Rye legend Mick O’Rourke hasn’t missed a footy trip since 1965
This Rye footy legend went on his first end-of-season footy trip in 1965 and he loved it so much he’s not missed one since. Now 72, he drinks mid-strength beer but parties harder than most — usually until stumps. This is what he’s gotten up to over the years.
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After 55 footy trips in a row, Mick O’Rourke has declared, “I’ve never had a bad one”.
In what must be some sort of world record, the Rye footy club legend has been a permanent fixture on the Demons’ end-of-season trip since the first one — to Albury — in 1965.
Back then he was a wide-eyed teenager on an adventure.
“I enjoyed it so much I haven’t missed since,” O’Rourke said.
O’Rourke, affectionately known as “Kicka”, has a few basic rules when it comes to the trip away — stick together, look after each other and, of course, “what happens on the trip, stays on the trip”.
“I have a rule that you don’t go to bed before 3am,” O’Rourke declared.
Mick’s 50th trip in 2014 was special. While watching the AFL grand final at the Oyster Bar in Adelaide, the Rye boys put on the grey wigs and fake moustaches in honour of Kicka.
Mick thought it was absolutely wonderful and the trip remains a highlight.
Fellow Rye stalwart Scotty Beel, who has been on 25 trips, says his great mate Kicka is “a machine”.
“He gets up in the bus at the start of the trip and make a big speech,” Beel said.
“Basically, he tells everyone, ‘when you get back everyone is going to be wanting to know what went on, who did what...but you don’t tell them anything. You’re here to enjoy it’.
“He’s a bloody machine for his age.
“He’s just one of those blokes — he loves footy clubs and he loves getting away with the blokes. He drinks the mid-strength now but he just drinks and keeps going...”
O’Rourke is a rusted-on Rye legend. He played a record 342 games for the club as an uncompromising back flanker and has served as club president as well as most other roles over the years.
He works hard during the season but when the trip away comes around, it’s time to have fun.
“We just go for the four nights, five days — a Test match,” O’Rourke said proudly.
“Some are more memorable than others, the Grand Prix ones (in Adelaide) were terrific. The joint over there was jumping.”
The destinations have been various — it was Tasmania for 20 years and then Adelaide for another 20 or so (coinciding with the Australian GP).
One year, when Ansett airlines went bust, Rye lost its airfares and trip funds. So they hired a bus and drove to Geelong, and had a blast.
At 72, Mick has no trouble keeping up with the young blokes, even accompanying them to the nightclubs (although he is seldom asked to show ID).
Possibly Australia’s most senior “clubber”, he’s been to most nightspots in Tassie, Adelaide and Geelong — and is usually there ‘til stumps.
“Everyone takes pity on me now...they make a bit of a fuss, which is okay,” he said. “But I’m still there at the end which is good.”
O’Rourke’s great mate the late Nick Appleford went on about 50 trips and Johnny Moody did “40-odd”.
Don’t think for a minute Kicka is about to hang up the trip away stubby holder. No way.
He’s looking forward to this season’s adventure, although with no play going on at the moment nothing has been planned.
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