By Kirstie Fitzgerald
For St.Albans duo Andrew Seirlis and Zamir Muhtari, it’s been a long time in the making.
Picking up the football for the first time as juniors, the pair has been playing with the Saints for more than two decades.
Close mates both on and off the field, 31-year-old Seirlis celebrated his 350th game milestone for the reserves in round 8 against Port Melbourne Colts, while Muhtari will celebrate his 500th game this Saturday against Altona.
“It would have been great to celebrate our milestone matches together, but it was also nice to have our own days each too,” Seirlis said.
Kicking five majors in his milestone match against the Colts, Seirlis said it was just like any other game.
“Obviously it was really special to play my 350th match and the boys certainly looked after me a bit for the occasion, but at the end of the day I was happy to just have a run and get a couple of kicks.”
While the duo work well in the Saints’ forward line each weekend, it’s clear the pair are also a force to be reckoned with off the field, teaming up to coach the Under 14s and 16s to a premiership in 2006 and 2007.
“It’s funny to think that around a dozen of the guys we coached back then are running around with us today in the Ressies, which when you think about is a little bit scary, but we enjoy their company and still like to remind them who their coach was every now and then!” Muhtari said.
Running out for the reserves with his two children this Saturday, Muhtari said that he is excited to have reached the milestone for the club he has dedicated more than half his life to.
“When you’re a kid, you just keep running out to play because that’s what you’ve always loved doing, so to have run out for 500 games is a real honour and something which you don’t really set out to achieve, but when it happens it’s pretty exciting.”
Both men will be hoping all their years of experience will come in handy this weekend when the Saints come up against reigning premiers Altona.
Last Modified on 13/06/2014 12:38