Russell, 59, joined his dad as a Hampden league life member on Sunday with his four-decade long involvement honoured at the Maskell Medal count.

The former Camperdown, Cobden, Noorat and Panmure coach said he was humbled to add a rare father-son combination to the honourboard.

“It is an honour. Mum (Margaret) is pretty old and she is getting forgetful and she said to me yesterday ‘there wouldn’t be many like you and Dad (with league life membership),” Russell said.

“She is pretty proud.”

Russell said his Dad, who passed away almost nine years ago, had instilled a love of football in him.

“He played a lot of games and played in the ‘51 premiership,” he said.

“He was on the executive of the Hampden league for a long time and on the committee at home (at Camperdown) for a long time.

“He was involved heavily with the junior footy at home. The medal for best on ground in the junior grand final is the Ray Russell Medal, named after Dad.”

Russell’s football commitments have come full circle.

He started at Camperdown but spent time at Hampden rival Cobden as non-playing coach and at minor league clubs Noorat and Panmure.

“I live there and it was always where I was going to end up one day,” Russell said of his ties to the Leura Oval-based club.

Russell led the Magpies to a reserves flag but fell to Warrnambool twice in the grand final as Camperdown senior coach.

He said the current-day Magpies beating four-time reigning premier Koroit in Saturday’s decider “would make up for it a bit”.

“We’re quietly confident. We know it’s going to be extremely hard, we know how good Koroit are,” Russell said.

“The boys are quietly confident, they’re not over-confident but they know if they play to the best of their ability, they’ve got a chance.

“If they keep the pressure they’ve been putting on players on, they’ll be a chance.”

Russell, who thanked wife Sheena for her ongoing support, said a premiership – the Magpies’ first since 2000 – would cap off a memorable week.

“It’s something you appreciate when you’re not involved in footy down the track I suppose,” he said of his life membership. “It can be something I can look back on and be proud of.”

Russell joined Koroit premiership star Joe McLaren, who played 12 seasons after returning via the AFL aged 28, and netball board member Pam Davis as newly-inducted league life members.

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