We are saddened today to hear of the passing of life member Jack Stewart.

Jack passed peacefully on Saturday, surrounded by family.

Mulgrave was a big part of Jack’s life. He played during the club’s golden era of the 1950s, and was a member of our 1956 senior premiership team. He went on to serve as treasurer for ten years and was awarded life membership.

The thoughts of all at the clubs are with Jack’s family and friends at this difficult time. Our players will wear black armbands in next week’s Round 1 matches.

Jack’s funeral details are as follows:

Saturday, 2nd April, 1pm
Michael Crawford Funerals
226 Main Street
Bacchus Marsh

Jack’s son Bill, also a former player, has penned the following words that he’d like to share. Bill has also had a shroud made for Jack in Mulgrave colours, featuring the logo and club song.

John William Stewart (Jack), premiership player and life member

Jack’s love of the game was embedded early on in his life, with him starting to kick goals on the ground himself in the late 1950s and continuing to be involved in game-day offices and various social roles until the late 1970s, when a location change impacted his later years’ activities. However, as a life member Jack took a keen interest in the red and the blue from his retirement property in Seymour, Vic. We like to think that part of Jack’s love of the game was thanks to Mulgrave’s well-embedded social scene, football community and family base, as life at that point in time was not always a bed of roses for growing clubs and families.

Jack, Janet, Andree, Tracie, Jane and myself have to acknowledge and thank the Mulgrave 1950s Red & Blues: the Arnotts, Baines, Richardsons, Rule, Andrews, Bass, Findlay, Seymour, Parker, Osborne, Hall, Sell, Cotton, Mosig, Dixons (and I am sure many more) that broke the 25 year drought of premierships… and brought a few more to the club through that decade adding to the foundation flag of 1927.

For myself personally, the joy I had playing junior football at Mulgrave was only surpassed by the moment when, sitting at a lunch in the 2010s with Uncle Mick Arnott, Uncle Les Richardson, Alf Sell and a few of the 70s icons of the club, people coming up to Jack and putting a gentle hand on his shoulder and thanking him for the support not only in their sporting careers, but also in their lives.

That’s the meaning of a football life distant to the champions of today, but their existence deeply rooted in the past.

Sending my sincere thanks to all of the Mulgrave champions, in whatever their role on or off the field. Their presence, involvement and support, possibly unknowingly, shaped a large part of Jack’s life and our family.

Billy Stewart, on behalf of the Stewart Family