M Freake is remembered at Northcote Park for the kind of contribution that shows up on the scoreboard and in the culture of the club. 117 games might look like a number — at Northcote Park it reads as commitment, the kind that shows up in tough stretches of the year. Titles are a team outcome; M Freake’s recognition comes from the way they lifted those around them and carried responsibility. The club’s Best & Fairest record shows M Freake at the top in 1966 and 1970, which usually means doing the unglamorous work exceptionally well. Stories about M Freake often include the little things: checking on a teammate, helping a junior, or being the first to sweep the sheds after everyone else has left. What stands out in conversations is M Freake’s feel for moments — knowing when to lift the tempo, when to calm things down, and when to put the head over the ball. M Freake’s record is a reminder that clubs are built by people who do the work when no one is watching. That’s why the name belongs on the honour roll. Plenty can be read in the statistics, but the respect attached to M Freake comes from how they carried responsibility in ordinary weeks. To this day, M Freake is cited as an example of what it means to represent Northcote Park properly. Plenty can be read in the statistics, but the respect attached to M Freake comes from how they carried responsibility in ordinary weeks. It’s the sort of legacy that gets passed on in training drills, in committee rooms, and in the stories told after games.