It's 31 years ago this week since supermodel Elle McPherson presented Sharks legend Andrew Ettingshausen with a golden boot marking his 200th game for the club.
Create a free account to read this article
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The presentation took place on May 15, 1993, and the headline in the following edition of the Leader read "Elle of a night for ET and Sharks".
Sharks historian Ashley Taylor recalls the occasion in an article on the club's website:
1993 marked a significant milestone for the club with the introduction of night football. Considered a gamble by many, the first Saturday night match saw a crowd of 12,850 pack the hill and stands at what was then known as Caltex Oval - now PointsBet Stadium - to watch the Sharks beat the Balmain Tigers 18-4.
The match also marked the Sharks' first win of the season having started the year 0-5. Despite the heavy criticism for the inadequate lighting, it was clear night football had a place in the Shire.
The following week, Cronulla followed up with a second win when they comprehensively beat the Penrith Panthers 26-12 at Penrith Park. Ettingshausen, who had started the season in the halves, was among the scorers. This game marked the local junior's 200th game for the club across all grades.
Cronulla chose to honour the milestone a fortnight later when they met the Newcastle Knights, during this week 31 years ago, in their Round 9 match.
Shooting for four straight wins, the club moved the match to the evening to draw on the success of the game played at home a month earlier.
In the days leading up, the Leader newspaper heralded the supermodel's appearance, publishing a number of quotes highlighting her support for the Sharks.
"While I've been overseas I've kept in contact with how the Sharks have been going," said the star, who was at the time filming in the Blue Mountains for her debut movie Sirens.
"It's an honour to be able to present Andrew with this award in his 11th year with Cronulla, and I'll be cheering the Sharks on for their fourth win in a row."
Despite the heavy rain, a decent crowd turned out to see the boys in the black, white and blue. ET, unavailable due to Origin duty, gleefully accepted the gold boot to add to an already impressive array of trophies and memorabilia.
As was the custom with celebrity appearances during the early 90s, Elle kicked off to a bronx cheer before the game commenced.
The match, played in atrocious conditions, saw plenty of dropped ball but some enterprising football. Replacement winger Paul Evans scored a length-of-the-field try not far from fulltime to seal an 18-6 victory.
Ashley Taylor's full story about Elle McPherson and the Sharks:
RELATED
Murray Trembath
St George and Sutherland Shire Leader reporter covering politics, urban affairs, council, development and general community news. Email: mtrembath@theleader.com.au
St George and Sutherland Shire Leader reporter covering politics, urban affairs, council, development and general community news. Email: mtrembath@theleader.com.au
