27 years ago, 1981, that is a long time, well for me anyway as I have just entered my 50th year and heading down the other side of life. It still feels like yesterday when I got the call from Hutchison, Dillon, Rundle and Co, an invitation to meet at Powerhouse footy club and train for the Big V. What does this all mean I remember thinking, I am playing footy for the champions of E Section, West Brunswick who had just come off a premiership in 1980 lucky enough to be their Captain Coach and now this, you have got to be joking. Every player turned up in their club colours some 40 players to be told that the mighty Ammo’s were going to field a side from C Section to F Section to play Tasmania (A) Section on the long weekend in June. Hutch was to be Coach, Rundle, Dillon to be the power brokers and that was that.
What a concept, all these year’s gun players playing with their mates loyal to their clubs in the lower section of the competition could strut their stuff in that awe inspiring Big V jumper in front of a big crowd in Hobart, and a trip to the apple isle. I have no doubt every one of the players that I trained with and ultimately played with were a walk up start in any A or B Section side in the competition. I was appointed skipper in 1981, we went to Tassie and duly saluted after a very tough encounter with the best Tasmania could offer. We were up and running. Coach Peter Hutchison was absolutely stoked the hybrid team had the big fellas eyes filled with emotion. Dillon and Rundle proud as a peacocks. Rundle even had a smile, unheard of!
I remember an interview in a phone box in Springvale Rd with Caroline Wilson, we had coverage on the back page of the Herald, local papers were after interviews, get this, an appearance on World of Sport with the legends Casey, Richards, Dyer, Davis and uncle Doug giving out the Dons smallgoods. It was all happening – we were on the map.
We did it again in 82, 83, 84 and 85 still unbeaten. I loved the skipper role even though in 84 I broke my shoulder against Camberwell the Saturday before the big game. I went with the side to Launceston to watch them destroy Tassie again. Gavin White an Old Marcellin boy assumed the roll as Coach from 1984 as Hutch stood down unbeaten.
Ever had to do a 100 x 100’s at state training? We did, thanks to my off field mentor Rick Sykes. Rick and Gav White thought it would sort the wheat from the chaff, I suggested to my old mate Sykesy he should stick to showing the boys how not to keep their pants on at Wrest Point Casino something he was very good at. That leads me to the camaraderie we developed over the years and the fun we enjoyed on the interstate trips even the few cold ones after training blowing one another’s tyres up, simply an amazing journey. I played in that era as skipper with the best players that were going around at the time. Those players were genuine champions, they loved the clubs they played for, the clubs from C Section and below which make up approximately 80% of the competition had finally the opportunities the A and B boys had enjoyed for many a year.
The Big V was the bench mark of opportunity for us in our Amateur Football world. After every encounter the Tassie boys wanted the jumper. I would look my opponent in the eye after the game shake his hand drink with him to the early hours of Sunday morning and gladly hand over my socks with the big v emblazoned on the side. The jumper was coming home with me. I always had two pair of socks. I coached the side in 1988 and 1989, I lived it and breathed it, I was hooked and it was my life.
Life dishes up plenty of opportunities, I took mine, along with some 100 players, coaches, coaching staff, officials, supporters all which would certainly have the common bond of experiencing being outside of their comfort zone and making something special happen. We did, the legacy lives on, let’s make sure that we never lose the passion to nurture the future of these state games. Don’t get caught up in the way footy is heading, let’s look the other way for once and see what it has given to so many players over the last 27 years. Let me tell you, I know, I am just one of them.
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