Wimmera-Mail Times | STAWELL will look to replicate the feats of 20 years ago on Saturday, with the celebration of its 1995 and 1996 senior football premierships colliding with a clash against arch-rival Ararat.
Saturday’s get-together will be the first of two reunions in the next two months, as the Warriors from the Ararat and District Football Association era and the Wimmera Football League’s Stawell Redlegs applaud their previous success stories.
Before the two clubs merged to form the current Wimmera league outfit, the Warriors were a force to be reckoned with.
The senior footballers claimed unexpected premiership triumphs in 1995 and 1996, with the reserves winning the 1995 flag.
The A Grade netballers achieved a premiership three-peat between 1995 and 1997.
The B Graders also won three premierships in four years spanning 1995 to 1998.
The under-18 netballers chimed in with back-to-back flags of their own, winning in 1996 and 1997.
August 22 will also allow teams from the Stawell Redlegs to acknowledge their premiership-winning feats of 1995.
Current Stawell Warriors reserves coach and reunion co-ordinator Marc Brilliant said it was a great chance to reminisce.
‘‘It was pretty successful for the town and it’s unusual to have two teams from the the same town in separate leagues do so well,’’ he said.
‘‘Hopefully we can get a big result on Saturday. We’ve got about 100 people coming, which is good.’’
The formalities will start at half-time of the senior clash when the committees gather in the Stawell clubrooms.
Guests will be welcomed, with a dinner to follow after the match. Stawell’s 1995 coach Noel Jacobs and 1996 coach Grant Cassidy are among those representing the footballers, while Kelly Cosson will represent the netballers.
Successful past president Robert ‘Butch’ Holmes will also attend.
Scores from all Stawell-Ararat football and netball matches will be tallied in the aftermath, with the aggregate winner presented with the annual Perc Bushby Cup.
Organisers hope the current Warriors can harness some extra motivation and claim the significant Ararat scalp.