Cross answers Dees Mayday call: The story behind an incredible rise

Footy is the lifeblood of Gippsland town Nar Nar Goon and Saturday is the beating heart.

The town where Paddy Cross hails from is part of a Metropolitan council but has the ambience of an off-beat country footy Mecca.

The vast farmland of the Goon forms the backdrop of footy's SSP Cinderella story, with Melbourne signing Cross on Monday.

Almost everyone from the 1000-person town knows each other - but if you didn't know Paddy, you'd recognise him as the face always down at the reserve scuffing the grass with his intense extra sessions.

“He's an inspiration to the other boys because he always trains when he can and when he was down with his injuries, they saw him work in the gym or do extra work,” former president Paddy Noonan said.

“He's always doing his own personal training, working his backside off: he's achieved his opportunity through diligence and preparation.”

Talent League and VFL programs have taken precedent for Paddy since arriving at the Goon in 2021, where Dad, Glenn is now president, but if you didn't know he was in high performance programs, you wouldn't know.

Unlike many, when he returns to community footy, he doesn't wear polos that advertise his representative teams, nor does he seek praise or push his accolades.

He's just one of the lads.

Casey Footy Operations Manager Gary O'Sullivan commented last year that volunteers would have to stop Paddy from helping out doing odd jobs so he could just focus on training. 

“That's just who Paddy is,” says his U14s Beaconsfield coach Craig Lane.

Lane knew Paddy from before he started school, with his son growing up alongside him.

“He always had a footy in his hand. He lived and breathed it and would just work in little things. He was a dream to coach.”

Injuries got in Paddy's way for several years.

Many would've given up and accepted a cashed up offer from a local club desperate for a premiership - but those closest to Paddy tell you about his fierce competitiveness which has always motivated him to play the highest level of footy.

Multiple people who know him attribute it to a strong sporting pedigree. One of his grandfathers was Ray Cross, who played in St Kilda's 1966 victorious finals series, but missed the grand final due to injury. Another is Noble Park hall-of-famer Bob Harris.

“No matter what sport he was playing, he had to win,” said former Nar Nar Goon senior coach Justin Stanton.

“He's even an outstanding golfer - if he focused on that, he could be a single figure handicap golfer. 

“He just has this real tenacity and determination. He hates to lose a contest. It was evident on game day but it was equally evident on the training track. 

“A lot of people do some things on the training track half-paced and expect to flick a switch on the weekend but Paddy did everything at high intensity and high speed which allowed him to produce on Saturday. 

“He has always been aggressive at the footy, applied pressure and has great skills.”

Cross helped Stanton, a respected local footy coach with more than two decades of experience, take the Goon to the 2024 West Gippsland flag.

He didn't qualify for the finals as he played too many VFL games - but he was charged with the role of midfield coach through that period where his problem solving and footy IQ shone bright.

“That shows the sort of character he is. He would always help out back at local level and provided an extra set of hands” Stanton said.

“I always encouraged my assistants to have a voice and speak up and Paddy was good at that. If there was a problem in the midfield, he wouldn't expect me to solve it, he'd say ‘Juz, we've got this problem and this is what we should do' and I always backed him in. That leadership is a strong attribute.”

He was part of Casey's leadership group last year which kick-started a season where it all came together - firstly with his body, then his footy.

Just ask then coach Taylor Whitford.

Whitford, who also played at Nar Nar Goon in between coaching Casey last year pushed his case significantly. The Dees nominated him as their Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal candidate for most promising talent. 

“He's got x-factor, doesn't need much of the footy to hurt you and is so versatile," Whitford said last year.

Speculation has long been rife that Cross has been far closer to an AFL list spot than people realised, and he trained with Melbourne's AFL squad over summer. 

He answered Melbourne's Mayday call with glee earlier in the week.

“He brings real versatility, has shown he can compete at a high level, and has continued to improve his game year after year,” Melbourne list manager Tim Lamb said.

The common denominator among those that have seen him play is that the higher the standard, the more he steps up.

He tore apart junior grand finals on the regular.

He found ways to impact for both Gippsland Power and Casey Demons.

And against the premiership contenders playing for Nar Nar Goon, he found another gear, while cruising against the easy prey.

“I remember watching him in 2023 thinking ‘who is this kid?',” Noonan recalled. “He just tore it up.”

While injuries held the 23-year-old back in the early part of his senior career, his size was a limiting factor in the talent pathway.

He shot up as a 19-year-old, playing for Gippsland Power as an overager. 

From under-16s he was always one of the most talented players from the region, but was played on a wing, partially due to his size.

“We had to bide time for his body to develop. We always knew there was a bit there and he stayed committed,” said long-time under-16s Power coach and AFL Gippsland Board Member Allan Chandler.

“He's never been in the limelight because of the way he goes about his footy and he wasn't a high possession winner.

“He's always understood the game well, runs to the right spots and used the footy cleanly.”

As well as being a fairytale for Cross, it's a significant moment for Casey, which has for several years worked hard to strengthen its alignment with Gippsland footy.

Cross joins Tom Matthews and Xavier Lindsay as recently drafted Power players, while former Gippsland coach Rhett McLennan taking the helm of Casey has increased the number of VFL-listed Demons.

Cross' listing also follows Jai Culley bolting similarly last year, highlighting to players and prospective recruits that there is a clear pathway to the top level.

The blue and white stripes are cherished reverently at the Goon, particularly following back-to-back premierships.

After Paddy's listing, adulation for Paddy quickly turned to mild amusement at Dad, Glenn, who will have a bigger load to manage at the family's electrical business with Paddy now out of action.

“I've owned a business for most of my life and nothing brings you maturity quicker than dealing with clients and co-workers,” Noonan said.

“It makes you grow up and even holding down a full-time job means you can be sure he'll never take a shortcut doing what he loves.”

And expect the Goon to swap the blue and white for the red and blue and show up in full force if and when Paddy gets an opportunity at the top level.

“It puts Nar Nar Goon on the map,” 2025 premiership coach Matt Shorey said.

“I've got no doubt he'll make the most of the opportunity and I can't wait to see the journey unfold.”