HAWKESBURY Ag College will wear custom jerseys this season to honour the 136 college students who signed up for military service and ultimately died during the First World War.
All of the club’s teams this year will wear the special blood and mustard jerseys, which will be emblazoned with the names of the fallen soldiers.
The club and college have a long history, running for over 125 years. Its military history is inseparable from the history of the club itself.
Those within the club are keenly aware of those who came before them and what they did, particularly in the military.
A book has even been written about the college’s military history, albeit by an outsider of the club, called ANZHAC: Hawkesbury Agricultural College and the Great War by Peter Lister.
Another club member, Stephen Staff, is in the Navy, and does a lot of research into the military history of the club.
So it was a big moment for the club as their teams ran out onto College Oval at the weekend, their first home game of the season, with their 2018 jerseys.
Club vice-president Chris Hicks was the man who came up with the idea during the off-season to have the jerseys created.
He said he had seen a few professional sports teams do the same thing with their jerseys for special occasions.
Hicks said he thought the idea would go down well at Ag College and he was right. The jerseys have been a hit with the playing group.
It was originally just meant to be the first grade team donning them, but the rest of the playing group will now wear them across all their grades.
“Hawkesbury Ag College has a big connection with Anzac Day,” Hicks said.
“We just thought it would be a great opportunity to commemorate these men and the sacrifice they made.”
Hicks said the first grade players had made a commitment that they would not let their jerseys touch the ground this year, their own way of showing respect to the men they are honouring.
Hicks said the men who fought during the First World War had been on the minds of many at the club in recent years.
“Obviously Anzac and the 100 years has been pretty omnipresent in the last few years,” he said.
“It is part of people's culture now to commemorate and show respect.”
The club has also decided to mark one man’s sacrifice, by creating a cup named after him.
Harold Watkins was a college student who signed up to fight in the war, and died during the first day of fighting on the shores at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915.
The club will now play for the Lieutenant Harold Watkins Cup every year.
“Harold Watkins was one of the most famous members from us to die in the Great War,” Hicks said.
“We've decided hence forth, the game played on or around Anzac Day will be the Lt Harold Watkins Cup.”
Lastly, in the anniversary year of the end of the war, the club has formed relationships with the Richmond RSL Sub-Branch, and also the Richmond Memorial Club.
Hicks said it felt right, given what those organisations did and what the club was trying to do.
“They are focused heavily on remembering service men and women,” he said.
“We are just trying to keep that legacy going.”