Tathra’s David ‘Croc’ Little made SCAFL history on Wednesday night.
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Accepting an induction as a life member of the league with more than 300 senior games under his belt, Croc joined his dad Rob as the only father-son life-member duo.
“That’s a pretty proud moment for me,” Croc said to a standing ovation from the 150-strong attendance at the presentation.
The Sea Eagles veteran graciously thanked league officials, club mates and family and friends in a local Aussie rules career that spans the best part of three decades.
Rob was among the founding members of SCAFL when it launched in 1983, originally a social pub league with the Tathra Hotel and places like the Pambula Top Pub and Lakeview in Merimbula.
It takes quite a career to notch up 300 games, but Croc said it almost came naturally as he “kept getting drawn back to the area every time I left – and luckily enough we had a pretty good footy side to fill in the weekends”.
“I’m most proud of that Tathra [Sea Eagles] footy club – the most successful club in SCAFL history and the smallest town.”
He started as a kid working through the junior ranks and cracked his debut in the seniors in his teens in what he described as a then league-dominated area.
Croc is still pulling on the boots and will play for Tathra in this weekend’s preliminary final, but he said it was phenomenal to see the kids coming through.
“From that league-domination then, but to see where it’s at now with the kids coming through … as you come to the end of your career you almost hate playing because you can’t quite do what you used to – but the kids reinvigorate you,” he said.
He said SCAFL was a regional league, but still produced some top footballers, sharing a premiership with Aaron vandenBerg who now runs on for the Melbourne Demons.
Croc also thanked his wife for her love and patience, while wishing luck to all teams in the finals.