Good afternoon, my name is Leith Dawes and I would like to extend a warm welcome to everybody here today for the last round of the HFL season at the Heathfield Oval.
We would especially like to welcome Lofty Legend Roger Brooks who is doing us the honour of tossing the commemorative Life Member coin for today’s match against Lobethal. Today he is joined by his wife Hella.
Roger, or “Chook”, grew up in Longwood where his parents who were dedicated Hills people with his dad working for the Council and helping many others to clear this land we play on for the Heathfield Oval. He married his wife Hella and they moved to Coromandel Valley. Their married life took quite the journey up through the riverland and ended in Kynton Victoria close to his daughter and her family farm.
Attending Scotts Creek and Heathfield Primary Schools and then Oakabank High School, upon leaving education he furthered himself with a course in motor mechanics and worked at United Holden in Pirie Street.
Rogers football prowess is long and has a lot of depth and history that we are very proud to honour at Mt Lofty Football Club.
Beginning at Aldgate Football Club he quickly saw the light and moved to Heathfield and later Heathfield/Aldgate United where he became instant great mates with Johnny Coventry and many others. He was a 1961 and 1962 premiership player and between 1962 and 1964 he represented the Sturt District Rep Team. Roger captained this team in 1964 and won Association Goal Kicking as well as Best and Fairest.
In 1965, played for Heathfield in metro league and in 1966 for U17s with East Torrens Association team. He also captained the association team in a curtain raiser for Sturt vs Collingwood at Adelaide oval.
1967 to 1977 saw the incredible achievements of our Heritage Club era which we refer to as “The Golden Years”. Heathfield Aldgate United set an Australian football record back then of playing 87 unbeaten matches. This equates to a massive 9 premierships and Chook alongside Johnny Coventry and the late Herman de Roos. Within that period, he won Best and Fairest and leading goal kicker.
Football skills staying in the Brooks genes, Rogers granddaughter now plays AFL for Hawthorn. Before hanging up the boots in 1992, Roger played a few seasons for Kenilworth with his late son Jason.
Roger, on behalf of everybody at Mt Lofty, we sincerely thank you for your history which is forever woven into the heritage fabric of our club that makes it what it is today.
1967 A Grade Premiers
1977 HAU A Grade
1977 HAU A Grade Premiers
HAU – Mark Radbone, Roger Brooks, Geoff Hampton, Warren Foster (Coach)
1967 – Roger Brooks & John Westrych in action
