BRENDAN LINES
RIVERLAND football greats Mark Mickan and Jono Beech have been honoured by the West Adelaide Football Club with life memberships.
Mickan and Beech received their honours at the club’s AGM last Wednesday.
Mickan played 122 games between 1981 to 1996 and said his life membership came unexpectedly.
“In my contribution, I thought it probably wouldn’t warrant selection of a life membership for the reason I wasn’t there for that long,” he said.
“So, I really do value the life membership,
“People that have also been honoured with a life membership have often spent 20 to 30 years as a statistician or a team manager.
“That’s what they do in years and years of non-playing roles, supporting players and making it easier for them.
“So, to be included in that group is an amazing honour.”
For Beech, a 154-game player, the honour marks his return to the club after a year away playing in Queensland.
“I love the footy club and obviously I’ve been there for a while now,” he said.
“And it’s a great honour…
“It’s good I can still play and hopefully win another premiership.”
Mickan said the pair represent Riverland football’s contribution across the club’s most recent history.
“You could make an amazing team just out of Riverlanders,” he said.
“And no doubt that goes back a long time.
“The Riverland has been well represented at senior level for West Adelaide and has been a very rich zone.”
The pairs success culminated in West Adelaide’s 2015 premiership with Mickan as coach and Beech as a player.
Having been to the heights of the club’s most recent success the pair share a high regard for each other.
Mickan said Beech’s ability to play many roles was a key to its premiership success.
“Jono is a quality person there’s no doubt about that,” he said.
“He’s very coachable and he did play a number of roles in that year (2015).
“He played a super grand final too. He’s been a great acquisition to West Adelaide, a real leader amongst the players and a good example to young players of how to go about your preparation.”
Conversely, Beech said Mickan brought an attacking style of football as a coach.
“He gave the playing group and myself a lot of confidence,” he said.
“When he came to the club he got us to really attack and that resulted in us winning a premiership.
“He’s a great communicator and all the boys got along really well with him.
“It was awesome Mark and I got the life membership on the night.”
Mickan and Beech also share Neil Kerley Medals as best and fairest winners at the club.