WITH AN abundance of family ties at Kolora-Noorat, the sense of community embodied in the club is not lost on Ben Fraser and Jason Moloney.
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The Melbourne-based duo completed the six-hour round trip countless times this season, injecting a layer of class to Danny Finn’s side.
Although Fraser was raised near Phillip Island, his mother hails from the Noorat region.
He first signed for the Power in 2009, slotting 102 goals in his maiden season before shifting his football career closer to home in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
But the lure of helping Kolora-Noorat to its fourth grand final proved too strong, tempting Fraser to re-sign with the club in the 2016 off-season.
“It was very easy to slot back into the club. The little kids that were running out in 2009 are now grown up and playing under 17 footy,” Fraser said.
“It’s amazing to see the transformation of those kids and I just love the club. It’s a great place to be.
“We’re just happy to be able to reward them with another premiership.”
Fraser booted two goals, overcoming a calf injury to play in the Power’s grand final triumph over Old Collegians.
For Jason Moloney, playing football in Noorat meant he forged stronger relationships with his family.
While an ankle injury restricted the former Terang Mortlake midfielder to just 12 appearances this season, his class and leadership were well-admired by the Power faithful.
“I’ve been able to come back and stay at mum and dad’s house on a Friday night,” Moloney said.
“The Saturday morning ritual has always been to grab a coffee and then go to see grandma. If we weren’t coming back to play footy, we wouldn’t be able to see grandma.
“That’s pretty special. It’s important to keep the connections and ties up with your family.”
Another of the Power’s Melbourne-based players, midfielder Joel Moloney, capped a best-on-ground afternoon with both the AFL Victoria Country and Scotty Stewart medals.
Moloney linked up with the club mid-way through the season after his girlfriend moved back to the south-west.
“I came back half way through the season and to have the amount of mates and supporters we have here, it’s awesome.”
The former University Blues hard nut said the Power knew they had to grind away at the contest.
“We had a focus on getting our one-percenters right up and in the end, we got a bit of separation,” Moloney said.