Maheno has always had loyalty from its community and been competitive right through its time.
The green machine expects 150 past and present players at the club tonight when celebration jerseys will be auctioned.
Tomorrow night, there will be more celebrations and a dinner and dance has been organised. Former players and club stalwarts Alex Newlands and Ian McKay will speak briefly, looking back on their time with the club and what it means to the district.
Junior games will be played tomorrow and then the premier match between Maheno and Excelsior, two clubs that amalgamated for the course of World War 2 to keep the sport going in the area.
Looking back over the 50-plus years of club play covered by this writer, a Maheno XV, drawn from all the players who have turned out for the club in that time, would be a formidable side.
The front row of John Wilson, John Kerr and former All Black Jeff Matheson would be strong while Ian Craig and Neville Ludemann would lock the scrum. The loose trio would have first-class centurion Doug Grant on the blindside flank, Ross Hay owns the openside and at No8 Bernie Pringle stands in for the Pringle family.
North Otago halfback Robbie Smith links between backs and forwards and outside him will be Lindsay Smith, another of the Smith family, which has always backed up Maheno. Bill Pile is the second five-eighth while Fepikou Tatafu is at centre.
The back three are Donald Muldrew and Robby Gillies on the wings while Ross Wilson is the last line of defence.
On the bench is plenty of talent. In the forward reserves are Mel Dunlop, Brian Simpson, Tau Hausia, Hayden Tisdall and Nathan Archibald. Supporting the backline will be Len Moseley, Gus Morton, Dallas Newlands, Brad Kernahan and Sam Tatapu.
In other Citizens Shield games this weekend, unbeaten Valley will take on second-placed Old Boys on the main ground in Oamaru and Athletic Marist will host Kurow on the No5 ground in what is a tough game to pick.
- Terry O'Neill
