On Saturday, 24th of May, Nhill’s Liam Albrecht played his 200th club and senior game to become one of Nhill’s stalwarts, with the Tigers having a good win over Warracknabeal.
It is just over 14 years to the day since Liam Albrecht first debuted for the Tigers on the 7th of May, 2011. Coach at the time was Simon Brearley and the senior captain was Aaron Beer. Liam played 11 games that season, pulling the boots on alongside names such as Daniel Hargraves, Ben Pollock, Daniel Batson, Aaron Cramer, Mark McEldrew and Graeme “Sammy” Cole. During that year, Sammy Cole notched up his 200th senior WFL game and Daniel Batson notched up his 50th. Other debutants included Mitch Dahlenburg, Lachie Barber, Brad Clark and Tom Driscoll.
Allan Bennett, Liam’s former senior coach at Nhill was in attendance and spoke with the players before the game. He congratulated Liam on his 200 games, saying; it is a special achievement especially being a one club player your whole career, and that he joins a real select handful of guys who have ever done that in Nhill. Allan said, “You have been so resilient and so consistent throughout that period; and you become Captain when I coached Nhill, and you are a fantastic leader.”
Liam had no trouble cementing himself into the senior side and became a permanent fixture from 2012 onwards. Across 13 and a bit seasons, he would miss only five games, a testament to his preparation, recovery and dedication. Ben Pollock would take over the captaincy in 2012 and held it for the next three years. In 2014, Liam, under coach Shane Grover, was named vice-captain. This was also the debut year of our current captain, Lucas Dahlenburg, and the debut of our current joint-coach, Jake McQueen. Darcy Honeyman, now a fellow backline veteran, also played his first senior game in 2014, along with Frazer Driscoll. Aaron Beer played his 150th senior game.
Moving on to 2015, Alan Bennett took over the senior reins, with Liam first wearing his famous number eight. Players such as Jake Harrap, Jordan Zeitz and Lochie Pilgrim debuted, and Ben Pollock played his 150th senior game. A major milestone in Liam’s career saw him appointed captain — a position he would hold for the rest of the decade. He led the senior team for a total of 92 games, from seasons 2015 to 2019 (2019 joint captain with Harrap), and in 2022 he was again appointed joint captain with Mitch. A rough count sees at least 45 players who played their first senior game for the club under Liam’s captaincy, which is a testament to his longevity and leadership abilities. Across these years he was also coached by Tim Bone, Jaye Macumber, and the man who will claim to have taught him everything, Trevor Albrecht.
In 2024, Liam finally tasted what he had been working towards for well over a decade — the Tigers returning to finals. He was instrumental in our heart-stopping win over the Horsham Demons in the Elimination Final and backed it up again for the Semi-Final against Stawell, where last year’s campaign came to a close. This year, he will be expecting to add to that tally.
Individual accolades are not why Liam takes to the park, but that hasn’t stopped him from collecting a few. His juniors included an Under 14 Best and Fairest in 2008, Under 17s Best First Year Player in 2009, and in 2010, in his second year, he won the Under 17s Best and Fairest. In his senior career, he has received two Coach’s Awards (2014 and 2017), a Most Consistent (2022) and a Joint Runner-Up Best and Fairest (2014 with Tim Seymour). In 2021, he received the club’s highest football honour, with a thoroughly deserved Senior Best and Fairest. Liam is one of the very few players to have won a Best and Fairest in both junior grades and then the senior level, which is a remarkable achievement. Last year, he was named in the WFNL Team of the Year, showing he is only getting better with age.
Liam’s longevity and success are admired by friend and foe alike. He is well respected amongst all opposition clubs, and his teammates know he will always have their back. Tough but fair, he never shirks a contest and rarely is out-marked. He fancies himself a forward (and has snuck in more than a few goals), but he really is a backman at heart. Liam’s efforts don’t stop on the field though; he is also a reliable volunteer and for years has worked the bar, completed the paper run, or spent time at numerous other working bees.
Liam has grown up at the Tigers, knowing no other club than Nhill. Through Auskick, Under 12s, Under 14s, Under 17s, and then Seniors, his loyalty and commitment have literally been second to none. Now, with his own young family, he continues to do everything he can to lead from the front every Saturday, and we wish him all the best for the rest of the season and the many seasons to come.
This article appeared in Nhill Free Press & Kaniva Times, 28 May 2025.
