AFL premiership cup tour makes whistle stop at Culcairn

While the day at Culcairn Football Netball Club went off with a bang with under-8s to under-12s enjoying matches, older fans at the club remembered two of the game's greats, Ron Barassi and Kevin "Cowboy" Neale who both died on Saturday, September 17.

But the focus for the day was primarily on Culcairn being picked as a stopping point for the game's prize.

Beginning its journey in Tasmania, the cup is now travelling through the ACT, NSW and Victoria visiting local footy clubs, schools and other destinations.

The tour will bring the AFL Premiership Cup to metro and regional communities, giving AFL fans the opportunity to rub shoulders and take selfies with one of the game's most prestigious pieces of silverware.

Auskick director and former Culcairn Lions Football Netball Club president Brendan Sheather said it "wasn't every day" regional fans got a chance to be up close and personal with the cup.

"It was a fantastic day, we had a couple of hundred turn up to see the cup, a lot of kids and a lot of older fans too," he said.

"There were five different clubs involved, and there were under-8s, under-10s and under-12 boys' games, and then we had a girls' comp as well.

"When they started looking at where it was going, they had a few destinations, AFL NSW contacted us and we agreed and then it just all went on from there - they put us on the tour.

"We had a great crowd here and everyone was taking lots of photos, it was a pretty exciting day. They did a lot of group photos with the kids from all different clubs so it was good for everyone to get together and just finish the season off with that.

"It's something that doesn't happen all the time, we've never had the cup here before, so to have it stop here was pretty good all round."

The cup came to Culcairn on the same weekend two Aussie rules greats sadly passed away.

On Saturday night, less than 24 hours after Carlton, who worshipped Barassi as a two-time premiership coach, reached its first preliminary final since 2000 after beating Melbourne, who revere him as a six-time premiership player, the Australian sporting icon died aged 87.

Barassi is remembered in the North East by a monument near Wahgunyah considered the Barassi Line, the approximate mark where Australian rules football to the south or rugby league to its north is considered the most popular code by some.

On the same night, St Kilda premiership player Kevin "Cowboy" Neale, who spent his latter years living in Albury, died aged 78.

"We were incredibly proud to have had Cowboy share his memories and stories with us and to be able to build a friendship with a true gentleman and legend of the game," the Albury Wodonga Saints official St Kilda FC supporter group Facebook page said.

"We send our love and thoughts to (his wife) Georgina and family."

A St Kilda Football Club statement read: "His health struggles in recent times were well-publicised, and his teammates regularly visited him in Albury as a group. Through the difficult times his wife Georgina was always a constant pillar of strength and the club extends its deepest sympathies to her and the Neale family."

To read more stories, download The Border Mail news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: