LIAM DURKIN
FOOTBALL
GIPPSLAND LEAGUE
By LIAM DURKIN
IT was an emotion-charged Morwell Recreation Reserve last Saturday, as the Morwell Football-Netball Club unveiled a lasting tribute to legendary administrator Stan Morgan.
Friends and family of Stan Morgan, players past and present and Morwell and Sale FNC officials gathered before the senior match to honour Morgan, for the opening of the ‘Stan Morgan Pavilion’.
The Stan Morgan name is now forever enshrined on the roof of the Morwell Recreation Reserve grand stand.
Morgan died last year at age 74 following a battle with pulmonary fibrosis.
While the term ‘legend’ is tossed around rather loosely in local sport, there can be no questioning Morgan was befitting of the title given his service to the Tigers.
After playing 77 games in the yellow and black between 1964 and 1969, Morgan turned to administration, where he was to make his mark across five decades.
A truly extraordinary length of service started in 1980 and continued until as recently as last year.
Fulfilling virtually every role at the club, Morgan served as secretary from 1980 to 1996, treasurer (1986 and 1988), vice president (1999-2001) and on the committee for all the years in-between.
As well as all that, he also ran the club’s bingo for 22 years – something for which he will possibly be best remembered.
Under Morgan’s leadership, the Morwell FNC bingo raised an estimated $1.2 million for the club.
Morwell won seven senior premierships during Morgan’s tenure, occasions which brought him great joy.
Regarded as one of the best sporting administrators in country Victoria, he was inducted as a life member of Morwell FNC in 1987 and of the Gippsland League in 1996.
A man of great humility, he responded to the creation of the Morgan-Hunter Cup, played for between Morwell and Traralgon, by personally seeking to have his name removed and instead giving the honour to fellow Tiger legend Brett Stanistreet.
With a place in the finals up for grabs last Saturday, the present day Tigers did Morgan proud, defeating Sale by eight points to join in the post-regular season.
