VPHC

Victoria Park Heritage Committee

The VPHC has been formed to voice the concerns of Collingwood Football Club members and past players and the broader community in general over the plans to destroy the nature and spirit of the 113 year home of the Collingwood Football Club.

We have no hidden agenda. Just a very public and personal love for a very famously infamous suburban football stadium.

We represent ordinary people that have a passionate and very personal connection to the ground. This includes people that have sat in the stands or stood on the terraces, players that have toiled and bled for the black and white jumper and those souls that rest in peace on the ground. The stadium is their shrine.

The profit we gain is to see the ground and its structures playing a role in the future of the Collingwood Football Club. A future that will be immeasurably enhanced if take the time to look back and admire and celebrate the wonderful achievements that have been made in the past. The Collingwood Football Club's greatness derives from these achievements. The achievements of ordinary men and women of Collingwood and we celebrate this at Victoria Park.

We DO NOT represent or abide short sighted profiteering residents and land lords.

We DO NOT represent any corporate or branding interests that the narrow minded AFL franchisor holds so dear to its cold black heart.

We represent the people of Collingwood. To whom the ground was given in 1882.

Chairperson:
Shane Barrie
IT Consultant and great grandson of Frederick Trenerry Brown and great great nephew of Edwin Trenerry. Collingwood Football Club member from childhood. A dedicated student of the history of the Collingwood Football Club and the unique and infamous relationship with its spiritual home.

Committee:
Sam Perla
CEO of Community Media Services. Sam has completed extensive renovations within the Syd Coventry Pavilion and through his careful and maticulous work uncovered the old Hall of Fame in the building's foyer that the Collingwood Football Club had plastered over in 1982 when the room was converted into a merchandise shop. Sam is very keen to see the old Social Club building have much of its heritage aspects restored while still being utilised as community facility.

Lesley Benham
Passionate Collingwood supporter and life long member. Lesley has battled on behalf of her beloved Magpies to save Victoria Park for many years. Lesley works for the Salvation Army and amongst her acheivements she ranks very highly the establishment of the Collingwood FC Christmas Lunch for the homeless and underprivileged, that was first hosted at Victoria Park and continues now at the Lexus Centre. Lesley dearly hopes to bring the Xmas lunch back to Victoria Park very soon.

Honorary Patron:
Rupert Betheras
Rupe was selected in the 1998 AFL National Draft with pick 75 and played 85 games for Collingwood as a hard working in-and-under extractor. Debuting against West Coast at Victoria Park in Round 3 of the 1999 season, Rupert would play 16 games and kick 8 goals that season and win the Harry Collier Award for the best first year player. The highlight of Rupert's career was his stella 2002 season which saw the underrated Magpie team surge to a grand final and only narrowly miss a premiership by 9 points. Rupert played in 24 of a possible 25 games and kicked 14 goals including two crucial goals in both the Qualifying Final against Port Power in Adelaide and then the Preliminary Final against Adelaide at the MCG. Rupert only played 9 games in the 2003 season and after featuring in the six game winning streak from round 13 to 18 was then controversially overlooked for the rest of the season and then delisted. Many say that the 2003 grand final may not have been the 'cakewalk' that is was for the Lions had Rupert been given the chance to shut down their midfield run as he had done in the past to great effect.

Rupert is now consumed by the art the was once an interest and his passion for indigenous culture has taken him as far as Walpiri country in Central Australia were Rupert discovered an extroadinarily talented young man called Liam Jurrah. Rupert, and Collingwood FC member Bruce Hearn Mickinnon, arranged for Liam to come to Melbourne to play for Gavin Brown's VFL Collingwood team and Liam was an instant success. Unfortunately tribal duties required Liam to return home to attend the bedside of a dieing friend and that was the last we saw of Liam in the black and white. Rupert arranged for Liam to nominate for the national draft and Melbourne FC jumped at the chance. Liam has already taken several outstanding marks and kicked miraculous goals for the Deamons in what was an fantastic debut season. Liam, Rupe and Bruce feature in several TV documentaries.

In preparation for his recent exhibition The Broadford Holdup, Rupert completed several works while in residence in the VIP box on top of the S A Coventry Pavilion (Social Club) at Victoria Park.

Rupert's work can be seen at Alcaston Galery in Fitzroy: www.alcastongallery.com.au

Anyone with an interest and knowledge of the history of Victoria Park is welcome to join the committee, please email info@victoriapark.net.au

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