| Greg Sewell | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Gregory George Sewell | ||
| Date of birth | (1933-06-30)30 June 1933 | ||
| Original team(s) | Monash Rovers | ||
| Debut | 19 July1952,Essendon vs.Footscray, atWindy Hill | ||
| Height | 179 cm (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Weight | 75 kg (165 lb) | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1952–1961 | Essendon | 171 (34) | |
| Coaching career | |||
| Years | Club | Games (W–L–D) | |
| 1962–1964 | Kyneton | ||
| 1965 | Essendon | 1 (1–0–0) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1961. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources:AFL Tables,AustralianFootball.com | |||
Gregory George Sewell (born 30 June 1933) was anAustralian rules footballer, assistant coach and president forEssendon in theVictorian Football League (VFL). He was educated atUniversity High School from 1950 to 1951, where he was a schoolmate ofAllen Aylett. He was inducted as an Essendon legend for his contribution to the club which spanned over 4 decades.
Sewell was recruited by Essendon from a 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 aback pocket player.[1]
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, againstFootscray, at Essendon's home ground,Windy Hill.[2]
He played on the half-forward flank in the highly talented 1952 Essendon Seconds Premiership team that beatCollingwood Seconds 7.14 (56) to 4.5 (29). All but one, A. Taylor, 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.
His senior record with Essendon included seven finals and two losing Grand Finals:
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 theKyneton Football Club in theBendigo Football League from 1962 to 1964.
Sewell returned to Essendon in 1965 and, replacingBill 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 the1965 Premiership: Essendon 14.21 (105) toSt Kilda 9.16 (70).
Whilst the Essendon senior side, again with Sewell as assistant coach, lost the1968 Grand Final — Essendon 8.5 (53) toCarlton 7.14 (56) — 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.
Sewell's family have been involved in the foundry business for three generations and Greg was for many years in control of Greg Sewell Forgings Pty Ltd.[3] He was a good mate ofJohn Coleman and was the last person at Essendon to see John Coleman alive.[4]
In 2001, theAustralian Football League bestowed a Life Membership on Sewell for his services to Australian Rules Football.