Born and raised in Drysdale Jeff Stewart loves everything about the town.
Heavily involved in the footy club and the CFA, Mr Stewart was awarded an Order of Australia Medal as part of the Queen’s Birthday honours list.
“I was born and bred there,” he said.
“I’m still in the same street, just moved a bit up the road.”
Jeff started playing at Drysdale at 18 and played more than 300 games before taking several coaching roles at the club.
He played in two premierships.
“Out of 20 years, I played we were in nine grand finals for two wins,” he said.
“I would have liked it to be the other way around.”
He joined Drysdale CFA in 1987 and was captain from 2006 to 2012 and 1st, 2nd and 4th Lieutenant spanning 18 years.
Jeff is still involved as a volunteer, bit no longer holds any official position.
“I had to step back,” he said
“Looking back I think I went pretty hard pretty early and burned myself out a bit.
“I’m still there and happy to help out when I can. In the not too distant future, I hope to do more in the brigade but I’m still hanging around being a nuisance.”
In 2016, Jeff was awarded the prestigious Adrian Mannix Community Award for services to the north Bellarine and winner of the Lions Club Portarlington/Drysdale’s AJ Holding Award in 2012.
He was co-ordinator of the Drysdale Clifton Springs Good Friday Appeal for 28 years.
