Central Blues Australian Football Club

Saturday, July 16th will find OAFL legend and Blues clubman Bruce Parker playing his 200th game in the OAFL.

With a footy career spanning 17 years throughout Ontario, he started it off as one of the lucky few, winning the 1994 premiership in his rookie season with the Mississagua Demons (now relocated as the High Park Demons.) With his brother Rich, Bruce co-founded the Guelph Gargoyles in 2001 and once its administrative group was stable, with Guelph teammate Rob Chapman he decided to start a new club closer to home in downtown Toronto. And thus the Central Blues were formed.

He has been instrumental in recruiting and supporting players while helping with the club's day-to-day operations. From day 1, the club saw improvement, getting more numbers while increasing their position in the league's ladder. A finals birth in 2008 and advancement to the preliminary final in 2009 were just a build up to the Central Blues' massive run of 2010. Brucie had a 16 year wait for his second Grand Final and made it count, using his veteran presence and fearless attack in contests to solidify the best backline in the comp and win the OAFL 2010 premiership.

It must also be kept in mind that the 200 game total excludes matches where he was named in Canadian national sides, including the Northwind squad that represented Canada and placed a country-high 6th in the International Cup 2008.

While his form within the oval is well known around the league, it is his work on the boundary lines, track, and off-field that has helped foster Australian Rules football in Canada. He has served as president for all three clubs he has played for, along with stints as the presidents for both the OAFL and our country's national body, AFL Canada. He created the Central Blues' women's side, running the training sessions that lead to Ontario's first women's match in in 2009, as the Central Blues took on the Montreal Angels in Ottawa as a curtain raiser for the Division 1 men's clash. Travel outside of Toronto was required to find games until the OAFL's inagural 2011 season, when a 3 team women's competition including the Parker-coached Central Blues began.

Tomorrow arvo will find Humber South hosting a Blues triple-header aided by a 30°C forecast of beauty clear skies. Come down to the grounds and get around Bruce Parker, his wife Jen, & son Robbie for this huge milestone as the Blues look to get the a win for Brucie over the Toronto Rebels.

• Div 2 vs. High Park Demons @ 2PM
• Women's vs. Toronto High Park Eagles @ 3PM
• Div 1 vs Toronto Rebels @ 4PM

And to finish off, have look at this vision of vintage Bruce displaying courage while representing Canada against the USA in 2007:

Photo credit: Jen Parker