MARK Higgs, Vance Curran and Jon Hyde have had a charmed run.
The Bruck veterans — the only three remaining members from the 2002-2003 premiership team — are aiming for their fifth WDCA flag today.
It’s an amazing feat, regardless of the result of today’s grand final against Beechworth at Norm Minns Oval.
Higgs, who is hoping to add to his 2002-2003, 2008-2009, 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 victories, said sticking together was behind the club’s success.
“We’ve just had a core of blokes,” the 41-year-old said.
“This will be the fifth grand final for a few of us and we got Adam McNamara and Andrew Balfour who have played in four.
“You’ve always got a couple of kids with talent and they seem to shine with experienced blokes around them.”
The formula hasn’t changed.
The wise heads of Higgs, Curran, Hyde, Balfour and McNamara are still there, but youngsters such as Jeremy Wilson, Alex Marklew and Ryan Cobain keep the club vibrant.
It looked as if Bruck’s bubble might have burst before Christmas but it has won five games since, proving its veterans are not yet done.
Higgs credits much of the late-season revival to Darren Petersen, who has made 348 runs in four games.
“Darren and Jon Hyde have made a lot of runs,” he said.
“Darren is definitely the form batsman for us.
“You have to make runs at the showgrounds.
“You have to make at least 250 to be competitive.”
So is this Higgs’s last game?
“You don’t really know until the start of next year,” he said.
“I don’t put a time-frame on it.
“I’m still enjoying my cricket.”
It’s hard not to when you have such a habit of winning.
