BROWNLOW medallist and former St Kilda captain Neil Roberts has been named as the 2009 Australia Day Ambassador for the Derwent Valley. Roberts will speak at the annual Australia Day observance on the New Norfolk Esplanade on January 26 and is certain to draw a crowd of fans of the red, white and black.
Roberts played 175 games with the Saints and captained the team for five years. He won the Brownlow Medal in 1958 and retired from football in 1962 when he started a new career in sports journalism. He has been inducted into both the St Kilda Football Club hall of fame and team of the century.
A qualified teacher, Roberts was the officer in charge of Australia’s Mawson base in Antarctica from 1971-73. He is the father of Michael Roberts who also played for the Saints and followed his father into sports broadcasting.
Sponsored by Woolworths Supermarkets, the Australia Day Ambassador program provides a unique opportunity for people to meet inspirational Australian achievers. Expect to see Roberts on the New Norfolk Esplanade late in the morning on January 26.
Other events on the day will include the naming of the Derwent Valley Citizen, Young Citizen, Sportspersons and Community Event of the Year. The annual Australia Day fun run is on again and the entry form is available here.
