General News
19 July, 2023
One club, four leagues, 500 games
Saturday’s home game against Edenhope-Apsley will be a particularly special round for family, fans and supporters of a local footy hero, well-known club fixture, and a man praised for his camaraderie and sportsmanship. Don’t miss out as...
Saturday’s home game against Edenhope-Apsley will be a particularly special round for family, fans and supporters of a local footy hero, well-known club fixture, and a man praised for his camaraderie and sportsmanship.
Don’t miss out as midfielder/small forward Jason Hutson steps up to play his 500th senior football game for the club at 12.40pm in Jeparit.
Hutson began his senior football career with the Jeparit Reserves in 1988 - the club’s 49th and penultimate season as a part of the Wimmera League.
After a winless season for the 1989 Seniors, the club’s members decided that a move to the Southern Mallee League was the only way they could survive.
Hutson played eight Seniors and 15 Reserves games in the Wimmera League, and quickly became one to watch when he scored a goal with his first ever Seniors’ kick.
The shift to the Southern Mallee League was a stop-gap for the team, and five years later they amalgamated with Rainbow.
In their last game as a stand-alone club, Hutson joined the Seniors in the grand finals, marking his 70th Seniors’ game in the Southern Mallee League, with 25 Reserves games also under his belt.
The newly-formed Jeparit-Rainbow club played their first season in 1996, prior to the Southern Mallee League forming the Mallee League in 1997.
Hutson played the Reserves’ grand final team that year and they were sadly defeated, but the club followed that loss by winning its only Seniors’ premiership to date.
During his 17 seasons in the Mallee League, Hutson played 157 Seniors’ games and 125 Reserves’ games, with the highlight being the Reserves’ Premiership in 2009.
Hutson was also awarded the Mallee League Reserves Best and Fairest in 2014, and the Jeparit Rainbow Reserves Best and Fairest awards in 2009, 2011 and 2014.
But his proudest moment was in 2008 when he was awarded the Best Clubperson award.
Jeparit Rainbow moved to the Horsham District League in 2015, and Hutson was now playing in the fourth league of his career, while staying in the same team.
To date he has played 100 Reserves games in the Horsham District League, bringing his grand total to 235 Seniors’ games and 265 Reserves’ games.
Besides his accomplishments on the field, Hutson has been a constant presence in the club committee since 1999, serving as treasurer from 2003 until he stepped into the club president role in 2016 - a position he held for six years.