RIGHT ROYAL RIVERSIDE

RIVERSIDE Oval at Newbridge took on the flavour of a royal visit last Saturday morning.

By Gary Walsh

RIVERSIDE Oval at Newbridge took on the flavour of a royal visit last Saturday morning.

There were harried minders fussing around, stern-faced security guards, cameras hovering, souvenir stalls ready to relieve punters of their money, and expectant fans hoping for a handshake or a selfie with the celebrity guest.

Of course, this really was a royal visit – football royalty in the form of Gary Ablett junior.

Newbridge had won the rights to have Ablett pull on the maroon and white guernsey after several years of unsuccessfully applying to have a former AFL star play for them.

This year there was a new promotional theme, rivalry.

If previous applications based the impact of floods that had destroyed the place twice this century hadn’t worked, the Maroons had the perfect front man for the 2026 theme.

Club stalwart Ron Trimble hated Bridgewater so much that he refused to go to the Newbridge club canteen after they shifted to serving Bridgewater Bakehouse pies.

That was the kind of parochial attitude that the promoters could get behind.

Ablett arrived at the ground four hours before the match and was immediately swamped by fans.

Bruce “Darky” Duncan, 86, a lifetime Geelong fan, was over from Maryborough clutching a photo of the framed guernsey on his wall – a signed jumper of Gary Ablett senior’s. He met the “son of god” and walked away beaming with young Gaz’s signature on his cap.

Newbridge players Baxter Ash and Owen Skone got their picture taken with the great man. Ash would later play with Ablett, while Skone appeared in the reserves, but the Cats supporter was beside himself with joy.

“My heart’s pounding out of my chest,” Skone said, with a smile on his face that might never fade.

Ablett was besieged by the Newbridge Under 17 netballers on his way to the courts to check out how the unbeaten Under 15 team was going.

There, his presence saw coach Stacey Lakey, Cats scarf around her neck, abandon her players for a chat and a photo.

After a couple of hours of patiently and graciously pressing the flesh, Ablett disappeared for a jumper presentation and to sign merchandise.

His opponent for the day, Nick Dal Santo, had arrived by now, admitting that his most recent game was a kids versus parents match at school.

Gary Rohan, who had been replaced for Dal Santo over the player points kerfuffle, was there as the ultimate third wheel, sheepishly wearing a Bridgewater beanie and polo as he readied for an afternoon on the bench.

Just after 2pm, the bald number 29 or Newbridge and the bald number 26 for Bridgewater ran onto the oval – and the rest is Loddon Valley history.