NATIMUK United celebrated part of its rich history on Saturday night when it welcomed members of the 1998 Horsham United senior premiership side.
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Just three of the 20 players that played in the grand final were unable to attend the 30-year reunion.
Natimuk United president Adam Blake said it was a special night for those in attendance.
“A lot of those players told us that they had not actually seen each other since that premiership year,” he said.
“There were a couple who were just about to end their careers and other younger ones who moved on to other clubs.
“There was a core of them that are still based in the Wimmera but a lot of them weren’t.
“It just goes to show how a premiership has the power to bring people together.”
The premiership flag, the only one won by the club in the Wimmera league, was raised prior to the senior clash between Natimuk United and Jeparit-Rainbow.
Premiership coach Phil Bunn delivered a speech which Blake said was rich in history, stories and names.
“It was a real crowd pleaser,” he said.
“He got the players up one-by-one, said where they had played and had some fun with each of them.”
Memorabilia including premiership photos, scrapbooks and the match ball were all on display during the evening.
Blake said the club had inherited a lot of merchandise when the it had formed out of a merger between Horsham United and Natimuk ahead of the 2014 Horsham District season.
“We adorned them all with that gear,” he said.
“We really had a treasure trove of stuff that we pulled out.”
Blake said some of the players had thought they may have played in a ‘forgotten premiership’ once their club merged.
“We really wanted them to go away knowing that as long as we are a club then they won’t be forgotten,” he said.
“Their history is our history – we won’t forget 1988.”