Sport
17 April, 2023
A cup 50 years in the making
Players from Rupanyup Football Club's 1973 Wimmera Football League premiership team will have some special silverware when they celebrate their 50-year reunion next week.
Players from Rupanyup Football Club's 1973 Wimmera Football League premiership team will have some special silverware when they celebrate their 50-year reunion next week.
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For the first time, the players and supporters will have a premiership cup to recognise the occasion.
Premiership centre half back Greg Bell had just turned 18 when his home team triumphed over red hot favourites and Dunmunkle Shire neighbours, Murtoa.
"Murtoa had finished on top and beat us easily both times during the year while we got to third on percentage late in the season to get the double chance, so we had to get there the hard way," Bell said.
"The game was in the balance at half time but in the third quarter we got rolling and our local hero John 'Jumbo' Sudholz booted six goals straight from centre half forward in the space of 20 minutes or so and we never looked back from there."
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But the sticky point for Bell and his team mates was there was never a premiership cup awarded.
"It has come up in conversation at earlier reunions and I was left in charge of organising the 50th along with Kevin Thewlis, so I decided to do something about it and made a call to the AFL," he said.
"They agreed to fund the purchase of a premiership cup and commissioned Greg Schwarz at Wimmera Trophies and Gifts to get it made.
"I haven't told the players about the cup so they are going to be very chuffed when they finally get to hold it up."
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AFL Wimmera regional manager Angela Ballinger organised the creation of the cup after a conversation with AFL Victoria boss Ben Kavenagh.
"I know Rupanyup are no longer represented in the Wimmera League but this was a momentous occasion for the town," Ballinger said.
"The club won three senior premierships during its time in Wimmera League, including 1961 and 1963 and didn't have a cup to recognise that, just the three banners," she said.
"We were more than happy to be involved and make sure they had the proper recognition for what they achieved as a small community."
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Bell, who the following year became the youngest player to win a WFL Toohey Medal, went on to play full back at Essendon during an injury-plagued period from 1975-79.
Rupanyup will welcome back 17 of the 18 players remaining from that 1973 premiership which was led by the first known joint playing coaches Steve Arnott and his brother-in-law Max 'Herbal' Matheson.
The club will hold a function this Saturday April 22 after its home game against Noradjuha Quantong when the Panthers will hoist their 2022 Horsham District League premiership flag.
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