By Nick Creely
The Robinson family is back, and bringing with them a winning culture of past Officer/ROC generations.
In fact, three generations have made their way back to Starling Road in 2019, with the return of Rob Robinson, his son Glenn, as well as his grandson Trent to the club after a long absence.
Rob was on the ROC committee as sponsorship chairman and recruiting officer in 1993, introducing sponsor logos on the jumpers, plus an on-ground sponsors banner, which he has brought back to the club this year.
His son Glenn – recruited to the club in 1992 by Norm Tivendale – went on to play in the 1993 Under 17 grand final under Michael Meeng, before winning a reserves flag in 1994.
It was both 1995 and 1996 that Glenn enjoyed more stunning success, winning back to back premierships under current Noble Park coach Mick Fogarty, before filling his boots later in his career with a league leading goal kicker award in the reserves in 2000 before going on to play Super Rules.
After a successfully playing career, Glenn coached Beaconsfield’s Under 17s to two grand finals in 2017 and 2018, winning one premiership, with his son Trent playing in both matches.
And now all three of them have taken charge of the Under 18 team, with simply stunning results.
With Trent starring on field, Glenn as the coach and Rob as the team assistant, the Kangaroos sit on top of the ladder, undefeated and with a staggering percentage of 543.70.
Rob said that his family’s history with the club fills him with immense pride, explaining that it’s been a journey at the club.
“Just seeing the enjoyment of the kids winning a premiership, and the relationships I made with families, it’s been like a journey at the club,” he said.
“We drifted from the club, mostly because Glenn wasn’t involved with them until his son came along, and we lost contact with the footy.
“I know Mick Fogarty really well, and I was sort of following Noble Park a bit – he was a great coach (at ROC) and brought a lot of people to the club.”
Rob – who explained he simply can’t wait to get to the footy every weekend now – said the secret to success doesn’t just lie in talent, but more with the culture that’s created within a football club, something he hopes the Kangaroos can take on moving forward.
“In 1995 and 1996, we had some great players, but to be honest, some average players,” he said.
“But what I found that Glenn, and myself, got out of that, was to bring kids in to Officer.
“It’s about that atmosphere created, and I really missed it.”
That success, something the Kangaroos are craving, is inching closer, with Officer president Nick McLennan highlighting the return of the family as a huge step forward in achieving the ultimate success, both from an on-field and off-field perspective.
“The club makes no secret of the fact we haven’t had as much success as we would have liked in recent years, but bringing people back to the club like Glenn Robinson and his father Rob Robinson is an important part of our future plans because at the end of the day you’ll never be able to plan for your future if you don’t understand your past,” he said.
“The return of the Robinsons has also provided a boost for our young players financially.
“As we know, it’s not cheap to play football and while we as a club are trying our hardest to reduce player fees and apparel prices, ultimately the players do still have to bare some of that cost.
“Rob Robinson has taken it upon himself to bring in some financial partners who have been prepared to contribute to reducing the financial burden on the playing group directly which is a fantastic initiative.”
