Echuca United debutant Nash Ramage’s inclusion in the senior squad to face Finley last Saturday penned another proud chapter in his family’s lengthy association with the club.
Nash is the latest in the family to don either an Echuca United or Echuca East guernsey in a senior football capacity, making his debut alongside brother and Eagles’ ruck Darcy.
Both Ramage boys have come up through the junior ranks at the Eagles, with the former making his debut in 2021, cementing his place as the Eagles first-choice ruck.
Father Todd Ramage, United’s head of senior football, and grandfather Alan “Mitch” Ramage, who played more than 270 games for Echuca East Football Club, were proud onlookers at the weekend.
“It was a very proud moment to see (Darcy and Nash) running around in the same team,” Todd said.
“(Nash) was a late bloomer to footy. He didn’t really kick the footy around in the backyard when he was a young fella because he was focused on his swimming.
“He’s just a natural all-round sportsman — he shot up a bit and now he’s 6’1, 6’2.”
The Ramage legacy stretches back well beyond Echuca East’s conclusion in 1993.
Before the current crop of Ramages came through, Todd and Alan forged their own history at the club during key junctures in its history.
Todd played about 150 senior games for both East and United and was at East when it merged with Echuca South in 1994 to become Echuca United.
Todd and Nash’s starts in senior football share a common thread, with both debuting as thirds-age players.
“I started playing seniors as a 17-year-old for East and played seniors all the way through to when East finished up in 1993,” Todd said.
“East and South folded in ’93 to become United for the 1994 season. We were (known as) the Hawks initially.
“We wore the Hawks colours for the first three years and 1997 was when we switched to the Eagles colours because we moved to the Murray Football League.”
Alan and his wife Pam, a former secretary at East, are life members at East and United. Todd’s grandparents Jean and Ray Brown were also life members at East.
“It’s been a fair legacy, very much a family connection,” Todd said.
“Counting grandparents, aunties and uncles, I’d have 10 or 12 relatives on the honour boards at Echuca East.”
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