The hard Yards: Yardy’s 500th

Photo courtesy of Pennant Hills AFC.

 

Written by Lachlan McKirdy.

This weekend, Chris Yard of the Pennant Hill Demons celebrates his 500th game with the Club.

Considered as part of the furniture at the Mike Kenny clubhouse, Yard will bring up the milestone of combined played and coached games, against the St. George Dragons on Saturday.

As current coach of the Senior team, Yard has had an illustrious career with the Demons, which stretches back to 1989.

He made his first-grade debut against Campbelltown in Round 7, 1989 and from there, has never looked back.

“I’ve been there for quite some time,” Yard said.

“I suppose it’s a fantastic place to be around, which is why I’ve been there so long. You’re surrounded by people who are genuinely loyal to the Club – be that players, be that volunteers, be that coaches.

“It’s built from local people that want to see the Club do well.”

Over the years, Yard made the ruck position his own and somewhat remarkably, won a number of awards – a feat not generally reserved for ruckmen.

“I used to enjoy playing in the ruck.

“I could read the play and set myself up as to where the ball would come. That was my strength, I wasn’t the quickest guy around.

“That’s where I played my best football.”

From 1996-2000 he played 94 games uninterrupted, won the Coach’s Award twice (1997 & 2000), and was awarded the Best Team Man (1999).

On the field, the team played in three Grand Finals, which included winning a flag in 2000. It was the Demons’ first Premiership, and Yard played a big role in making it happen.

“[It’s] my fondest memory from a playing perspective.

“We beat North Shore, one of our rivals, which made it just a bit sweeter as well.”

By 2004, Yard had made the transition into the Reserve Grade team as a player/coach and played his last game for the Club during the 2007 Reserve Grade Grand Final.

“The game became faster and I became slower,” he said.

“My next logical step was to pass on the baton to the guys around the Club and then coach.”

Yard wanted to give back to the Club, which meant so much to him, and the results on the field reflected his commitment. Under his leadership, the Reserve Grade team made three consecutive Grand Finals, but found themselves runners-up each time.

“It was a frustrating time, there were some very good sides back then,” Yard said.

“You need to perform on the day, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been the best during the season. We didn’t play at the level required to win the flags.”

These experiences taught him a lot about coaching, and with more experience under his belt, he moved into the Senior coaching role in 2012.

In the five years Yard has been at the helm, he has achieved a 73%-win record and has qualified for finals each year – a remarkable accomplishment.

The 2015 season saw him break his duck, with the Senior team finally winning the Premiership. After losing the two Grand Finals in 2013 and 2014, it was a great moment for Yard and the Pennant Hills Demons.

“The jubilation of winning, and the ten minutes after is, one of the best feelings. They take a lot of hard work and everything has to go right to win one.”

He misses being out on the field, but Yard certainly finds coaching a rewarding experience.

“I still enjoy having a kick with the boys,” he said.

“It’s a limited kick because I certainly can’t keep up with them. Whilst I’d still love to play those days are probably gone.

“The boys that I coach are a fantastic group of guys to work with, they are a loyal and genuine bunch. They’re what keeps me going.”

At the start of the season, Yard’s numbers are impressive – 320 open-age games (a club record until last year), 74 games as the Reserve Grade coach, and 102 as Senior Coach. With the 500th coming up this weekend, he still doesn’t see himself stopping anytime soon.

“Coaching a Premier Division side is a time-consuming task,” he said.

“But if my results are still okay and the boys are still enjoying me as a coach, it’s something I’ll probably continue going forward.”

And the one piece of advice he would give to any team going out on the weekend?

“[Have] a will. A will to perform and a will to win.”