NYAH Nyah West United has left an indelible mark on Darryl White.
The playing fields of the Central Murray might be a far cry from the bright lights of Brisbane where White earned a reputation as one of the most talented footballers of all time, but in humbler surrounds at the Demons the Indigenous Team of the Century member feels just as at home.
“It’s a good little small community and obviously everyone knows everyone. They’re just very nice people,” White told The Guardian this week.
Through his long football career in the Northern Territory and Queensland, White crossed paths and became mates with former United coach Justin Wilson.
It was prior to the 2011 season that Wilson convinced White to give the Dees a go — but the three-time AFL premiership star never envisaged his tenure at Nyah would stretch to a fourth season and possibly beyond.
“No, not at all; I thought it would be one year,” White said.
“It was Wilson’s second year of coaching and I thought he’d hang around, but obviously he didn’t. I was ready to go too, but the footy club asked me to stay and I was able to bring a few boys down [from Darwin] and that was good.”
For more on Darryl White’s 500th game celebrations, see Friday’s edition of The Guardian (August 8, 2014).
