A great night at Arkaba Oval on Saturday night, with a top of the table clash for U12 mixed Mt Lofty White v Onka Valley. Whilst we didn’t come away with the win, it was a great game and a some good take aways.
Better still, a night with the seniors for dinner and presentations.
A high 5 on the way through and a photo with senior mens players Will Jordans and Sam McTaggart.
Great job U12 White’s
What a fun day in the rain for Grandparents Day at the Devils!
Remember its never to late to join in the fun. If you have any questions, just ask Rose.
Auskick@mtloftydevils.com.au
We were proud to be joined at Arkaba Oval this week, by Richard ‘Dicky’ Symons, to do us the honour of tossing the commemorative Life Member coin for our match against Mt Barker Saturday 27 May.
Richard Symons who is a Life Member of one our Heritage Club’s, Heathfield Aldgate United Football Club, known affectionately over the years as “Dicky” was is excited to by joined on the oval his grandsons from Mt Barker FC, Alex playing and Jordan as runner, with wife Betty watching from the stands.
Dicky played some footy at Plympton High School but until he met his now wife, Betty, at work in 1968, he had not considered playing until she told him of the Heathfield Aldgate United Football Club of which her late father Sid Magor also became a Life Member. Until then he had been happy to follow the Sturt Football Club which was in its run of 5 successive Premierships. What a resumption of a career it was, with Dicky playing on the wing in the first of 7 B Grade Premierships and in his very first year.
Not many people can claim to have played in so many Premierships, but his record is even more impressive with an eighth GF win and not one loss. This followed the rare feet of playing in two Premierships within one week where he played in a C Grade Premiership and then, the next Saturday, backed that up with another B Grade Premiership. Over the years Dicky both Captained and Coached the B Grade, winning the 1977 and 1978 Premierships as coach, the 1978 success being the last of HAU’s 30 Premierships.
An amazing career for sure, but Dicky jokingly refers to his record at A Grade level as well, where he has a 100% disposal record – one game, one kick and one goal on Coach Warren “Sherg” Foster putting him on the ground late in the match when there was no interchange.
Like quite a few of their close HAU friends, Dicky and Betty were very active Committee members and Dicky went on to become a key member of a four-person subcommittee which undertook the myriad of tasks required to set up the Mount Lofty club between 1978 and 1979. He relates the legendary story that the Devils would have been the Hawks, had it not been for the fact that the then SAFA competition which it joined, already had a club with the colours of brown and yellow.
Dicky and Betty’s work with Mt Lofty came to an end after Dicky’s career in finance took him to Darwin and later Mt Gambier, before eventually returning to the Adelaide Hills as a resident of Mt Barker. He is long retired, but is still a very active lawn bowler and volunteer and is a proud follower of his two Grandson’s, Jordan and Alex Houlahan, playing with Mt Barker. Alex will shortly take his position with Mt Barker in this important game, while Jordan, who was drafted by Essendon in 2017, is unfortunately recovering from shoulder surgery.
Thank you for everything Dicky, to our clubs, and in the community.
Last Saturday was a special one!
Past player, long term sponsor, and week in and out supporter Dan Weeks (who also happens to be a part of a 3 generation Candy Striper, including father & brother to some of our current senior mens team) was firstly honoured to present a debutant guernsey, and then surprised by his family and mates from the hills and interstate, for an early Birthday celebration thanks to his wife Rachel.
Happy Birthday Dan! We hope you and your mates had a great day at the footy.
We were proud to be joined at Arkaba Oval this week, by Owen Bevan, to do us the honour of tossing the commemorative Life Member coin for our match against Uraidla.
Until recent years Owen was a lifelong Stirling resident who played for Stirling in the 1950’s and through to the 70’s. A very fair but determined player, Owen was a ruckman in Stirling’s 1960 Premiership side, runner up Mail Medalist in 1965 and the inaugural chairman of the Mt. Lofty District Football club in 1979.
Owen juggled his sport with life as a Police Officer and he retired as Chief Superintendant after decades of service to South Australia – for which he was recognised in the Australia Day Honours List with an Australian Police Medal.
Years of service also saw Owen recognised with Life Membership of the Stirling Football Club. He continued his voluntary service on the formation of Mt Lofty Football Club and was our inaugural President in 1979, holding that position until 1981 when Mt Lofty won its very first A Grade Premiership playing in the then SAFA competition. He has continued to stay in touch and was one of a good number of 1960 Stirling Premiership players who attended the 2021 reunion.
Owen’s son Mark is with him today, with Mark being a member of our 1990 A Grade premiership side, and four of Owens Grandsons have gone on to play junior and senior football with the devils
We sincerely thank you Owen.
It was great to see Owen and his son Mark on Saturday, and thanks to Hadyn Cutting and the LLG for these great photos from the archives.
