The Mayne Tigers marked and celebrated their 100 years anniversary with a wonderful night at the Kedron Wavell RSL on Friday night inducting 275 people and entities into their inaugural Hall of Fame.
It was a who’s who of Tiger players, administrators and volunteers who were recognised with this well deserved accolade on the night with people representing family members from every decade of the club’s history.
Players from the Tigers 1927 Premiership team including Clem and Vince Ryan were represented by grand daughters Leanne Hunter and Julie Barber while Albert and Eddie Hadwen were represented by sons Don and Allan and the legendary George Nuss was represented by daughters Karen Nuss and Kerry Strasser.
The 1958 Tiger Premiership team that won their flag in the national centenary year of football was represented by Noel Best, Don Barber, Noel Radke, Brian Warlow and Clive Gledhill while Bunny Burrows son Michael and daughter Donna were on hand as well.
In addition to the presentation of certificates, interviews by AFL and Tiger Premiership Coach Danny Craven took the audience on a wonderful journey down though the decades with four groups of Tigers giving the adoring crowd their recollection of what it was and is to be a Tiger. The golden era of the 1950’s and 60’s were represented by Don Barber, Jim Hayes, Barry Spring and Glenda Barber. The 1970’s and 80’s were represented by Bill Farrelly, Howie Nielsen from the 1973 Premiership team and Gary Maddison and Dale Woodhall from the 1982 flag. Great memories of Mick Nolan were flooding the room as the Gas was fondly remembered.
The 1990’s to now had the Tigers games record holder Andrew Housego lead the group off with a wonderful story of the lows and then highs that this period encapsulated while Luke Ferguson had everyone in stitches with his shoestring recruiting story. Caleb Brown highlighted how he was recruited by Richard Champion to the Tigers while Luke Faulkner opened up about how his move to the Tigers changed his life and how he has made so many lifelong friends through the club.
Two great Tigers in Shane Johnson and Bart Sinclair steered the night through a rollicking and tumultuous 100 years that is the Tigers history with some truly wonderful and personal anecdotes as they jointly compared a wonderful evening.
We heard stories of Tigers who went on to the VFL like Carl Herbert and Dale Woodhall and the first Queenslander to play for the Lions in Tony Beckett and then the hard men of footy like Kenny Hayes or the colourful characters like Tessie Blacker, and so many more, oh what a night. Bart commented that everyone will remember the night the club came together to celebrate 100 years and they were there.
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