The Rochester Football Netball Club will utilise the King’s Birthday weekend as a platform to toast all the supporters from years gone by.
When you think the club is celebrating its 150th year of existence this season, organisers are tipping nothing short of a monumental occasion.
Earlier this year, the club unveiled a historical book, aptly titled, The Locals, written over a 20-year period by a local himself, Mark Gullick, alongside a 30-minute film of the same title, which now greets Kayo customers alongside high profiling sports documentaries.
With the club having faced more than its fair share of tragedies and pitfalls in the past few years, it’s no wonder those in the inner sanctum of the club continue to be buoyed by the success of events linking to this year’s milestone.
Club secretary Dylan Cuttriss said the significance of ensuring events such as the King’s Birthday weekend were accessible to everyone.
“We made a decision as a committee post floods that this place was going to become a hub, a meeting place for our people who had endured such heartache,” Cuttriss said.
The celebrations kick off on Friday, June 8 at 6pm with a casual catch-up at the Shamrock Hotel, where past and present players, supporters, and fans alike will gather to reminisce and share stories of the club's rich history.
It's expected to be a night filled with laughter and fond memories as the community comes together to celebrate their shared love for the the club.
On Saturday, June 9 the attention moves to the Rochester Recreation Reserve as the club plays host to Shepparton United in what promises to provide thrilling matches on the netball courts and football oval.
Cuttriss shared his excitement of witnessing a large contingent of supporters for the day.
“It’s actually 25 years since our 1999 premiership, so there’s been a bit of excitement around the possibility of a number of these players being able to make their way back for the weekend,” he said.
“Culture is something that we really work hard on and that group of players certainly epitomised what our club is all about. So to be able to have a bit of acknowledgement for them also is pretty special.”
The continued theme of ‘Recovery and Reconnection’ will well and truly be evident also, with the club to run another family-friendly event during the day, to ensure demographics of all ages are catered for.
Supported by the Shire of Campaspe and Victorian Government, activities to keep the clubs younger members entertained is a welcome support.
“We’re really fortunate that the Shire of Campaspe have been able to allocate some funding which will allow us to again provide this event,” Cuttriss said.
“This is open to all members of the community, whether you’re coming to watch the footy and netball, or just looking for a fun day with the family, we’d love to see as many people there as possible.”
All footballers will be wearing a specifically designed 150th-year celebration jumper, which encompasses the history of the club’s time within the successful Bendigo League era under the famous Noel McMahen, along with the transition back into the Goulburn Valley, which in itself was a difficult shift.
“Our club actually had to sit out of footy for a year before returning to the GV, which led to a 10-year battle to actually get back up and going again,” Cuttriss said.
“When you listen to some of those guys who went through this, it’s incredible to think it could have happened, but we’re extremely glad they fought so hard.”
Following the game, the festivities continue with a range of numbers to be auctioned off, before all jumpers become available via an online auction.
Some key numbers expected to be hot property include the number 32 famously worn by GVL games record holder Anthony ‘Tank’ McPhee, legendary coach David Williams’ number 15, while a couple of numbers shared by long-time players may see some strong bidding, in particular, the number 6 worn most recently by Robbie Miller, Tim Rasmussen, Elliott Bowen and now Andy Henderson.
“We are hoping the auction will be a bit of fun,” Cuttriss said.
“We have a few guys who’ve worn the same number and probably both think they wore it with greater distinction, so hopefully that gets the dollars rolling a bit.
“It also gives our supporters the chance to get their hands on a jumper we won’t be wearing again. It’s a pretty special opportunity.”
For a club with one of the richest histories in country football, there looks to be no slowing down any time soon for the Rochester Football Netball Club.