Emotions will be running high tomorrow night when members of the Oberon Tigers’ Team of the Century are presented in front of current and past players with a special medallion to recognise their wonderful achievement.
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In August, 18 players were announced in the team which saw international and Western Suburbs prop Bruce Gibbs relegated to the bench along with Sydney premiership first grader Tony Trudgett, who played plenty of top flight football with the mighty St George side during the 1970s and 80s.
Those making the team were Bill Fawcett at fullback, Brian Harvey and Gordon Rawlings on the wings, in the centres was Ken Nicholl and Trevor Grady, five-eighth was Jock Schader, Norm Brown at half-back, Garry Fisher was lock, Col Elwin hooker, Laurie Evans and John Harvey were named in the second row with Don Elwin and John Rush rounding out the run on team in the front row.
Also named on the bench were Garry Harvey, Chris Ryan, Neville Kelly, Bruce Gibbs and Tony Trudgett.
“Most of the players named in the team or one of their family members are expected to be at the RSL to receive the medallion,” organiser Kerry Gibbons said.
“It will certainly be a tear jerker of a night.”
Melbourne Storm mentor and former Oberon Tigers player Craig Bellamy will be the guest speaker on the night.
Born in Portland, Bellamy played for the Tigers as a teenager before moving to Macquarie United in the Newcastle competition in 1979.
He was signed by the Canberra Raiders in their debut season in 1982.
Bellamy played the majority of his career in the centres but was also used as a utility player, appearing at times as fullback, winger, five-eighth and lock.
He played in the 1990 grand final victory for the Canberra Raiders as a reserve and more recently mentored the Storm to the last three NRL grand finals, winning the premiership in 2007.
Besides doubling as the black and gold 2008 presentation night, a lot of interest is surrounding the launch of a documentary on the Oberon Tigers rugby league team.
‘10 out of 12 ain’t bad’ highlights the glory years of Oberon that lasted for more than a decade within Group 10 Rugby League and includes never before seen footage of Tiger grand finals going back as far as 1962.
The documentary tells the story of the Oberon Tigers during their glory years of the 1960s and has a number of interviews with Tony Paskins, Jock, Schrader, Bull Harvey and Barry Rushworth.
“It is some pretty amazing footage and is wonderful to watch having lived through it,” Gibbons said.
Already 300 people are expected to be at the function starting at 7pm tomorrow with the final touches for the special event all but done.
“The screen is up and the meals are all ordered and I really think that a lot of the legends will get a kick out of the documentary,” Gibbons added.