Homecoming: Lancaster star Jake Mills opened up on his connection to the Ky Valley.
Photo by
Aydin Payne
Country football has a tradition of attracting the loudest and most obnoxious supporters to the same area of the oval — directly behind the goals — making the life of a full-forward, or even full-back, all the more frustrating.
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At Kyabram District League grounds, some more imaginative supporters plonk a lounge chair on the back of a Landcruiser ute, back it up to the fenceline and offer consistent advice to the goal square-bound players from only metres away.
Luckily, Lancaster star Jake Mills isn’t the kind of bloke to interact with outspoken spectators, but if he were given the chance to answer some of the taunts from the “cheap seats’’ they may take a different line of attack given the 31-year-old’s connection to the area.
“I get a fair bit of flack from the opposition, because they think I am just a footballer coming up from Melbourne to play (for money),’’ he said.
“At Stanhope last week (qualifying final) 15 of my family were there because they live so close,” he said.
Mills was born and raised at Echuca and played all his junior football in the area (along with two senior GVL appearances as a teenager in 2010) before moving to the city for university.
He is at Lancaster at the behest of his McNamara Medal-winning cousin, Steve Thomson, and has this year enjoyed playing alongside another cousin, Ricky Thomson.
Because the latter is a reasonably new face to senior KDL ranks, he suffers the same “out of town’’ identity crisis, despite having played all his under-age football in the Kyabram district.
Mills and Ricky Thomson are business partners in Melbourne and travel to play with the Wombats on weekends — with a car load of other city-based recruits.
The cousins are directors of Melbourne construction company PAD Civil, which is also a sponsor of Lancaster, adding to the strong ties Mills now has with the club.
Because they are such impactful players and not particularly familiar faces (although Mills has been at the Wombats since 2021) spectators assume they are FIFO players (fly in fly out).
“People think we aren’t locals, but both of us have strong connections to the club. In my mind I am coming home to play footy,” he said.
Mills Junior: A teenage Jake Mills playing with Echuca, where his parents still live. He has returned to the region to play with Lancaster for the past three seasons, this year with his cousin Ricky Thomson.
Mills’ parents still live in Echuca and the reunion with his cousin, two years his senior, was enough motivation to keep playing
“Ricky played all his junior footy at Ky. We have always talked about getting back to play together,” Mills said.
Mills got his first taste of senior football at Echuca as a teenager, having been part of under age premierships with the club.
Mills’ initial decision to play with Lancaster in 2021, apart from the family connection, was in pursuit of premiership glory — a feat achieved last year, but not before a minor hiccup.
He was suspended for two weeks in the final home and away round and missed both finals.
“I was chasing a flag, but Lancaster also appealed to me because it was a bit unique. There is no town, which makes it all that bit more special,” he said.
Mills has only played eight games this year, kicking 35 goals, having played 12 games last year for a 32-goal return (including a bag of 11 against Rushworth).
Despite limited playing time, Mills hasn’t escaped injury, starting the season late because of a back injury and then hurting his groin.
He said there was no problem filling the gaps as the depth at the club was amazing.
“There are a number of players that can easily step up to seniors.
“Several of them would be playing in a number of other senior teams in this competition.
“The selection committee has a tough job ahead of them ... although it would be hard to change a winning (semi-final) team.’’
He said there were going to be guys who missed out again this year.
One bonus will be the inability of those “enthusiastic’’ football fans to park their makeshift soap boxes on the fenceline at Mooroopna Recreation Reserve on grand final day.
Mills probably won’t be listening anyway as potential back-to-back glory awaits the Wombats for only the second time in their history — the feat was achieved at senior level in seasons 1980-81.
