Community Cup founder Jason Evans is a man in need of a good old-fashioned rubdown. Heading into his 19th Community Cup event, Evo’s ducked in for a relaxing massage between media rounds and is adding final touches to the big day that brings the Melbourne community together out at Elsternwick.
Musicians, radio folk, kids, dogs, punters, past and present AFL footballers and sports writers all congregate around the oval to have a game of footy for a good cause, and get a little loose. Frothies and bourbon are awash in the stands, falcons are a strong possibility at half-time and a genuinely close outcome to an marathon contest is continually on the cards whenever the Espy Rockdogs face off against the Triple R and PBS Megahertz.
Here's what happened when we caught up with Evo to discuss the ins and outs of Sunday’s clash...
Nick Argyriou: Good massage, mate?
Jason ‘Evo’ Evans: Oh yeah… I needed that!
NA: It’s the 20th anniversary next year and the whole spectacle continues to evolve into a community-loving, philanthropic beast of the thing, doesn’t it?
JE: It’s like Meredith or Golden Plains where it doesn’t matter who is playing – people just come.
NA: The idea for the Community Cup developed in 1993, before the notion of the Espy Rockdogs versus Megahertz was floated in 1997. The first few events raised $500-odd, 1997 raised $6500, and now, 19 years on peaks in the vicinity of $120K. Incredible, isn’t it?
JE: If you had said to me in 1993 [that] this would all still be going now, with Rockdogs [moving on to] having kids who are in high school and doing university, that we would still be doing this… well… we went from getting a little blurb in
Inpress to ending up on the front page of
The Age and electronic media. But it’s Melbourne and it’s newsworthy and a great historical event.
NA: The profile of the charity bodies has just grown exponentially.
JE: When we first started with The Sacred Heart Mission they were just a very small organisation and so they grew with the Community Cup. Now they’re massive and the same with Reclink, who are now a national organisation with lots of staff doing important stuff – it’s quite amazing like that when you think of the big picture.
NA: Has the philosophy of the event evolved over the years for you?
JE: I always wanted the Rockdogs to be the hottest ticket in town. Looking at people in bands, people going to see bands and back from the early days at the Tote – they all loved footy. And it’s great to bring supporters of Collingwood and Carlton and Melbourne and North Melbourne all under the one, or rather two banners and they can forget their seasonal allegiances.
NA: Do you still recommend we choose a side?
JE: Yeah, you still have to get some ownership of one of the teams and feel the excitement – it’s like the Grand Final comes once a year for the Community Cup – and there are bragging rights, too!
NA: The contest each year is intriguing, with no team ever safe at any point and come-from-behind wins prevalent. There’s no fix, is there?
JE: No, it’s just modern-tempo footy, you know? Look at Megahertz last year kicking 4.17. If the kicking boots had been on [the result swings], but the Rockdogs backline put great pressure on, as did the midfield, and it’s good to get that early lead.
NA: The great Paul Kelly takes control of the Rockdogs again as coach. There’s something a little Jock McHale or John Kennedy Sr about the man...
JE: Well he’s just a coach and when he talks to the group it’s all eyes – it’s like he’s singing "Leaps and Bounds". He picked up the footy and said: “This is the football. This will win us the game”. He’s fantastic and the premier male singer-songwriter of this country does this not to sing or play guitar, but coach, and he sees it as a great honour to be a Rockdogs coach.
NA: We hear there’s talk of a long-term coaching contract for PK.
JE: Paul initially came on for a one-year contract that became two and we’re in heavy negotiations for a third year, however if he can’t do it we’ll search elsewhere but we’re confident because he absolutely loves it.
NA: Have the Rockdogs made peace with Jon von Goes, who decamped in the recent past?
JE: He’s a mongrel – a dead set mongrel. He was an original Rockdog and before Jon von Goes became JVG he was a Rockdog with a band called Aloi Head and the Victor Motors. He came back last year but we had to kick him off the team at three-quarter time because he was hopeless, just hopeless.
NA: Players to watch this year?
JE: You’ve always got to watch the Spazzys because no one in footy, including themselves, know what they’re doing. And then there’s the skipper Dan Sultan who you just can’t hold back. There’s Tim Rogers fresh off an overseas solo tour of America and Ross Knight the veteran from the Cosmic Psychos and also the three boys from Money For Rope.
NA: And Dave Larkin is primed to continue his form at full-forward and finish off the clean midfield work?
JE: Larko is an enigma and I think coach wants him in the backline because he’s a selfish player. I mean I love him, and we all love him, but he’s selfish, being a frontman of bands [and all]. He’s a great guitarist and performer but he doesn’t know how to handball and just wants to kick long goals.
NA: Ouch!
JE: Well, it’s the modern game. It’s 2012 and you have to share it around and go out the back and bring other people into the play.
NA: Are a few others also on notice? Can we name names?
JE: There’s a few Rockdogs that Paul Kelly’s put on notice with some career-on-the-line games and some being forced into retirement, so maybe it’s their swansong year? We’re an ageing list and we have got to get youth. I can’t give names just yet but some Rockdogs are playing for their career!
NA: SLAM head-honcho Ian ‘Quincy’ McLean will headline the event with a special Blue Ruin show that will pull on classic material and Cramps tunes. How did all this come about?
JE: I had the Cramps idea and thought that you just had to get Blue Ruin. When I first came to Melbourne in the ’80s I saw them and really dug them, and then in 2009 when Quincy and Helen [Marcou] formed SLAM and Music Victoria where heavily involved, the community activism was similar to what the Community Cup’s all about – looking after each other, bringing people together and celebrating all the good music things of Melbourne. I wanted Quincy to be honoured by a little thank you from me personally.
NA: Was the maiden Sydney Community Cup a success?
JE: It was, and it was great to educate the Sydneysiders about the true spirit of Aussie Rules Football and rock’n’roll, and I’m confident it will happen again.
WORDS: Nick Argyriou
The Reclink Community Cup is this Sunday at Elsternwick Oval. Head to the Community Cup website for more info.