What could possibly be a better reason for getting down to the Brunswick Street Oval this Saturday than its our last home game and last chance to cement our place in B-grade? Well, maybe its because itll also be your last opportunity to grab a famous (or some would say infamous) Kerry Burger for 2017.

According to urban legend, a woman who lives across the road from the Brunswick Street Oval leaves her door open at the beginning of March every year to catch the first wafts of the barbeque. This is her sign that the football seasons started and she and her four kids can make the trek across the ground to grab lunch on the Saturdays the Roys are playing at home.

Well why wouldnt you? Fitzroy may not have the raw wealth of our opposition teams, but in many ways we have so much more. Stuff that money cant buy. A proud VFL/AFL history, a ground steeped in tradition, a passionate supporter base, and home-ground crowds other sides cant even hope to match.

And we have Kerry Burgers.

It all started when son Rory was still in the Fitzroy juniors and Kerry ran the canteen at the BSO and Ramsden Street, and then for a short time at the Fitzroy Bowling Club when the FFC and the Reds incorporated. With Rorys rise to the seniors, Kerry started cooking burgers for the boys after the game.

So what started as 20 burgers after home games has grown to about 120 and doesnt include the meals Kerry and her helpers dish up on Thursday training nights.

This amounts to about 12 years all up with a couple off for hip replacements.

Im extremely lucky,says Kerry. Being part of the Fitzroy community, Ive been able to watch generations grow from raw young recruits to become seasoned players and responsible family men.

Ive been able to enjoy many a happy time over the years with the boys and their families, at Club nights, in the rooms, and at the Derby after games, making dear friends along the way.

And when Im out and about, even at the supermarket, its rare that Im not greeted by players of all ages up for a chat and with a kind word to say about their time at the Roys./p>

The downside? Its not what youd call a glamourous role. By the time the final siren rings on home games, Kerry exudes the once-enticing aroma of the barbeque.

Every dog wants me,says Kerry. And people often tell me on away games how nice my hair looks./p>

But home or away, full of grease or freshly washed and coiffed, we all love Kerry and attribute to her the beauty she attributes to the home-game crowd.

When the hills full of Kerry burgers and hipster beards, its a beautiful sight./p>

With Theodora and Mietta about to graduate and move to full time work, Kerrys interested in hearing from youngsters eager to earn a few dollars and staff the canteen next season (coffee machine training thrown in!) Send expressions of interest to secretary@fitzroyfc.com.au

Master burger chef, Kerry Winchester, flanked by fabulous canteen staff Theodora (left) and Mietta (known, she says, only as Rorys sister. Photo courtesy Phyllis Quealy