The inaugural Essendon Football Club Gift meeting – sanctioned by the Victorian Athletics League - will be staged on the hallowed turf of Windy Hill. The highlight of the day will be the running of the $5000 Essendon Football Club Musashi Gift (120m).
Essendon Football Club will be well represented with a number of players expected to make the gift meeting a part of their pre-season training. Players from other clubs are also expected to participate. All however will have their work cut out against some of the best professional athletic talent in the country.
Other events on the program include the Footballers’ Relay where representatives from opposition AFL clubs will do battle, the Shell autoserv 70m Open, 70m Novice, 120m Womens, Rendina 400m Open, 400m Veterans, 1600m Open.
Professional running has been a part of the Essendon footballer’s pre-season over the past couple of years with the likes of Matthew Lloyd and Sean Wellman using it to improve their speed. Joel Reynolds and Jason Winderlich have both won and been placed in novice events at Rye and Ringwood in recent years.
But Essendon’s involvement in professional running goes way back. Bill Hutchison won the 1947 half-mile race at the Stawell Gift meeting and won at Seymour the following year. In 1952, Lance Mann won the Stawell Gift and a close second was former Bomber champion, the late Norm McDonald. McDonald had earlier won the Bendigo Gift in a record time.
The Essendon Football Club Gift is proudly sponsored by Musashi in conjunction with Rendina Real Estate, Shell autoserv and Kirwan Group Services.
When: Sunday, November 28th
Where: Essendon Football Club, Windy Hill
When: from 11am
Prices: Adults $6, Children (12 – 16 years) $3, Concession $3.
For entry and race information call Leanne Hume on 94287077 or email leanne.hume@val.org.au.
Click here for more information regarding the Essendon Football Club Gift.
