SITTING on a stool in the Augusta Margaret River Hawks club house ready for a chat on any given day is Nelson Rodgers, local legend and now a South West Football League honoured one too.
Rodgers, affectionately known as “Nellie” by his club and friends, was inducted on August 13 into the SWFL Hall of Fame.
He was one of nine individuals selected who have shone in their time in the South West.
Raised in the region, Rodgers’ parents owned one of the first businesses on the main street of Margaret River, a butcher shop that has been converted over the years into a surf shop today.
Just before cementing his place in Margaret River, Rodgers was picked up by East Fremantle around 1956, playing for a few years in the West Australian Football League before making the decision to return home.
Rodgers has been a part of every area of the Hawks since his debut, representing the team on the field in the 1958 and 1959 premierships, while off the field he has been president, coach, committee member and beloved friend.
To this day, he still isn’t entirely sure when he stopped playing.
“Last week wasn’t it?” current AMR club president Shane Payne said.
All in all Rodgers’ combined service has made for nearly 60 years with the Hawks, watching the club grow from a hatchling to a fully fledged team in their own right.
Discussing the growth of his club, pride echoes in Rodgers’ voice as he sees the AMR team as a group of local boys continually fighting the odds against them, from the young age of the teams to their progress on the ladder without paying for a single player.
“Since we joined the South West Football League it’s been a much bigger competition,” Rodgers said.
The importance of clubs such as the Hawks was highlighted by Rodgers, saying the football field could be seen filled with young people having a kick of the ball any night of the week.
“Everyone thinks the only success a club has is winning a grand final, but that’s not the only success,” he said.
“It’s about supporting youth and providing somewhere for them to go.”