A Sporting Life

The Rumbelows of The Encounter Bay Football Club

As appeared in Eagle Tales Newsletter, Saturday 18th August 2018

John Althorp & Melissa Rumbelow

Just as the Rumbelow name has been synonymous with the Encounter Bay region since the 1850's, the same is also true of the Encounter Bay Football Club since its very beginings. There have been members of the Rumbelow family involved with the EBFC from day one, right up to the present day. 

In the very early days of the Encounter Bay Football Club, three Rumbelow brothers played football together. The three of them are pictured in a 1922 team photo, the year after the Bays played their first game. 

• Lionel Rumbelow

• David Rumbelow

• Stanley "Ween" Rumbelow

Ween  began playing football for Encounter Bay when he was 17. He was a goal umpire for the club until his 50s , and went on to be a Great Southern Association umpire. 

Weens son Malen Rumbelow played football at Encounter Bay, along with David's son David "Rocket" Rumbelow.  Neither Rocket nor Malen had children that played football for Encounter Bay, as they moved away from the area, but both of Graham's sons played out the entirety of their football careers at Encounter Bay. 

Lionel's son Graham Rumbelow played for EBFC and was awarded life membership of the club.

The original Rumbelow players had a cousin called who was very much involved with their "beloved" the club. Kennith (Ken) Rumbelows service included secretary and president of Encounter Bay Football Club where he presented the Rumbelow Shield to the winning side in the Great Southern Football Association for 15 years. Unfortunately Ken only had the pleasure to present it to Encounter Bay once. 

Ken's three sons Denis, Bill and Peter all played for EBFC.  As Peter moved to Adelaide as at young age, he played football for Norwood before coaching at Athelstone.

Life Member, Past President and club stalwart Donald Rumbelow is the well-known and respected heart and soul of the Encounter Bay Footy Club. 

Dick Littlely remembers Don, who had always played as a backman in his footy career, begging for weeks to be given a go up forward. All back men think forwards are soft and get it easy and kicking goals is a piece of cake.  Don kicked 11 points in a row from the forward pocket - that was his one and only foray into the forward lines!' 

Having played, coached, run and trained various teams over the years. Don was presented with Life Membership along with wife Lesley Rumbelow. The home team change rooms are named "The Don Rumbelow Change Rooms", as an acknowledgement to his huge contribution towards their upgrade a few years ago. 

Don and Lesley's children have carried on in their parent's footsteps with their services to the EBFC. Sons Troy Rumbelow and Brad Rumbelow both played their football here, with Troy participating in the 1996 Premiership. Don and Lesley's daughter Celina Rumbelow used to be the club's statistician before moving away interstate.

Brad's three sons Bayden Rumbelow, Zach Rumbelow and Declan Rumbelow have all played in the  juniors, under the watchful eye of dad Brad, who is their coach. 

Dons brother Malcolm "Skinny" Rumbelow is also a life member. His son Cain Rumbelow played junior football at Encounter Bay, and his daughter Melissa Rumbelow is a member of the EBFC Committee, and also helps the trainers out. Melissa's daughter Molly Rumbelow was the first female Rumbelow to have played football for the Bays, playing in the U15s side in the club's inaugural year of participation in the GSFLs  women's football competition during 2017.

Graham Rumbelows cousin Kevin Rumbelow was an Encounter Bay player as well. Two of Kevin's sons played at the club; Stephen Rumbelow, and David Rumbelow who was a player in the 1996 premiership side.

Geoffrey Rumbelow also played football for the EBFC, and did his sons Ian  "Charlie" Rumbelow, Jimmy Rumbelow and Johnny Rumbelow. 

Charlie is a Life Member of the club, and also played in the 1965 and 1967 premiership sides.

 Dick Littlely recalls that Jimmy had a habit of getting into punch-ups, so much so that his team-mates were sick of helping him out.

 "One day on the Bay Oval playing Strath, Jimmy belted someone and was attacked by numerous Strath players close to the crowd.  No-one came to help, and Jimmy's father Geoff, overcome with paternal love, decided to help out. It was a very wet day and Geoff at full pace tried to hurdle the fence, hooked his toe on the top wire, hit the ground on his stomach and slid into the fray in a spray of water and mud.  He and Jimmy proceeded to flatten about half of the Strath team before Geoff walked off wet and sore but satisfied of a job well done. Jimmy got suspended for six games and Geoff had a bloody good time!"

The original three Rumbelow brothers who started playing at the Bay also had another sister Florence "Fon" Rosser (nee Rumbelow). Although her son Glenn Rosser played at Port Elliot (and later Norwood), her grandson Mark Ewens and great-grandsons Malen Brown and Noah Brown played for Encounter Bay.

There are several other players from the larger, extended Rumbelow family that have played for Encounter Bay over the years. The Bartels are one such family. 

Ivy Rumbelow and Fred Bartel were the parents of club legend Don Bartel, who began playing football at Encounter Bay along with his brother Ivan Bartel. Don was an excellent footballer and  always seemed to have plenty of time to gain possession and drop-kick to his man and was very strong on the ground. Don’s football prowess survived naval service. Back home he played a number of games for the Sturt Football Club in the SANFL, then later played for Encounter Bay, winning Mail Medals (Association awards for the Fairest and most Brilliant Player). 

Don's sons Kym Bartel and Philip Bartel played at the Bay, as did Don's grandson Michael Bartel. Ivan's son Jeff Bartel also played here. 

Both Bill and George Ewen played for the Bays with George being chosen as vice-captain for some seasons. Apparently they played bare footed a lot of the time. In total there were four Ewen’s who played for the Bays, Bill, George, Harry and Ray.

Whilst almost all Rumbelow males in the family played for Encounter Bay, there are some brave exceptions.

Most infamously, Ween Rumbelow began playing football for Encounter Bay when he was 17. However, after a disagreement with the club, he took advantage of the fact that they then didn't need clearances to change clubs and began playing for Victor Harbor. 

Ron Wilton Reid, who descends from Caroline Cakebread (nee Rumbelow) played as a ruckman for Victor Harbor Football Club with great distinction.  Lore has it that much Reid blood was embedded in Rumbelow knuckles from time to time and vice-versa.

Families at the Bay - The Swains 

• EAGLE TALES 

• 5 SEPTEMBER, 2020 

• JOHN ALTHORP

THE SWAINS ARE ANOTHER FAMILY who have figured in the club's history from the early days, with Alan serving as club president in 2008/2009.  Alan's grandfather Vern 'Curl' Swain - who had married Gwendoline Rumbelow - was one of the club's earliest life members and had served variously as a goal umpire, committee man, head trainer, patron and selector for both the Bays and the Valleys. 

Alan's father Terry, described as 'a tall reachy ruckman', began with the Bays in 1945, played with the Valleys, captaining them in 1953 and the Bays in 1964, was a regular GSFL team member. Terry married Margaret, one of the original and hardest working members of the Ladies Auxiliary, its last president, and a fierce club supporter who never likes to miss a kick.

She had plenty of games to watch, as Alan had played 234 senior games and his brother Brian ('Lord') exactly 200. 

Alan has filled many roles around the club, including applying his curatorial skills to the oval over a number of years, and Brian has also served on the committee and as a coach. Curl, Terry, Margaret, Alan and Brian are all EBFC life members, the Swain family name appearing on the Life Members Board as often as those other club stalwarts,  the Rumbelows. 

John Althorp: Encounter Bay Football Club historian and author

John Althorp has spent the past few years researching the history of the Encounter Bay Football Club in extraordinary detail. As club historian and author, John Althorp has published the "A Good Way Of Life: Celebrating 100 Years of the Encounter Bay Football Club."

A retired teacher, John spent an enormous amount of time interviewing past and present players and families, gathering photos and writing an outstanding book capturing incredible moments of the Club’s 100 year history (1921-2021).

John reflected on his insights into research, history of the Club, and the positive impact it has on one’s personal well-being when you are part of a community.

"The article you mention was largely the work of Melissa Rumbelow whom I have relied on for a good deal of the family information, both when I was editing Eagle Tales, and for the book (and, as I have frequently told her, she writes so well too!)   I will certainly add my name to the 170 Year contact list, and all the best with the project. Ciao!" John Althorp

Honouring 100 years of the Bays

• The Times

• 28/01/2021

• Michael Simmons

The Encounter Bay Football Club will celebrate 100 years in 2021 and there are various events planned.

There will be a Life Member’s dinner on the Friday night before the ANZAC Day clash against Victor Harbor and there will be the release of the book ‘A Good Way of Life’, which documents the history of the club and the personalities that were involved over the past 100 years.

John Althorpe has spent three years compiling information for the book.

“It has been fantastic to write and I have totally loved it. I have talked to so many people and learnt so much about how much a footy club means to them,” John said.

“The book will be released at the Life Members Dinner on Friday, April 23 and I am proud to play a role in the club’s history.”

John interviewed many of the club’s greats including the number one ticket older at Encounter Bay and dual Mail Medallist Don Bartel.

“It was great chatting to Don. It was very enjoyable,” John said.

Don won a Mail Medal in 1951 and tied for it in 1957. He also came third in the voting in 1950, 1952 and 1958.

Don is Encounter Bay through and through, his mother was a Rumbelow and he was born in a house on the corner of Tabernacle Road and the foreshore at Encounter Bay, only moving in to Victor Harbor itself after his marriage to Barbara.

After his first A grade match with the Bays in 1939 at the age of 14, he served in the navy, firstly on a boat based in Darwin (Alan Killigrew and Alan Galbally, who played for Collingwood, served on the same ship), and then on the corvette the ‘Broome’.

After war time, Don returned to Encounter Bay where he went straight into the A grade side and played until he was 39, mainly at centre, a position he also occupied in his games with Sturt and association sides.

He captained the side from 1956 to 1959, was leading club goalkicker for four years and won six club best and fairest awards.

Don also coached the Bays in 1956 and 1957.

“That first year we went premiers and the next year we were runner-up and that was the year that I had started making a few mistakes,” Don said.

Don’s father was a builder and he followed him into the trade, again to the benefit of the Encounter Bay Football Club.

“I got pretty involved with the new club rooms and we were able to do practically all of the work voluntarily – foundations, brickwork on weekends, plastering, painting. We only paid for the plumbing and some of the electrical. A lot of the cement and steel was donated,” he said.

Don believes that the club has always had a lot of good workers associated with it and has been a happy and friendly club.

The club is now in the process of renovations thanks to $950,000 through state and federal funding. It is planned to be finished by the start of the season. It will be a big year for the club.

The club along with neighbours Victor Harbor will host the South Australian Country Football Championships and it will be the first time it has been held in the Great Southern area. Leagues from all over the state will converge on Victor Harbor in July.

Don is still a regular at the club for matches and Thursday night teas and is looking forward to the centenary celebrations in April.