It's a hard highlight reel to make with Lord the 1962 Brownlow Medallist and a 1963 premiership-winning Geelong player.

Lord can't wait to get back to Friendly Societies Park on Saturday for the 50-year reunion of the 1969 premiership success.

"It's a very important occasion," he said.

"Fifty years is a long time and unfortunately we'll be missing players who are deceased.

"It's a sad moment for us not to have the whole side there."

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The reunion, which involves a luncheon that starts at 12pm, will take place with the Roosters and Portland to battle it out on the field.

Lord said his side caused big upset when it secured a 12.17 (89) to 12.16 (88) victory at Reid Oval.

"They were in my opinion a far better side than what we were throughout the year," he said.

"Everyone expected them to take the premiership.

"We went in as the underdogs and we won by that miracle point."

The playing coach, who was judged best on ground for his game in the centre, heaped praise on his teammates who played that day.

Mortlake, which had the wind in the final quarter, was up by one-point at three-quarter time before the Roosters hit the lead and hung on.

"We held them out," Lord said.

The Brownlow Medallist, who grew up at Port Campbell, said coaching a Hampden premiership was a significant feat.

"The Hampden league was one of strongest league's outside of Melbourne, if not the strongest, and to coach a premiership in it was something special to you," he said.

"South Warrnambool made history that day and I was proud to be the coach."

Lord, who is based at Barwon Heads, started coaching the Roosters in 1967 as a 26-year-old.

He took over mid-season from his friend Ken Goodlands who he said was unwell.

Lord's premiership teammates Gary Hughson and Les Baillie helped hold up the half-back line on that famous October 4 day.

Baillie, who played more than 250 games for the Roosters, was at half back-flank and remembers a warm day with a big crowd.

The defender was impressed by his coach's performance.

"He was inspiring, he was the type of footballer that was so good, you had to follow," he said.

Centre half-back Hughson, who hails from football royalty, was named in the best players in what he describes as a tough game.

His father Fred, who coached South Warrnambool for five years, was captain coach of Fitzroy's 1944 premiership and holds the world record for the longest drop kick at 83 yards and 11 inches or 76 metres.

Hughson played more than 150 matches for South Warrnambool, including the 1964 premiership.

He won the Maskell Medal in 1964.

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