Kelvin’s best at Redback nest

By Brad Kingsbury
TRYING to pin down Hampton Park team manager Kelvin Hussey for a chat on match day is a battle, with the stalwart of 22 years continually busy looking after his charges.
Hussey is this week’s nomination for the Pakenham Gazette’s unsung hero award and just getting a picture of him was hard enough after the Redbacks’ great win over Doveton on Saturday.
“I’m not special to anyone else involved at the club, or any of the clubs for that matter,” he said.
“It’s just great to be part of it and I enjoy everything about local football.”
Hussey, 53, did not play senior football, but always had an interest in the game and joined the Hampton Park juniors club when his son and Redback wingman, Chris, started in the undernines.
“I went to an AGM in 1984 and stuck my hand up and walked out as treasurer. They saw me coming,” he chuckled.
Kelvin has been involved with the club since and his roles have included team manager, senior vicepresident, committeeman and treasurer through both the senior and junior clubs.
While Chris has played, Kelvin has worked off field and will not hear a bad word said about anyone who has pulled on a blackandred guernsey.
“There hasn’t been one bad footballer at Hampton Park,” he said.
He said his highlights were the two winning grand finals in 1997 and 1998. He was on the club committee in the first year and team manager for coach Mick Hill in 1998.
“I haven’t really got any lowlights,” he said despite having seen the club finish on the bottom without a win in 2000.
“The ups and downs are part of football.
“Football clubs are not about winning all the time, they’re about the people. That’s why I say there are good people at Hampton Park just like there are at all clubs. Winning is a bonus really.”
Kelvin says he will stay involved with the club for as long as possible and is a big supporter of the local football variety.
“I love the local game. I haven’t been to an AFL game since 1996,” he said.