And that is exactly what the Redlegs are doing this weekend when the club prepares to celebrate its 135-year anniversary.
Longwood will play host to neighbouring rival Avenel in round four Kyabram District League action at Redlegs Stadium, with the senior footballers aiming for back-to-back wins for the first time in years.
Although getting a win over the Swans will be a high priority for Longwood, the club that was established in 1888, recognising and honouring the past and current players, volunteers and supporters is the main aim on Saturday.
“It’s going to be a huge weekend for the club. To reach 135 years is a monumental achievement, especially at the moment where we’ve seen clubs, no matter their size and standing, fall in recent years and we think it’s a good time to recognise Longwood’s history,” Shiner said.
“We thought it was a special time to celebrate the club’s history because you never know what’s around the corner.”
Celebrations will kick off on Friday night with a throng of past players gathering at Longwood’s White Hart Hotel.
From there, a full slate of football and netball matches will greet punters on Saturday as the two rivals go head-to-head.
A formal event will close proceedings on Saturday after the on-field action with past players speaking about the club’s rich history.
“We’ve been planning this since the end of last year,” Shiner said.
“Andrew Severn has been outstanding with his organising and getting in touch with past players from the ’70s and ’80s who are well before my time, so he’s been fantastic.
“Days like this are so important ... new players at the club can get a full understanding for what’s happened and, for a town of 250 people, it’s pretty amazing to have a footy and netball club for all these years.”
In terms of the on-field action, Longwood is out to back up its memorable victory in round three which ended a 1407-day drought.
But the Redlegs are yet to beat Avenel since joining the KDL more than a decade ago. The closest the outfit has come to beating its rival was a four-point defeat in 2011.
Shiner said celebrations might go up a notch on Saturday if the improved Redlegs could do the business over the Swans.
“It’s always a big game for us, obviously with the two towns being so close together and a lot of the people knowing each other,” he said.
“We lost to them by four points in 2011, but they’ve been one side to really inflict some pain on us over the years, so it’d be nice to get one back.”
Also this week, Nagambie hits the road to take on Dookie United.
The Lakers have a chance to continue their unbeaten start to the senior footy season and move to 4-0, while United is searching for its third win of the campaign.
