Back: John Serong, Chris Manchester, Hugo Sachs, Rabs Taylor, Janice Gray, Clint Stevens, Peter O’Connor and Grant Thurkettle. Front Steve Kerrison and Danny Spillane at the 50 year reunion before the board was updated.
Members of a very small club within a much larger club came together at Robert’s Park recently, with the finalisation of the honour board for the Harden Red Devils which lists the Life Members of the club.
Harry Sachs, former President and player at the club said Clint Stevens was representing his father Fleet, Grant Thurkettle his father Polly while Rabs Taylor was representing his father, Rob Taylor.
Janice Pettit (Gray) was representing Peter Pettit.
The 50th anniversary saw the announcement made that Hugo Sachs would be inducted and rightly so, and would join a very small and elite club of people who have devoted themselves to the Devils over the last 50 years.
That photo depicts many of those members who were life members and then a couple of people there representing ones who couldn’t be there on the night.
With the board updated and a meeting held at their spiritual homeland, Robert’s Park, Harry Sachs would love to see a premiership in the hands of the men in red in 2026.
“It has been a big thing, I suppose. We fired it back up in 2015. It was sort of missing a bit.
“We probably went a bit gung-ho with who we had. We had a few tough seasons there, but now what the club is doing for the town and for people in the town, it’ is unreal to see. Good to see all that effort early when we restarted things.
“It is starting to pay off, which is good. It is in a really good spot at the moment. The group that we have got down there is doing a great job.
“The community is unreal.”
Sachs was heavily involved in the rise of the club after some leans years when player numbers were low.
“I was president for officially only two, 2017 and 2018. Didn’t win a game in 17 and we started the Shedevils in ’17 and then in ’18 we won the men’s premiership.
“It was a pretty good way to go out as President actually.
“We won 18, lost 19, won 20. Walshy (Adam Walsh) and Doug (Mark Douglass) were coaches in 2018/19 and Jack O’Connor took over in 2020.
“Benny Lenehan was president in 2019.”
Sachs highlighted the need for a good committee and more people continually helping out and supporting them. Praising the current crew.
“That was probably one of the big reasons I stood down. Benny Lenehan was pretty keen to take over. I’d been there four or five years officially and unofficially with the club, so I was keen to step away from it a bit and then he took over which was great.”
The Devils head in to the finals and will finish top 3, a dream premiership in 2026, 50 years after the club started would be amazing.
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