Singleton Roosters play first game since Greta bus crash
The Singleton Roosters have taken to the field for their first game since the Greta bush crash tragedy claimed the lives of their teammates, with the NSW Premier looking on.
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They came out on the field with tears in their eyes, black bands on their arms, and to a chorus of cheers from their rivals.
When the men’s and women’s Singleton Roosters made their emotional return to the field on Saturday, you would be forgiven for mistaking the small community team for the Swans or Giants.
It’s not every day a local sports team will draw in more than 600 people, the Premier and a swarm of television cameras, but it’s not every day you meet a team as strong as the Roosters.
One month since tragedy claimed the lives of 10 guests from the wedding of Mitchell Gaffney and Madeleine Edsell, including several connected to the AFL club, both the men’s and women’s senior team, including Mitch Gaffney, have played a tribute game.
Among the crash victims who were well known in the club community were player Andrew Scott and wife Lynan, and mother and daughter Nadene and Kyah McBride.
From the moment the women’s team took the field, it was clear the crowd was there for one team only. Even those wearing the rival colours of Cardiff Hawks and Bateau Bay, were cheering for red and white.
All players on the field wore black arm bands to remember the 10 victims of the June long weekend crash.
Though the women lost their match, going down by 12 points against the Cardiff Hawks, they were celebrated as the winners.
When the final buzzer rang, the winning team embraced the Roosters, giving them the chance to sing their song instead.
When the men took the field, commentators said “it was clear there were 10 special people” looking down on the team, who won their first game for the season, defeating Bateau Bay 81-38.
Mitch Gaffney scored multiple goals during game, prompting his team to leave their positions to embrace him.
At the game, Premier Chris Minns announced a $1.7 million upgrade towards the The Singleton Roosters clubhouse, including a permanent memorial to the victims of the bus crash.
“There’s no consolation after a terrible tragedy like this. A glimmer of hope is that the community’s been able to lean on one another to get through the last few weeks,” said Premier Chris Minns.
“It’s going take some time for this community to get back on it today. But I want Singleton to know that we’re there for them. And we will rebuild with them.”
The upgrade to the club facilities will also include new shower change rooms, storage spaces, umpire areas, a scorer’s box, toilets and renovations to the kiosk and kitchen.
The memorial will allow all members of the community to mourn and remember the victims including those connected to the club.
Singleton president Dylan Hickson thanked the crowd, before leading his team out onto the field.
“We are a family here and we lost parts of our family. We will play hard and will play fair... we will keep moving forward.”
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