Players of the past meet the present as Chapman Valley celebrate undefeated premiers

It was a meeting of new and old as the 1973 undefeated Chapman Valley team gathered at Mazzuchelli Oval on Saturday to celebrate 50 years since their ultimate triumph.

For many, it was a second time around with a good bulk of players celebrating the 50th anniversary of their 1972 premiership just last year

But the ‘73 triumph was a little bit more special for the fact that their grand final victory was against derby rivals Northampton, they went undefeated for the year and it came after a drawn grand final just a week prior.

To honour their incredible achievement and one of the best sides ever produced, players were welcomed to reminiscence and share their stories with the current playing group.

Before the current league team went out to face Northampton, their 1973 counterparts presented them with retro jumpers with the names and numbers of former players.

Unfortunately, the replicas could not match the original as Chapman Valley went down to the Rams 17.14 (116) to 10.8 (68), thanks to six goals from Northampton’s Flynn Dillon.

While it wasn’t the result they would of hoped for on the field, the day was still a big success, with vice-president Mark Houston calling it a milestone for the club.

“It’s sort of the best year the club has ever had and the reunion function is a great way to honour them and I think about 90 per cent of them are here today,” he said.

“We look after them the best we can with food and drink, they’re true Chapman Valley names people that have lived and grew up in the area and it’s all about respecting the heritage and success they brought the club.”

One of the only players not present was Maurice Webb who sadly passed away in 2015, with members of his family on hand to present his jumper to Callum Joss, who made sure his No.2 jersey was out on the park once again.