We would like to extend a warm welcome to everybody who joined us on Saturday at Arkaba Oval, especially to Herman de Roos who is doing us the honour of tossing the commemorative Life Member coin for this clash against Onka’s. Herman was joined by his wife Glenda, Son Simon and his wife Emma and Grandchildren Isaac and Stella, Daughter Nicky with Granddaughters Emily, and Johanna.
Herman is Life Member of Heathfield Aldgate United and was also appointed Life Member of Mt Lofty Football Club in 1986
He played junior football for Stirling – being a Premiership player in the Stirling Senior Colts in 1960.
Herman began his Senior career with Stirling in 1962 and only ever missed 2 games through injury, He eventually retired in 1981 after 367 A Grade matches (with Stirling, Heathfield Aldgate United and Mt Lofty) with a sprinkling of B Grade games in his final year.
Ten years later, he came out of retirement to “fill in” in the B Grade, joining his teenage sons Simon and Cory in a very memorable match for the family.
He played in 9 HAU A Grade Premierships in 1967 and 1968 and then in 7 successive HAU Premierships between 1971 and 1977 which include the then Australian Record of 87 matches without loss.
Representing the HFL in Lovelock Shield matches in 1967, 68, 71 and 78 and twice a runner up in the Mail Medal in 1977 and 1978
He was runner up in the HAU A Grade Best and Fairest on 4 occasions – 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1978.
In a Courier article covering a function to celebrate his 350th senior game he was described as “….a tough uncompromising defender who rarely fails to perform. He is a model for any young footballer both in the skills of the game and his attitude.”
Was a member of many committees and boards, carrying out several voluntary club positions over the decades, including President of the Mt Lofty Football Club in 1986 and then junior coaching when his sons Simon and Cory began playing
Herman was a draftsman and prepared the first conceptual drawings of the two storey Licensed Club back in the mid 1960’s and which we now know as the “Pavilion”.
Thank you for everything you have done for our Clubs Herman!
We would like to welcome to Arkaba Oval members of the Wissell family who are representing deceased Life Members of our foundation clubs and are doing us the honour of tossing the Life Member coin for this very important match against Lobethal.
Welcome to Shane and Kirsten Wissell and their sons James and Harry, James is wearing our current Mt. Lofty jumper and Harry is wearing his Pop’s, Brian, original Aldgate Football club jumper. These boys are the 5th generation Wissell’s to play for Mt. Lofty and its foundation clubs.
Shane’s great grandfather Jim Wissell was the first-generation Wissell to play for the Aldgate Football Club, commencing playing in 1901 and taking on many roles until the 1930’s. Jim holds life membership of the Aldgate Football Club.
Shane’s grandfather Harold ‘Chicken’ Wissell was the second generation of Wissell’s to play at Aldgate and was also honoured with Life Membership, playing and filling different roles from the 1930’s through to the 1950’s, he was an A Grade premiership player in 1934 and was the first President of the current Hills Football league.
Then came Brian ‘Woop’ Wissell as the 3rd generation to play and volunteer support in many roles from the late 1940’s until 2009, winning the A grade B&F in 1957. Brian was involved with Aldgate, HAU and Mt. Lofty and is a Life Member of the Aldgate Football Club.
Shane and his brothers Craig and David also played for HAU and then Mt. Lofty Football clubs and became the 4th generation of Wissell’s to add their flair to our club’s history with Shane winning back-to-back SAFA medals in the U16 competition in ‘84 & ‘85 and runner up in the ‘91 A grade mail Medal. The family history of playing and support now spans 121 years with James and Harry Wissell starting their playing in the Candy Stripes at the age of six in our Auskick program.
This family sits in rarefied atmosphere when it comes to support of our club and community, and we look forward to the Wissell tradition continuing at our great club.
We wish to invite everyone from the era’s to the Club and 1 & 2 Premiership Reunions
1.00pm Saturday 30 July 2022
1961 Heathfield Senior Colts 1971 Heathfield Aldgate United A Grade, Senior Colts, Junior Colts and Mini Colts 1981 Mt Lofty A Grade (SAFA – first club senior premiership) 1952 Stirling A Grade 1972 Heathfield Aldgate United A Grade, B Grade and Junior Colts 2002 Mt Lofty Senior Colts 2012 Mt Lofty C Grade
We would like to extend a warm welcome to everybody here today at the Arkaba Oval. We would especially like to welcome Chris Chardon who is a Life Member of Mt Lofty and who is doing us the honour of tossing the commemorative Life Member coin for this very important match against Nairne-Bremer.
Chris’s football life commenced as a 12 year old with the Stirling Football Club Senior Colts (Under 16 in those days) in 1962 and he remembers well the side competing in a Grand Final and kicking a goal in his first match. Playing in the ruck, success followed with Premierships in 1963, against an undefeated Bridgewater, and 1964 when Stirling went through undefeated.
He was then enticed to play with Sturt Under 17’s in 1965 and 1966 before returning to Stirling in 1967. In 1969 Stirling made the Grand Final against Mt Barker and while Chris kicked 3 goals in the match as a ruck rover and half forward, Mounts went on to win the first of 3 Premierships in a row.
Chris retired from playing at 25 but took up long distance running, going on to complete 6 marathons, 13 City-Bay Runs and numerous other fun runs.
Aside from playing sport, Chris worked for the Education Department for his entire 43 year career and achieved qualifications in accounting and business management. He used those qualifications in many committee positions across so many sporting and community organisations and has always been a passionate advocate for this area.
Achievements during his incredible community service are far too numerous to cover today but include: Life Member of the Stirling Cricket Club, Life Member of the Mount Lofty Districts Historical Society and recipient of the Regional Historian of the year on 2 occasions.
His love of the area and passion for its history has seen Chris author many books including “Stirling: A Personal View” and of great interest to us all “Recreation Reserve No.2” which covers the history, from the late 1800’s, of this reserve on which the Heathfield Oval was built.
We are recognising today though, Chris’s wonderful service to the Mt Lofty Football Club which has seen him carry out roles of Club Secretary, Club Delegate to the Hills Football League, Team Manager, Time Keeper and rewriting the Constitutions for the Football Club and the Community and Sports Club.
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.
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.
