes of Steele Sidebottom, Jack Ziebell, Tom Rockliff, who I grew up with who plays for Benalla, it was a great experience.

“(I was) lucky enough to be part of that premiership team.”

Ten years later, Martiniello has taken out the most highly-coveted awards in the EDFL.

The 28-year-old rates the league very highly.

“I’ve had a few years at Benalla and the Goulburn Valley,” he said.

“They have different grounds, smaller grounds than the EDFL.

“There’s a lot of ex-AFL players, ex-VFL players running around so it’s pretty good.

“It’s probably the best local league I’ve played in, to be honest.”

Martiniello also has experience as a VFL player, having spent five years at Werribee.

His experience played a big part in Maribyrnong Park’s success at the start of the season.

At 10 wins and two losses, Martiniello was feeling optimistic.

But his optimism soon turned into disappointment, as the club experienced an unpredictable downfall.

“I’m only new at the club but we had a team that had a really hard crack at it,” the midfielder said.

“Unfortunately, losing Caleb Vearing, he’s one of our key players and Scott Clarke who’s spent a long period of time sitting out.

“I think looking back at it, it’s a really good season but it could’ve been anything.

“We liked our chances at 10-2.

“Missing out does hurt.”

Although it was a disappointing year for Maribyrnong Park, Martiniello describes his season as “consistent”.

However, he rated his 2017 season higher, one where his teammate, Zac Keogh, took out the Reynolds Medal.

“I thought I probably had a better year the year before, to be honest,” Martiniello admitted.

“We had some games that we probably should’ve won at the end but personally, I was pretty happy with the year.”

The 28-year-old has come a long way since playing football in Benalla.

He grew up playing football because his dad was a cult figure in his hometown, playing 400 games for Benalla.

Now, Martiniello is truly following in the footsteps of his father, as he too is on his way to a long career.

All he is doing is playing the best footy he can.

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