It’s often difficult to put into words just how much certain people mean to a local sporting club and also how much that club means to people.
For Emma and Josh Finch, Modewarre Football Netball Club has been part of their lives for as long as they can remember.
And Modda loves the Finches just as much as they love Modda.
Josh is the club’s game record holder in footy on 336 and has won four Les Ash Medals as best player in the Bellarine Football League.
Emma also holds the netball record for games played.
On Saturday June 28, Emma played her 350th game for the Warriors – a B Grade win against Newcomb at the club’s home at Mount Moriac Reserve.
It comes as no surprise that sports get spoken about a lot in the Finch household at Mount Duneed.
“We don’t watch Netflix series or anything like that,” Emma said.
“It’s literally Fox Footy or Fox Sport on. If we do watch TV then it’s all sports. I live for it. I love it all. I love cricket and love all sports.”
Emma wasn’t aware the club was doing something special for her milestone.
“I drove in the gate and the person on the gate, Tommy Fitz, he had a badge on – ‘Emma Finch’ and then I saw the T-shirts and I got a bottle of wine – my own personal bottle of wine,” she said.
“It’s incredible what they did. A banner, guard of honor. The whole club – senior football and reserves came over and it was really special.”
Emma only contemplated leaving Modewarre once to try her luck in the Geelong Netball League, but was talked out of it.
“I considered leaving and then someone said to me ‘you know, the grass isn’t always greener Emma. Why would you leave if what you’ve already got is good’,” she said.
“I never did and I’m glad I didn’t.”
Emma rates the 2011 A Grade premiership as her career highlight.
“That was amazing,” she said.
“Especially the fact that it took pretty much five years to build that into a premiership team. It’s why I’ve probably played so many games is that Modewarre’s never really had depth, so as a junior from 15 years of age I would play my junior game and then in the afternoon play a senior game.
“To see that build is amazing. And then just to share the other premierships with other teammates. I was in B grade at the time of the other A grade premierships.
“But we won in 2011, we made another grand final in 2012 and another in 2013, but we lost those two. But playing deep in finals is a great thrill.”
Emma said 400 games was probably not going to happen given that retirement is on the agenda after this season, but don’t be surprised to see her on the court in 2026. She wasn’t entirely convincing in explaining her retirement plans.
“I’ll probably retire at the end of this year,” she said.
“The body is not what it used to be. I’d still go out and watch. And I still coach and still support. I can’t see myself not being out at Modda on a Saturday. And Josh and I do talk when we do finish, it’s going to be quite sad to not pull on the dress or the footy jumper, but we’ll definitely still be involved because what else do you do on a Saturday?”
But what makes Modewarre, a small locality 24km from Geelong’s CBD, so special?
“The people, the volunteers, the social side,” Emma said.
“Everyone’s really wonderful. Like what they did for me. I felt like I don’t deserve this, but how they treat everyone, it’s really welcoming.
“We’re away from that hustle and bustle and we’re trying to really pride ourselves on looking after each other. And I guess that country feel that we’re hard working and the fact that we aren’t really successful on the field so when we do get success, it means so much more.
“We always wait for the last team to be bombed out in finals or the grand final to do Mad Monday together as a club. We do everything as a club. It’s the Modewarre Football and Netball Club and that’s what’s so special.”
