It wasn’t quite the fairy-tale milestone match for Navarre’s Luke Bibby at the weekend but he “had a blast” nonetheless.
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Bibby ran out for his 300th game in front of an adoring home crowd full of family and friends on Saturday.
The 37-year-old tore through the banner with his two children Harper and Mac in a moment to remember forever.
“It was a pretty good day. The main thing for me was to run out with the kids and enjoy it,” Bibby said.
The result didn’t quite go to plan for the Grasshoppers, with an impressive Lexton reserves side claiming a 29.9 (183) to 2.0 (12) win.
Navarre’s reserves side has picked up just one win in the first nine rounds of the season, leaving Bibby to enter the match with limited hopes.
“Expectations of a win weren’t very high but it was more than just about four points on Saturday,” he said.
“It is good to see the younger players coming through and having a crack. They are the future of the club.”
Navarre’s secretary and newest 300-club member said it means a lot to him to achieve the rare milestone.
“My family has been involved with the club right throughout its history so it is quite an important achievement for me,” he said.
“I still have a deep love for the game which has helped me keep coming back.
“It is rewarding to be able to teach the younger players a few things along the way.”
Regional football clubs all across the country are struggling at the moment, with population decline a major issue, especially for small towns like Navarre.
Bibby said he will continue to stay involved with Navarre and help secure the future of the club as times become more and more difficult.
“The future of the club will be a real challenge for us,” he said.
“We have to hold on to every single one of our young ones that we have as well as try and find new people to join which is just becoming harder and harder.
“There are great people here and I am sure we will be able to keep it going with the success we have had.”