SEN’s Scott Sattler has recounted a hilarious encounter in which he copped verbal abuse from a South Sydney fan early on in his career.
Sattler’s father John was captain of the Rabbitohs and led the famous club to four premierships in the late 1960s and early 70s.
Whilst Sattler was playing for the South Queensland Crushers in 1995, he returned to Redfern Oval to play his Dad’s former club and wasn’t treated with the same adoration as his father.
“I was going back to Redfern for the first time to play,” Sattler said on Sportsday NSW.
“South Sydney had took a game back there and I was playing with the Crushers.
“I said to my Dad that we were playing at Redfern and he said when you walk up to the tunnel, turn left.
“It turns out it was the away dressing room and my Dad told me that the last hook in the dressing room was his.
“It was his hook for 10 years, so I put my bag on the hook and I had an emotional attachment to this place.
“(I thought) they’d welcome me the Rabbitohs fans because they loved Dad.
“I walked up to the end of the tunnel, and I was watching second-grade play.
“There was a lady sitting in the front row (and) she’s knitting. She took one look up and asked if I was Sattler’s young bloke.
“I said I was and she said to me, ‘I bet you’re not better than your Dad’.
“I said probably not.
“We go out and play the game and we get beaten by 20 and I walk past trying to be respectful to the Rabbitohs fans.
“I looked at the lady and she was still knitting.
“She looked up and I told her it just wasn’t our day.
“She said, ‘told you that you were sh--’.
“It’s a rough place Redfern Oval.”
Sattler would go on to have a distinguished rugby league career as he played 203 first-grade games and is fondly remembered for his try-saving tackle in the 2003 NRL grand final which secured the Penrith Panthers their second premiership.