The Western Magpies Tim McEvoy will play his 200th First Grade match for the Pies when they host Surfers Paradise at Chelmer on Saturday.
“TMac ” is as resilient as they come and gets every last drop out of his wiry body each week. He has played many matches with a “dicky” shoulder but just ignores the pain and gives his all to ensure the Pies are in every contest. He suffered osteitis pubis as teenager and had surgery to correct this as a 17 year old.
It is a testament to his toughness that he still managed to play 200 Senior matches in good times and bad for the Pies.
He played a lot of his early football as a ruck-rover so was in the thick of the hurly-burly for two-thirds of his matches then later in his career he has moved to half back where he uses his experience and reading of the play to thwart opposition attacks. He has become a defensive general as the Pies are again in the QAFL Finals mix and if they win on Saturday will be a definite premiership threat.
Tim started at Sherwood in Under 6’s, so he has probably played over 500 matches for his beloved black and whites – thank god for that as he is also an avid Collingwood supporter and in all probability has black instead of red corpuscles. He began as a 6 year old and has had 27 years with the Magpies.
Tim is from a famous Sherwood family and started playing football at Sherwood soon after he could walk and has been black and white through and through ever since.
He won the club’s Best and Fairest Award, the Bill Peirce Medal, in 2007 as well as winning several other club awards, including the much prized BG Award for Most Courageous player in 2008 and 2012 which is in honour of his best friend Brett Gwyther, who lost a short but hard fought battle with cancer in early 2007 after playing on the 2006 Premiership.
He was Vice-Captain of the First grade team for several years and has been in the leadership group for most of his playing career. He has played in three premierships for the Magpies– 2006, 2008 and 2012.
Tim has been an inspirational player for the club throughout his career and has always showed enormous courage with his attack on the football but also to play with injuries and show young players in the club what loyalty and determination are all about. Not only that he is simply a good bloke which football clubs need to build a good club culture.
He also served as Treasurer on the club’s Board for two years in 2011-12 and was awarded Life Membership of the club in 2014.
He still helps out with coaching Sherwood junior teams in his spare time.
He is coaching his 6 year old son Mason in Under 6’s which he admits can be frustrating and has two other children in Chloe and Declan so he will be involved in sport and football for many years to come.
His family have been an institution at the Magpies, with his father Michael also a long serving club stalwart, serving as club President for many years and is also a Life Member and his mother Julie also served as the club’s Treasurer and board member for many years.
His brother Sean has also been a long serving Sherwood junior then Western Magpies player and is till playing for the club. His sister Jess has been a great club supporter and has organised several women’s functions for the club and is married to another long serving player in Reid Dobson –what you have is a great Sherwood/Western Magpies family!
Tim was quick to acknowledge the support of his family and his wife Sophia to allow him to play football and contribute to the club he loves.
