By KATH GANNAWAY
THREE Warburton-Millgrove footballers will spend Anzac Day on the Kokoda Trail.
Dale Morris, Josh Plunkett and Carl Morgan flew out last week to start the 14-day trek which will take them along the Kokoda Trail and on to the beach heads of Gona and Buna where Josh said more Australian soldiers lost their lives than on the trail itself.
Each has his own reason for going, but as a group they aim to raise awareness, their own and others’, of a part of Australia’s war history Dale said they believe is still under-rated and unappreciated.
“They were just a bunch of blokes, like us, all having a kick, and they sacrificed their lives for their country,” he said.
Carl said he is looking forward to the challenge and ticking an important event in his life, off his bucket list.
Josh is the military historian of the group and is looking forward to walking the same steps as the men he has been reading and talking about since he was a kid.
His grandfather’s two older brothers and their father served in world wars.
“I suppose I want to get a sense of what they had to endure,” he said.
“We will be put under a bit of pressure, but to be there and appreciate what they were contending with, and how scared they would have been… they were normal blokes until two weeks before they went away,” he said.
The level of training they’ve undertaken in preparation for Kokoda has included the infamous Martyr’s Hill in Warburton, Mount Donna Buang and the 1000 Steps Kokoda Memorial Walk at Upper Ferntree Gully. On top of that they’ve put in some serious on-ground training for the 2013 footy season.
They will miss a few games, including the traditional Warburton-Healesville Anzac Day clash, but they have no regrets and say they have the full backing of the club and team-mates for their Kokoda challenge.
“There’s always next year to play football, and this is something we all felt we had to do.” Dale said.
