Gwen Brennan (front) and (back, from left) Marj McCarthy, Maureen Walters, Ilma Chislett, Lois McKenzie, Dot Doman and Amy McPherson are keen Warrnambool supporters.
YOU would be hard pressed to find a sports person as committed and loyal to their club as Warrnambool Football Club long-term supporter Gwen Brennan.
In more than 60 years, she has only missed a handful of Warrnambool games and nothing could keep her away from today’s grand final against Cobden at Warrnambool’s Reid Oval.
Mrs Brennan will watch the games from her usual position behind the glass of the clubrooms, but that won’t stop the vocal 86-year-old from cheering for her beloved blue boys.
She moved to Warrnambool at 22 and has hardly missed a game since 1948. She was bitterly disappointed to miss last week’s match due to illness, but listened to the game on the radio instead.
“I’ve been going since I was 22 and I’m 86 now,” Mrs Brennan said.
“I was following them for over 70 years, but we were on a farm and we couldn’t come in because it didn’t start until three o’clock and it was too late, because we had to milk the cows”.
“I’ve been a one-eyed blue for ages,” she said.
Mrs Brennan said she was excited about the senior game and looking forward to a close match. “If they play well they’ll win it. Over the year they have been playing well so they should win it”.
She believed Cobden was a good team and a potential threat, but hoped her boys could get over the line, encouraging them to “come out strong early and get those goals”.
Mrs Brennan will join other long-term club supporters Dot Doman, Ilma Chislett, Amy McPherson and Marj McCarthy in wearing their club colours today.
“I’ve got an old badge that I had in the ’48 season when I joined the club. I think Don Grossman was coaching then. It’s antique, like the owner,” Mrs Brennan laughed.
Her interest extends outside the game’s four quarters with Mrs Brennan phoning players to see how they are and congratulating players on achievements or milestone games during the season. Mrs Brennan watched the under 18 and senior teams train on Thursday night.