This weekend two-time premiership player, Regan Pinker, plays his 100^th open-age game for the Pennant Hills Demons in the Premier Division Reserves Grand Final against St George Dragons.

Regan was Co-Captain (with Jesse Hare) of the Under 18 premiership side in 2013. This is the most recent flag won by the Demons in the under-age competition and the U18s Coach that year was Regan’s father, David Pinker. Regan made his first grade debut in Round 4 of 2013 against an under-manned Sydney University side at home ground Mike Kenny Oval. The Demons kicked 18 goals and won by 83 pts that day. Alastair Richardson was leading goalkicker with 4 goals and Matt Thomas was the best on ground for Penno, also kicking a goal. The game was also notable because Uni failed to score any points in the first quarter and Penno’s lead was already 47 points at the first change.

 

After finishing 4^th in the H&A rounds, the senior side made the Grand Final that season but lost to Manly Warringah in a thrilling finish which Manly, in their debut season as a First Grade side, won by 8 points. Chris Yard was in his second season as Penno’s Senior Coach and in 2019 he has now held that position for 8 seasons. Regan was adjudged the Best First Year Local Player in 2013 (jointly with Matthew Vile).

Starting out as an Auskicker when only 5 years of age, Regan played his first game as a 6 year old in the Under 9s for the Kalamunda Tigers in Perth, WA. He recalls his dad telling him “… to run away from the ball if it came near me …” and Regan jests that nothing much has changed since that time? He ended up playing in three junior clubs in three states as his family travelled around the country in pursuit of new career opportunities … Kalamunda Tigers in Perth, Canterbury Cobras in Melbourne and Pennant Hills Juniors when the family finally settled in Sydney.

Regan played 7 seasons with the Pennant Hills Juniors (U10s to U16s), playing 118 games, and won “ … consecutive Under 14 Division 2 premierships coached by Glenn Gunstone in 2008 (playing with Adam Nixon, Jake Gunstone, Tim Acheson and Theo Moraitis) and David Pinker in the second year, 2009, (playing with Theo Moraitis and Mitchel DeVries).” Regan represented Sydney North (formerly Starz) in 2010. He was the Under 16 B&F and Player’s Player in 2011 and was R/U B&F in the U10s (2005) and U11s (2006). Also, he was a great club man and was awarded the Junior Clubperson of the Year trophy two years running in 2010 and 2011.

At age 16, Regan played one game in the Under 18s in 2011 and then played a total of 40 U18/U19 games over 4 seasons. After his first grade debut for Pennant Hills in 2013, Regan then played a mix of under-age and open-age footy and was set to establish himself as a first grade regular at the start of the 2015 season. However, in the opening minutes of the Round 1 match against St George Dragons under lights, Regan suffered a devastating break that shattered his ankle. The game was stopped while the ambulance attended and Regan’s season had ended before it had really even started and his dream of playing regular first grade footy was dashed! In spite of this, the Demons got the season off to a great start, winning the Round 1 match by 29 points. The team finished third after the H&A, then went on to win the Flag by defeating East Coast Eagles by 35 points in a Grand Final thriller at Henson Park; the Club’s 4^th Premier Division flag at that time.

Regan’s rehabilitation took over 12 months and he returned to the  field in 2016 playing for the Reserves and Third grade sides. He was R/U B&F for the 3^rd grade side in 2016 (jointly with Jackson Preedy). Between 2017 and 2019 he has played mainly in the Reserves and was a member of last season’s Reserve grade premiership side under Coach Jason Clarke. For Regan, his career highlights include “… winning the Under 18s and Reserve Grade Premierships, getting picked in Premier Division for the first time as well as getting picked again this season, 2019, after a 4 ½ year dry spell since breaking my ankle in 2015.”

 

Regan, known around the club as ‘Reegs’ or just “Pinks”, is another one of the Good Guys, always has a smile on his face and is a popular personality at the Club. He has a quick, light frame body and good hands making him a versatile outside centre, wingman or half back flanker. He’s a right footer “… although he has always wished he was left footed!”

 

It’s a bit of an in-joke, but Regan reckons it’s a toss up between the 2019 Phelan Medallist, Ranga Ediriwickrama, and a former junior team mate, Felix Tang, as to who is the best player Regan has ever played alongside. Reggie is a former Geelong recruit and is clearly a super star footballer. Felix was a funny chap from Regan’s junior days who didn’t like to train, couldn’t catch, kick or run but nonetheless played 87 games over 6 seasons, coming back year after year for reasons no one could ever fathom? Felix was often seen leaning up against the goal posts and sometimes giving GameBoy advice to his brother during game time and another junior team-mate, Adam Nixon, recalls he hand-spooned Felix his first ever goal in his 50^th match for the Penno Juniors. So, whilst Reggie is the clear winner, suffice to say that some of the boys still have a bit of a soft spot for Felix!

On behalf of everyone at Pennant Hills we wish Regan the best of luck for his milestone match and congratulate him on this magnificent achievement!

 

Go Penno!

 

 

 

REGAN PINKER #22 – CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Games Played
Open-age 100 (2011 – 2019) (9 seasons)		21 Premier Division 65 Reserve Grade 14 Lower grade 40 Under 18
Premierships
Premier Division Reserves Under 18 Premier Division (Co-Captain)		2018 2013
Awards
Third Grade – R/U Best & Fairest Ken MacRae Shield – Best First Year Local Player Under 18 – Best Finals Player & Co-Captain (w/Jesse Hare)		2016 2013 2013
Junior Football
Pennant Hills Juniors 2005-11, 118 Games, 2 Premierships, U16 B&F (2011) Junior Clubperson Award (2010 & 2011)

 

REGAN PINKER #22 – MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
1.	Premier Division Reserves Grand Final 2018 – Blacktown ISP – 15 September 2018 Pennant Hills 7.18-60 defeated Sydney University 6.9-45
2.	Under 18 Division One Grand Final 2013 – at Blacktown ISP – 21 September 2013 Pennant Hills 10.10-70 defeated UNSW/ES Bulldogs 10.7-67 Regan Pinker (Co-Captain w/Jesse Hare)
3.	Premier Division Debut – at Mike Kenny Oval – 27 April 2013 Pennant Hills 18.19-127 defeated Sydney University 6.8-44 Alastair Richardson 4 goals/Matt Thomas best for PH (1 goal)