A hard-nosed inside midfielder, Herridge has seen it all throughout his storied career in blue and gold, with his ferocious attack on the ball and determination to win making him a long-time favourite among the Mansfield faithful.
Notching up the 250-game milestone in the Eagles’ 64-point loss to Euroa at Mansfield Recreation Reserve in round 10, Herridge said it was still a special day despite the end result.
“It is obviously a pretty big achievement and something very special to me,” Herridge said.
“It was a bit unfortunate that the result didn’t go our way but that’s just footy; the reception I was given by everyone at the club was very overwhelming and made the day incredibly special.”
A member of Mansfield’s 2009 premiership team, Herridge’s career has been filled with highlights, having had the opportunity to play alongside some of the club’s most storied figures.
He outlined a few moments that had stood out along the way.
“For me the biggest highlight has without doubt been the premiership in 2009,” Herridge said.
“To be able to share such a special moment with so many good mates, it is the pinnacle of local footy and something I’m glad to have experienced.
“And also just being able to help nurture and play with the local young boys coming through and build a team that I think has a real shot at success in the not-too-distant future.”
For Herridge, 2022 presents a fantastic opportunity to add to his premiership tally, with the Eagles currently sitting in third spot on the GVL ladder with an impressive record of 8-3.
Fresh off a spirited victory against Kyabram on the road last weekend, he said it was an exciting time to be involved with the Mansfield Football Netball Club.
“It is definitely exciting times at the club right now, with so many youngsters coming through the senior ranks,” he said.
“I watched a lot of those boys play juniors at the club and always hoped I’d get a year or two in with these guys, so to be at that stage now it is really good.
“They keep me going and constantly hungry; this year I think we have a great opportunity and if we play our best footy we can beat anybody.”
Moving to Mansfield over a decade ago, Herridge said he owed the club a debt of gratitude for helping him settle in to the community and didn’t rule out potentially getting to the 300-game mark.
“The footy club is like a second family to me; when I moved to Mansfield they took me in and there’s a lot of good people around that club,” he said.
“The body takes a while to recover these days, but if Chad (Owens) can sneak up into a forward pocket for a couple of years I might be able to get to that 300-mark.”
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