The Richmond Hall of Famer was at last year’s event as well, and said he was delighted to be back again.
“It’s fantastic to come down to places like this to meet the locals and get out of Melbourne,” Jewell said. “This is a great golf course and the locals are terrific.”
He said that while it was fun to be out on the course playing golf, the most important part of the day was raising money for the Cancer and Wellness Centre.
“We raised about $45,000 last year so we’re hoping for the cancer foundation we’ll do the same this year,” he said.
The event teed off with 18 holes of golf during the day followed by a sportsman’s night in the evening.
Jewell wasn’t the only celebrity at the event, with fellow sporting legends Jason Dunstall, Robert DiPierdomenico, Lance Whitnall, Merv Hughes, Chris Mew, Mark Maclure, Ian Prendergast and Gary Buckenara also attending.
Jewell won premierships with the Tigers as both a player and a coach, famously coaching them to victory in the 1980 grand final.
Richmond fans didn’t know it at the time, but it would be the side’s last premiership win for over three decades, a drought that was finally broken in 2017.
Jewell said he still felt that special connection while watching the Tigers lift the premiership cup.
“I was getting sick and tired of being trotted out [as the last premiership coach],” he said, laughing.
“It was 35 years since we’d won a premiership, and even the current players got sick and tired of hearing about the 1980 premiership side.
“For us old blokes it was just fantastic to see the Tigers come good again and create their own history.
“There are thousands of us Tigers supporters, so they were all pretty happy with it. I’ve got a lot of mates who are Carlton supporters, so I give it to them,” he joked.
The Tigers missed the finals last year, but despite that Jewell is quietly confident that they’ll return to the top eight this season.
“I think they’ll do pretty well this year,” he said.
“Being up in Queensland for most of the time the last three years has been tiring, especially when you’re the yardstick and every side comes after you.
“We had a few injuries last year and I think they just tired out.”
There will be new leadership at Tigerland this season, with Toby Nankervis and Dylan Grimes named as co-captains, replacing three-time premiership captain Trent Cotchin.
Jewell said he thought Nankervis was the perfect person for the job.
“I reckon that’s fantastic, I just couldn’t think of a better bloke,” he said.
“He’s unassuming, he’s quiet but he just takes timely marks down back, he kicks goals when he has to. You can tell he senses the moment when something’s going to happen,
“And he’s a tough bugger as well, and the Tigers like those tough buggers.”
Jewell lives in Sorento, and still gets to half a dozen or so Tigers games in Melbourne. And while he still has a keen interest in the AFL, he also has plenty of love for local footy.
He follows his local team the Sorrento Sharks, while his son, Nick — who played first-class cricket for Victoria and one game for Richmond in 1997 — is the coach at Rosebud.
“Local footy is fabulous, I just love it,” he said.
“Football clubs are football clubs. Everyone thinks AFL is up there, but they are just another footy club.
“They might get more media exposure and all the best players, but football clubs are football clubs wherever you are.”
