Meningie Football Club

RMFL BRYAN MEDAL WINNER IN 1994

Player in the 1995 Under 17's Premiership team

Mr Frank Gibbs of Meningie celebrated his 90th birthday at the Meningie Football Club on Sunday with around 150 family and freinds. Mr Gibbs was born at Seawiew on the Coorong on October 12 in 1919. Pictured are his five sons and two daughters, Jamie, Perry, Christine Cooper, Fancine Wenske, Peter, Gary and Michael.

Two Life Memberships were awarded at last Friday nights Meningie Football Club end of season dinner. A crowd of around 130 players and supporters cheered as Shawn Ridley and Ashley Mason were awarded Life Memberships by President David McKechnie. Shawn, (fondly known as Chook) began playing for Meningie as a colt in the eighties and still plays in the Reserves side, having played more than 250 games for the Meningie club. Ashley Mason also played for Meningie as a colt in the mid-seventies and continued to play into the seniors until injury stopped his playing days. Since then Ashley, fondly known as ‘Frog’ throughout the RMFL, has been heavily involved in the club and has run the famous ‘Frogs Bar’ for several years. The evening concluded with the presentation of the Club-person of the year awarded to David Reichelt for his work around the club throughout the year.

Rodney ‘Rocket’ Cunneen won the prestigious A Grade Best and Fairest award at the Meningie Football Club count and dinner on Friday night despite only returning to the team midseason. Cunneen did not feature in the first few rounds in the count with Dean Rossi jumping into the lead followed by Ben Gibbs and Josh Benbow. On Rodney’s return from Roxby Downs, he slowly crept through the field to be in third position after 14 rounds with Evan Smith and Dean Rossi above him. Cunneen, who was forth in the RMFL Best and Fairest count, stormed ahead in the last rounds of the season to take out his second Meningie A Grade Best and Fairest award with 45 votes. Dean Rossi finished runner-up with 34 while Evan Smith gained 31. Others who featured well were, Ben Gibbs on 29, Josh Benbow on 23, Tim Saddlier on 21 and Robert Payne on 19. Coach, Jamie Gibbs awarded the best team man trophy to Evan Smith and the Coaches trophy to Josh Benbow. The Wayne Sanders memorial best under 21 player was awarded to Ben Gibbs. 

Paul McNicol was awarded the Best and Fairest player for the Meningie Bears Reserves team at last Friday night’s medal count and dinner. Paul gained 47 votes in the count and was followed by runner-up Shawn Ridley with 26 votes. Josh Rasheed, Richard Prusa and Rhys Smart were all close behind on 17 votes. The Perpetual Gary Henderson memorial best team man trophy was awarded to Mark Turner while Josh Gibbs took home the most improved award. Rob Lightfoot’s Coaches trophy was awarded to Hamish Garton and Richard Prusa was best player in the finals.

Meningie Bears player Jack Angas gained 28 votes to win Friday night’s Best and Fairest count for the under 17’s at the Football Club. James Lawson was runner up with 26 votes, followed by Ben Halliday with 16. First time Coach Brad Jeffery awarded Dylan VandenBrink with the best team man trophy while Jarrod Thorpe won the most improved player for 2009. Ben Halliday won the most consistent trophy while the trainers’ trophy was awarded to Reece Mason.

Meningie Football Club Junior Best & Fairest count

 Friends and family of Meningie Bears under 10’s, 12’s and 15’s gathered at the Meningie Football Clubrooms on Friday night to celebrate their 2009 season. The junior footballers had a very successful year in the end with the under 12’s winning the 2009 RMFL flag and the under 15’s making it to third place for the season. The coaches of the under 10’s squad Dean Bagshaw and Matthew Hood presented the junior and senior under 10’s sides and thanked their umpire for the year, Chris Rowett. Each player received a team photograph and medallion. Coach of the Premiership under 12’s team, Richard Mason presented his team of players giving an insight into each player as they were presented with a team photograph and cap. Richard said that it was rear to have such a successful side despite having nine players who were still under 10 years of age. Richard also acknowledged the team’s umpires for the season, Chris Rowett, Dennis Chandler, David and Peter Reichelt and Tim Saddlier.

 The under 15’s best and fairest vote count was then conducted on the big screen for everyone to follow. It was immediately apparent the Rhys Marles and Matthew Austin would vie for the coveted award with Rhys gaining three and Matthew two in both of the first two rounds with Justin Smart also earning one vote in each round. After nine rounds, Rhys had already gained eighteen votes with Matt Austin following with eight, Justin Smart had seven and Stuart Harper had gained three. Matt Austin then gained momentum and was catching up to Rhys with Justin Smart gaining more votes as well. After fourteen rounds, Rhys was on twenty six with Matt close behind on twenty followed by Justin Smart on eleven. In the last four rounds Rhys gained five votes while Matt earned another seven with Rhys winning the 2009 Meningie Football Club under 15’s best and fairest award with thirty one votes while Mathew Austin was runner-up on twenty seven. Justin Biddle gained eleven votes while, Zac Richter earned ten, Scott Biddle five and Stuart Harper gained four.  Zac VandenBrink, Zac Matthews, Waylon Wenske, Dylan Richards, Jake Promnitz, Oliver Crossman each also gained one vote.  

 The Perpetual Trainers trophy was awarded to Oliver Crossman while Justin Smart won Most Consistent. Stuart Harper won the Best Team man award and Zac VandenBrink won the Player of the Finals award.

Under 15’s trophy winners for 2009 were; Zac VandenBrink, Justin Smart, Mathew Austin, Rhys Marles, Oliver Crossman and Stuart Harper.

Players and officials from all over the League will gather at Meningie on Monday night for the River Murray Football League A Grade and Reserves Best and Fairest medal counts. Meningie’s Rodney Cunneen gained votes well during the year to be currently in fifth place in the Murray Valley Standard’s Footballer of the Year and may gain umpire votes in the count but is far from favourite. Meningie’s Josh Benbow kicked 52 goals for the year and sits in fifth spot for leading goal kicker for the League while Jon Edwards is in fourth spot for the Reserves.

 Austin, Meningie’s best in Medal count

 Mathew Austin poled best for Meningie in the River Murray Football League Bryan Medal Under 15’s Best and Fairest count for 2009. Austin poled 17 votes, well behind the leader, Ramblers player Sam Carter who poled 33 votes. Runner-up was shared by Harley Richards and Kyle Duel both from Tailem Bend. Rhys Marles was the next best vote getter with 15, followed by Justin Smart, Zach Richter and Scott Biddle all with 5 and Stuart Harper with 2. 

Bears Under 15’s match report

 In fine conditions with a slight breeze, fourth placed Meningie played fifth placed Jervois in the elimination final. Jervois, with the aid of a two goal wind, dominated the first few minutes but could only manage two behinds. Mathew Austin opened the goal scoring for Meningie after five minutes. In a scrappy first quarter, both defences were on top until some quick hands and dash from Rhys Marles resulted in Meningie’s second major. After a great run Jake Hann hit the post, Jervois’ second poster for the quarter. At quarter time, Meningie was two goals, three points to Jervois three points.

The second quarter was as scrappy as the first as finals pressure was having an effect. Clever play by Sam Sanders resulted in a goal to Zak VandenBrink for Meningie. Jervois’ first major came through Hann but Austin gave Meningie a quick reply. Jordan Richards, Ben Pope and Murray McLeod were lifting and Jervois goaled again through Hann. Meningie held a thirteen point lead at half time.

Jervois got right on top in the third quarter with Richards, McLeod, James Zarantonella and Ethan Rickaby leading the way and when Hann produced a great snap, the margin had been reduced to two points. Jervois dominated the quarter and had levelled the scores by three quarter time.

An early goal to Rickaby got Jervois on their way in the final term after some strong play by McLeod but from that point on Meningie dominated the game slamming on four goals including a team-lifting goal to Austin to see Meningie running out winners by twenty three points.