McLay is well qualified to express his opinion after his Redbacks had mustered only one win in their first five games for the season, but somehow staged a remarkable recovery to sample premiership glory for the first time in the Cricket Shepparton competition.
“We may have lost four of our games early, but we were never blown away and there was this belief we could fight back,’’ McLay, who is stepping down as coach, but has not ruled out a comeback when the time is right, said.
“It’s a credit to the players to have achieved what they have. Everyone did their bit when we had our backs to the wall.
‘‘I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, but we are seeing who is out there (to coach Kyabram).’’
All things considered it really was a comeback among the best comebacks in district sport and was achieved with a lot of self belief mixed with some gritty application.
When you are coming from so far back you have to do nearly everything right to get where you want to and that’s what the Redbacks did.
After their horror start to the season they gradually found momentum and lost only one other game on their euphoric journey to the club’s first flag in this competition after 13 years of trying.
Their efforts to do what they have done is also a bit special personally and as a life member of the club and, an association with it over the past 65 years, it’s a nice feeling I can assure you.
And I would like to thank Kyle Mueller for his thoughtful gesture to drop in at my home after the game with his winning team and supporters to show off the spoils of their win, the Haisman Shield.