A country Victorian footballer tasted premiership glory on the weekend after being ruled ineligible to play in last year's finals due to brain cancer.
Echuca footballer Aiden "AJ" Mills was prevented from playing the 2025 finals series by the Goulburn Valley League, despite being cleared by doctors, as he had not played three games during the season.
AJ Mills and the Murray Bombers will celebrate their premiership this week, with the club's presentation night on Thursday.
Echuca footballer Aiden "AJ" Mills has celebrated a premiership a year after he was denied a permit to play finals while undergoing treatment for brain cancer.
Mills played for the Murray Bombers' senior side in the Goulburn Valley Football League grand final against Shepparton yesterday, kicking two goals, including one on the final siren.
Echuca won the match by 81 points, finishing 21.15 (141) to Shepparton 8.12 (60).
Mills was moved forward late in the final quarter, with coach Troy Murphy hoping he could kick a goal.
"He took a big mark with about five minutes to go and kicked the goal," Murphy said.
Mills then kicked another goal on the final siren.
"It was just the icing on the cake. It was amazing," Murphy said.
Mills was diagnosed with brain cancer during last year's football season and underwent surgery and treatment.
He had played two home-and-away games before being cleared by his doctors to return to football in time for the finals.
However, the Goulburn Valley Football League rejected Echuca's request for a special permit to allow him to play finals because he had not reached the required three-game minimum.
This year, Mills played enough games to qualify for finals and was named in Echuca's grand final side.
Murphy said the players were determined to win when they took to the field.
Mills's mother, Katie Mills said the scenes after the final siren were emotional, with players coming over to hug her and the family.
"It was obviously just a really emotional time, not only for him and us as his family, but the entire club," she told ABC Central Victoria Breakfast.
Ms Mills said he had managed to get through the entire season while receiving monthly chemotherapy.
"He's doing really, really well," she said.
"He's stable, no tumour progression at the moment, and that's literally best-case scenario."
She said he continued to have regular MRIs to monitor his condition.
Murphy said the players wanted to put Mills on their shoulders after the game, but Mills told them it was about everyone.
The senior premiership was part of a successful weekend for Echuca, with the reserves also winning their grand final.
The club's under-15 and under-17 netball sides also secured victories, giving Echuca four wins from five grand finals.