Shane Wadwell Snr tracked down his eloquent side in an attempt to deflect attention away from himself after being named an Unsung Sports Hero.
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He explained that he was a mere cog in the high-functioning North Tamworth Bears machine, but did so with far more style.
"I'm just a little pebble in the pond," he said. "Everyone has their part to do, and they all do it well."
Indeed.
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Six-straight premierships, a third Clayton Cup and plenty of lower-grade success as well over the past decade.
Wadwell has been there through it all after following his son, Shane Leigh, to Norths when the latter defected from Wests in 2009.
They were joined by Wadwell Snr's wife, Rose, another of the Bears' tireless volunteer workers. Shane Leigh's younger brother, Brock, is a key Bears first grader.
While Shane Leigh (Leigh is his middle name) morphed into one of Norths' all-time greats, finishing his career with a man-of-the-match performance in the 2019 grand final, his father helped provide invaluable off-field support that has meshed so potently with the club's on-field dominance.
Wadwell sits on the Bears' committee, operates the bar at Jack Woolaston Oval, runs water in first grade, does strapping and generally helps out where he can across all the grades.
"There's a whole heap of us who do everything behind the scenes," he said, adding that that extended to Norths hosting campers during the Country Music Festival.
