Harden Rugby Legend John Serong is looking forward to the Devil’s 40 year reunion and presentation night on Saturday September 3.
My story is like the old football fable. About the new guy who comes to town and runs into the local club stalwart. I found out about Harden Rugby. Whether it’s a club or a town it comes down to how you see it. If you think it’s dead it’s dead, and if you think it’s great it’s great. I came to Harden in 1977 and didn’t know anyone. I was working for Winchcombe Carson and I had only ever played Aussie Rules Football. This presented a problem for me in Harden, there wasn’t any Aussie Rules. I had the choice of playing league or union. My choice was made up very early as I had to associate with mainly rural people with my job and in the main they were Rugby Union followers. It was pointed out to me it would be in the best interests of my job to play union. I had met a few local farmers during my short time in town and I was staying at the Grand Hotel.
On one particluar night an altercation erupted between the union boys and the league boys. Henry Swanston was also staying at the Grand. He went on to play for the Devils and he also became a life long friend. I didn’t know anyone in the pub and neither did he. It was suggested we side with the Union boys as it would be good for business if we did. One of the combatants for the league boys was Graham (POLLY) Thurkettle, who would also go on to be one of my best mates in the years following. I would always stand behind Polly as he was always a good man to have in front of you. Other friends I met in my first few weeks in Harden would go on to be mates for life including Peter O’Connor, Phil Rourke, Bill Marshall and Don McFadyen. The Rugby Club would go on to be a family for me in the early years as a young bloke with no family in the district. It was a home for me and in time I would go on to play and I don’t know how for an (Aussie Rules Player) become a coach of The RED DEVILS for 5 of the most interesting years of my life. Eventually, I became a life member of the club which was one of the my proudest achievments .
The Rugby Club provided much entertainment in those days with live music after home games. It was like moths into the lights with the young people coming down to Robert’s Park after dark to have a great night, mainly supervised by the brothers Minehan. If only walls could talk. I am very excited to be comming to Harden for the Forty Year Reunion, hoping to catch up with old team mates and Players that I coached (Especially Kerro), he was about the only one that didn’t ever miss training. But Hey, that was DEVILS RUGBY. It will be great to catch up with Simon Pettit, the Club’s first Coach, Robert Taylor the Clubs first President and all the other players, coaches, partners and friends. Where has the 40 years gone? It has seemed so fast. I urge all the Harden district players and supporters turn up on Saturday 3 September.
