ONE is a champion player considered one of the best ever while the other is a legend at Alberton who has been trusted with the boots of generations of Port Adelaide players.

Together they have 100 years of service to the Port Adelaide Football Club, a remarkable achievement that will be celebrated at Sunday’s SANFL clash between the Magpies and Norwood.

Russell Ebert’s story is well known but many would not be aware that he has been involved with Port Adelaide since 1968 as a champion player, coach and more recently as the manager of the club’s Community Youth Program.

Ebert played a club record 392 games from 1968 to 1985, winning a record four Magarey Medals as the league’s best player in 1971, 1974, 1976 and 1980.

His career included captaining the Magpies to their drought-breaking 1977 premiership triumph as well as being instrumental in the 1980 and 1981 Grand Final victories.

Named centre in the club’s Greatest Ever Team from 1870-2000, he captained the club from 1974 to 1978, was captain-coach from 1983-1985 and after retiring as a player coached the club in 1986 and 1987.

During that time he won six club best and fairests, and managed to play 25 games for North Melbourne in 1979.

Ebert’s feats were recognised with his induction to the Port Adelaide Football Club, SA Football and Australian Football Halls of Fame.

“You always knew Russell was going to be a champion by the way he used to go about his game,” said club boot studder Alfie Trebilcock, an icon in his own right.

“Every game of football that he played in, he came off the field exhausted because he couldn’t have put more into it.

“I respect Russell so much and I feel privileged because he played 392 games and I saw every one of those games.”

Trebilcock started at Alberton in the same year as Ebert and has served the club through an era which has delivered 13 SANFL premierships and one AFL flag.

He has cared for the footwear of hundreds of players over half a century, witnessing the transition from ankle-high boots with knock-in timber studs through to today’s mutli-coloured ultra-light models.

In 2013 he was awarded the prestigious AFL’s Jack Titus Award for conspicuous service to the game.

Trebilcock was a butcher who fell into the boot steward role to help out, offering to see how things went for 12 months.

50 years on, he says his love for the club is just as strong.

“I remember coming down with Bruce Light on a Tuesday and Fos Williams and Bob McLean invited us to come down to try out and see how we went, and I met Alfie,” Ebert said.

“I had an old pair of boots from up at Waikerie and Loxton and the first time he took them I thought he was knocking them off, because I was used to looking after my own boots.

“That was over 50 years ago and that’s 50 incredible years that Alfie has put in as a volunteer and running his own business.

“Alfie loves the players, he loves the club and the players love him.

“He can talk to any player at any time and would have the complete respect of the entire playing and coaching group.”

Trebilcock played a special role in Ebert’s individual success, providing him with a special layout of sprigs on his boots and an extra leather insert to raise his heal.

But for a while, he thought he might have been limiting any success.

“We went from 68 to 77 before we won a premiership and I was beginning to think I was a hoax, because it’s not like Port Adelaide to go that long without a Premiership,” Trebilcock said.

“But, from 1977 to 1996 when I left to go over with the Power I saw eleven Premierships and it was just absolutely amazing.”

On Sunday at Alberton, Ebert and Treblicock will be celebrated for their contribution.

Ahead of the league clash between Port Adelaide and Norwood, Trebilcock will conduct the coin toss and Ebert will kick the ceremonial first goal of the game – a similar tradition to the ceremonial first pitch conducted in Major League Baseball.

And while Ebert has received many of the accolades for his playing success over the last half of a century, he says Trebilcock deserves much of the credit.

“50 years is incredible, that’s over a third of the club’s history, so to give 50 years of service is just an incredible contribution to an organisation and I am just so pleased to have gone along on the journey with him and relied on him and had such a close relationship with him,” Ebert said.

“I think it’s a perfect example that players go out and play, coaches help them perform but unless all those other pieces and people are in the right place with the right idea and right vision, then you’re not going to be successful.

“So many other clubs haven’t got those pieces in place, and we couldn’t have the success we had without him.”

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