Troubled Rosewater football club faces challenge to rebuild culture
ROSEWATER football club – in crisis after violent on-field incidents saw the senior team deregistered and the junior club disgraced – has to rebuild it’s tarnished reputation.
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IT was standing room only at the Rosewater Football Club member’s lounge in late 2011 when newly appointed South Australian Premier – and No.1 ticket holder of the Bulldogs – Jay Weatherill rose to address the crowd.
The Member for Cheltenham received one of the biggest cheers of his glittering career – raising the roof of the dilapidated building – when he announced to the faithful the club had secured a substantial government grant of $320,000 to assist in replacing the tatty facilities with a state of the art building.
Four years on since the clubrooms were completed and the proud reputation and legacy of the Rosewater club – in the Port Adelaide heartland – is the one in tatters.
The Premier said yesterday he will intervene personally to try and turn around a troubled culture of recent on-field violence unprecedented in the amateur football leagues.
When long-term club captain Adam Rumblelow copped a record 20-year ban in July for attacking an umpire it was the culmination of a litany of incidents and abuse directed at umpires by Rosewater players.
The incident was investigated by police and the SA Amateur Football League took the strongest action deregistering Rosewater’s senior teams for the remainder of the season.
Rosewater’s junior associations – that played on – were quick to distance themselves from the actions of “big brother” but last Sunday claims that there were no such problems at the junior level were tarnished when police were called to the U16 grand final clash at Woodville Oval after a Rosewater player allegedly kicked the head of his Seaton opponent.
The player was taken by ambulance to the Royal Adelaide Hospital and umpires immediately called off the game.
Speaking from Finland yesterday, Mr Weatherill called the incident “a disaster not only for the club but also the sport”.
“The one hope we had when that previous incident happened was that we could quarantine what was happening from the junior grades,” he said.
“Now with this happening it demonstrates that there is a deep-seeded cultural issue at this club and we’re going to have to start from scratch. I’m going to have to play a much deeper role.”
Rosewater juniors club president Roslyn Coles has welcomed the Premier’s support as “helpful” but dismisses claims there is any cultural link between the junior and senior codes.
She told The Advertiser Sunday’s alleged assault was no more than “a red card incident”.
“I know Adelaide is a small town and there is often a slow news day but at times we’re not getting a fair deal,” Ms Coles said. “The juniors and seniors are run entirely different. Linking the two together is not helpful.”
Ms Coles said the fact a Rosewater player won the Under 12 best and fairest award this year and a player in the Under 16 competition was runner-up, is evidence of a respectful culture in the club’s junior ranks.
“There really is some good news happening down there (Rosewater) but no one is reporting that our under-12s got a premiership this year,” she added.
The current incident cannot be investigated by the SAAFL as the junior club is affiliated with the South Australian National Football League.
SAAFL chief executive John Kernahan confirmed that Rosewater had its application to rejoin the senior league accepted last week but under strict conditions.
They include that teams will lose premiership points if a player is suspended and the potential loss of home games if fans misbehave.
The halcyon days of Rosewater culminating in winning the 1957 A1 Division Premiership were during the Baby Boomer years of the 1950s and 60s, but there has been a steady decline in fortunes in line with the area as industries closed and jobs were lost.
Ms Coles says with the revitalisation of the Port area finally underway, families are moving back.
The next golden generation of players are on the horizon – but it is vital the club regains a good name.
“With the demographic changing due to all the development, battling clubs like West Croydon, Portland and Rosewater are poised to rebuild and become strong in their junior ranks again,” she said.
“The Premier’s support would be fantastic because there is an opportunity to build the club back up.
“We have beautiful facilities and a lovely group of parents who are currently hurting.”
Mr Weatherill has warned in the current climate parents might choose soccer rather than football, and a tough new code of conduct is needed at Rosewater.
“There’s a lot of good people in the leadership team and also friends of the club that don’t want to see its reputation damaged in this way,” he said.
“It’s obviously going to be a lot longer path back than everybody had hoped.”
PROUD HISTORY IN THE NORTH
Rosewater Football Club
Established:1887
Nickname:The Bulldogs
Colours:Blue: red chest band edged in white with a white bulldog monogram on the chest.
Ground: Eric Sutton Reserve Oval, Newcastle Street, Rosewater. (Named in memory of a former local councillor who died as a prisoner of war in Thailand).
Joined SA Amateur League:1947.
Glory years:1950s and 1960s
Last A1 premiership: 1957.
AFL listed players: Bruce Abernethy; Che, David, and Donald Cockatoo-Collins; Trent Ormond-Allen; and Jarrad Poulton.
Notable player: Brian Cunningham (Port Adelaide Magpies captain and club champion and the first chief executive of Port Adelaide (AFL) Club.
Most decorated player: Kevin “Jacky” Jacquier (a gutsy and courageous ball winner who played 367 games and won five Association medals).