News

Local Football Clubs in Morphett

Stephen gave the following speech in Parliament on the 14th October, 2021.

"I take this opportunity to speak about some of the great community football clubs in the seat of Morphett. We have the Sacred Heart Old Collegians Football Club, Morphettville Park Football Club, Plympton Bulldogs Football Club, PHOS Camden Football Club, and please do not forget the Glenelg Football Club in the SANFL. There are some great clubs there. I should mention that the Plympton Bulldogs were recognised most recently as the runner-up for the SANFL Juniors Club of the Year. That is recognition of a fantastic club and the players, officials, coaches, supporters, both on and off the field, as well as the club's overall junior program for both the females and males.

I would also like to take a few moments just to talk about the 2021 season for both PHOS Camden Football Club and Morphettville Park Football Club. PHOS Camden is a great community club located at Camden Oval in Novar Gardens. The Phantoms compete in division 2 of the Adelaide Footy League and have three teams all up. The Phantoms had a really strong season this year, with the A-grade finishing second on the ladder at the end of the minor rounds. Because of COVID, the finals were basically two straight preliminaries and a grand final. Unfortunately, they got beaten in the preliminary final by the eventual premiers, Old Ignatians.

I would like to say well done to the club stalwart Henry 'Hank' Papatolis on winning the division 2 FA Bloch Medal and also the A-grade Best and Fairest medal, which is such a great achievement. I also acknowledge the A-grade coach, Damian Minervini, in his first season. There are some great volunteers down at that club as well, including the president, David Leister; the secretary, Michael Hamilton; the football director, Steve Jacquier; and also the treasurer, Tus Papatolis; among others on the committee.

The other club I would like to take a bit of time to speak about is the Morphettville Park Football Club, another club embedded in the local community right in the heart of Morphettville and based at Kellett Reserve. The Roos compete in division 4 of the Adelaide Footy League, again with three teams competing. The Roos had a fantastic and successful season this year, with the men's A-grade making their grand final after the A-grade finished second on the ladder again at the end of the minor rounds.

The men's A-grade team had an incredible run, breaking a 31-year drought between flags to beat SMOSH West Lakes in the grand final. This has a nice bit of serendipity about it, in terms of their A-grade coach, Steve Nolis, who at the time of the 1990 flag was an assistant coach at the Roos under West Adelaide hall of famer Peter Meuret when they last won that flag. Also, I mention that Nolis was previously the coach at SMOSH.

It is also worth pointing out that they are also a juggernaut in the women's league, with both the A-grade and B-grade women winning their respective grand finals after finishing top of the ladder. Congratulations to all involved, including the president, Paul Farrelly, and the rest of the hardworking committee members. I mention Brenda Farrelly especially, who does a mountain of work there volunteering her time. It was especially great to see the club utilise its fantastic new facility, which the Marshall government committed $500,000 towards along with the Marion council. The A-grade men's team did not lose a game all season at home.

I would also like to acknowledge today in parliament the sad passing of a wonderful person, Neville Cordes. Neville lived in Glenelg and was a person who would always make everyone feel welcome, going out of his way to speak to anyone who was new or who was standing by themselves, often giving newcomers a bunch of flowers grown in the St Peter's church grounds. Neville came to live in Glenelg after spending much of his life living on Kangaroo Island, where he could appropriately be described as a Kangaroo Island pioneer.

He was a lifelong player coach and supporter of the Kingscote Football Club. He founded the Islander newspaper in the 1960s and went on to become Kangaroo Island's mayor, from 1983 to 1987, before leaving for Adelaide to pursue business opportunities in the late 1980s. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Rosalind, his brother, Dene, sister, Colline, his children, Greg, Maria and Peta and also his six grandchildren. Vale, Neville Cordes."


Local Football Clubs in Morphett