George Town will have something close to a home ground advantage on Saturday when it looks to add its name to the Allan Stevens Shield for the first time.
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Billed as a last goodbye to Winnaleah Football Club, the round 12 fixture will be just the second time the Saints and Bridgenorth have played for the shield, which celebrates Stevens’ 35 years of service across both clubs.
Parrots coach Brady Demeijer said Stevens’ contribution to both clubs had been priceless.
“He left us two years ago, I’d only been there for one or two years but straight away as soon as he left you noticed the amount he did,” Demeijer said.
“All of a sudden the changerooms were messy all the time - he’d be the one to stay late every training session and clean up, he was just that kind of guy.”
The one-off Winnaleah Football Ground fixture looms as a special occasion for George Town, which welcomed a host of Magpies to its ranks when the NEFU club’s bid to join the NTFA’s second division was rejected.
“We were lucky enough to get about 15 Winnaleah guys to the club and there’s been three to four who have played seniors,” George Town coach Allan O’Sign said.
“They’ll get an opportunity this week to play in front of their home crowd on a ground they’re familiar with, so they’re looking forward to it.”
Bridgenorth won the inaugural Allan Stevens Shield clash last season, coming from 52 points down at quarter time to snatch a three-point win in the final minute of the match.
Hamish Geale
Hamish Geale is a senior reporter at The Examiner. Got good news? Email: hgeale@examiner.com.au
Hamish Geale is a senior reporter at The Examiner. Got good news? Email: hgeale@examiner.com.au
