LIFE MEMBERSHIP FOR SOUTH STALWARTS

Last night, Monday 4th of December, South Fremantle Football Club held their Annual General Meeting in the WJ Hughes Bar.

Amongst a range of season-ending business arrising, the clear highlight of the night was the induction of 7 new Life Members.

South Fremantle Football Club is pleased to announce that the following significant club contributors have been made Life Members:

Life Members:

• Ray Van Burgel
• Dr. Steve Errington

Playing Life Members:

• Brock Higgins
• Steve Verrier
• Mason Shaw
• Jason Maskos
• Jacob Dragovich

The Club would also like to congratulate the following members on becoming Lifetime Members for 50 years of consecutive membership:

• A lf Ricci
• M urray Martin

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Ray Van Burgel

1976-1977
– Assisted with the rehabilitation of injured colts players.
– While involved in the Colts spent time as a training assistant to the injured league players during the week and was the Reserves Runner for Coach Barry White – also acted as backup League runner for Percy Johnson when required.

1995-1996
– Assistant to John Todd & League Selector
– Relieved as League Runner when required
– Assistant Reserves Coach to John Dorotich & Reserves Runner
– Assisted with the rehabilitation of injured League Players at training during the week

1997
– Colts Assistant Coach to Ross Sweetman
– Game Day Runner & on field assistant to Colts Team
– Rehabilitation Coach to Colts injured players

2003
– League Runner to John Northey and Training assistant to full League Squad
– Assisted with the Rehabilitation of injured players during the week

2012
– SFFC PP&O’s Committee Member
– 2013 SFFC PP&O’s Junior Vice President

2014 – 2023*
– SFFC PP&O’s President

Dr. Steve Errington

Steve Errington joined the club as a schoolboy in 1956 and has many memories of getting off steam trains and running through Atwell’s Arcade to get to the Oval before bouncedown. He particularly relishes the memory of attending the 1970 grand final with his father – and the 2020 grand final with his eldest son – fifty years later, almost to the day.

He has a PhD in chemistry and taught chemistry at Curtin University for forty years but WA history has always been his hobby, with a particular interest in the beginnings of things. Sorting out the persistent myth that the original Fremantle Football Club had split into East and South Fremantle and straightening out the muddle of Souths’ early years saw him spending most Saturday afternoons in the State Library instead of watching games.

This research got seriously out of hand and under constant nagging from former CEO Brian Ciccotosto, he turned the work into the book Southerners Forever More, the story of our first sixty seasons. This was followed by Disorderly Proceedings in the Park, which is basically the story of our predecessors, the first red and whites, the once invincible Fremantle Club.

Steve also did the research for the 2011 and 2015 inductions into the Hall of Fame and largely wrote the celebratory booklets published on the two nights. When time came to celebrate the 2020 flag with Bulldogs Unleashed, the second volume of the club history, he stepped in to assist Ray Wilson with research and fact-checking and to update the club’s vital statistics. He continues in the role of Club Historian.

Steve’s connection to the club is now approaching 70 years and his unwavering commitment to documenting the club’s history is unparalleled and without peer. The magnitude of both the time involved and his commitment to his role as the official Club Historian makes Steve a thoroughly deserving, Life Member of the Bulldogs.

Brock Higgins

– SFFC WAFL – 135 Games
– 2020 Premiership Player
– State Representative 2018

Steve Verrier

– SFFC WAFL – 135 Games
– 2020 Premiership Player
– Ex AFL Listed (Richmond Football Club)

Mason Shaw

– SFFC WAFL – 133 Games
– 2020 Premiership Player
– Bernie Naylor Medal – WAFL Leading Goal Kicker (2020)
– John Gerovich SFFC Leading Goal Kicker (2018-2022)
– Ex AFL Listed (Port Adeliade Football Club)

Jason Maskos

– SFFC WAFL – 131 Games
– 2020 Premiership Player
– Colts, Reserves & League Premiership Player (all 3 grades)

Jacob Dragovich

– SFFC WAFL – 130 Games
– 2020 Premiership Player