Above: Doveton’s 1988 senior and reserves premiership players get together at Friday’s reunion.– Brad Kingsbury
DOVETON Football Club became a nostalgic place over the weekend with the reunion of many of the 1988 senior and reserves premiership players.
Former star Dove and ex-club coach Stuart Batten organised the event with his father Herb, who also has a long playing and coaching association with Doveton, and 19 of the 20 senior players attended the get-together on Friday night, with most backing up at the Robinson Reserve to watch the Doves clash with Devon Meadows on Saturday afternoon.
A highlight of the weekend’s festivities was an address by triumphant 1988 coach Graham Henwood to the senior playing group prior to the game.
Henwood, whose brother Stephen is the most recent Doveton premiership coach in 2005, told the players their destiny was in their own hands and a premiership was within their grasp.
“You’re in a position to have a real assault on a premiership,” he said.
“Back in 1988 we played Cranbourne and they touched us up by 10 goals and everyone was predicting that they’d do it again in the finals just like they had over the three years before.
“We got together two weeks before the finals and made a commitment to each other that we would do whatever we could to give ourselves the best chance.
“I want to see another premiership this year or next year and the tradition of this great club continue.
“Waiting 17 years (before the 2005 flag) was simply unacceptable and if you make the right commitment to your coach, to your team mates and to yourselves it’s achievable now.”
Graham Henwood, who now lives and coaches football in Queensland, is among the final 36 nominations for the MPNFL Team of the Century to be announced at a gala dinner this Saturday.
