Scofield reaches 200 games for Ballina Bombers
Brad Scofield was a late starter to Australian Rules football but he’s now gone down in history as only the second Ballina player to reach the 200-game milestone.
It took Scofield the better part of three years to get a handle on the game but by the time he did, the Ballina Bombers footballer hasn’t looked back.
On Saturday Scofield became just the second Ballina player to reach the 200-game milestone, behind teammate Craig Borley, and just the fourth to do so in the Summerland Australian Football League (SAFL).
Scofield achieved the feat during the Bombers first home game of the season. His teammates made sure it was a memorable day, thrashing Nimbin Demons 23.14 (152) to 5.4 (34). Adding to the occasion, the defending premiers unveiled their 2006 premiership flag.
Scofield, 29, says he never dreamed he’d be a central figure in the Bombers’ recent premierships, let alone reaching a significant milestone.
“It’s a big honour to reach the milestone,” he said. “I never imagined I’d play 200 games.”
Scofield is a key member of the Bombers’ backline, holding down the key posts at full-back and centre half-back with aplomb. He’s built like a true backman, too; big and broad and with enough agility and footy smarts to mind some of the game’s leading forwards each weekend.
But that was not always the case.
“I was very dodgy when I first started playing back in 1993,” Scofield said.
“I had a rugby league and rugby union background and when I joined the Bombers I hadn’t played sport for about two to three years. It took me a while to learn the rules but after that I was right.”
Of course, it’s the flags that count among the highlights with Scofield rating his first premiership in 2002 the best, just eclipsing that of the Bombers’ back-to-back flags of 2005-2006.
“The 2002 premiership was the most enjoyable,” said Scofield. “It was my first premiership and as a club and team we had such a great year that year.”
Scofield rates Richard Mills, father of current Brisbane Lion, Wayde, as the best coached he’s played under.
“He was a very patient person,” Scofield said. “Knowing that I hadn’t played much before, he helped me out a lot, as did Jamie Gordon, who taught me what I had to do and where I had to be on the field and when. And others around the club like Keith Taylor and John Woods for their years of experience in football.”
