Hawks and Demons to mark Anzac Day with annual clash

THE rivalry between Drysdale and Portarlington football and netball clubs is set to heat up again next week for their annual Anzac Day clash.

For about the past decade, the Drysdale Football and Netball Club and Portarlington Demons Football and Netball Club have come together to remember those who have died fighting for Australia.

Large crowds of supporters come out each year to mark the occasion and to cheer on their netball and football teams.

It’s a Hawks home game this year, with the men’s reserves match at Mortimer Oval starting at 11.30am, followed by an Anzac commemoration at 1.30pm. The seniors will take the field at 2.10pm.

The Demons will be hoping to make amends for last year’s match, when the Hawks took home the silverware, winning 17.15.117 to 14.11.95.

Before that, Portarlington won back-to-back Anzac Day matches in 2015 and 2016.

The best player in the seniors match this year will take home the Purnell Medal, which honours humanitarian, medical doctor, sportsman and war hero Kenneth Claud Purnell MC, who died in 1967.

Mr Purnell attended Geelong College from 1904 to 1911 where he excelled both academically and in sport, and was selected into the University of Melbourne’s first 18 Australian rules team while he was attending medical school.

Captain Purnell was awarded the Military Cross for extreme bravery in France for rescuing wounded soldiers under heavy fire from no-man’s land, and on returning to Geelong dedicated himself to establishing Geelong Legacy as well as undertaking honorary work at Geelong Hospital, the Geelong Port Authority and the Geelong Gaol, and during the Depression provided free medical care to many families in need.

Dr Purnell is honoured as the founding president of Geelong Legacy and respected for his outstanding and long history of community service to the Geelong region.

Legatee John Bugge said Geelong Legacy Club presently cared for 1,000 widows and 14 children of deceased and incapacitated veterans across the Geelong region.

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