Greg Sewell

Gregory George Sewell (born 30 June 1933) was an Australian rules footballer, assistant coach and president for Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He was educated at University High School from 1950 to 1951, where he was a schoolmate of Allen Aylett. He was inducted as an Essendon legend for his contribution to the club which spanned over 4 decades.

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 July 1952, Essendon vs. Footscray, at Windy 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
  • Victorian Interstate Team: 1957.
  • Essendon Football Club: Life Member 1961
  • Caretaker Coach Essendon Seniors: 1965
  • Assistant coach Essendon Seniors: 1965-1968
  • Assistant coach Senior Premiership Team: 1965
  • Assistant coach Senior Premiership Runners-up: 1968
  • Coach Essendon Reserves: 1965-1968
  • Coach Reserves Premiership Team: 1968
  • Essendon Football Club: Committeeman 1958-1961, 1969-1975
  • Essendon Football Club: Chairman of Selectors 1974-1975
  • Essendon Football Club: Vice-President 1976
  • Essendon Football Club: President 1981-1987
  • AFL Life Membership (for service to Australian Rules Football): 2001.
  • Inducted 'Legend of Essendon' in 2009.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Recruit

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 a back 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, against Footscray, 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 beat Collingwood 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.

Career at Essendon

His senior record with Essendon included seven finals and two losing Grand Finals:

  • 1957: one game for the Victorian Interstate Team.

After Essendon

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 the Kyneton Football Club in the Bendigo Football League from 1962 to 1964.

Further life at Essendon

Sewell returned to Essendon in 1965 and, replacing Bill 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 the 1965 Premiership: Essendon 14.21 (105) to St Kilda 9.16 (70).

Whilst the Essendon senior side, again with Sewell as assistant coach, lost the 1968 Grand Final — Essendon 8.5 (53) to Carlton 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.

After football

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 of John Coleman and was the last person at Essendon to see John Coleman alive.[4]

In 2001, the Australian Football League bestowed a Life Membership on Sewell for his services to Australian Rules Football.

See also

Footnotes
  1. Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2002). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (4th ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: Crown Content. p. 587. ISBN 1-74095-001-1.
  2. Greg Sewell's playing statistics from AFL Tables
  3. Photograph of Greg and his father speaking with Collingwood's John Henderson
  4. According to Miller, Petraitis & Jeremiah, (1997, p.130) Coleman, who was also connected with the Rotary Club of Brunswick, and Sewell had spent time together at a Rotary function in Albury, New South Wales on the Sunday preceding Coleman's death.

References
  • Maplestone, M., Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872-1996, Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996. ISBN 0-9591740-2-8
  • Miller, W., Petraitis, V. & Jeremiah, V., The Great John Coleman, Nivar Press, (Cheltenham), 1997. ISBN 0-646-31616-8
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