Essendon’s second oldest member, Max Beaumont, celebrated his 100th birthday today with a visit from Club legend, Kevin Sheedy.
The four time premiership coach surprised the lifelong Bombers supporter at his home with a special red and black cake and a 2018 membership pack.
Beaumont said his love of the Club dated back to the early 1920s when Essendon moved from East Melbourne to Windy Hill.
“I supported the Club from the time Essendon came to Windy Hill, before then I was too young and it was a horse and cart to East Melbourne,” Beaumont said
“Jack Clarke was my favourite player. I like the way he played, he was a good and fair player. I enjoyed his style of play, he was a very clever footballer.”
“My earliest memory of Essendon is going across the bridge at Ascot Vale station and we saw all of the crowd coming back from the MCG celebrating a premiership.”
Beaumont has witnessed 12 of Essendon’s 16 Premierships but said he couldn’t pick a favourite.
“My favourite memories of the Club are probably all of the times they won premierships,” Beaumont said.
Beaumont attended his last game around the time he turned 90 but watches every game on TV, even installing Foxtel this year to make sure he didn’t miss a moment.
Kevin Sheedy said Beaumont’s commitment to the club was commendable.
“This is an amazing story for our supporters. People like Max have built the Club,” Sheedy said.
“It was great celebrating his birthday with him today.
“He followed the Bombers before the depression and right through the depression, and knows our basic history over the last 90 years of his life.
“When you get to chat to these people, they remind our members how tough it is to build a great club that is going to be 150 years of age in three years.
“All of these people, we should get their memoirs while we are here and keep them locked up in our club to enable us all to remember the special moments in time of the Club’s history.”
