By David Nagel
Tooradin Football Club has bestowed a wonderful honour on its legendary midfielder Beau Miller…announcing the late superstar as its number-one player of the last 25 years.
There was not a dry eye in the house, and a standing ovation was afforded at the Tooradin Sports Club on Saturday night, as Beau’s widow Stephanie, their son Chase, and parents Debbie and Peter, accepted the honour on Beau’s behalf.
Stephanie spoke after Miller was announced as Tooradin’s number-one player from 1995 to 2019.
“If Beau was here, he wouldn’t have thought he would come first, that’s not the player he was, he always thought that there were people above him,” an emotional Steph said.
“But he actually deserves this, both on and off the field, he played every game like it was his last, and he put so much into it…he really deserves this.
“He would be honoured, absolutely honoured.”
Peter Miller was as chuffed as any person in the room after his son was acknowledged in such a way.
“Everyone loved him, we loved him, everyone loved him and what an amazing tribute this is, and would have been for Beau,” Peter said.
“If you look up tonight, you might see a shooting star, that will be Beau.
“He’d be thumbs up and saying ‘Thanks guys, I love you all’…and that’s the sort of person he was.
“He loved his footy, loved his training, and just loved life.”
Beau Miller’s great friend, and current-day senior coach, Lachie Gillespie, was proud as punch to be asked to present the award.
“I feel very lucky to have had Beau in my life, a great human being more so than a great footballer, and that’s saying something because he was a bloody good footballer,” Gillespie said.
“To be able to do this is a great honour, for me personally and for my family.
“It’s well deserved, I’m absolutely proud, and all of his mates here are as well…we love you, Beau.”
Miller was a champion junior who debuted at Tooradin in 1998 and played his last game there in 2013.
Miller captained and coached the club, and won two club best and fairest awards and was a two-time league medallist.
But the impact he had on his teammates was even greater.
“I came down to meet Beau and Derek (then president Derek Genoni) at the club, I fell in love with the footy club, fell in love with Derek and absolutely fell in love with Beau Miller,” said Ryan White via video, selected at number 15 on the list.
“The piercing blue eyes, the sculptured body, and how could you not fall in love with the footballer he was.
“Guts, determination, physical, aspiring, inspiring, he was someone that I looked up to…he was a figure on the field, a figure off the field, he was a great footballer, he was a great mate, and he deserves to be named the best.”
And champion midfielder Matt Wade, who starred alongside Miller when Tooradin made an emotional charge to the preliminary final in 2012, was full of praise for his former teammate.
“Beau Miller, what a champion, number one for a reason,” Wade began, via a video pre-prepared from his home in Swan Hill.
“His work ethic around the ground, his intensity at the contest were un-matched.
“If you ever wanted to mimic someone’s playing style Beau would be the one to try and mimic.
“No-one was as hard as he was, his training ethic was through the roof, and it really showed on Saturday’s.
“A ripper person, as honest as the day is long. I couldn’t be prouder or privileged to have played alongside him and got to know him as a person.
“Congratulation’s champ.”
And number-two of the last 25 years, gun midfielder Steve Hamill, spoke of what the football club means to him.
“Mateship, that’s what footy’s about, it’s about the journey, you meet people and you accumulate, and you have relationships, and the strength of it is you come back through the doors tonight, you say gidday and people say hello to you…that’s a great thing,” Hamill said.
“It’s just been great to be part of this club and great to be part of the journey.
“Congratulations to Beau and his family for being number one.”
TOORADIN TOP 25 – 1995 – 2019
1 Beau Miller
2 Steve Hamill
3 Matt Wade
4 Darren Sherrit
5 Dan O’Loughlin
6 Peter Vandermeer
7 Sean Edwards
8 Robert Arvanitakis
9 Chris Pym
10 Jon Gahan
11 Greg Bethune
12 Matt Wood
13 Scott Weekly
14 Steve Arvanitakis
15 Ryan White
16 Julian Suarez
17 Luke McKenna
18 Adrian Mack
19 Michael Hobbs
20 Aaron Setford
21 Adam Splatt
22 Adam Galea
23 Paul Ray
24 Mark Amalfi
25 Andrew Dean
