It’s funny how some things come around full circle in sport.
On July 17, 2010, Mitch Bright ran off the ground at Moon Oval as a winner, with Rochester ticking off Seymour by 55 points.
He’d just kicked four goals as a fresh 18-year-old on debut.
This weekend, Bright will walk off the exact same ground on the eve of his 31st birthday having played his 200th senior game and, regardless of the result against Shepparton, he will remain a winner in the eyes of the home fans.
The forward may not recreate his debut cameo ― curiously, Bright admits he hasn’t booted more than four in a senior game since his debut ― but those close to him know he plays with his heart on his sleeve and, for him, being able to bring up the milestone on home turf is victory enough in itself.
“I’m really looking forward to it, particularly being able to do it on the home ground is a good one as well,” he said.
“This has probably been one of my more enjoyable years of footy actually, just in terms of the group that we’ve got around; everyone pretty much is from Rochy or went to school here.
“It’s been really enjoyable off the field, we haven’t been getting the results on the field, but even at training it’s still been awesome to have everyone and have some good things to say rather than all the sh*t that’s going on in town at the moment.”
Bright’s right, Rochester has struggled on the park this season, but what the footy club ― and community ― has achieved far outstrips any booming major or spectacular mark.
The talented Tiger is a born and bred local, living just a few footy oval lengths from the ground where he has chalked up about half his 200 games.
Bright changed his stripes once to play with his mates at Colbinabbin in 2018, even picking up a club best-and-fairest for his troubles, but his true calling is in the black and yellow.
Which is why the living nightmare of October’s floods hit so hard for guys like him.
“During the time and the lasting effect of it has been shocking,” he said.
“I’ve still got my parents out of their house and my nan as well, and a lot of people around town are still out of their house which is having pretty negative impacts on their health, which is unfortunate.
“It was really tough, you don’t like seeing the town on its knees.
“But as a lot of people have said, we’re a really resilient community and that’s probably been the biggest thing that’s come out of this.
“Those community relationships that everyone builds on, we’re really strong in that community sense.”
Community is what brought Bright to the club in the first place and is precisely the reason why he’s stayed.
The guys he runs into battle with each week are locals too, making the beers, cheers and smiles shared through victory and defeat all the more memorable.
Bright singled out Rochester’s narrow 13-point grand final loss as a special career moment to be involved in along with his debut, also verbalising how cherished the memories of celebrating milestones of other club legends like Nick Knight, Ash Watson and Elliot Bowen are.
But there’s one person who has made all of those memories possible ― his partner Em.
“She’s been a big factor in letting me go to play footy,” he said.
“Sometimes footy can be pretty selfish going to training on Tuesdays, Thursdays and being away from home on the weekend leaving her with the kids. It makes it hard and she’s been pretty accepting of me doing that and playing footy.
“I’d also like to thank all the volunteers around the club who’ve played a massive part and are invaluable to the club.”
Bright affirmed there may not be too many years of senior footy left in his legs, but it’s safe to say his dues are well paid.
Those who watched on in 2010 as a teenager kicked four goals on debut knew there was something special to follow and whether Knight thinks it or not, that has happened ― and Rochester has another home town hero to sing about in years to come.