The newly renamed Tim Shaw- Josh McMillan memorial match has returned and kicks off Saturday July 22nd at Humber South.
It’s the first time the memorial has been played since 2019. The Toronto Dingos reached out to the Rebels and the AFLO earlier this year to have this match reinstated, after pressing pause on it through the pandemic years.
This year the name has changed to include the sad passing of Rebels stalwart Josh McMillan; another larger-than-life character gone too soon.
“The Rebels, through Bodz and Paps, asked if we could include Josh in this memorial match. They wanted to honour him just as we have honoured Shawy. It was a no brainer,” said Dingos president Justin Robertson. “I think this opens up larger discussions about how the AFLO community honours past players that are no longer with us.”
Tim Shaw passed away unexpectedly in 2018. He was a Dingos president, player, Hall of famer, life member and was part of the early wave of Dingos that contributed in defining the club’s DNA and fabric that still exists today.
The memorial match was put in place to honour Shawy, honour his passion for competition, and honour his admiration he had for the Rebels Football Club.
“The loss of Shawy is still felt today. A dozen of us old boys got together back in February on the anniversary of his passing at Hemingways to have a beer for him," Robertson said. "He will never be forgotten. We’re always looking for ways to remember him. We created the hashtag 'boots out for Shawy'. And I’m glad we’re going to be back on the field against the Rebels this year to keep that tradition alive.”
Former Dingos legend and AFLO Hall of Famer Craig Stewart said this in 2018 about Shawy:
"During his 122 games spanning almost two decades with the Toronto Dingos Football Club, Shawy (as he was affectionately known as), embodied the tradition, loyalty and pride associated with the Dingos. On the field, Shawy kept things simple. He possessed quick hands, could kick effectively with both feet, never backed away from a hard contest, ran in straight lines and at times made hard things look easy. He was clever and creative but took on a simple approach to generating run across the half back line and through the midfield. He could kick the ball a mile, and rarely wasted possession of the ball."
The memorial kicks off at 3p.m. on Jul.22 following the Dingos v Rebels match.
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