Club to catch up on home ground

FOR the past decade, members, and associates of one of the region’s lost sporting teams have been reuniting in Geelong to reminisce on their past matches.

With their catchup due this weekend, Cressy Football Club alumnus will reunite for the first time on their home ground

Former CFNC player Peter Robertson started organising the reunions at Geelong’s Great Western Hotel after seeing similar catchups at Derrinallum Football Club taking place there.

Last year’s reunion was their largest yet with more than 60 people attending at the Fyansford Hotel, and Mr Robertson said it’s long overdue that the team return home.

“I’ve always wanted to go back to Cressy, to the clubrooms, and hold it there,” he said. “Now it’s finally happening and anyone can turn up.

“The football club on a Thursday night have a bar which they’ve done up with a lot of memorabilia in there and have it looking absolutely fantastic.

“There’ll be so much history to reminisce about.”

Cressy Football Netball Club was part of the Western Plains Football League, which disbanded in the late 1990s.

Mr Robertson played a stint with CFNC during 1976 at the request of his father who was a past player, president, coach, and life member of the club.

“The clubrooms were actually a RAAF building they used during World War Two and they transported down there to use as changerooms and clubrooms,” Mr Robertson said.

Chris Humphrey has been attending the reunions since it started, having been born and raised in Cressy and played senior football with the club until he was 24 years old.

He said he hopes the team’s return can help reinvigorate the town.

“It obviously hasn’t seen much action for a while,” he said. “The clubrooms have finally been refurbed to the point we can meet there now.

“The grounds these days are only used for sheep dog trials. There’s nothing there at the town now.

“There’s actually some new houses being built out there so I think this will show support for the town and the long-term Cressy people that have stayed there.”

The Cressy Football Club reunion will take place from 12pm on Sunday, 4 June.