Robert Allen was about 12, he reckons, when he adopted Neil Hanlon as his Red and White football hero……..
“A small group of us kids used to go down to the Showgrounds to watch Benalla’s training of a Thursday night……” he says.
“I was drawn to ‘Curly’……He was strongly-built for a smallish fellah, and always spotlessly attired, with white ankle bandages, and polished Jenkin ‘Top-Liner’ footy boots…….”
“They’d be doing circle-work…….you’d hear the thump of boot on ball, and see his drop-kicks land, lace-up, on the chest of a team-mate every time……”
Robbie, who finished with 247 games himself, is one of five players who eventually passed ‘Curly’s’ then-club-record of 209 ……He says toughness, durability and the knack of always being able to find the ‘pill’, were just a few of the Hanlon traits.
“Old-timers believe he and Jack Spriggs were the toughest Demons of all…..They named him captain of our Team of the Century a few years ago…….that’s how good he was…..”
Neil Hanlon passed away recently, aged 89….
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Former Carlton hard-man Bob Chitty was coaching the Demons in 1949 when the 15 year-old Hanlon was handed his first senior opportunity.
They’d played off in a Grand Final two years previous, but slumped dramatically to win just two games in ‘49…….One of the redeeming features of a bleak season was the form of the youngster, who played predominantly on the forward flank, with the occasional run in the centre.
The mid-field at the Showgrounds was to become his ‘second home’ over the next decade or more, as he matched it with the Ovens and Murray’s finest centremen.
When a resurgent Benalla broke Wangaratta’s stranglehold on the flag in 1953 ( they had won the previous four ) it was a former ‘Pie who was at the helm……….Norm Minns proved an inspired choice as coach, bringing out the best in Hanlon, and a new breed of Demons.
In heavy conditions at Rutherglen’s Barkly Park, they were able to hang on in a gripping final quarter to defeat Albury – 8.10 to 6.15 – and clinch their first-ever O & M premiership…….The Tigers’ cause certainly wasn’t helped during the third term, when they kicked seven points straight……
Chasing a second successive flag in ‘54, Benalla were warm favourites after outpointing Rutherglen in the second semi…..But the Redlegs had all the answers when they met in the Grand Final, leading all day, to win convincingly, by 37 points.
In the meantime, several approaches came from League clubs who courted his services…….Hawthorn had signed him mid-way through 1953, but their hold on ‘Curly’ elapsed…..There was probably a tinge of regret that he didn’t have a crack at the big-time, but his preference for life in the bush swayed him in the end…..
Instead, former Essendon star Ted Leehane, who had already coached a hat-trick of flags, lured him to Mansfield in 1955. The addition of a classy mid-fielder helped the Eagles no end, and they went through the season undefeated, with Hanlon taking out the Best & Fairest.
Thus began his extraordinary run of individual football honours…….On his return to Benalla he won the B & F in 1957, ‘58, ‘59, ‘62 and ‘64 – and finished fourth in successive Morris Medals.
Sandwiched in between was a season at Goorambat in 1961, during which he was voted the Benalla & District League’s Best Player ( a feat he replicated at the tail-end of his career, when he won the 1966 and ‘67 Medals ).
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Hanlon wore his first O & M guernsey in the Country Championships of 1957. Twelve of the side had played – or were destined to play – League football, including revered names such as Bob Rose, Des Healey, Lance Oswald, Jack Jones, and his coach at Benalla – Len Fitzgerald.
Little wonder that the O & M defeated Ballarat, to clinch the title…….It remained one of his finest football highlights……
Ranking alongside that would be the dual premierships, in which he played a crucial role in the early sixties….
The ‘62 Grand Final was a battle of the defences…….a slogging affair, in which a total of just seven goals had been kicked to three quarter-time……After Wang Rovers kicked a goal to lead by 10 points late in the game, Benalla finished full of running over the tiring Hawks, replying with three unanswered majors…..
Back pocket dynamo Richie Castles, centreman Hanlon, and ruckmen Alf Sikora and Terry Putt were the stand-outs for the Demons….
Their fans enjoyed an exhilarating ride in 1963……The Second Semi saw Myrtleford lead by 19 points at lemon-time……In a masterful coaching move, Vin Williams swapped key forwards Ian Hughes and Neil Busse with immediate effect, and Hanlon took control in the centre.
Right on the final siren Merv Sellars marked in the midst of a pack of players, and his resultant kick drew the game….
The following week’s re-play was less stressful……..The Demons booted seven goals to one in the closing stages of the game to defeat the Saints by 40 points and enter their third straight decider, against a confident Corowa.
The Grand Final was in the balance early in the last quarter, before Benalla exploded, kicking eight unanswered goals in a devastating display, to win – 17.13 to the Spiders’ 8.3….
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His final two seasons at Goorambat in the mid-sixties drew the curtain on Neil Hanlon’s playing career……
He was teaching in Wangaratta when he was enticed back to footy, as coach of the Rovers Thirds in 1973 and ‘74.
He then took on the role as Secretary of the Hawks for four seasons before departing the game…….
Benalla Football Club’s Past Players intend to gather during this season, for a re-union of the 1953, ‘62, ‘63 and ‘73 Ovens and Murray premiership teams.
No doubt they’ll raise a glass in memory of ‘Curly’ Hanlon – triple flag-winner – and arguably their greatest-ever player……..
(Left) Neil ‘Curly ‘Hanlonruns out for his 200th Game with Benalla. (Middle) O & M Representation: 1963. (Right) Local MP, and staunch Goorambat fan, Tom Trewin, presents him with the BDFL Best & Fairest: 1961.
John McMonigle, the lanky, shy, 6’4” gentle-giant who became an Ovens and Murray ruck star, passed away recently, aged 87.
Old-timers recall ‘Long John’ playing a significant role in the great Wangaratta Rovers teams of the late-fifties.
Rovers’ coach Bob Rose engineered a recruiting coup when he enticed McMonigle and his Glenrowan team-mates Neil McLean and Pat Tully to try their luck at the W.J.Findlay Oval in 1957.
The trio became crucial members of the Hawks’ first-ever premiership the following year – Tully as a dogged, long-kicking hard-hitting full back…..McLean as an agile left-footed, adaptable half-forward……and McMonigle as a tower of strength in the ruck…….
The big fellah almost didn’t make the ‘58 Grand Final……A nagging foot injury, which had troubled him for several weeks, cast a cloud over his availability…….As a last resort, Club Doctor Matt Rohan talked him into having some pain-killing injections, which enabled him to get through the big game……
He controlled the ruck duels against Wodonga’s Tom Awburn and Percy Appleyard, as the Rovers ran away in the last half, to win by 49 points…..
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John McMonigle was a mere 18 year-old when he played in the first of three successive Grand Finals for Glenrowan in 1954.
The Tigers hadn’t won a flag since 1925, but under the guidance of Mac Hill – a Wangaratta school-teacher, former Collingwood player and football guru – they recruited strongly and took out the Benalla & District League title the following year.
McMonigle had a big spring, and could palm or punch the ball with equal dexterity, to wherever required …
Legend has it that, in a match at Devenish, his punch from the centre bounce landed in the hands of Glenrowan forward flanker Maurie Webb…….Perhaps unsighted, the umpire unwittingly blew the whistle for a mark…..It was to become a trademark of his ruckwork….
John was so dominant that O & M football was destined to be his pathway……But even then, it took a considerable amount of persuasion for him to leave the clutches of his home club…….
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Bob Rose believed that, had he so desired, the Rovers’ number 24 could have undoubtedly played League football.
His tight-knit family and his passion for bee-keeping, which had been handed down through three generations, were among the reasons he gave for rejecting St.Kilda’s approaches when they pursued him in 1959.
Instead, he helped the Rovers to another Grand Final – a hard-fought affair against Yarrawonga – which is regarded as one of the greatest of all-time – in which John’s opposite number, burly Alf O’Connor, snapped the clincher in the dying seconds.
One of the finest of his 52 O & M games came in the 1960 decider, when he waged a great battle with former St.Kilda ruckman Lindsay Cooke, and helped power the Hawks to a convincing 23-point triumph over Wodonga.
With that, the boy from Glenrowan faded from the scene, preferring the serenity of tending to his bee-hives in the bush, as opposed to being caught up in the hurly-burly of football……
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He continued on, however, with his cricket career, which had also been nurtured at Glenrowan………His height enabled him to extract good bounce from the pitch and his ability to ‘wobble’ the ball in the air made him one of the Wangaratta Social competition’s premier fast bowlers.
A fellow Apiarist and fine leader, Lynton Briggs, was in charge of The Glen at the time……..During a period of transition, during which they changed their name to United, they took out the 1960/61 WSCA premiership.
After stepping up to the Wangaratta & District Cricket Association the following season, United’s Grand Final defeat to Rovers ( in which John captured 3/29 ) was to prove the forerunner to a period of dominance by the club during the sixties and seventies.
In 1963/64, McMonigle’s 3/34 against Rovers helped United to the first of their 10 WDCA flags as a stand-alone club, whilst his brother Graeme top-scored with 119……..
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Veteran Rovers fans often reflected, when the name of ‘Long John’ McMonigle was raised, that there’d probably never again be such a laid-back footballer……until, that is, his eldest son Neale arrived on the scene in the late-seventies.
‘Big Macca’ fobbed off accusations of nonchalance and unpredictability, to become a 108-game, 377-goal, dual-premiership Hawk star…..adding further lustre to the McMonigle football tradition……
We’re sitting around the Kitchen table chewing the fat with a former international cricket captain…..
The grin that is permanently etched across his cheery countenance is a family trademark…..so is the aura of positivity that he exudes……
Now, before you think I’m big-noting about crossing paths with a Legend of the game, permit me to introduce you to Ian Hildebrand, ex-City Colts opening batsman…..environmentalist, biologist, educationalist and passionate, long-time promoter of Peruvian cricket….
Firstly, I’d better clarify the Christian name…….He was nicknamed ‘Harry’, after Harry Butler, the Australian naturalist, who hosted a popular TV show, ‘In the Wild’…….
He’s been Harry ever since ….
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In a previous era I knew him as ‘Hilda’, a tall, rangy, energetic ruckman who spent a season with the Wang Rovers in 1986……He melded perfectly into the playing group, as if he’d been there for years…..just as he did when he was playing cricket….
He recalls ‘getting the shit belted out of him’ one day, when he was 17, playing footy with King Valley, but wouldn’t trade any of his sporting memories for the world.
“In my cricketing heyday I played City Colts juniors on Saturday mornings, then with City Colts seniors in the afternoon and with King Valley.C.C on Sundays…..that was my life…..there was no problem getting a game if you wanted to play….”.
“Played my first senior game with City Colts when I was 15…..went to Country Week…..Geez it was a great life….”
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The eight Hildebrand kids were reared in the King Valley.
“Our old man (Alan) had the Phillipson Street Pharmacy in Wang …..His skill was in communicating with people…reaching people…caring for ‘em. Customers would come in…..he’d have a chat with them…sometimes he’d send them away to have a cup of tea, or do something else…”
“His bottom line wasn’t about selling something to them, it was caring for people….That’s what he did really well….”
Harry recalls taking the second-youngest, Bruce ( aged 3 at the time) to the High School with him, on the School Bus….
“Mum was having Louise ( the baby of the family)….Dad was in the Pharmacy, and there was nobody to look after him…..So here’s Bruce sitting up with me in the Geography class ! “
“I spoke to the kids at the High School today, actually……Told ‘em I haven’t been bored for as long as I can remember, because there’s always something to do for someone else…..”
That seems to be the philosophy of the Hildebrand clan ……..
Harry, Bruce and John Hildebrand, in days of yore
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He diverges to expand upon the sporting achievements of his two younger brothers:
“John (‘Sniffa) was doing his apprenticeship at One-Mile Motors…..’I was at Uni, at the time, and said to him: ‘Mate, go and do engineering, ‘cos you’ve got the talent for it.’……..But he was adamant about finishing his apprenticeship…..”
“Later on, he and a mate decided to drive around Australia…….When they got to Alice Springs, ‘Sniffa’ stayed, worked as a mechanic at an engineering business, took it over, and built it up……”
“He had a pilot’s licence, and used to fly out to remote places and do repair work……..But he found that, if he wasn’t there, checking all the work, the complaints started coming in……And that ate at him….Just like Dad, he always wanted to do the right thing by people……”
“So he built the business up big, sold it, jumped in a car and drove across to Airlie Beach, where he ran into a mate who was working on Ragamuffin, a 21-metre Maxi Sailing Yacht…….”
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John’s expertise in Hydraulics led to him becoming highly sought-after by operators of race boats – particularly those competing in the coveted Sydney-to-Hobart yacht race .
After travelling overseas he ended up in Sydney, and was snapped up by Bob Oatley, the wealthy owner of Wild Oats XI, the ultimate nine-time winner of line-honours in the famous event. John oversaw the installation of its systems, winch package and hydraulics, before eventually heading over to New Zealand in a similar role on the maxi – Speedboat.
On his return to Australia, he worked on the mini-maxi’s Loki and Limit……With his burgeoning reputation, it was no surprise that he and his family were flown to Bermuda by the American group, Oracle Team USA, which contested the 33rd and 34th America’s Cup.
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“In recent years he helped run the Australian maxi-yacht, Comanche……Fair dinkum, what he doesn’t know about yachting isn’t worth knowing,” Harry says.
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Bruce’s football journey also began at King Valley……He featured in the ‘Roos’ 1993 Thirds premiership before showing huge promise in a season with Wang Rovers. Whilst studying Sports Science at R.M.I.T he played with Coburg and Springvale, and represented a VFA Under 19 team.
Whilst continuing his studies in Perth Bruce spent time in the WAFL…..His enthusiasm for Pilates led him to the U.K, where he trained with leading international teachers.
His devotion to Human Movement has seen him serve as consultant strength coach to the Australian Ballet, and also train AFL footballers, Olympic athletes and Australian Netballers among his clientele as a highly sought-after Pilates Teacher-Trainer in Melbourne…..
Two of the Hildebrand girls, Sally and Kaye are School-Teachers, Louise and Anne are trained Nurses, whilst Ruth and her husband Eddie ( Costenaro ) run Whorouly’s Remel 185 Function Centre……
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Harry had played footy with Amateur club Monash Blues, and was teaching at Wesley College when he made a decision in 1996 which changed his life….
“It would have been easy to stay here and live the comfortable life, but I thought I’d test myself and expand my horizons……” he says.
He decided to live and work overseas…….and ended up in Peru. The plan was to stay for 10 years…….He’s now been there for 25, and doesn’t look like returning any time soon.
“Vanessa ( his Peruvian-born wife) has been over here a few times….We laugh about the fact that she’d willingly come here to live…..but it’s me that’s holding things up…..”
“When I come home all my mates are talking about their retirement plans……I’m not planning on retiring……Heck, I’m only 59…..I haven’t thought about that yet….”
Harry’s the assistant-principal at Markham College, in Lima, the Peruvian capital. He says he learned a lot of things in the King Valley – and the 76 countries he has visited – that he has applied to teaching kids in Peru.
“Terrorism is disappearing there, to some extent, but parents have grown up with it…..They tend to be protective of their kids….”
“My students can stuff up completely, and I have to let them do it, because that’s how they learn…..But I just have to make sure they don’t fall off the edge of a cliff….”
“ I challenge them, and they come up to me later, and say: ‘I didn’t know I was capable of that.’…..”
“I say: ‘I’m creating the environment for you to discover what you’re really about…..Whilst everyone’s giving you the easy way out, you’re never going to be able to find out what you’re really capable of….’ “
“There’s so many magical things about Peru, I can’t begin to tell you….”
“Peruvians dance to everything……We did a Concert at Markham last year, as a fund-raiser for building some houses for families living in makeshift huts, post-earthquake…..The kids loved it…..”
That’s when he became ‘Harry the Rock Star’.
“We raised $50,000; enough to build 35 houses.”
“The reason I’m still there is that Peru’s got lots of problems, and I want to do something to help them. I’m in a position where I can empower kids to do something for their country…..”
“And besides, there’s such a freedom about Latin America.”
It was on a trip to the Amazon ( about an hour and a half’s flight away from Lima) with about 60 students, not long after he’d arrived there in 1998, that Harry first met Vanessa.
“She has a boutique hotel in the Amazon; a Wellness and Conservation Health Resort, and is a Biologist as well….I thought, gee, she’s a bit of alright…..Five years later we married….Our son Luca, who’s 14, reminds me of my brother Bruce at the same age……he says he’s half-llama, half-kangaroo…..”
“It’s mind-blowing how beautiful the Amazon jungle is….There’s not many tourists….Vanessa loves it….”
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Cricket was introduced to Peru over 160 years ago, when the British were invited over to the newly-independent country to help with the construction of the Railway system.
The Lima Cricket and Football Club was born.
“It’s a beautiful place, with a nice Turf wicket……When I first turned up, there was a British bloke called Viv Ash, who had a rum and coke in one hand and a notebook in the other,” Harry recalls.
“He’d write your name down and say: ‘Righto, looks like we’ve got enough blokes for a side’….And that was cricket in Peru 25 years ago….”
“There were some good players, and some ‘shockers’…..I said to Viv (I’m a bit of an organiser, you see ): ‘Why don’t we do this, and that……’ “
“Viv’s gone: ‘We’re gonna host the South American championships in 1999’……and that’s what we did…..The principal at Markham College – a Rhodesian – made a Turf wicket….we used two grounds, and ran the tournament…..So I played for Peru….It was awesome…”
The South American Championships at Sao Paolo
“There were six teams….Faoud Bacchus, who played 20 Tests for the West Indies, was playing in the Masters, for Guyana…. Argentina won the tournament…”
“I was just hooked; we got a chance to play good cricket and meet people from these different countries.”
“We played the next South American championships in Buenos Aires, and I went over and captained Peru…..the Brazilian skipper, who’s now one of my best mates, had played county cricket for Kent……It was just the most amazing tournament….”
“I made good mates from the other countries, and we formed Cricket South America…”
“A bloke from Argentina, called Grant Dugmore ( a bloody good cricketer, and an ex-South African ) said to me: ‘Harry, you’ve gotta join the International Cricket Council; they’ll cover a lot of your expenses, like flights and accommodation…….and help you develop cricket in Peru.”
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Harry was now President of Cricket Peru, and they ran a tournament under the direction of an ICC Development officer.
“It was a raging success; the bloke put in a report, and got back to us to let us know us that we were accepted as an Associate Member of the ICC. – Affiliate Member No.100 in the world……Now it’s almost impossible to get in….”
“The next thing, I’m captain of Peru at the ICC tournament, featuring countries like Panama, Chile, Argentina, Turks & Caicos, Belize and Brazil, with all expenses paid…umpires were flown in.”
“You had to have had seven years living in a country before you were eligible; had to hand in your passport……there were no ring-ins allowed…”
“So we had these glory years……they gave us $25,000 to help develop cricket in Peru. At the S.A championships in Santiago, Chile, I stood up and said: ‘Righto, I’ve had this much fun playing cricket…..Here I am, living the dream, playing with all you blokes. But if we we want this to be sustainable we have to develop the game in our own country….”
“In 10 years time it’s my wish for a Peruvian kid to be standing up here doing the captain’s speech….So developing cricket in Peru is what it’s all about….We started putting cricket in schools…….out in the provinces as well….we’ve got an Australian female development officer…..we’ve got women’s cricket……”
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If you need convincing that this former WDCA batsman has evolved into the ultimate cricket hot-gospeller, let me quote the following, from the Cricketing Monthly:
“On an overcast Saturday in November 2014, a tall, bow-legged Australian stood in the centre of a shabby concrete stadium in the Magdalena del Mar district of Lima, waving his Peruvian identity card in one hand, and a cricket bat in the other. He was addressing a group of 6 to 16 year-olds in highly-accented Spanish.
“ He said: ‘Look, I know you Peruvians love your football, but you haven’t been very successful at it, so why not give it a rest and try the second most popular sport in the world’ ?
“Harry Hildebrand, the long-time El Presidente of Cricket Peru waxed lyrical as our small group of cricket pioneers watched nervously from behind a goalpost on the Astro-Turf football pitch.
“We were there to expand the gene pool of cricketers in Peru. The signs were not particularly auspicious, as the kids, fresh from football practice, and still wearing their Ronaldo and Messi T-shirts, gazed uncomprehendingly at him……..
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Harry’s convinced that cricket is making an impression in this far-flung outpost of the game…..
”We’ve improved a lot. When we’ve hosted ICC tournaments we’ve had Seniors, Juniors and Women’s divisions…….It’s bloody hard to organise.”
“But we were initially ranked 100th in the world; we’re now number 56……that’s awesome….
Post Script: We made contact yesterday with Harry, who’s now back home in Peru, to catch up on the latest……”….Been pretty busy here, ,” he told us……”We took 150 kids to build 15 houses last week-end….and went in to help a community whose houses were filled with mud from some landslides………Then last night I played some Aussie songs at the Peru-Australia 60-Year Event, with 500 people…..”
Just another week-end in the life of Cricket’s Hot-Gospeller.
Blake Nixon is one of those priceless commodities who make sporting organisations tick……
Cheery, talkative, thoughtful, supportive……he’s the consummate team-man……… and his love of cricket knows no bounds….even though he’d admit he wasn’t near the front of the queue when ability was handed out……
I’ve followed his progress for the last 11 years, since he began as a bottom-age Under 16’er at the W.J.Findlay Oval…..and have egged him on in the 46 A-Grade WDCA games he’s managed since.
Despite his self-assuredness I’m convinced he’s still trying to comprehend the events of the past fortnight, which have cast him in the role of a cool-headed, conquering cricket hero…….
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When Blake strode to the crease in last week-end’s Semi-Final, Rovers-United-Bruck were in precarious straits, having limped to 9/87, chasing Ovens Valley’s total of 121.
He was unperturbed, as he and the impregnable Josh O’Donohue eked out the 35 runs which landed the Hawks into a second successive Grand Final clash against Wangaratta-Magpies…….
Again, on Saturday, as the tensions of a dramatic day’s play reached a crescendo, he was handed the nightwatchman’s role……The clock had just ticked past 6pm….the ‘Pies, having captured a couple of late wickets, had roared back into contention……
At 4/41 in response to a modest 84 the game was on a knife’s edge, particularly with the ball asserting so much of an ascendency over the bat…….
Deep down, Hawk fans possibly harboured the thought of the situation worsening…..of the pressure becoming insurmountable for the genuine tail-ender……..
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I’ve seen 60 or more WDCA Grand Finals and each one seems to write its own script……sides galloping along to a huge first innings total and putting the result beyond doubt……or fighting back from near-disaster to clinch the game…….Rain interfering with proceedings in many situations….and on one occasion, vandals tampering with the wicket overnight……
‘Runs on the Board’ is one time-tested surety…..A paltry score of 120 can be worth 220 when the bowling side tightens the screws and the scoring-rate slows to a trickle…….
And so it transpired in this clash between the two arch-rivals, who have staged several riveting battles over the past three years…….
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It began in sensational fashion when Wang-Magpies left-hander Cooper Matheson uppishly drove the opening delivery of the game from Brady Bartlett, and was snapped up at square-leg.
Next over, his partner, Jarryd Wallace was bowled by Paddy McNamara, then skipper Jack Davies edged one to slip shortly after, to have the home team reeling at 3/5.
The immediate future of the game rested in the hands of Pranav Menon – the competition’s outstanding player – who has been required on more than one occasion this season, to extricate his side from a bog.
He looked in command, and played several classy leg-side shots in a developing partnership with Fraser Ellis, before McNamara enticed Ellis to nick one to the ever-alert Koot Pienaar – 4/29.
Whilst ‘Prav’ was at the crease you had the feeling that he’d guide the Pies out of trouble.
Things were moving slowly, however, and at one stage the miserly Hawk pacemen wheeled down nine maidens in 11 overs.
The Hawks rejoiced when Menon, who’d batted pensively, but managed to continually find the gaps in the field during his knock of 30, was snapped up in slip off speedster Bartlett, to give Pienaar his third catch of the innings.
What a magnificent season the former Prahran all-rounder has enjoyed…..His season aggregate of 695 runs places him equal 11th in that category, in the competition’s 130-year history.
It was, thereafter, left to Nick Bonwick to mount a rescue mission for the faltering Wang-Magpies…..
The aggressive right-hander had not enjoyed the greatest run of form in the post-Christmas period, but looked completely at home.
He’d seen two partners depart, and had been seeking to lift the run-rate, as he moved to 22…..
when tragedy struck……. a Blake Nixon throw caught ‘Bonners’ out of his ground – 9/84.
Experienced medium-pacer Jacob Schonafinger dismissed Zac Guilfoyle to wrap up the innings, which gave him the tidy figures of 3/12 ( and his 35th career wicket in 11 finals matches).
The consistent Bartlett chimed in with 4/34, whilst Paddy McNamara’s 14 overs were characteristically inexpensive in yielding 2/27.
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The staggering dominance of bat over ball – to this stage – in the finals series had seen 49 wickets fall for 509 runs, off 290 overs…….With those figures in mind, you knew that the Hawks’ pursuit of 84 was going to be full of pitfalls.
The respective camps were in full voice as solidly-built left-armer Chris Clement, who had taken 42 wickets in an extremely productive season, ran in to bowl to makeshift opener Jeremy Wilson.
Even a tentative defensive shot was greeted with a loud cheer….a play-and-miss drew oohs and ahs from the largish Magpie contingent in the Richardson Stand.
Luke Whitten was first to go when Clement bowled him neck and crop…..Game On !
Shortly after, Wilson straight drove Matt Guilfoyle with force, and was snapped up by Nick Pell at mid-off…..at 2/11 the Pie camp was in raptures….
The Hawks’ skipper McNamara, bearing an old head on his 20 year-old shoulders, joined O’Donohue at the crease and for the next 19 overs the youngsters proceeded to restore their side’s fortunes…..albeit at a snail’s pace.
O’Donohue is the master of the ‘leave’, and, as he did in his match-winning knock the previous week, was circumspect in his defensive play.
McNamara looked completely comfortable and nudged leg-side shots into the gaps….A pull-shot for 4 off spinner Menon brought raucous applause from the Past Player’s Pavilion.
The Hawk pair had steadily added 22 when disaster struck…….O’Donohue called his partner through for a quick single and was caught short – 3/33.
The swashbuckling South African, Koot Pienaar arrived…….a man who doesn’t die wondering when he’s at the crease. Whilst every run scored, or wicket taken, seemed to be changing the shape of the game, this fellow had the capability of turning it on its head in the 20 minutes or so that was left in the day’s play.
Alas, he pranced down the crease to Fraser Ellis, skied an attempted lofted straight drive, and was caught at mid-on for 2….It was 4/41 and the pendulum had swung the ‘Pies way………
There was much to ruminate on for the Hawks when stumps were drawn……Firstly, that night-watchman Nixon had the defensive mind-set to successfully resist the pressure of the situation; and that McNamara was undaunted by the situation, and batting comfortably.
For the Magpies, there was the sentiment that an early wicket could produce an avalanche, and that they could swarm all over their shaky opponents……..
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The first hour of Sunday’s play would surely tell the tale……
44 runs required….6 wickets to fall…..it was anybody’s game……
But as the overs passed by, the resolute pair at the crease became increasingly untroubled by the accuracy of the bowling…..Seven runs came in the first seven overs; 15 in the next seven; suddenly there were just 20-odd to get.
Nixon knew his limitations, and defended stoutly; his only blemish being a near-chance when Menon, at point, dove but failed to grasp the catch.
He was magnificent in his defiance, but so was McNamara, who was producing the innings of his career.
Fraser Ellis, with his rhythmic action and pinpoint accuracy, looked by far the most impressive of the pacemen; Gathercole was on the spot, as always, but Clement, tipped as the danger-man, appeared to be a little off-song.
As the total whittled down into single figures, the death-knell for the Pies was eventually sounded by Nixon, who cast aside his straight-laced defence to nonchalantly smack a Zac Guilfoyle delivery over his head for the winning boundary.
He finished with 19 off 108 balls and the eternal respect of the doubting Thomas’s . McNamara clinched Man-of-the-Match honours with an inspirational 40 not out off 134 balls……..
In years to come, the result – Rovers-United 4/87 d Wangaratta-Magpies 84, will look like a relatively effortless premiership triumph…….But those in attendance will verify that it was a tense, energy-sapping affair……
The sun has begun its descent on this sweltering, late-seventies January afternoon……………..
A silver-haired, sharp-eyed, shoeless veteran supervises the rotation of the cumbersome aluminium sprays…….They spurt into action, refreshing the grassy sward at the venue many describe as his ‘second home’.
It’s the lead-up to the Wangaratta Carnival……For this stalwart and his support-staff, countless hours – day and night -are being devoted to bringing the Gift Track and its surrounds to mint condition……
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Old-timers recall his on-field deeds here 30-odd years earlier……as a champion, quadruple-premiership-winning footballer, and a grimly-determined upper-order batsman…..
His fascination for sport knew no bounds………when he retired from active involvement, he regarded it as his obligation to nurture up-and-coming sportsmen of all types…..and footballers, from Midgets….to Juniors….. to those in the talent pathway…
Was it any wonder that they honoured him by naming his favourite patch of dirt – The Norm Minns Oval……
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A visitor, drawn to Wangaratta’s sporting ‘Mecca’, would at first be taken aback by the conglomeration of timber and corrugated iron structures, dotted around its perimeter …..
For half a century the principal occupant of the venue was the local Show Society, which has now been in residence for in excess of 160 years.
Hence, upon arrival, you pass the Poultry Shed… Sheep Pens…. Animal Nursery….. Horse Stables……Craft, Cookery and Needlework Pavilion ……
The town’s major sporting events during the mid-to-late eighteen hundreds were conducted at the adjoining Cricket Ground….It was only in the 1920’s, when a dirt cycle track and a Turf wicket were installed, that the ‘Showgrounds’ was fashioned as a multi-purpose sports venue .
I’m old enough to recall the elegant timber Grandstand at the northern end….. We’d scamper across the rickety steps of its breadth, and 110 foot length – whilst Dad was engaged in centre-wicket ‘warfare’ against the likes of the home team’s Clem Fisher, Max Bussell and ‘Cappy’ Ritchens……
And the stately Peppercorn trees ringing the banks of the Oval, provided ideal shelter for those following the on-field action……
An antiquated construction on the eastern side of the ground, dimly-lit and with minimal conveniences, served as the Visitor’s Dressing Room…..located nearby was the manual scoreboard, which, I still maintain, was as effective as the current, swish electronic operation……
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Improvements were implemented at regular intervals….
A brand-new 650-seat replacement Grandstand, named after a Show Society stalwart, W.B.Richardson, was constructed in 1958…..the plush Wangaratta Football Clubrooms, a double-storey brick building, sprang up in 1980…..
A Past Players’ Shelter was added……the delapidated Footy Clubrooms at the Evans Street which had morphed into the Umpie’s Pavilion, disappeared….. and, in recent years, the Wangaratta Sports Development Centre, funded by Football Victoria, also became the spiritual home of the Murray Bushrangers…..
You’d hardly label ‘The Showies’ mind-blowingly pretty, or charming, but the venue exudes atmosphere…..Many of the district’s iconic sporting events have unfolded on its surface………
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The most magical of them came every ANA-holiday Monday evening, when the lights circling the Oval would be dimmed, and the focus of the packed crowd would be trained on the floodlit Gift track………
You could hear a pin drop, as dulcet-voiced commentator Eddie Bush launched into his call:
“…..And now, ladies and gentlemen, we come to the running of the Wangaratta Gift……”
If a fancied local had won his way through to the Final there’d be an extra buzz……. and a roar would reverberate around the ground when a Greg O’Keeffe, Wally Pasquali, Jason Boulton ( or, in earlier days, Jimmy Doolan, Frank Seymour, A.W.Whittaker or Maurice Maroney ) breasted the tape….
There are countless recollections of this famous event, but the sensational run of charismatic American negro Barney Ewell in 1950 still sticks in the mind of some old-timers…….
He’d been heavily promoted as the feature attraction of the Carnival and was an unbackable favourite, off scratch, after winning his way through to the Final.
The hushed crowd sighed when Barney and Frank Banner appeared to break, the cause of which was later revealed as a ‘snapped cap’ in the starter’s pistol……
‘The Ebony Flash’ as Ewell was known, got away perfectly in the re-run, to edge out Carlton centreman Laurie Kerr by inches, in a time of 12.1 seconds – one of the quickest-ever recorded on the Gift track……
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The Carnival began in 1919 and has thrown up a legion of personalities…….. none bigger than four-time world cycling champion Sid Patterson.
A huge lump of a man, who made his bike look like a miniature when he scaled the saddle, ‘Patto’ was the ultimate crowd-pleaser. He’d often yield huge distances to the front-markers and sweep to the narrowest of victories.
He provided a sensation in 1965 when, despite puncturing in his heat, kept pedalling and qualified for the Final. He was chasing his second Wang Wheelrace and fans gave him only a slender chance of streeting a quality field.
But the 37 year-old rode magnificently to get up and pip Tasmania’s ‘wonder-boy’ Graeme Gilmore in a spectacular finish.
The feats of Enzo Sacci, Russell Mockridge, John Toleman, Austin Robertson, Lynch Cooper, Hec Sutherland, Harry Downes, Robert Ballard, Glenn Clarke and Dean Woods have been woven into the rich tapestry of the famous Carnival……..
Woods and Clarke, as enthusiastic juvenile cyclists, would single-mindedly circle the concrete track hour after hour, night after night, spurred by the dream that it might take them to another level……
It was no surprise when both went on to represent Australia at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics…….
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The Turf wicket, which was first installed at the Showgrounds in 1929, has been the centrepiece of a myriad of cricketing highlights……
Excitement gripped the town when Wangaratta was announced as the venue for a match against the MCC in 1959……….
Extensive preparations were undertaken, the new Grandstand was unveiled and an expectant crowd of 7,000 flocked to watch household names such as May, Trueman, Loader, Cowdrey, Laker and Lock do battle with the locals.
The Poms unceremoniously dismantled the Country XI for 32, then entertained the spectators with some swashbuckling batting, to amass 8/308.
The West Indies, numbering among its ranks flamboyant greats, Garfield Sobers, Wesley Hall, Lance Gibbs, Seymour Nurse and Clive Lloyd entranced the audience in 1969……Sixteen years later the boys from the Caribbean returned again, to strut their stuff.
In late November the following year (1986) the WDCA was afforded the opportunity to host Victoria and Queensland in a four-day Sheffield Shield match at the Showgrounds – its maiden first-class encounter.
Preparations for the big game were initially thrown into disarray when equestrian events at the Show, which had been held six weeks earlier, caused considerable damage.
After extensive re-turfing, the ground gained grudging approval from VCA administrators…….and the centre wicket area was rated perfect:
“For the players, this rural tranquility was in total contrast to the MCG or ‘Gabba’ settings to which they’d become accustomed…..” one scribe reported.
“Disturbances’ at the Showgrounds Oval came mainly from cackling kookaburras in gum trees along the riverbank, or from the occasional rumble of a train crossing the river………Apart from the rough playing surface both teams seemed quite satisfied with conditions…..”.
A total attendance of 8,010 was deemed ‘outstanding’ and was regarded as a compelling argument for taking Shield cricket to the country.
Queensland skipper Alan Border said: “If the facilities are as good as what they are here in Wangaratta, each State should host one country match a season…..”
In December 1996, Victoria and the West Indies clashed, in a resoundingly successful four-dayer watched by 10,663, in which the Windies triumphed by six wickets:
“The Wangaratta Showgrounds is no Adelaide Oval….. there are no famous gates, but there is a Richardson Stand……” it was stated.
“It is no fancy velodrome, but the concrete cycling track that encircles the Oval is where the career of Olympic Gold Medallist Dean Woods, still a local, was launched…..”
“Spectators ranged from shrieking schoolchildren…..to the young man urinating next to his car…….to the old lady marvelling at how well players can throw from the outfield these days ….” .
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The Oval has hosted just nine Ovens and Murray Grand Finals in the League’s 130-year history….
Wangaratta contested two of them – in 2018 and ‘19 – but by far the largest crowds – around 15,000 – were attracted to the Myrtleford-Wang Rovers decider in 1970, and Benalla’s clash with North Albury three years later.
There’s no doubt, though, that the ‘derbies’ between the Hawks and Magpies bring the emotions of local fans to the boil. Many of the ‘Showies’ fiercest, most controversial encounters have been held between the arch rivals………
Charlie Heavey is one of the cavalcade of champion sportsmen who called the Showgrounds home……
A Shepparton boy, he was recruited by Wangaratta to play football in the thirties and became a prodigious goal-kicker, and premiership player.
But he’s best remembered for his deeds on the cricket field…..
In one match, against Eldorado, he scored 299 of Footballers’ 388….The next highest-score was 34, then 12. He hit 34 fours and 11 sixes – some of which sailed over the Women’s Industries Stand, into Evans Street…….
He belted 32 off one over and 29 off another, and completed the match by taking 6/54 and 2/38 the following week.
Heavey’s 299 bettered the previous-highest WDCA record, which he created in the 1935/36 Grand Final the previous year – 187 out of a team total of 8/634……..
Earlier in his career, Heavey had been involved in a car accident, which cost him the sight in one eye, and possibly limited his opportunities to reach his sporting zenith…..
John Gannon has fond memories of the Showgrounds including his time as a Carnival competitor, and a stint as coach of the Wangaratta Football Club…..
He often recalls a young kid at the Ground, tramping around with a rubbish bin; having 70-80 shots at goal from one forward pocket, then doing the same thing in the other pocket.
Years later, the lad, Steve Johnson, destined to become a League champion, would win the 2007 Norm Smith Medal, and feature in three flags, among his 293-game career.
‘Johnno’ is just one of the legends who have worn Wangaratta’s Black and White guernsey……
The first of the ‘Pies’ 16 Ovens and Murray premierships came in 1925; 32 years after their stop-start association with the League began.
A former Collingwood ruckman, fearless Percy ‘Oily’ Rowe was lured to the club as playing-coach and provided the leadership that would help them overcome the formidable St.Patrick’s outfit, who were chasing their fifth successive flag.
Tough times lay ahead, and it took until the thirties for the club to restore their fortunes. A versatile utility player, Fred Carey, who was awarded the League’s first Morris Medal, coached them to titles in ‘33 and ‘36.
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Mac Holten was another Collingwood star who was recruited to coach the Black and Whites.
He arrived in Wangaratta in 1949 and introduced a playing-style which was readily accepted by his charges…. a shrewd tactician and people-manager, he led Wang to four successive flags (1949-‘52) and received great acclaim for his eight years in charge.
Holten’s impact on the Club – and town – was substantial…..After being introduced to the political sphere he served as the Federal Member for Indi from 1958-‘77.
Was he the Magpies’ most famous figure ?
He’d certainly be in good company, as names such as Bert Mills, Norm McGuffie, Dinny Kelleher, Graeme Woods, Jon Henry, Lance Oswald, the McCormick family, Timmy Lowe, Jack Ferguson, Lionel Wallace, Kevin Mack, Philip Nolan and Joe Richards come to mind.
After all, they’re just part of the kaleidoscope of greats who have flitted across this famous sporting arena…………
Action from the 1962 O & M Grand FinalOne of the Ovals greatest identities, Clem Fisher, puts the finishing touches on the ‘track’American Barney EwellThe Legendary ‘Patto’West Indies skipper Garfield Sobers tosses with Country XI leader Trevor SteerJason Boulton takes out his home-town Gift.Myrtleford fans sense that their first-ever flag is in the bag -1970Wally Pasquali breasts the tape in the Wang GiftLocal champ Greg O’Keeffe takes out the Wang Gift
ON REFLECTION 