In a sign of the passing years there were kids a-plenty at the 1999 Premiership Reunion Lunch, and plenty of older dads as well.

Their memories were evoked by the Premiersdhip Coach, Leigh Carlson, and Captain Rob Phillips (Pictured). One who lived through the times, and helped to make them happen, was Alan Burrows, who takes up the tale.

10 Years on we re visit the 1999 Premiership.

The number of great battles we had with Melbourne High School Old Boys that year and in the following couple of years in A Grade are still etched in the minds of many.

The 1999 team was an excellent balance of youth and experience.  The youngest members of the team, under 19s at the time, Richard Burrows (UTS – AFL Sydney) and Scott Dann (Keilor – Essendon League) are still playing as are Jay Arrowsmith, Adam Andrews and club legend Andrew Ramsden for Old Trinity.

The “older” brigade led by Dave Balazsy, Jamie Stickland and Aaron Richards have long since hung up the boots and now have other interests, including in Dave’s case children.  Children now seem to be an underlying theme, with David Beardsley boasting the arrival of his daughter last Monday and David Burrows’ two children joining us late in the lunch, not to mention Sam Kennedy’s brood in Echuca. All of which goes to show that time doesn’t stand still and we all move on eventually.  This is exemplified by the apologies of Col Phillips working in New York and Daryl Heighton working near Lake Como and commuting from London!

Coach, Leigh Carlson and Captain Rob Phillips (pictured - Home Page) were in fine form remembering the finer points of the match and the events of the season. Who could forget that dismal day at Mazenod when the coach locked the entire club up for an hour to sort out where we were going. It worked because the premiership was the result.

The coach remembered all the players at their particular contribution to the team. When asked about what seemed the defining moment when Andrew Ramsden went down with a game ending ankle injury, he replied that we simply substituted his brother Richard Ramsden and all was well.

A cameo appearance by Team manager Ray Dean at the lunch’s end brought a smile to the faces of all present.

Many of those present including Mark Pawsey, Travis Stephens, Jeremy Sutcliffe, Paul Bunting of the match committee and those already mentioned reminisced hard all afternoon with several still there when the bar finally closed at about 6.30pm.