Milestone man McNamara wants to help Sharks break flag droughtThursday, May 28, 2015 - 6:13 PM - by Chris Pike

EAST Fremantle midfielder Jamie McNamara has achieved plenty in his WAFL, AFL, VFL and State career as the 27-year-old prepares for his 100th appearance with the Sharks, but it's that elusive premiership that he is continuing to strive for more than anything.

McNamara has now played 99 matches in the WAFL with East Fremantle, has represented Western Australia, played 19 AFL games with the West Coast Eagles and spent two seasons in the VFL with Williamstown.

The hard-at-it and prolific ball winning midfielder is now preparing for his 100th WAFL match in the Foundation Derby on WA Day against South Fremantle at ATOM Stadium on Monday, but that ultimate success of winning a premiership continues to elude him after three straight preliminary final appearances.

McNamara has played in an AFL semi-final for West Coast against Collingwood in 2007, but it took until 2010 for him to play his first WAFL final and that was also a first semi-final loss to East Perth despite his best efforts with 30 possessions and a goal.

He got his first taste of finals victories in 2012 in the VFL when Williamstown beat Bendigo in the qualifying final and then defeated the Casey Scorpions in the semi-final before going down to Port Melbourne in the preliminary final.

Williamstown again made the finals in 2013 and qualified for the preliminary final with a massive semi-final win over Port Melbourne, but the Seagulls again fell short of the grand final this time at the hands of Geelong.

McNamara returned to East Fremantle in 2014 and ended up playing in a third straight preliminary final, but again his team came up short with the Sharks losing to eventual premiers Subiaco.

It is those memories of having gone close to at least making a grand final three straight years that McNamara can't help but have at the forefront of his mind even as he prepares to enjoy the celebration of his 100th WAFL game this Monday.

"Team success wise, I have played in a few finals now and you always remember those finals games," McNamara said.

"I don't think there has been a particular game I look back on that I always remember, I tend to think of my career in different blocks with my stint with West Coast, the VFL and of course East Fremantle. I have played in a few finals matches now so they are always a great challenge but it would be nice to go all the way and play on the big stage one day."

Having now played and lost in three successive preliminary finals, McNamara has every right to be hoping that his luck turns in 2015 but getting to that point is still half a season away and he knows more than anyone that East Fremantle has no right to look too far ahead.

East Fremantle might be by far the WAFL's most successful club, but it hasn’t won a premiership in a record drought dating back to 1998.

However, he is fully aware the only way the Sharks will be a chance in 2015 is if they give full attention to every match along the way starting in the derby on Monday against South Fremantle.

"The end goal and I think the reason everyone plays is to win the premierships and we have a lot of blokes that have hung around the club to their credit, and are now experienced players that want to reach that success," he said.

"But at the same time, we have got no right really to get ahead of ourselves. We haven’t had the ultimate success at this club for a very long time considering how proud and rich the history is so we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves.

"We have set the bar higher than we ever have and the expectations are very high, but we have to slowly work towards that week by week."

Coming back to the WAFL with East Fremantle in 2014 on the back of two preliminary final appearances with Williamstown in the VFL, McNamara was a key part in East Fremantle getting to the same mark last year after a first semi-final win over Swan Districts.

And the Shark shad the better of Subiaco virtually all afternoon in that preliminary final at Medibank Stadium, but in the end kicking 7.26 proved too much to overcome and the Lions got the win and went on to win the premiership after beating East Perth in the grand final.