The bearded forward, now 30, was a fresh-faced teenager when he lined up in the Magpies’ most recent grand final side in 2006.

Bateman will be the sole player from that defeated team to feature on grand final day against Koroit on Saturday – some 12 years later.

The Boorcan-raised, Gnotuk-based Bateman said it “seems so long ago now”.

“I was just 18 then. I remember most of it,” he said.

“It was back when if you got picked on the bench you spent most of the game on the bench, there wasn’t really rotations back then.

“I started on the bench and Russ Whiteford did his hammy pretty early so I got a fair bit of game time but South kicked away early. 

“I think they kicked six goals to one in the first quarter and we couldn’t really get back.”

Bateman has kicked 24 goals from 12 games in his return to Camperdown this season with hamstring and shoulder injuries dogging his campaign.

But the key forward, who had two years off before a one-year stint at Mininera and District league club Woorndoo-Mortlake, is feeling refreshed.

The fitter and turner, who works in Terang, is undecided on his long-term playing future but has enjoyed wearing the black and white stripes again.

“I trained but you didn’t have to and you didn’t have to take things too seriously,” he said of his time at Woorndoo-Mortlake.

“It was nice out there for a year but I thought it would be better to finish my career in Camperdown.”

Bateman hopes his football – not just his eye-catching beard – captures the crowd’s attention at Reid Oval on Saturday. 

He could chop the beard, which he’s had for almost four years, off soon.

“I was going to shave it off to raise money for ‘Spencey’ (Cam Spence) when he hurt himself (earlier this season) but he refused,” he said.

“I have a 10-month-old daugther (Rose) and she’s getting to that stage now where she’s really pulling on it.

“No one (on the field) has grabbed it this year which is nice.”

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