The Strathmore Football Club congratulates a long term junior of our club, VFL Life Member and Williamstown Football Club Captain Ben Jolley for his 200th VFL game. A wonderful achievement.

The following article by Luke D’Anello appeared in the Hobsons Bay Leader and published on the Herald Sun website:

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PETER German once opined all Williamstown players should look Ben Jolley “in the eye” as they leave the field.

You can attach any superlative to the decorated midfielder, but that perhaps best explains the esteem with which he is held. 

The Seagulls skipper has not relied on luck to construct his stellar VFL career.

Jolley’s relentless work ethic and unquestionable consistency have provided a template for teammates to follow.

Not all are capable of producing what Jolley has, but aiming to leave nothing on the paddock is a good place to start.

The humble 29-year-old says he has built his career on that.

But he delivers so much more, underlined by three Gerry Callahan medals for Williamstown’s best and fairest.

He is in elite company with just five others — Kim Kershaw, Arthur Sykes, Barry Round, Brad Lloyd and Ray Smith — achieving that feat in the club’s history.

Jolley has also been selected in the VFL Team of the Year five times and has earned state selection twice. In truth, it is rare for him not to feature on the list of best players.

You get the feeling every club would like a Ben Jolley in their corner.

Admired by opponents and adored by all at the Seagulls, Jolley will make his 200th appearance in the VFL on Sunday when Williamstown tackles Coburg at Burbank Oval.

He logged 52 matches for Bendigo before crossing to the Seagulls at the start of the 2008 season.

After Jolley’s 150th match in 2012, when he gathered 32 touches in a stirring win in the wet over Port Melbourne, former Williamstown coach German was lavish in his praise.

“If you play for Williamstown, you’ve got to make sure at the end of the game you can walk off and look Ben Jolley in the eye because he gives you everything, every week,” he said at the time.

Jolley last week credited German, who coached the Seagulls from 2010-13 and now leads Coburg, for helping him become one of the competition’s blue-chip players.

“Peter German’s been a massive influence on me. Probably his appointment came at a time when I suppose I really needed to be challenged,” Jolley said.

“I was quite happy just being a player and he came and said, ‘No, you’ve really got to make the most of your opportunities and put everything into your footy.’

“I think the way he coached us suited my style and my stage of my career absolutely perfectly.

“I was very fortunate to have him as my head coach for four years. He really hardened me up.”

Current Seagulls coach Andrew Collins also lauded Jolley.

“On and off the field, he’s a really good example for us,” he said.

Jolley captained Calder Cannons to the 2004 TAC Cup premiership and led Vic Metro in the same season.

He had time at the top level, spending a year on Essendon’s list in 2006 and managing four senior games.

But Jolley has made a mark in the VFL since and is still the go-to man in the Seagulls’ engine room.

He averaged almost 29 touches a game in 2014 and has shown no signs of slowing.

He has also been a loyal clubman.

While other state league players have been tempted by offers from cashed-up suburban clubs, Jolley has stayed put at the Seagulls as he chases the premiership that has so far eluded him.

“There was never really a question in my mind once I walked through the door. It just felt like a footy club I wanted to be a part of and that certainly hasn’t changed over the last eight or nine years,” Jolley said.

While he remains as reliable as a Swiss watch, Jolley insisted there was no secret to his success.

“I very much enjoy playing football, so therefore motivation has never been an issue,” he said.

“In the VFL, you’re constantly challenged and if you can meet those challenges, then hopefully that will lead to you being considered a consistent footballer.

“I guess (the milestone) means a lot. It’s amazing how quickly it’s come up.”

Jolley is in his fourth year as captain. A flag bearer for the value of effort, his message to teammates is simple — give everything.

“The playing group we’ve got, it doesn’t really require too much more motivation than that,” Jolley said.

“Everyone works just as hard as one another, so when that whistle blows and you cross the white line, everyone understands what they need to do and wants to get the best out of themselves.

“Sometimes the challenge is just trying to harness that and direct it in the right way.”

For all his achievements, there is one hole on Jolley’s resume, with Williamstown seeking its first flag since 2003.

The club has been a perennial contender in recent years and last qualified for the decider in 2011.

And Jolley is convinced he has a few good years left to add a premiership medallion to his trophy cabinet.

“For the core playing group, it’s been five or six years that we’ve been together and as a unit it’s been three-five years, so if this is a list that’s going to take the club anywhere it’s got to be happening in the next 12-24 months,” he said.

“When the career finally does come to an end, I wouldn’t mind having that (a premiership) as a reminder of my playing days.

“Body is fine. I’ve been very, very fortunate in not having any major injuries or anything like that. I enjoy the challenge still, I enjoy the training.

“As soon as that starts to wane, that will probably be when you know or start to think about retirement.”