By JARROD POTTER
FOR one glorious afternoon, Kevin Shinners and his former clubmen could once again see the beloved and greatly missed Dandenong Redlegs take to the field.
It’s been a long time coming for the Redlegs’ Team of the Century member and his fellow Redlegs alumni after the Victorian Football Association (VFA) powerhouse faded away in the mid-’90s.
With a little help from the TAC Cup clubs, the Dandenong Stingrays became the Redlegs and Oakleigh Chargers morphed into the Purple and Golds for a nostalgic throwback on Saturday.
The Oakleigh old boys held the reunion this year at the RSL – with no room for a famous Eddie Melai hip-and-shoulder or Jim “Frosty” Miller to swing his prodigious left boot as the players, officials and family members piled in to reminisce and share a few memories.
“It’s an absolutely tremendous feeling – the atmosphere in the gathering was one of terrific nostalgia,” Shinners said.
“It’s something that we probably didn’t expect to ever see again because of the way both clubs fell over.
“Now we’re rejuvenated and we’ll make this an annual event.”
The Redlegs’ legacy is being restored piece by piece at Shepley Oval – as Frosty’s picture is set to return to its former place of glory and a cabinet of treasured memorabilia has also been installed.
With the Stingrays donning the red and blue for an afternoon a season as well, Shinners thinks it’s a brilliant way to show the next generation what Dandenong football has and always will mean to the community.
“That’s really where we’re coming from – in a sense that we’re engaging with the young fellas in the club, with the Stingrays and the Chargers, and helping them understand the history and camaraderie as it is,” Shinners said.
“I guess we’re dinosaurs as we’re sometimes shunned from the point of view saying ‘that used to be that era’ but when we see these sort of days, it does mean something to everyone.”
Seeing the likes of Bryan Waters, Hugh Mitchell and Gerry Pennyfather among many others return for the celebration was pleasing for Shinners, but also to see the former fans come back and see the side re-emerge.
“Frosty is always a great attraction – he’s loved by so many of our supporters and it was great to have some of the supporters there too,” Shinners said.
“Not just the players but some of our supporters that came along year in year out … and just absolutely thrived on being involved with the Dandenong Football Club.”
After a thrilling one-point triumph, Shinners proudly presented Dandenong captain Luke Dalmau with the inaugural Dandenong-Oakleigh Heritage Shield and up-and-coming ruckman Dylan Atkins as the Redlegs’ best on ground.
Dandenong will host the 2017 heritage match with plans underway for an even bigger reunion set to co-incide with the 50th anniversary of the Redlegs 1967 VFA premiership.
