TWO veterans of the New Norfolk District Football Club on Saturday. Rohan Heron (Paddles), number 46, played his 250th Senior game and for Ben Lovell (Shovel), number 35, it was his 200th Senior game.
Rohan played his first Senior game in 2005. Rohan is a Life Member of the club. In his decorated career, Rohan has won five Senior and one Reserve Premiership medals. He won a Reserves medal in 2009 and Senior medals in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and was Captain of the 2017 Senior Premiership side. Rohan has played most of his football on the backline (but is also known to enjoy pinch hitting on the forward line) and is one of the best back men in the SFL. He has represented the SFL on several occasions. Ben began his football career with the New Norfolk District Football Club “Auskick” program in 1998 under “young guns” Matthew Smith and Adrian Burden.
After learning the basics from these former great players, Ben commenced his playing career with the New Norfolk Junior Football Club under-8s in 1999. Ben played his first Senior game in 2010 and in his first full Senior season in 201 won he Hodgeman Medal for the best first year player in the Southern Football League. He was a member of the premiership winning sides in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2017. Ben has represented the SFL and was a member of the Tasmanian under 23 team in the AAFC National Carnival in Hobart in 2015. Ben is also a life member and an icon of the club.