It is with much sadness that we share the loss of another much-admired Premiership player and Junior Coach from Heathfield Aldgate United in the passing of Andy Fletcher. Andy has fought ill health for many years after having to leave his daughter Esther (Essie) and his many friends in Papua New Guinea almost 20 years ago.
Cairns became his home which enabled him to be close by for Kidney Dialysis treatment from a tropical disease many years ago. Numerous serious illnesses struck Andy throughout that time and he fought these challenges with the same incredible determination that he was known for in his career, both and on the football field.
Andy was twice a Premiership player in the 1967 and 1968 HA United A Grade sides, made even more special having his late brother Jim as a teammate. His influence on the club also extended to development of junior players as a very good coach of Under 13 sides and including Premierships in 1968 and 1969.
Off the field Andy completed an apprenticeship in Automotive Engineering with the only Porsche agency in Adelaide. In 1970 he left for Papua New Guinea in 1970 initially working in the Bouganville Copper Mine Pit Workshop. He then went on to become an incredible contributor to the community of PNG moving from automotive engineering to becoming a Senior Lecturer in Vocational Training Centres, Agricultural and Fisheries Colleges. Andy also rose to the level of College Principal!
36 years in PNG saw Andy’s deep love of the people and culture in the form of becoming an author. He wrote five books, with his first a fictional story based around the Japanese occupation of Rabaul. Later on he set about writing fictional books set in Australia and introduced some local characters in the form of his mates from his wonderful years he spent in the Adelaide Hills. These books are a great read and show a larrikin side of Andy…all fiction of course!
• A Dimdim in Paradise • Tibu and Tovaira Defy the Rising Sun • Tibu and Tovaira & The Sorcerer’s Time Travel • Meat Pies & Russian Spies • Reds Under Our Beds
Andys love of Heathfield Aldgate United saw him go to incredible lengths to juggle dialysis, so he could attend several reunions captured in the attached photos. This is where he caught up with old teammates, regaled in legendary tales of that “fictional” quality and enjoyed re-connecting with junior players who admired him so much as their coach.
And so it seems, another legend with a solid connection to our clubs history, has joined the clubrooms in the sky. Please join us in sending condolences to his daughter Essie and many close friends Andy had to leave behind in Papua New Guinea.
A private cremation will be carried out for Andy in line with his wishes.
It is with great sadness we share with you the passing of Ian “Slasher” O’Reily on the 30 August 2026.
Slasher played for Aldgate Football Club and became a Premiership player 2 years after the amalgamation with Heathfield. 1968 saw Ian play in the Heathfield Aldgate United B Grade Premiership, the year in which United won 4 Premierships – A’s, B’s, Senior Colts and Junior Colts.
While a very determined footballer, Slasher had an even larger reputation as a Cricketer where he was the Aldgate A Grade Captain with his incredible record winning him that distinctive nick name. Service to the game combined, with his cricketing prowess, saw him recognised with Life Membership of both the Aldgate Cricket Club and the Hills Cricket Association
To many of us, the names ‘Slasher’ and ‘O’Riley and Smart’ played a large part of life in the local area through Ian’s sporting prowess. Of course the business partnership with past Stirling Footballer, Nick Smart, will always be remember when the pair ran the very successful woodyard for many years on Mt Barker Road Stirling.
On behalf of Mt Lofty District Football Club and the Lofty Legends Group, I would like to pass on our sincere condolences to Bett and her family on the loss of Ian.
2018 Reunion of the 1968 HA United B Grade Premiership.
L to R: Peter Hunt, Lew Malzard, the late Richard Symons, Haydn Cutting, the late Ian “Slasher” O’Riley, Kym “Doug” Radbone and the late David Fuller.
2018 Reunion: Richard Symons, Ian O’Riley and Rhonda Gill
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)
– Over the last few days on our Socials we have been ‘Stepping Back In Time’ reminiscing of past years. Here are some of the articles that were posted. –
Don’t forget the Reunion this weekend. Get in early as it is looking like standing room only.
1950 Womens unofficial team Who do you know! Our Lofty Legends team has found all the names bar one! Third from left, back row! If you know who this is, please email legends@mtloftydevils.com.au to help keep our historical records up to date!
Back row, L to R: John Hampton, Joyce Hampton, (name unknown), Mrs Sillett, Silvia Chaplin, Mrs Cocker, Mrs Meyer, Klari Chillingsworth, Pat Williams, Maxine Chillingsworth and Barb Coventry
Young girl in front of Klari Chillingsworth is Wendy Roberts
Front row L to R: Dora Fuller, Nell Blackmore, Thelma Coventry, Cliff Chaplin, Ray Williams, Bob Longmire and Janet White
1966 Opening of Heathfield Oval
What an event for the community! A lot of red tape and dedication by many community members, eventually the Heathfield Oval was opened!
Fun Fact – Heathfield High School was originally a speedway before it was a school, then an oval. And in 1962 locals gained approval from the government to clear the site of the Heathfield oval and locals literally calved out the Heathfield Oval by hand! 1966 our oval was officially opened and the first footy match played on it’s turf! So while you’re playing, remember the hard work that went into you even having an oval to begin with!
Pics in order: Chairman of Heathfield Community Club Stan Evans (in HAU guernsey) with SANFL Chairman Mr A Kenny officially opening the oval, Foundation Stone 1966 | trial match view from current clubrooms balcony | trial match view from top end goals
1986 A and B Grade Premierships
What a day for Mt Lofty! Nothing could be darker that day for Mt Barker!
We have searched high and low but are unable to locate an official sitting of the B Grade! If you have one, please email legends@mtloftydevils.com.au
Email legends@mtloftydevils.com.au if you wish to contribute your own stories, photos and to stay connected with your clubs heritage
It is with great honour we share Mt Lofty Life Member Jeff Pistola has won the 2026 AFL National Community Football Media Award.
Jeff’s commitments to our club(s) spanned over 37 years including being involved in multiple Premierships plus a rare achievement which was to have coached Mt Lofty at every level from Under 10’s through to A Grade (the only available teams at the time) after which he looked to focussing on building a media team focussing purely on Hills football. This has grown into the CALL OF THE WILD team now know today and I think we all agree is 2nd to none!
The understanding, knowledge of the game and players, along with your passion to bring this to our community is something to be admired.
Congratulations again to Jeff ‘Pistols’ Pistola on this massive award, well deserved mate!
