Of Tragedy and Valor
Glen Rosser

Country Footy

By Glen Rosser SANFL General Manager Community Football 

COUNTRY and metropolitan football will kick off again from next weekend and all 262 SANFL affiliated clubs - from Cobber Pedy in the north to Portland in he south, Broken Hill in the east and Ceduna in the west will do battle during the winter months. Football in the country, more than any other traditional sport, an assist communities to unite and avel to another town or community not only to compete on the eld, but catch up and interact with each other, particularly when the same towns' netball teams travel to that destination.  Anyone in a community can be part of this experience. 

It is not only the players, but coaches, trainers, match day officials, sponsors and supporters, young and old, who can follow their team and relate in so many ways with their opponents on the day. At this level, it is not just about winning, but ensuring your club survives and is able to continue to avel to another community and enjoy the friendships and camaraderie created by the day's activities. The SANFL is committed to as- sting community football in both metropolitan Adelaide (the SA amateur Football League predominantly) and all regional clubs and leagues, and recently undertook a detailed review of the best way to govern all levels of football below the SANFL. 

As a result of this review, a new community Football Board has been appointed under chairman David Shipway, with other members being Rob Kerin, Kym Russell, ino Capogreco, Jeff Burchell, Peter Lindner and Tim Jackson. 

All these men share a commission to govern football for the best possible outcomes by assisting all community clubs and leagues in their efforts to continue playing football in the years ahead. 

In addition, a dedicated Community Football Department has been created at the SANFL and I have been appointed as general manager to lead this department. 

Our aims are to provide the best administrative support to all leagues as well as ultimately generating income streams to reinvest into community football. 

I am aware of the need for all clubs to survive - I played for Port Elliot during my school days, following in the footsteps of my father and grandfather who both had a lengthy involvement with the club. 

In those days my role models were Jeff "Grassy" Green, Jeff Hawkes and Geoff Mudge, who all 

won Mail Medals for Port Elliot in the Great Southern Football League, but would walk down the main street or into our shop and were very accessible. 

They were my idols then, not VFL or SANFL players, and their regular presence in Port Elliot encouraged me to play and understand the importance of football culture in my formative years. 

However, Port Elliot fell by the wayside after the 2000 season and was unable to continue on its own.

In those days my role models were Jeff "Grassy" Green, Jeff Hawkes and Geoff Mudge, who all won Mail Medals for Port Elliot right but fortunately merged with Goolwa and continues my family and town heritage through this new club. 

However, Goolwa/Port Elliot club now faces more issues with the River Murray saga but they remain my local team and I cherish those early days at Port Elliot as some of my fondest memories. 

At this stage of the year, it appears that all clubs from last year will suit up again in 2009, which is great news as the death of a football club can do irreparable damage to the community or town it once represented. 

However, there have been some minor struggles to get to the line, particularly in the Mid Murray League, which celebrates its centenary this year. 

The four remaining clubs in Robertson, Blanchetown/Swan Reach, Sedan/Cambrai and Morgan/Cadell are determined to front and we have worked closely in supporting the key personnel over the summer to assist them to program a significant milestone season. 

So for Mid Murray, the other 26 regional leagues and the SA Ama teur Football League, I wish you a successful season and let there be much enjoyment and camaraderie between all. 

In closing, may I thank the Sunday Mail for its fantastic support of community football by provision of Mail medals for the Best and Fairest players in each league and the detailed results published each Sunday during the season. The paper is a standout performer in all communities in SA. 

The Perfect Wingman

By Geoff Kingston 

Neil Kerley makes special plans to counter him... Peter Vivian says he is possibly the most elusive player in the game. And Woodville's Phil Maylin believes he is the perfect wingman. 

But Glen Rosser, the object of all those compliments, is more self- effacing. 

"I've no illusions about my ability," he said yesterday. 

"I'm just one of the team. I'm happy to get a game and I try to do what I can." 

But Rosser is far better than that. He is one of the most consistent kick getters in the game, he has been since he moved to Norwood from Port Elliot 10 years ago. 

He regularly wins 20- 25 kicks a game and even when he is playing badly, can manage to squeeze about 15 kicks out of a match. 

It is difficult to understand why he has never played for SA. 

The State selectors have overlooked him every time and it was only last season that they chose him in the training squad for the first time. 

Rosser was not complaining or boasting yesterday when he said that he had beaten a tot of wingmen who had played State football. 

"I just don't know what the selectors are looking for" he said. 

"I just don't know what they want and after all these years I don't expect to get in. I've learned not to let it worry me now," Rosser said. 

The 27-year-old bank officer has suffered some shocking injuries during his career have injuries that forced him to miss the equivalent of about two seasons games of league.

In only his second year he badly dislocated his right elbow and two operations to repair the trouble. 

It caused him to miss games in 1970. 

Then in 1976 he pulled a driving muscle three times and played only 10 games for the season. 

He is languishing "about 45 games" behind Roger Woodcock, who began his career with Norwood the same day as Rosser 10 years ago. 

Rosser, who likes bourbon. Linda Ronstadt and Boz Scaggs, has no ambition to play anywhere else but on a wing. 

While at Norwood he has played half season as a rover and some games at half-forward. 

"But I think I' most suited to a wing," he said. 

"You've got a lot of room to work in out and there, after all these years it's really the only spot I know. I've been there too long now to want to play anywhere else." 

Despite all his years in the game, Rosser still morning has been the same. 

He has breakfast. Reads the paper, goes for a walk and a jog. And does not eat lunch.

And if he plays badly against Port Adelaide in tomorrow's preliminary final, it might just be because someone intruded on his Saturday morning.

Named in football squad

•  Victor Harbour Times (SA : 1932 - 1986) 

•  Wed 20 Jul 1977 

Former Port Elliot footballer Glen Rosser, now playing for Norwood, has been named by the SANFL selectors in the squad of 30 players to go to W.A. at the end of this month.

S.A. will play W.A. on July 30. When they finalise the side the selectors must - hav* a minimum of one and maximum of four players from each SANFL team.

The Bloods get backup

•  Times (Victor Harbor, SA : 1987 - 1999) 

•  Fri 19 Jul 1996 

Port Elliot Football Club and more than 100 supporters vowed to keep the club alive at a meeting held in its clubrooms last week. Norwood Football Club manager and former Port Elliot player, Glen Rosser, Port Elliot club president, Graham Watson, and A-grade coach, Neil Haren , addressed the meeting. Mr Watson said Port Elliot had received enormous help from Adelaide radio station Triple M, along with , many cash donations, goods and services. A list of priorities was explained, with the main being the need for volunteer workers at matches, training and for committees. Sponsorship and memberships were also said to be of utmost importance with forms being made available for attendees to join the club immediately. Of less urgency, but still a priority, was the recruitment of players for 1997. Coach Haren invited supporters to come forward with ideas for recruiting and said 17 to 21-year-olds in particular were needed by November.

Importance was placed on the need for junior players with Mr Watson saying these young players were crucial to the survival of the club. He said Port Elliot Primary School had expressed its total support for the club. The school had doubled its intake in the past three years and, with the community in Port Elliot growing at such a rapid rate, the club had the potential to do anything. Mr Rosser then invited supporters to express their opinion on the naming of the oval, presently Blood Park. He said many people had commented negatively on the name and he suggested that in this day and age it was inappropriately named. A consequent show of hands indicated only one attendee wished for the name to remain. The meeting closed with the spokesmen thanking all attending for their show of support.

Laurie — spirit of Bloods

•  Times (Victor Harbor, SA : 1987 - 1999) 

•  Fri 7 Apr 1995 

Sprightly Laurie Rosser typifies the spirit among the die-hard supporters

of Port Elliot Foot-ball Club — sup-porters who have seen their beloved Bloods reach dizzy heights and now, plummet almost to the depths of

despair. Laurie, 85, starred as a rover when the club won five flags on end from 1935 to 1939. He had his front teeth knocked out in the infamous 1934 blood-bath match against Goolwa when 15 players were reported.

Port Elliot's "Powder" Godfrey was rubbed out for three years for striking the umpire in that match and Jack Lawrence got 15 months for throwing stones at the man in white! Laurie says he is still keen on everything that goes on within the club and laments

the absence of senior and junior colts teams. He knows the importance of juniors within a football club. His son Glen began his football career with the Bloods and went on to a distinguished playing and administration career

with Norwood in the SANFL. Life-member Laurie urges all sectors of the Port Elliot community to get behind the club that has been a mqjor part of his life since he played his first senior game as a 14-year-old in 1924.