The Pirates ended a nine-year premiership drought with with a 3-1 victory against the Buccaneers in Saturday’s Warrnambool and District Hockey Association men’s grand final.
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Captain Jason MacLeod said the feeling was worth the wait after holding the premiership shield aloft.
“It’s great, it’s ecstatic and a long time coming,” he said.
“We haven’t won the premiership since 2009 so it is phenomenal and a very special day.”
First-year Pirates coach Matt Stephen admitted he did not have to endure the long wait his teammates had for almost the past decade, but he said the premiership meant just as much to him.
“The past two years I have been playing elsewhere and sort of come in this year and stood in as coach,” he said.
“At the start of the year I had the aim of making this premiership, making it to this day, and coming out with the goods it’s unreal.
“This team I have been coaching this year is a really good team. They are good off the field, good to play with and they are an all-round good team.”
Stephen, who was named player of the match for his strong performance, praised the Buccaneers for the way in which they fought out the match.
“I was a little bit nervous actually,” he said.
“Throughout the season we have played each other five times and they have sort of pegged us, they have beaten us twice and we had drawn twice.
“And we played them a couple of weeks ago in the prelim and they beat us 6-2, so it was good to get the win today.”
