Captaining a premiership side, multiple best-on-ground awards and a Morrison Medal, reaching 200 games for Shepparton is arguably the least significant of the lot for Ash Holland, but it may be the most sentimental.
Despite having a three-year stint in Picola District Football League, Holland will cross the white line for the Bears for the 200th time on Saturday when Shepparton takes on Seymour.
A 2018 premiership hero with the club, Holland made his senior debut in 2010 while still in the Murray Bushrangers pathway.
Although spending time between 2021 to 2023 with Waaia, Holland made an immediate impact on return to the GVL club in 2024, in what was a monumental season that saw him claim the league’s best-and-fairest award.
Co-coach of the Bears, Ted Lindon, expressed his gratitude to play alongside the dominant ruck, whose aerial prowess has been a main staple of the Bears once again in 2025.
“Ash is one of the most genuine and nicest guys you will ever come across,” Lindon said.
“No-one has ever had a bad word to say about him.
“There’s probably no words to do justice on the impact he’s had on the club.
“Clearly his influence on the game has been profound over those 200 games.
“Sometimes you just sit back and laugh at his influence on the game with some of the things he can do.
“From a club point of view, we’ve just been so grateful and lucky to have him over the journey.”
Lindon said Holland’s professionalism to turn up week in, week out, had been the key to his consistent string of form.
With Holland continuing to exercise his commanding ruck craft in 2025, averaging the second-most hit-outs in the competition, Lindon stated he “wouldn’t be surprised” if the key tall found himself celebrating an even greater milestone in the future.
“The level of consistency, I swear he plays well and he’s dominant every single week,” Lindon said.
“And in grand finals too, he’s a multiple best-on-ground winner in those games, his ability to stand up in the biggest games of the year has been nothing but instrumental.
“He’s a premiership captain at Shepparton, but most importantly, when he speaks, everyone listens.
“That’s been another great trait of his over the years.
“His longevity is elite. He missed a couple of games in 2018 or 2019 with an ankle, but outside of that he’s hardly missed any footy.
“So I wouldn’t be surprised if he played another 50, 100 games more.”
Remarkably, until Shepparton’s five-game losing streak this season, Holland hadn’t lost back-to-back games since rounds five and six in 2019, including games across both stints at the Bears and with Waaia.
Shepparton recovered from its five-week slump with seven wins on the trot before losing to Mansfield, but an opportunity to return to form beckons for Holland and the Bears this Saturday at Kings Park.
Saturday’s One FM broadcast game is Shepparton Swans versus Kyabram live from Princess Park, followed by the Kyabram District League elimination final clash between Nagambie and Longwood at Merrigum on Sunday.
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