Justin Leppitsch: Former AFL premiership star reveals big job he’s undertaken to restore Port Welshpool pub

Three-time AFL premiership player and former Brisbane Lions coach Justin Leppitsch has made it his goal to save this Victorian town’s pub that was left to rot. See what it looks like now.

Justin Leppitsch and his wife Christie have undertaken the tough task of renovating the Rusty Gurnard pub at 85 Lewis St, Port Welshpool.

Three-time AFL premiership player and former Brisbane Lions coach Justin Leppitsch is set to reopen a regional Victorian pub left to rot, despite being its town’s only watering hole.

Last Christmas, Leppitsch and a few business partners bought the Port Welshpool pub for $935,000 off of an investor owner, who had left it empty for three years since the pandemic.

They kicked off a renovation in June and discovered even the front bar was rotting.

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But after an extraordinary overhaul, this weekend they will open the doors for the first time since 2021.

And Leppitsch will be on the mark to pull beers at the revamped hotel now named the Rusty Gurnard.

The AFL great played with Brisbane from 1993 to 2006, winning three premierships along the way, and coached the side from 2014 to 2016.

The exterior of Rusty Gurnard pub at 85 Lewis St, Port Welshpool.

Unsurprisingly, he prefers a Great Northern Lager. And he has definitely earned a few cold ones.

Alongside his wife Christie and local business partners Michelle and Justin Thorn, Leppitsch spent months in demolition removing the rot from everything including the floors, stairs and the main bar.

Photos showing the pub’s incredible transformation revealed the ceiling partially collapsing onto the billiard tables after they took the keys.

“It’s been fun,” Leppitsch said.

BEFORE: A look at the state the pub was in before Leppitsch took over.

The pub needed a lot of work.

The renovation basically gutted ‘the whole thing’

“We have had to pretty much gut the whole thing. Removed the carpet, and some of the walls we had to take down … there’s a brand new kitchen in there, too.”

The first patrons will be part of the town’s fishing contest, with a public opening scheduled for Sunday.

The pubs name, the Rusty Gurnard, is for a common local fish that usually gets thrown back despite being good eating — due to its sharp spikes.

Despite the notable handicap of not having been opened yet the 85 Lewis St, Port Welshpool, watering hole already has about 25,000 fans on Facebook, despite the local population being closer to 200, and ran its first footy tipping competition over the past AFL season.

What the new rustic bar looks like now.

Inside how the pub looks now.

The new and improved pool area.

Its first day of trading is November 24 from noon to 10pm.

Leppitsch said he would be down there “as much as humanly possible” thereafter, though the day to day management will be handled by the Thorns who live locally.

“It’s not just about bringing the pub back to life, but about bringing the community back too,” he said.

“We wanted to produce something the locals would be proud of.”

In addition to Great Northern and Carlton Draught, they will also be serving a local tipple named the Rusty Gurnard Lager, with an experienced chef also coming in to provide a mix of fresh local produce and seafood.

Justin Leppitsch, along with his wife Christie (middle) and local business partners Michelle and Justin Thorn, the team are ready to welcome patrons this weekend.

The upper level of the pub is an amazing place to watch the sun set.

Leppitsch initially followed up his AFL career with time as a developer, but was looking for a new venture as Victoria’s housing market slowed when the chance to try a pub came up.

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Originally published as Justin Leppitsch: Former AFL premiership star reveals big job he’s undertaken to restore Port Welshpool pub