September 1, 2025
PREM THIRDS WIN FLAG
Heartbreak for U23s and T-Birds
A Century of the Red & Black
The Committee of Life Members, chaired by Robert Ralph, has announced that another three great servants of the Old Xaverians Football Club have been accorded the honour of Life Membership.
The trio are, in chronological order of first service:
They are only the 73rd, 74th and 75th Old Xaverians to be recognised for this honour.
Richard Desmond (Des) Kennedy was born in 1909 and finished at Xavier College in 1926. He joined the Old Xaverians the following year and played over 200 games with the Red ‘n’ Blacks between 1927 and 1940. He also wore the Big V and played a year with Melbourne in 1936.
Des captained the side every year from 1933 to 1939, apart from his one season spent playing with Melbourne. His six seasons as captain remain unequalled 85 years later. He also coached the team on an honorary basis in 1933 and 1934.
His period as captain included the club’s first premiership triumph. The Xavs won the C Section flag in 1938 against the favoured Uni Blues. That day, Kennedy led many Xaverians who would soon face far bigger challenges than any football field could offer.
In June 1940, the VAFA suspended competition for the duration of the war. Des himself joined the RAAF as a Pilot Officer in July 1942, becoming a Flying Officer in 1943 and Flight Lieutenant with 450 Squadron in 1944.
On his return, he played an important role in the re-establishment of the club after WWII. He was a member of the Finance Committee between 1946 and 1950. Beyond that service, he remained a supporter and financial member of the club until his death in 1976.
Des Kennedy, along with Heinrich Schrader, who was president of the OXFC for the entire 1930s, guided the club through the Great Depression, and to its first premiership. It is entirely appropriate their names should appear together again, this time on the list of Life Members of our club.
Des is the fifth Old Xaverian awarded Life Membership posthumously, with Peter Peppard Sr, Paul Lachal Sr, Michael Lefebvre Sr, and Tony Hulett being added to the honour roll in recent years.
Paul Connors joined the Old Xaverians in 1987 and was a premiership player that year with the U19s. The following season, he was the team’s vice-captain and at 18 years of age, joined the OXFC committee where he spent 11 years making our club stronger. He also served at various times as vice-president, social chairman and was the mastermind behind Christmas Eve Croc Rock.
He made his senior playing debut in 1991 after sometime in the Reserves. He played 156 games for the Red ‘n’ Blacks, including several victorious Crocodile grand finals, before hanging up his boots in 1997.
Paul maintained his strong interest in the Old Xavs while building his career as an AFL player manager. He has maintained financial membership and put the club in touch with many of players under his guidance who were looking to continue playing at community level and interested in careers post-football.
Connors joined the OXFC U23s in 2022 as Head of Program, a role he has occupied for four seasons to date. His first gambit was to split the large squad into two teams. He worked with coaches & assistants to create group unity and fairness and was present at both games each week. The teams played each other in the VAFA grand final in that year.
In 2023 and 2024, he served as an Assistant Coach for the U23 Ones, and as Head Coach for the second U23 team, which played in a lower section. Again, both teams had very successful seasons.
With the age qualification change in the U19s, Connors oversaw the introduction of another U23 team, while still coaching the second team. All three U23 teams were minor premiers this year, and all three played in grand finals.
Paul Connors has created a program for our young men to enjoy the concept of sport, its camaraderie and fairness. He has provided an opportunity for players to find a home at the OXFC, no matter their ability. He embraces anyone who is willing to train and ‘have a go’ and his selection decisions are based on participation first, and ability second.
Paul’s contribution to the OXFC has been deeply significant over a long period of time and this honour is well-deserved.
Matthew Cosgrave left Xavier in 2007 with high sporting hopes. He was a useful off-spinner and a burly, bustling forward who had, as a schoolboy, once kicked six goals in a quarter before coach Matt Hannebery had moved him to full back for the rest of the game.
If there was any talk of young Cosgrave challenging in future years the slightly older Matt Handley for the key forward position in the seniors, it was shut down in his first season with the U19s in 2008, when he sustained a serious knee injury.
With playing off his agenda, (permanently, as it transpired), he joined the club committee and was given the responsibility of team manager of the U19s. At his first committee meeting in February 2009, he listened to tales from around the table about the traditional difficulties of collecting subscriptions from the club’s youngest members. Cosgrave promised boldly that he would fix that, and a month later, turned up at the next meeting and dumped the entire U19 subscription budget on the table. In cash.
Had Matt’s service ended there, his efforts that autumn would still be recalled by those who saw it, but thankfully, he pushed on. The following year, his role expanded to recruitment of players, coaches, volunteers, officials and representing the Club as required at VAFA events.
By 2013, he had served in every possible match day role with the club and was appointed vice president. In 2015, he was awarded the William Denton Sr Perpetual Trophy for Conspicuous Service and then three years later later, he was elected as the club’s 25thpresident.
During his time at the club, the Old Xavs has became the largest club in the VAFA, with over 400 registered players. Driving this growth has been a stronge rrelationship with Xavier College, increased corporate partnerships, the establishment of the OXFC Foundation, and the grand renovation of Toorak Park.
Matthew Cosgrave has been the driving force behind all of these initiatives.His relentless work to sustain and even continue building our club during the COVID interruption saw the Old Xaverians emerge in a strong position.
Despite a time-consuming and responsible career role, and now raising a young family, Matthew Cosgrave has somehow always found the time and energy to prioritise the demands of the OXFC.
His efforts and achievements number him among the greatest of contributors in the 103-year history of our club.
The following criteria below provide a guide for minimum service to the club in order for a person to be considered for Life Membership.
Meeting one criterion does not guarantee Life Membership.
