It just what you did as a kid in Gloucester, he said. 

“You played cricket in the summer and footy in the winter,” Ken smiled.

“Gloucester was a league town.”

But it was more than that; he loved playing.

“The team atmosphere, the physical contact,” he said. “It’s a great game.”

Ken played junior footy in Gloucester until he was 15 years old, not only for the Gloucester Magpies but for Gloucester Public and Gloucester High Schools.

After leaving school at 16, Ken went a play for Wingham Tigers under 18s in the senior division of Group Three as Gloucester didn’t have a team at the time.

He remembers there was a group of Gloucester players who used to bus over to Wingham during that period of time in order to play.

After six years with Wingham, he returned to Gloucester to play for the Magpies; it was 1989 and they made the grand final.

In 1990, Ken broke his leg while playing and didn’t return to the sport until 1992 and in 1995, he had a bike accident that ended his playing days.

Since then he has been involved with the Gloucester Magpies committee in various positions, including president, as well as coaching the under 18s for a few season and last year, he was made a life member.

Ken is currently the club president and attends almost every game helping about as the sports trainer assisting the players when they get injured on the field.

As for what he sees for the future of the Gloucester Magpies; “I’d love to see the junior league up and running again,” he said.

The junior club was unable to get the numbers need to run this year.

“The heart of the town’s connection to the sport is through the junior,” Ken explained. "The juniors are the future of the sport.”

“We still get a good crowd at the home games,” he said. “The town loves to come and watch. Strong crowds and great support.”