Fremantle games record holder David Mundy will return to Seymour, marking a whopping acquisition for a Lions midfield hampered by the departure of Morrison medallist Jack O’Sullivan.
During a glittering 376-game AFL career, Mundy amassed a wealth of accolades after playing his junior football with the Lions and Murray Bushrangers.
Selected with pick 19 in the 2003 national draft, the evergreen midfielder would depart the top flight 19 years later, having played the eighth-most games in VFL/AFL history.
Mundy was crowned Fremantle’s best-and-fairest in 2010, received an All-Australian jacket in 2015, captained the purple and white the following season and earned two International Rules call-ups.
In bringing his brilliant career full circle with a move home to Seymour, the 38-year-old will fill the O’Sullivan-shaped gap in the Lions’ engine room when available, with the previous ace having moved to Wodonga Raiders.
Seymour coach Ben Davey paid tribute to Mundy’s character in arranging the deal.
“Dave was registered with us last year and we were trying to make something work, but his schedule was hectic,” Davey said.
“He was really in demand, so it just didn’t work.
“He’s been keen to get involved the whole time, so it wasn’t something I really had to push or chase.
“It’s got everyone in the local community rapt and it’s really exciting for the town; he loves that community feel.”
Mundy has not returned to reside in the Seymour area full-time and will continue his existing Perth-based radio duties for Fremantle AFL fixtures.
So it is unlikely Mundy will appear in the majority of Lions games on the recently-announced 2024 GVL fixture.
Of Fremantle’s four currently scheduled trips to Melbourne next season, just one falls on a weekend where Seymour will play at home ― a round 16 meeting with reigning premier Echuca in August.
He’ll be box office whenever and wherever he goes, though.
“It’s got to work around his media commitments, but he’s also over here a bit for family occasions, so he gets around,” Davey said.
“He enjoys it because he’s not getting chased around everywhere.
“Our aim is to go deep into finals and he wants to play enough that he can contribute to that.
“That could be anywhere from three up to half a dozen games, but it’s completely up to Dave.”
As big a coup as this may appear to be from the outside for the Lions and the GVL at large, Davey rejects any such notion.
In praising Mundy’s character and commitment to his local roots, Davey maintains there was no greater factor in his new star man putting pen to paper.
“I think it’s more about Dave. It’s about what a quality person he is,” Davey said.
“He’s so loyal to his town and community and it says a bit about Seymour Football Club, that it’s a positive place to be around.”
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