Ewan McGrady’s been a Toomelah Tiger, a Goondiwindi Boar, a Moree Boomerang, a Canterbury Bulldog and his nickname is“Panda”, but to those who have seen him play, he’s‘simply the best.

Ewan has been named in the Group 19 Team of the Century. The announcement was made at a Centenary awards night at the Glen Innes Services Club on June 10.

Another famous ex-Boar Les Cleal was also named in the side.

Ewan played 59 games between 1990-1993 for the Bulldogs, scoring 31 tries and proving he was one of the game’s great talents winning the 1991 Rothman’s Medal, which was then the game’s highest accolade.

The following year, McGrady continued his dominance, winning the Rugby League Week Player of the Year award. Injury and other factors ended his career in Sydney, but he never stopped playing Rugby League.

He returned to Group 19 and continued to shine, playing alongside brothers Jason and Rick. He led the Goondiwindi Boars to a premiership in 2006.

He may be 45, but he hasn’t hung up the boots yet. He plays for Warialda and while he may have lost a little of his speed the old magic still remains.

“You could put a seven year-old in the centres and he’d score tries playing outside of Ewan McGrady,” Warialda Club Secretary Paul Dean said in 2007.

Ewan is famously shy and retiring. The story of how the Bulldogs had to find him, put him in a tuxedo and drag him to the awards’ night to accept his Rothman’s Medal is part of Rugby League folklore.

He didn’t attend the awards’ dinner in Glen Innes where the Team of the Century was announced either.

The Argus caught up with him on Wednesday.

He declined an interview and had to be cajoled into posing for a photo. His sister Maxine was more forthcoming. “He’s simply the best,” she said with a grin.

Group 19 President Peter Brissett said it was an absolutely fantastic night at the Glen Innes Services Club on June 10. “Everyone enjoyed themselves and it was great for everyone to reminisce on the past. We are very pleased with the teams selected and the research was done very well by the selectors.

“It was just a really good night to celebrate football and it was great to see rugby league is still well and truly alive in Group 19,” he said.

Also named in the 17 man team were Jim Paine (Warialda), Les Cleal (Warialda), Cecil Bull (Guyra), Ashley Barnett (Warialda), Howard Dixon (Bingara), Craig Waters (Guyra), Ron Starr (Guyra), Jock Gartshore (Warialda), Alf Hardman (Moree), Troy Goldman (Inverell), Reg O’Keefe (Glen Innes), Danny Shearer (Moree), Kevin O’Brien (Inverell), John Ferguson (Glen Innes), Luke Hutton (Guyra) and Andy Blair (Guyra).