Sport
12 May, 2026
Campbells Creek breaks 55-game losing streak with six-point victory over Avoca
For the first time in 1387 days, the Magpies were celebrating a senior football victory, holding onto a six-point thriller against Avoca.
“This is a victory for the true believers.”
Former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating’s iconic quote from his 1993 victory speech rang in the mind of Campbells Creek Football Netball Club president Pete Manning as he oversaw a changeroom outpouring with relief and ecstasy following something that seemed almost impossible a few years ago.
For the first time in 1387 days, the Magpies were celebrating a senior football victory, holding onto a six-point thriller against Avoca.
Heading into Saturday’s contest, Campbells Creek boasted an unflattering 55-game losing streak. A dubious honour that hung over the club for nearly four years.
With their one-point victory over the now inactive Maryborough Rovers on July 23, 2022, Campbells Creek hoped their first win since 2018 would be a turning point for the on-field success of a club massively affected by COVID and a 2021 recess.
While the senior football department showed year-to-year improvement, three consecutive winless seasons followed.
“The community has had every reason in the world to give the club away and to say we’ve had enough, it’s too hard,” Manning said.
“From our sponsors all the way down to our supporters and the kids playing juniors, it would be easy to walk away, but they just won’t, they can’t, because it’s in their DNA.
“There’s something about Campbells Creek that just gets into your system. They’re a friendly and welcoming crew of people and they’re just so committed to their suburb and their footy club.
“The club went into recession, then we had COVID and they’ve come out of all that and survived, which is an effort on its own.”
While he doesn’t boast the most sublime win-loss record, Pete’s son, Matt Manning, has been crucial to Campbells Creek’s rebuild, providing needed stability and leadership after stepping up as senior head coach midway through 2023.
Co-captain Dylan Stevens has been another mainstay during those challenging campaigns, one of five players who played in that thrilling one-point win and remain key contributors in 2026.
With the Stevens family a massive cornerstone of the club, Dylan said he always saw the light at the end of the tunnel.
“It’s a great club off the field and on the field, the boys that we play with each week are great. Even though you’re losing, it’s still a great atmosphere despite what the scoreboard says sometimes,” he said.
The light became brighter after the Magpies’ round four perfor-mance against Lexton, leading by eight points at half time before eventually falling short.
Despite the long-standing losing rut extending for another week, Stevens said it gave the playing group a jolt of belief ahead of their clash with the Bulldogs.
“We have been more confident the last couple of years against Maryborough and Avoca and a few of those sides and always sort of fell short,” he said.
“The footy we have been playing for the last few weeks has been good, so we wanted to maintain the same game plan.”
With Stevens instrumental in repeatedly rebounding from defence and helping set up attacking opportunities, the visitors gained control with a 23-point lead at half time.
The intensity and quality lifted after half time, as the match developed into a genuine thriller following a goal-for-goal third quarter.
Just as the Magpies found themselves on the precipice of their drought-breaking victory, the Bulldogs barked back with three consecutive goals through Aiden Collicoat and Alex Riches to cut the margin back to just one goal at the 13-minute mark.
“It got tight after they kicked that last goal to get back within six points of us,” Stevens said.
“We went into our little huddle before the next bounce and just said it’s now or never really. This is the time to step up and show what you’re made of, or you can go back in your shell and repeat what’s been happening for the last few years.”
Daniel Howell had an opportunity to put Avoca in front midway through the term, but his shot drifted wide, reducing the margin to five points at the 18-minute mark.
Moments later, Stevens launched a long shot at goal for Campbells Creek that fell short and was rushed through for a behind, extending the margin to six points.
Avoca made one final push and had the ball deep inside their forward zone as the siren sounded, sparking mass jubilation from the travelling supporters.
“I couldn’t believe it. It didn’t really sink in for a little bit until we sang the song on the field,” Stevens said.
“The way the game had been flowing in that last quarter, they very well could’ve overrun us pretty easily, but everyone knuckled down, did their job and we were able to hold that last charge off in the last five minutes.”
As the ensuing club’s song was sung with an emphatic pride and passion likely reverberating back to Campbells Creek, Pete Manning said he couldn’t help but feel proud to see the hard work of countless volunteers, coaches, players and sponsors finally be rewarded.
“They roll up, they do their jobs and help out. They do everything they’ve got to do just to get side on the field and we’ve been building towards this and for it to happen was just sensational,” he said.
“I was rapt for the players, especially for the guys who stuck through thick and thin.
“I thought last week we probably had a really good chance to win that game, but the boys were unable to get themselves across the line.
“Probably the biggest difference was we led all day and it gave us that impetus going in and we knew they were going to come back at us after three-quarter time.
“Matt said be prepared, these boys are going to come at us, it’s their home ground, they don’t want us beating them, but eventually you’ve got to stand up and say we need to win this game of footy for us and our supporters.
“It looked at one stage where it got pretty close, but they did exactly what he asked, they toughed it out and we got the win.”
Isaac Fletcher, Judd Stevens, James Martinovic, Jake Leslie, Tyson Williams and Daniel Klimeck were named the best players for Campbells Creek, with Fletcher and Jesse Presser sharing a team-high two goals.
Avoca named Scott Cawthan, Matthew Wardlaw, Riches, Byron Wynd, Daniel Howell and Campbell Blair as their standout performers.