St Kilda legend Stephen Milne will continue his rounds of playing community football, with his next stop being Rushworth.
The gun small forward will don the yellow and black guernsey in round 15 of Kyabram District League when Rushworth hosts Merrigum on August 10.
Along with Milne, the Tigers will also welcome 160-game North Melbourne and inaugural Gold Coast Suns player Daniel Harris for the match.
Harris played 149 games for the Shinboners before moving to Gold Coast, where he featured in 11 games during his one season at the Suns.
Rushworth senior football coach Mark Wheatley said the club was thrilled to welcome Milne and Harris to the Tigers.
“Extremely excited,” Wheatley said.
“We announced it to the playing group last week and there was a real buzz — a cheer went up around the room.
“We are looking forward to a really big day because it coincides with our 20-year premiership reunion, which was the last time that Rushworth won a (senior) flag.
“To create that interest for our club, we have struggled over the last short period in time and coming and taking over the reins this year, that was one of the ways we identified we needed to improve on; we needed to start to promote our club.
“Financially, it is fantastic, but I think it is more about the buzz and the lure of being able to play with these ex-AFL players that are fantastic at giving back to the community.”
Milne is known across the football landscape as arguably the greatest small forward of all time, having booted 574 goals from 275 games for the Saints.
Recruited with pick 23 in the 2000 AFL Rookie Draft, Milne won two All-Australian blazers (2011-12) and won St Kilda’s goal-kicking four times.
Despite being retired from professional football for more than a decade (last season for St Kilda was 2013), Wheatley said Milne still brought a wealth of knowledge to help support his new teammates.
“I’ve got a fairly good relationship with ‘Milney’ and I saw him when he immediately retired from the AFL and he was playing out at Strathfieldsaye,” he said.
“He would actually coach his opponent on the ground about where to run and where to cut him off.
“He is absolutely brilliant with the young kids and fans alike; he cops it over the fence, but will also go for a beer and a laugh afterwards.
“He is a real down-to-earth character.”
More promising news for Rushworth is that gun ruckman Liam Adlington has already re-signed for 2025.
Adlington joined the Tigers from VAFA side Ormond at the start of the season.
Wheatley said Rushworth was eager to sign the big and bustling ruckman as soon as possible, with the Tigers coach praising Adlington’s effect on the club on and off the field.
“He (Adlington) has been brilliant,” he said.
“Not only his on-field stuff, as he is a big guy and gives us first use out of the middle, but also his off-field stuff; he is a fantastic club man, he hangs around for a beer, goes to functions and really chips in for what we are trying to create.
“That was one of the parameters we had when we recruited him; he wanted to give back to the community and help us with this big rebuild.
“We have had a few more re-signings over the last few days as well, which is a position the club hasn’t been in the past, so we are getting on the front foot with that.”
Wheatley emphasised that everyone was welcome at the club for Milne and Harris’ debut in the yellow and black.
Raffles and a function featuring special guest Milne are scheduled after the senior match.
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