“From an administrator’s point of view, (it’s been) a really complete year,” Cleary said.
“We set ourselves a task to build the foundation, so our club could be competitive.
“Some of the other priorities were to continue our community engagement and support other areas of the community.
“We’ve worked closely with other groups like the CFA, the Lions club, and the junior footy club, highlighted on the weekend with a great involvement with the under-14 kids.
“All those things for us have been a real priority, so I’m just rapt how all that’s played out.
“It’s been a whole community effort.
“We don’t get to this point because a few people are doing the job, we get to this point because everybody is”
No doubt the highlight of the year on the field has been the club’s senior squad, which booked its place in the grand final on Sunday with victory over Mansfield.
“It’s been a great journey,” Cleary said.
“Building from two seasons ago, we had four wins, and we got such a buzz out of those four wins, believe it or not.
“You pinch yourself now that you’re through to a grand final only two seasons later, but that was the starting point.
“It was just learning to enjoy all that and getting the culture right, so it’s a great reward for Ash and his team, the players and the resilience of the group right through the club because there have been injuries and challenges.
“Ash Watson, his coaching is next level, the professionalism he brings to it, the engagement, he’s done a tremendous job and everyone’s bought in.
“They’ve got some other great leaders in the captains Nathan McCarty and Wil Hamilton and the senior leadership groups, and it’s amazing what you can do when everybody’s fully behind it.”
On the netball courts, the club won’t have any grand final representation this year, but Cleary credited the netball squads for making the best of a challenging year on the injury front, particularly the two preliminary finals representatives, B-reserve and 17-and-under.
“(We have) a tremendous young group of netballers coming through 15s and 17s with great experience above them helping them out,” he said.
“The litany of injuries that group had this year was unbelievable.
“The entire netball squad, they’ve shown great resilience, really proud of their efforts, and they should be as well.”
The club will be holding its final training sessions on Wednesday and Friday, and Cleary encourages supporters to get down to the Friday hit-out and celebrate what the club has achieved.
Although they will go into the decider as an underdog, it will only take one great game for the Tigers to claim a first premiership since 2008.
“Let’s enjoy it for what it is,” Cleary said.
“It’s a massive achievement to get into a grand final and we’re in it.
“No doubt about the challenges we’re facing, Kyabram have been the absolute benchmark and deserve to be favourites, but we’re in it and who knows on the day.
“We’re super excited to see what we can produce.”
