150 games for Zach Harris

From Campbell Moorfield, Joel Ernest, Harry King & Peter Bertoncini

Zach Harris. Football ground horticultural enthusiast, superstition extremist, spag-bol activist, Uni Blacks loyalist. Oscar Wilde famously said, “be yourself, everyone else is already taken.” I cannot think of anyone across the club who is more authentic than Zach “Hack” Harris. This weekend against Collegians we take the opportunity to celebrate Hack for reaching the 150-game milestone as a Blacker. 

Zach joined the Uni Blacks as part of the bumper 2014 draft - think Joel Ernest, Jordan Quaile, John Vrodos, Hugh Curnow all attending the O-week stall. In an oft transitional team, Hack quickly asserted himself as a stalwart, arriving promptly each Saturday morning with “The Age” in hand. Under the tutelage of Justin & Damage Gray, he earnt the respect - and to an extent, concern - of his team-mates with his attack on the ball, usually headfirst, usually winning a free kick (and the odd concussion). Hack completed 2 years of service with the 19s before joining the Phoenix and reserves which is where a quiet young blacker began to bloom.

In 2016, Hack earned his debut in the reserves. It was here that his team-mates began to understand the unique individual in their midst. The observant folks would soon notice that Hack was superstitious. It started with the torn rags that he called his “lucky jocks” that would appear week after week without fail. We are thankful that Hack loved the mid-length skins or there’d be a bit too much on display. For those lucky enough to be invited back to his Flemington house, you would find taped to the wall a display of zip-lock bags full of grass, neatly labelled with the ground they were taken from (this was real turf, not what you’re thinking). This is when we learned Hack loves grass. 

Off the field, Hack is an Economics graduate, taking 3 attempts at his final subject before the professor finally let him pass so that he wouldn’t have to see him again. Taking this as a sign that perhaps a career at the RBA wasn’t for him, Hack took up driving trucks for Harry the Hirer under the tutelage of fellow Blacks great, Bear Robbins. Such is Hack’s selflessness and love for footy that when asked to play in Harry the Hirer’s annual match on a Friday afternoon before a crucial match for the Uni Blacks the next day, he simply couldn’t say no. Initially hoping to conceal this from reserves coach, Linc Merlo, with the expectation that it’d just be a bit of fun, Hack instead had to sheepishly call Linc after the game to explain how he’d managed to get concussed on a Friday afternoon and couldn’t play the next day. That was the end of Hack’s Harry the Hirer football career.

Hack is an integral part of the prestigious Tin Room Legends. He has been essential to the ongoing success of this private space at the Uni Melb gym, where any blacker has free reign to work on strength and rehab. No civilians are allowed, and Zach will be the first to redirect any stray uni students from the elite athlete program back to the Main “Civvy” gym. Of course there are a few catches: it’s 6:30am and you may have to put up with some questionable music choices, recount the latest Law and Order plot lines, or work through the bottomless list of challenges, extracurricular commitments and responsibilities Zach takes on as Secretary of the club.

Further to his superstitious ways, we learned Hack’s pre-game dinner must be Spag Bol. From persistent lobbying for the Clyde to include this on their Blacks Specials menu (with bread and butter, of course), he would often join a group of Blackers for dinner on a Friday night, and if spag bol was not on the menu, he’d bring his own. It was the Hack way. Now many of you may be thinking this young Blacker seems a bit weird, but what we see is someone with a passion for his club and his friends which has punctuated his 10 years at the Uni Blacks. 

His passion and commitment is completely unparalleled. Wanting only the best for the future generations of Blackers, he too often reflects on his chance happening across a Uni Blacks brochure in college O-week. As he takes the outright games lead for current players this weekend, he is still constantly thinking - “how can I make this club a better place for the next?” 

One of Hack’s great strengths (and sometimes weaknesses) is the ability to call it as he sees it. While writing this, he sent through a list of his “enemies”, those who he has pissed off over the journey. But this ability to have tough conversations has often yielded positive results for the club, with Hack happy to sacrifice himself, both on- and off-field, for his beloved Uni Blacks. The mountain of work that Hack takes on and solves by himself without anyone knowing/recognising is immense, and our club is infinitely better off because of it. No job is too big for Hack to give the football club the best opportunity for success and how he finds the time to fit all of this in is incredible! His work as club secretary earned him the AM Smith Trophy for Best Clubman in 2022, an award that rightfully recognised his dedicated effort towards the football club. 

As Zach finds himself in the last crop of players from that 2014 superdraft, he is now a wise, seasoned veteran, who has experience of what it takes to get the best out of himself and the club. Not only does he dedicate time and care to his teammates, he has committed effort to the longevity of his body to allow him to achieve this rare milestone at a university football club. He is diligent with his training, but a creature of habit, so has fastidiously written and transcribed the strength sessions from Karlos in 2016 in his new gym diary. For the express purpose of rehab, he has even been seen in more recent times using the specialised equipment of the “Civvy” gym - as much as it pains him to leave the safe space of the Tin Room. 

Hack has earnt the right to be within the top echelon of Blacks people, a man that bleeds black and blue and we wish him all the greatest success on the weekend in his 150th game for the club. What better way to finish than hearing from the great man himself in a Q and A.

How did you end up at the Club?

O-week, returned to college late one night and took a bunch of random brochures with me from the reception, not sure why. When I woke up the next morning I flicked through them, saw that one of them was for Uni Blacks footy, had never heard of them but I knew I wanted to join a team as a way to make friends having moved down from Ballarat and not really knowing many people. I went down to a session, met Justin Gray and our other coach Justin (named Justin and Justin) and never considered leaving at any stage since. 

Any standout/strange memories from Under 19s?

I have a lot and never mind telling them to anyone who asks or doesn’t ask to hear about them. 

• The mini-bus trip to Murchison for our first praccy in some random Fremantle kit, the trip back and everyone going nuts whilst Damage was driving. 
• First game at Caulfield winning in the rain, Jets got best on and we never saw him again.
• Playing with 14 blokes against Whitefriars and losing by 200 and getting clapped off the field by their supporters for still playing and not forfeiting. 

Mostly I remember just having a blast and getting hooked. Teammates were awesome, coaches were awesome. 

Favourite player to watch when growing up?

Not a West Coast fan but Chris Judd did some pretty sick stuff in the early 2000s. But otherwise, Matthew Richardson or Joel Bowden. Tiges supporter.

Who has had the most influence on your career?

Footy wise, probably Justin and Justin. That under 19s year 2014 was special. Then also Linc Merlo (Reserves coach from 2016-2018). Really felt on the same page with Merls and we had a lot of tough conversations together ultimately with each other's best interests at heart and I feel I developed a fair bit in those years - not to say I developed ‘well’ but I learned some valuable lessons as a 21-23 year old. Also, can’t not mention Cam Roberts. Very stern coach that had a large influence on our group, but again learnt the lessons of hard work and to make hay whilst the sun shines. Nick Carah and Scooter Myers with some very wise words along the journey too. 

And then outside footy, naturally my Mum and grandparents too. Owe them a lot.

Favourite subject at high school?

Definitely business management unit 3/4. Best teacher at the school, shoutout to Alan Pitson hope you are going well Pitto

Any interesting pre-game routines?

Bloody hell how long do we have? 

Has changed a bit over the trip. Used to start on the Thursday at the Clyde, would always get the cheap and dirty spag bol. Then they stopped making it/it became legit inedible and even me as its most staunch advocate couldn’t defend it - just had to cut ties with it.

I always have spaghetti bolognese and orange powerade the Friday night before.

I remember watching a documentary about Niklas Lidstrom in about 2013 (look him up) and getting hooked on his little pregame superstitions/routines. 

Like to sit in the same place of the rooms, same taping routine, same stretches, same tennis ball routine, lucky undies, left side first when putting on socks and boots, all that stuff. Then a very important one that Angus Drysdale introduced me to was giving the Blacks logo on the jumper a kiss before you put it on after the warm up. My take on that is getting a player in the team I respect that ‘gets’ the Blacks, to kiss it for me. Max Gray used to be the one to go to for a while. He is in the 1s now though so at the moment I am showing Olly Bouchez the ropes with it. 

What did it mean to you to win the AM Smith Trophy for Best Clubman in 2022?

Yeah, it was very humbling. Grateful and appreciative but I also felt embarrassed and guilty as I was worried about the look it would send to others who had worked just as hard. Didn’t know if it passed the pub test. It’s a cliche but very true, there are many people required behind the scenes to make the club tick, and yeah to be singled out was a little uncomfortable. Ultimately I hope I will look back on it as more time passes and cherish it no doubt. I hope my speech reflected that.

What is your ideal way to spend a Sunday off following a game, before heading back to the grind of a work week during the season?

Definitely spending quality time with Penelope. Last thing I want to do on a Sunday is more footy. It would be great to have a maid or butler do all the cooking, cleaning, washing, groceries too - fat chance of that happening. Sleep in, nice breakfast, read the paper, go for some laps with Penny, hang out, go in the shed, listen to music/radio, look after the ute, play PS3 madden10, watch a movie, and then not have the massive guilt trip of Sunday scaries when it hits 9pm. Mainly just spend time with Penny though. 

Last but not least, favourite Blacks memory, on or off the field.

Don’t know what to put!