Yallourn Football Club - 1945-65 YFC

PART: 1 1958

THE FORMATION OF YFC PAST PLAYERS’ ASSOCIATION.

The Yallourn Football Club Past Players’ Association was formed at a special gathering of ex-players and officials in 1958. The major objectives of PPA’s are…
1. To foster fellowship within a football club.
2. To allow past players and club officials to maintain contact.
3. To build a network of support for the club throughout local communities.

PPA’s also assist in fundraising, building the club’s membership base, sponsoring players, donating trophies/awards and organizing social activities throughout the football season.

Some clubs (eg Collingwood FC) have sophisticated and highly organized PPA’s that promote the traditions of the club and are influential in certain areas of club policy. Most PPAs, particularly in the country, meet once or twice each season. PPA meeting schedules are often based upon a fixture or an event of some historic importance or reunions of premiership teams etc.

The Yallourn FC Past Players’ Association was most effective in supporting the club and the members played an active role in promoting the on-going work of the committee during the season.

The Office Bearers elected at the inaugural meeting of the YFCPPA were:-
President: Peter O’Neill
Senior Vice President: Tim McCoy
Vice Presidents: Bert Downs & Col Webster
Secretary: Fred Byron
Treasurer: Alan Hawkins
Committee members : Kevin Comber, George Botten, George Newton, Stan Attenborough, Harold Smith and Tom Knight.

At that meeting, it was decided that the annual membership fee of the association should be 10/- (ten shillings).

As can be seen from above, those who were elected to positions of responsibility at the inaugural meeting were men who had contributed to the considerable on-field success of Yallourn Football Club during the 1930s and 40s. Peter O’Neill, Bert Downs, Col Webster and Tom Knight had held coaching positions at YFC at various times in the club’s history. All were keen and active volunteers in maintaining the club in that era.

The formation of the YFCPPA was another shining example of how football strengthened the bonds of friendship, created spirit and generated civic pride in Yallourn.

FOOTNOTES~ PETER O’NEILL
1. Peter O’Neill played a key role in the formation of the YFCPPA in 1959. It was in his nature to care for the club to which he had given so much during his life.
2. Peter’s record as a club leader and player in the 1920s and 1930s is ‘second to none’. He played in the 1925 and 1928 premiership teams and captained the premiership teams during the 30s YFC photographs show Peter as YFC skipper in 1930-33 and also of the 1935 team.
3. Peter was regarded as an adept coach of junior footballers at YFC. Several photographs on the Virtual Yallourn website show Peter with the junior teams of that era. Former Yallourn players Jim Watt and John Hutchinson regarded Peter as a dynamic coach of young footballers.
4. Peter was a dedicated member of YFC and a highly respected member of the Yallourn community.

PART:2 1959

THE FIRST THE YFCPPA REUNION

As outlined in the above Virtual Yallourn story, the Yallourn Football Club Past Players’ Association was formed in 1958. The first YFCPPA reunion was held on the 22nd August 1959.

From reading the newspaper report in ‘The Live Wire’, the function was well attended and a most enjoyable evening for former players, officials and friends. The President of the YFCPPA, Peter O’Neill welcomed the members and Alan Hawkins proposed the toast to the YFC.

Club President in 1959,Roy Norden, responded and spoke about the importance of building upon the club’s past successes and taking the YFC forward with confidence. Roy also congratulated and thanked the past players and officials for their contribution to the life and achievements of the club.

During his address, Roy expressed his belief that a premiership for the Blues…“ …would not be far away.”

Members of the YFCPPA who gathered at the reunion that evening included:-
‘Plugger’ Culph, Fred Byron, ‘Jock’ Nicholls, Frank Darcy, Kevin ‘Bunny’ Comber, ‘Skinny’ Pratt, Fred Godfrey, Jack Piggott, Tommy Knight, Fred Rooney and ‘Mossy’ Crawford. (Note: The nicknames are as published in that edition of ‘The Live Wire’).

It is said that ‘Mossy’ Crawford may have been the first boy born in the town to have actually played football for the Blues. ‘Mossy’s’ father had been the President of the YFC in earlier times. Further research indicated that a certain ‘H’ Crawford had played for Yallourn Golds in the period 1937-40. Tom Knight, who attended the reunion that evening, had been captain and coach of the Golds in those years. Yallourn’s other team in the GFL in that era was the Yallourn Blues. The Blues team was coached by Colin Deane (ex-Melbourne/St Kilda...see footnotes below) and skippered by Alan Hutton.

Another former player who attended the get-together was Harry O’Bern. Harry had won the YFC Senior XVIII Best & Fairest trophy in 1926. Harry later served the club at timekeeper and statistician.

‘The Live Wire’ also reported that popular local identity Stan Comber was in attendance at the reunion and that he …“…had won the club’s Most Improved Trophy in 1923…and also in 1932.”

Stan must have been a player with the utmost dedication and will to succeed.

The formal part of the evening concluded with a minute’s silence for former YFC players and officials who had died since the last meeting of the YFCPPA.
Peter O’Neill spoke of the deep sorrow caused by the passing of former team mates and friends. (Note: the names of those deceased were not listed in the press statement).

‘The Live Wire’ also referred to the supper provided by the ‘ladies of the club’…“…which was voted by all present as something to be remembered.”

FOOTNOTES~ …COLIN DEANE & OTHERS
1. Colin Deane was another one of the great VFL footballers who chose to live in Yallourn. Few people would be aware of the fact that Colin was a remarkable all-round sportsman. While Colin made his reputation in football, he was an outstanding athlete making a name for himself as an oarsman (in competition rowing) and as an ‘A’ grade wicketkeeper.
2. Although it is common knowledge that Colin Deane (born 1900) played for Melbourne, little mention is made of the fact that Colin was also the playing coach of St Kilda FC in later years.
3. Colin first came under notice as a rover for Launceston Grammar School. When he played for Tasmania at the 1924 ANFC Carnival, it is known that Melbourne FC was very keen to gain his signature.
4. Colin crossed to Melbourne in 1925. He played in Melbourne’s 1926 Premiership team. (Note: Jack A Collins, who later became President of the YFC, also played for Melbourne that day. Jack Collins played 127 games for Melbourne and also represented Victoria in 1929. A story of Jack Collins has been prepared for the Virtual Yallourn website).
5. Colin also represented Victoria in 1925 and 1929. He was an outstanding VFL footballer who is said to have been an exceptionally long kick. Colin played a total of 82 games (53 goals) for Melbourne. Sometime in either 1930 or 1931, he went to New Zealand but returned to coach Melbourne reserves in 1932. Colin was appointed the playing-coach of St Kilda in 1933 but only played three games before retiring as a player. He coached the Saints until the end of the season and then ‘they departed company.’
6. Colin coached the Yallourn Blues in 1937. The available photograph of that team does not mention Colin by name. However, the gentleman standing at the back (at the right hand side of the photograph and partially hidden) is very similar in looks to the photo posted on a Melbourne Football Club website. It maybe Colin.
7. The ‘Launceston Examiner’ announced that Colin died on Tuesday 9th December 1952.
8. Some of the team members in that photograph are Phil Ashmead, Col Mahoney, Stan Comber, Barry Callinan, Stan Attenborough, Alan Hutton, Carl White and a youngster named ‘K Williams’.
9. There is every possibility that the ‘K’ Williams listed in the Yallourn Blues team of that era is Ken Williams. According to ‘The Argus’ of 17th May 1940, Ken Williams trained at Victoria Park and the following week he was named on the half back flank for the Collingwood reserves match against South Melbourne. Ken played his first game at the age of 22 against Melbourne in Round: 5 that season. He went on to play 12 games for Collingwood (2 goals).
10. Another ex-player who attended the reunion that evening was Fred Godfrey. Fred was a most prominent player for Yallourn before being selected to play for Footscray in 1938. He was 26 years of age when he made his debut in Round:1 in 1938. Fred played six games and kicked 5 goals for the Bulldogs. Further details regarding Fred’s short VFL career were difficult to uncover for this story.
11. As recorded previously on Virtual Yallourn, Stan Attenborough played 8 games with North Melbourne in 1943-44.
12. The greatly admired and influential Yallourn Blues’ skipper, Alan Hutton, died in 1939. A little known fact is that in 1940, the CGFL introduced ‘The Alan Hutton Medal.’ It was named in honour of Alan and it was presented to the runner up in the CGFL’s Rodda Medal. Fred Jones (a ruck man from Traralgon) was the first recipient of the Alan Hutton Medal.
13. Virtual Yallourn would greatly appreciate any further information and memorabilia regarding YFCPPA meetings, reunions and members of that era.

Written for Virtual Yallourn by Roger Spaull ~July 2013.

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