Underrated Yarrawonga defender Nick Irvine one of best on ground

Part of an unheralded backline, apart from 2022 Morris medallist Leigh Masters, Irvine was one of the best players on the ground.

"They're games you want to set yourself for and you want to perform in," he remarked.

Irvine produced a couple of terrific moments late in the first quarter, including a tackle as the Pigeons were attacking and just two minutes later steadied the team in defence.

In the third quarter, Irvine effected a fine tackle on Jake Page and when the Tigers raced forward at the nine-minute mark, Irvine got a toe to the ball to save a dangerous situation.

The premiership was fine reward for Irvine, who underwent surgery in February for a perforated bowel.

He's still not sure what caused it, but had 30cms of his intestine removed and lost 10kgs, with painkillers making him vomit violently, tearing his gut apart with the staples in it.

He played his first game on June 3, which was the club's second and last loss of the season.

It was the improvement of the unheralded players, including Irvine, Jordan Urquhart and Ned Pendergast, which proved critical after last year's three-point loss to Wangaratta in the decider.

Meanwhile, ruck Lach Howe realised his dream of playing in a Pigeons' premiership.

"It doesn't seem real yet, but it means everything, not just the 22 blokes, the whole club, we owe everything to the footy club, it doesn't owe us anything," he explained.

The 30-year-old has an extremely busy workload as a barrister in Melbourne, but he admits it would be hard to walk away from the game now.

"I might get addicted to this feeling I reckon," he offered.

"We'll probably go on, if everyone hangs around we'll give it a good crack again next year."

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