Richmond's Kayne Pettifer in a clash with Brisbane in June 2007. Photo: AAP/Joe Castro
Kayne Pettifer is itching to get back where his distinguished and lengthy football journey started.
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Merrigum raised Pettifer will be back in his home town this Saturday and, although now 44, will pull on the Merrigum Football Club jumper and try to help the winless Bulldogs beat Longwood in the Kyabram District League.
There is also reunions for the Peter White-coached 1986 and 1987 Merrigum flag-winning sides and the 1986 reserves side which completed the premiership double for the club in 1986.
Tigers Immortal Richard (Dick) Clay and 100 games player Kayne Pettifer, both recruited from Kyabram.
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Pettifer will be accompanied by Richmond great and close friend Matthew Richardson.
Richardson won’t be pulling on the boots but will be a guest speaker with Pettifer at a sold out pre-match luncheon in the clubrooms.
Pettifer’s memories of growing up in Merrigum and in a staunch sporting family are still strong.
He recalled playing one game when he was a 14-year-old with Merrigum’s under-18s which was being coached at the time by his late uncle, Tim (Nugget) Pettifer.
That was the one and only game he played with Merrigum.
But with his late father Mick also coaching at the club at the time, Pettifer mingled with a lot of players, officials and supporters of the club in those days.
‘‘I just hope a lot of these can turn up on Saturday so we can meet up again and have a chat,’’ he said.
With his father moving to Rochester to work after coaching Merrigum reserves to a flag in 1986, Kayne spent his teen years playing with junior side at Rochester before his family moved to Kyabram, where his football skills were starting to impress when playing with the Kyabram thirds and Murray Bushrangers.
Winning the Larke Medal at the National Under-18 titles in 2000 was a huge turning point in his career and led to him being recruited at pick nine in the VFL draft by Richmond and then on to a 113-game career with the Tigers.
After playing with Richmond from 2001 to 2009, Pettifer’s love of the game led to him returning to Kyabram, then Yarrawonga, before coming back to Kyabram, where he booted 100 goals in 2018, one of only three players to achieve the feat in the club’s history.
The two other Kyabram players to achieve this goal-kicking feat were Richard ‘Dick’ Clay in 1964 with 103 and Ian Greening in 1950.
From 2016-18, Pettifer booted 269 goals for the Bombers and was in their 2016 and 2017 premiership sides.
He has also made appearances with East Perth, Montmorency and Yarrawonga since his AFL days.
The last time he pulled on the boots was for Violet Town earlier this season when one of his former Kyabram premiership teammates, Lachy Smith, also played.
So is it going to finally be the end of Pettifer’s playing days this Saturday, where it all started?
Maybe, but Pettifer has a habit of saying never say never.
Tickets for Saturday’s luncheon at Merrigum have sold out and there is a waiting list if there are any cancellations.
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