Milestone Games – Round 9

Congratulations to both Daniel Ortisi and Steph Bridge who will both play their 50th games this weekend!

Daniel Ortisi

The PUG 50!!

Congratulations on 50 games – huge day for you and well deserved.

Our football journey together does not date back that far, I have only been around for the back half of your 50 games but it’s been a fun one in the short time we have shared it together.

Back in early to mid-2021 we started our journey going for kicks with Adsy at Koonung Oval Reserve, most of the time having the oval to ourselves due to lockdown. We played many games of 50 and nailed many goals from the carpark.

It got to a couple months before the commencement of the MOCFC preseason 2021/22 where we said to each other “let’s go back to Marcellin and play footy together, get a full preseason in, and dominate”… all the boys said, “yeah no worries, you both will last 1 session”.

Daniel the Pug Costa Ortisi, we proved them wrong. We got the preseason done across the summer of 21/22 then got to share our first win together in round 1 season 2022 on a raining day down in Hampton, where we both kicked 0.4, we were just dusting off the cobwebs.

We enjoyed our first season together, from playing magoos under blacky, always looking for each other in match sim drills, watching you sneak off in the running blocks and hide behind the trees in the dark, laughing at you ruining the flow of drills when you would miss the rebounder by 20 metres, seeing you cop the great axing  and then all this leading to you getting your first seniors nod late in season 2022 when you won against Old Geelong, it was special watching you run out there as a very proud mate.

I love playing footy with you because I know after a 50-point win or a 100-point loss, we are always going to walk away smiling and enjoying our time together at the club, with all our other brothers. I look forward to many more games together and when we get older, and can share your favourite red wine looking back on some great times playing footy with all our mates. I’m so glad we both decided to come back, one of the great decisions.

Go well Pug, Congratulations on 50 games and never stop using that lethal left leg of yours.

Anthony Radatti

Steph Bridge

I am very excited to be speaking about and celebrating Bridgey’s 50th game for MOCFC this weekend. She has been a member of the club since 2018 and it is a true testament to her character for her ongoing dedication & commitment to the club throughout the last 6 years.

I first met Bridegy in 2018 when we were young quiet souls of the club, well look at us now. She was supposedly known as “mountain leg” in the early days when people were still trying to remember each others names. I have just always known her as the gentle giant with a very competitive drive to play her best for the team as well as let her hair down on night outs.
We had a very fun and memorable first year. Our biggest achievement was winning the premiership together which followed onto Mad Monday where Bridgey dressed up as Honey Badger and was asking people if they would “accept this Rose” all day. We were also roomies on our Byron Bay footy trip, where we bought and wore crazy shirts, performed a mean girls jingle bell rock routine for our whole hostel that no one actually asked for and danced on tables at cheeky monkeys until the early hours of the morning and consuming a Byron Bay kebab on the way home.

As we all know Bridgey has a very fun and bubbly personality but her “blonde moments” are ones none of us can forget. From sleeping through her alarm not once, but twice and rocking up to a game at half time, to then attending training on the wrong night and messaging “which spot are we training in I can’t see anyone”, she always has a way to make us laugh.

On field, Bridgey is a reliable and strong player who always takes on big roles. Her versatility to start centre half forward, to then rotate into the ruck when needed and then go down to kill it in the air as a centre half back is exceptional. Her pre season this year in particular was one everyone spoke about and admired. The strength and skills she displayed was at an elite level and I know how fortunate everyone feels to have you on our team every week.

Thank you for your devotion to the team and the club and I know we all can’t wait to run out with you and celebrate the star that you are. Congratulations on this milestone achievement and hopefully we can get the win for you.

Maddy Rush

Bridgey! Congratulations on playing your 50th game for the club this weekend, it’s such a special and amazing achievement!

It’s been such a pleasure growing up with Steph since our teenage years. We used to spend our day shifts at work talking about our footy games on the weekend – Steph played for Hurstbridge, while I was at my junior team. I remember coming to work and talking about how Marcellin were starting up a senior women’s team and how she should really come and play with us…. and thank god she did!

Steph has become an integral member of both our Seniors Women’s and Ressies teams, and the club as a whole. When playing – you know she’s going to put up a great contest with her super long arms and great footy smarts! Steph is a teammate you can always count on, to pick your up off the ground or greet you with a giant happy smile at training.

Off-field, Steph is a very generous and kind-hearted person. She is someone you can always count on to have your back and support you.

As much as she’s reliable, she’s also quite a keen footballer…. if our games on a Sunday, you know she’s gonna be there on the Saturday. And if trainings on a Thursday, you know she’s gonna be there on the Wednesday.

I’m so excited to watch you run out for your 50th game this weekend Bridgey, one of my longest friends who I’ll always cherish! Go and smash it!

Annie Xanthos