COLBINABBIN is gearing up for what is being dubbed the biggest weekend in the town's history when the Grasshoppers celebrate their centenary next month.
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The Grasshoppers will hold three days of centenary celebrations on the Queen's Birthday weekend.
The centenary weekend will begin on Friday, June 5, with a memorabilia display at the Colbinabbin Hall.
The following day the Grasshoppers will host one of their longest rivals in Elmore, which will be followed by the centenary function at the Colbinabbin Hall.
The weekend will wind up with a family day at the Colbinabbin Hall on the Sunday.
The centenary game against Elmore will be played against a club the Grasshoppers have competed against since their inaugural season in 1915 in the former Elmore District competition.
The Grasshoppers will wear specially-designed centenary jumpers for the game.
One of the features of the Saturday night centenary function will be the launch of a book detailing the history of the club written by Darren Lewis titled For the grand old Green and Gold.
Guest speakers will also provide an era-by-era account of the club, including Fin Rathjen, who played in the club's 1949 and 1950 premierships, and also has recollections of his uncle, Pete Rathjen, playing in the 1939 flag.
Centenary committee chairman Andrew McTaggart says the Grasshoppers are expecting as many as 400 people to attend the Saturday night function on June 6.
"It will be a big weekend and probably as big as we've ever had in Colbinabbin. It's a once-in-a-lifetime event that we're really looking forward to," McTaggart said.
The centenary celebration had been planned for last year until Lewis in the research for his book discovered the club was formed in 1915 and not 1914 as was originally thought.
Colbinabbin's 12 senior premierships in the HDFL - 1939, '49, '50, '75, '78, '91, '98, '99, 2002, '03, '04 and '08 - is bettered by only the 19 Mount Pleasant has won.
Anyone wanting more information on the centenary weekend can contact McTaggart on 0438 048 395.