Northern Inland Football: Father and son duo Ben and Jack Todd win premiership together

But even now, the 44-year-old is still finding firsts to tick off - including one that was near to his heart over the weekend.

The North Companions stalwart captained the club's reserve grade side to a grand final victory over Moore Creek on Saturday, and listed on the team sheet was Todd's teenage son, Jack.

"It's one of the best days in my football career," Todd said.

"The accolades, the trophies are good, and I'm very grateful for them, but it doesn't beat winning a grand final with my son."

2023 was the young man's first season in reserve grade, who was 14 when it began.

Though he didn't get much game time, Jack made his father proud as he "kept turning up to training and sat on the bench for us when we needed him."

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In any grand final, players from both clubs know that the strongest team will be selected. But, Todd said, it was a mark of the quality of coach Gavin Thompson's character that he made sure to include Jack in the side.

"I must pay respects to Gavin, because he put Jack on the card," Todd said.

"He said 'If there's anything I can do to make you and your son win a premiership [I'll do it]', and that's the sort of coach he is."

The premiership win alongside his son was made sweeter for Todd when, during the presentation ceremony after the game, he was named the reserve grade Best and Fairest.

"I had no idea [the award was coming]," Todd said.

"To get Best and Fairest, I've had a lot of people tell me I'm too old, but I'm still winning premierships. I may not be the Ben Todd of old, but I can still hold my own."

Sharing in a grand final with his son and winning the competition Best and Fairest on the same day was a high point for Todd, in a career which has also wrought four first grade premierships since 2001.

And though it is "getting harder" to avoid injury each year, he has no plans to hang up the boots just yet.

Although he did add that retirement "is getting closer".

"My goal was to play with my son," Todd said.

"I've got another one, he's under 9. I don't know if I'll stay long enough to play with him (laughs)."

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