We would like to extend a warm welcome to everybody here today at the Arkaba Oval, especially to Richard Melhuish who is doing us the honour of tossing the commemorative Life Member coin for this important Cup game against Bridgewater.
A life time resident of the area, Richard or Mel or Wally as many know him, is a Life Member of both Heathfield Aldgate United (1978) and the Mt Lofty District Football Club (1986) recognising years of distinguished service as both a multi Premiership player and official of both clubs.
Richard started his junior football at Heathfield, went on to play at Sturt and was enticed back to Heathfield Aldgate United in 1969 to play with his mates and go on to be a member of seven A Grade Premierships at Full Back for HAU and multiple Premierships for Mt Lofty, playing until 1987 at A, B and C Grade levels.. Also a very talented athlete who held many Heathfield High School records for decades, he played 345 games and was a member of the HFL team which won the Lovelock Shield for the first time in 1973.
His record as an official and volunteer was as impressive as his playing career – He became Secretary of HAU at the age of 20 and held the position from 1971 to 1978, sat again as Secretary of Mt Lofty from 1980 to 1984, Football Director from 1980 to 1986, Chairman of the Club in 1989 and finally served as A Grade Team Manager from 1984 to 1994.
Congratulations to lifetime Devil Andrew Frolow, who will run out in the B Grade for his 50th senior game for the candy stripes today.
Andrew is a hard working, quiet achiever that just gets in and gets the job done. An extremely useful utility on the footy oval, Frols is also known as a talented athlete across the range, especially in volleyball.
Welcome to the 50 club Fols! Give ‘em Hell today 💪
As we host Bridgewater-Callington Raiders at Arkaba Oval on Saturday, the A Grade will be fighting it out for the honoured Cutting Cup on home soil for the first time in 10 years.
Beginning in 1994 as a friendly Cup between neighbouring clubs, and re-named after the treasured Neil ‘Biggsy’ Cutting, who sadly passed away in 1998 at the young age of 44. Neil had spent time at both Mt Lofty and Bridgwater-Callington. The Cup has been played for now 21 times, having a break between 2014-2020 whilst our clubs played in different divisions.
Bridgewater-Callington having won it 11 times and the Devils 10.
2021 the Raiders took the Cup home by 28 points, while the average winning margin sits at 46 point over the 21 year history.
Head up to the game tomorrow to help make a day at the Devil Dome in 2022 the Cutting Cup year of the Devils to level the tally back out.
