Nostalgic Neason still packing a punch

TWO decades ago David Neason was the rookie in a Turvey Park pack of rugby league "heavy-hitters".Only 19 at the time, Neason was playing alongside ex-Sydney premiership players Billy Noke, Tony Rampling and Wayne Taekata in the Lions team that swept to the Group Nine premiership in 1993.Fast forward 18 years, David Neason is the elder statesman at Southcity, the club formed in 2005 by the amalgamation of Turvey Park and Magpies.Now 37, Neason yesterday recalled sharing Turvey Park's last premiership triumph."I'm showing my age," Neason laughed yesterday. "It's amazing to think it was 1993 and I was playing first grade."It was a great year - we had a great pack. There was all these heavy hitters and me."With Southcity set to celebrate Turvey Park's final football hurrah with a "retro" game against Gundagai at Harris Park on Sunday, Neason admits his memory of the 1993 grand final has mellowed with time."There was a bit of controversy when the team was picked," he recalled yesterday."I was a bit cranky because I was dropped to the bench."I'd made the Group Nine team of the year, but I got shafted for the grand final."I ended being first replacement but went on in the 25th minute and played the rest of the game."It is now history how Turvey Park crushed Gundagai 24-10 in the 1993 grand final, with dynamic Lions halfback Scott Woodhouse scoring three tries to clinch the title and the John Hill Medal.Back playing with Southcity after taking a sabbatical from football to get married and have children, Neason said his Group Nine return has definitely had its light side."The other night at training I was saying I'd played in the 1993 team and the young blokes reckoned I was kidding myself," he said."They said I couldn't be that old, but I'm really old enough to be their father."Relishing his comeback to Harris Park, the former home of Turvey Park, Neason is excited by the potential and promise emerging in the Bulls ranks."The club is going great," he said."Some people had concerns when it started out, but everyone has pulled hard together to make it work."Eager to have a crack at the Tigers on Sunday, Neason said Southcity's loss to Albury on Sunday could work in favour of the Wagga team."It might have been a wake-up call," the time-bandit said.