Standing Tall

BY PETER CORNWALL

It’s been his second home – it probably felt like his actual home plenty of the time – for 50-odd years, so it seems only right his name will adorn Elizabeth Oval for the next 50-plus.

The Kris Grant Stand is a thoroughlydeserved honour for a remarkable and much-loved servant of Central District Football Club. In fact, it’s almost impossible to think of the Bulldogs without the former player/ secretary/general manager/chief executive coming straight to mind.

Bulldogs legend John Platten described Grant as “the backbone of our football club”, describing him as “the frontline soldier fighting to make Central great”.

“I’m pretty proud this footy club has been something for the northern region to hang on to and been something very positive for them,” Grant said. And the Elizabeth home of the Dogs sure is something for all their fans – and the SANFL as a whole – to be proud of.

The naming of the Kris Grant Stand comes after a raft of infrastructure upgrades with City of Playford Council having transformed the Doggies’ home ground. The new white picket fence immediately lifts its look, while the most significant improvement comes with three unisex changerooms, the purposebuilt facilities catering for the boom in female footy. And Central’s women’s team is coming on in leaps and bounds.

Then there are the ends named in honour of the Gowans twins, James and Chris, who, along with their old mate Grant, contributed hugely to the Bulldogs becoming SANFL’s powerhouse club when it won nine premierships from 12 grand finals in 12 years at the start of the 21st Century.

Until Grant retired at the end of last season he had been club chief for 44 years. While there’s no way you would be able to keep Kris away –he still attends Bulldogs training sessions – the Central great was a little embarrassed by the attention of having the stand named in his honour. Bulldogs president David Cavenett said there was no-one more deserving. “It goes against Kris’ grain to have a grandstand named after him. It took some convincing – he’s extremely humble,” he said. Grant felt “honoured and humbled” but said, “people who know me know I don’t like to be at the forefront”. Maybe our great mate will have to sit at the back of his own stand!