Greg Sewell
Encyclopedia
Gregory G. "Greg" Sewell (born 30 June 1933) was an Australian rules football
er and assistant coach for Essendon
in the Victorian Football League
(now the AFL
). He was educated at University High School
from 1950 to 1951, where he was a schoolmate of Alan Aylett.
player.
He played in the Thirds (under-19s) and the Seconds (Reserves) until he played his first senior match for Essendon on 19 July 1952, round 13 of the home-and-away season, against Footscray, at Essendon's home ground, Windy Hill
.
He played on the half-forward flank in the highly talented 1952 Essendon Seconds Premiership team that beat Collingwood
Seconds 7.14 (56) to 4.5 (29). All but one of the premiership team's 20 players had either already played for the Essendon Firsts or would go on to do so in the future; the team was:
Excluding the senior games that some had already played (or would go on to play) with other VFL clubs, the members of the Essendon 1952 Seconds Premiership Team played an aggregate total of 1072 senior games for Essendon Firsts.
in the Bendigo Football League
from 1962 to 1964.
The Essendon senior side, with Sewell as assistant coach, won the 1965 Premiership: Essendon 14.21 (105) to St Kilda 9.16 (70).
Whilst the Essendon senior side, again with Sewell as assistant coach, lost the 1968 Grand Final — Essendon 8.5 (53) to Carlton
7.14 (56)1968 VFL season#Grand Final Teams — Sewell finished his coaching career with a triumph. The Essendon Reserves won the Reserves Grand Final, beating Richmond 15.7 (97) to 13.14 (92), and won the first Reserve Grade Premiership for Essendon in sixteen years (i.e., since the 1952 Essendon Reserve Premiership team in which Sewell had played on the half-forward flank).
Sewell also served on the Committee of the Essendon Football Club from 1958 to 1961, and from 1969 to 1975, as well as serving as its Vice-President in 1976, and its President from 1981 to 1987.
of Brunswick, Victoria
. He was a good mate of John Coleman and was the last person at Essendon to see John Coleman alive.
In 2001, the Australian Football League
bestowed a Life Membership on Sewell for his services to Australian Rules Football.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er and assistant coach for Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
in the Victorian Football League
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
(now the AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
). He was educated at University High School
University High School, Melbourne
The University High School is a public, co-educational high school, located in the Melbourne suburb of Parkville.-History:...
from 1950 to 1951, where he was a schoolmate of Alan Aylett.
Recruit
Sewell had been recruited from the local side, the Monash Rovers. He was fast, marked well, and could break away from opponents. He played mainly as a wingman or as a half forward flanker; however, he finished his career as a back pocketBack pocket
In Australian rules football, the back pocket refers to a position on the field deep in defence.Back pocket players, situated in the backline, need to have good spoiling skills and usually, quality back-pockets are noted for their hardness....
player.
He played in the Thirds (under-19s) and the Seconds (Reserves) until he played his first senior match for Essendon on 19 July 1952, round 13 of the home-and-away season, against Footscray, at Essendon's home ground, Windy Hill
Windy Hill, Essendon
Windy Hill is an Australian rules football ground located in Essendon, a northwestern suburb of the Melbourne metropolitan area....
.
He played on the half-forward flank in the highly talented 1952 Essendon Seconds Premiership team that beat Collingwood
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
Seconds 7.14 (56) to 4.5 (29). All but one of the premiership team's 20 players had either already played for the Essendon Firsts or would go on to do so in the future; the team was:
| Essendon | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Backs | Alan Thaw Alan Thaw Alan Thaw was an Australian rules footballer who played for Essendon in the VFL during the late 1940s and early 1950s.... |
Jack Knowles Jack Knowles Jack Knowles is a former Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League .Jack Knowles was a full back pocket in the losing Essendon team against Melbourne in the 1957 VFL Grand Final.-External links:*... |
Doug Bigelow Doug Bigelow Douglas "Doug" Bigelow was an Australian rules footballer who played 148 senior games for the Essendon Football Club from 1947 to 1956.-Career:... |
| H/Backs | Brian Paine | John Ramsay | Bob Taylor |
| Centre Line | Keith McIntosh | Hugh Morris Hugh Morris (footballer) Hugh Morris was a Welsh footballer who played for Manchester City, Sheffield United and Grimsby Town in the 19th century. He gained three caps for the Welsh national team.-Playing career:... |
Alby Law |
| H/Forwards | Greg Sewell | Bill Snell | Ray Martini |
| Forwards | Brian Gilmore | Ken Reed | Stan Booth Stan Booth Stan Booth was an Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the Victorian Football League during the 1950s.Booth was a rover and often rested on the half forward flank, contributing over a goal a game for Essendon... |
| Rucks/Rover | Allan Hird (c/c) | Geoff Leek Geoff Leek Geoff Leek was an Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the VFL from 1951 to 1962.- First senior match :... |
A. Taylor |
| Reserves | Mal Pascoe Mal Pascoe Malcolm L. "Mal" Pascoe is a former Australian rules footballer and coach.He played 94 senior VFL games for the Essendon Football Club from 1953 to 1958, and played 177 senior TANFL games for the Hobart Football Club from 1959 to 1966.... |
Ian Monks | |
Excluding the senior games that some had already played (or would go on to play) with other VFL clubs, the members of the Essendon 1952 Seconds Premiership Team played an aggregate total of 1072 senior games for Essendon Firsts.
Career at Essendon
His senior record with Essendon is impressive:- 19521952 VFL seasonResults and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1952.-Premiership season:In 1952, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...
: 7 games. - 19531953 VFL seasonResults and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1953.-Premiership season:In 1953, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...
: 19 games (including losing First Semi-Final team). - 19541954 VFL seasonResults and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1954.-Premiership season:In 1954, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...
: 17 games, 1 goal. - 19551955 VFL seasonResults and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1955.-Premiership season:In 1955, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...
: 19 games, 12 goals (including losing First Semi-Final team). - 19561956 VFL seasonResults and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1956.-1956 Summer Olympics:From 22 November to 8 December, the 1956 Summer Olympics were to be held in Melbourne, with a re-configured Melbourne Cricket Ground as its Main Stadium....
: 18 games, 2 goals. - 19571957 VFL seasonResults and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1957.-Premiership season:In 1957, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...
: 18 games, 12 goals (including losing Grand-Final team);1957 VFL season#Grand Final Teams - 19571957 VFL seasonResults and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1957.-Premiership season:In 1957, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...
: one game for the Victorian Interstate Team. - 19581958 VFL seasonResults and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1958.-Premiership season:In 1958, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...
: 18 games, 8 goals. - 19591959 VFL seasonResults and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1959.-Premiership season:In 1959, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...
: 18 games (including losing Grand-Final team 1959 VFL season#Grand Final Teams), 10 goals. - 19601960 VFL seasonResults and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1960.-Premiership season:In 1960, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...
: 19 games (including losing First Semi-Final team). - 19611961 VFL seasonResults and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1961.-Premiership season:In 1961, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...
: 18 games.
After Essendon
He left Essendon at the end of 1961, — he was made a Life Member of the Essendon Football Club in 1961 — and went to play as captain-coach for the Kyneton Football ClubKyneton Football Club
The Kyneton Football Club are an Australian rules football club which compete in the Bendigo Football League.They are based in the town of Kyneton, Victoria and have played in the Bendigo Football League since 1932.-Notable players:...
in the Bendigo Football League
Bendigo Football League
The Bendigo Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Bendigo region of Victoria, Australia.Formed in 1880, it is one of the oldest football leagues in Australia, and among its members are some of the oldest football clubs in Australia, including the Castlemaine...
from 1962 to 1964.
Further life at Essendon
Sewell returned to Essendon in 1965 and, replacing Bill Hutchison, worked as both the Reserve Grade coach and the assistant Senior coach (to his mate John Coleman). He held those positions from 1965 to 1968.The Essendon senior side, with Sewell as assistant coach, won the 1965 Premiership: Essendon 14.21 (105) to St Kilda 9.16 (70).
Whilst the Essendon senior side, again with Sewell as assistant coach, lost the 1968 Grand Final — Essendon 8.5 (53) to Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
7.14 (56)1968 VFL season#Grand Final Teams — Sewell finished his coaching career with a triumph. The Essendon Reserves won the Reserves Grand Final, beating Richmond 15.7 (97) to 13.14 (92), and won the first Reserve Grade Premiership for Essendon in sixteen years (i.e., since the 1952 Essendon Reserve Premiership team in which Sewell had played on the half-forward flank).
Sewell also served on the Committee of the Essendon Football Club from 1958 to 1961, and from 1969 to 1975, as well as serving as its Vice-President in 1976, and its President from 1981 to 1987.
After football
For many years in control of Greg Sewell Forgings Pty Ltd, Greg has also been deeply involved with the Rotary ClubRotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
of Brunswick, Victoria
Brunswick, Victoria
Brunswick is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland...
. He was a good mate of John Coleman and was the last person at Essendon to see John Coleman alive.
In 2001, the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
bestowed a Life Membership on Sewell for his services to Australian Rules Football.
See also
- List of Presidents of the Essendon Football Club