YFC - 1950 Yallourn Football Club

Back Row: Bill White, Bill Jackson, George Bates, John Paice, Alan McIntyre, Lloyd Brewer, Bruce Knight, John Mann, Ken McColl, ?, ?
2nd Row: ?, Claude Whitbourne, Kevin Fanning, Frank Kelly, Jimmy Shaw, Stan Brown
Front Row: Rod Bennett, George Botton, ?, Colin Broberg, ?, Daryl Knight

From Roger Spaull -
“My love of AFL and country football has never diminished and my research and writings about football never fail to throw up surprises and interesting stories of the lives of men, country clubs and towns.

The Virtual Yallourn website carries several brilliant photographs of former Yallourn Football Club teams. The photos bring back strong memories of the great players who played for Yallourn and, of course, the personalities who made our club such an important part of our lives.

Some of the readers of Virtual Yallourn maybe interested to know that the photograph of the 1950 Yallourn Football team includes two players who
played AFL/VFL football.

.. John Paice. John was a brilliant back pocket for Yallourn. In 1955 he played four senior games with Carlton. At the age of 23, he played his first game against South Melbourne. He wore jumper number 33. In the same year, John won the best and fairest trophy for the Carlton Reserves.

.. Jimmy Shaw was a VCFL champion and won the 1953 Rodda Medal (league best and fairest) and also won the Club's Best and Fairest Award. Jimmy went to Melbourne in 1949 and played 3 games and kicked 3 goals. His AFL debut was against St Kilda. Jimmy wore number 34 guernsey for Melbourne.

Jimmy Shaw was a household name in those days and one of the greatest rovers to play in Gippsland football. PS..Although there is divided opinion, a young player named J Dorgan also played his first game for Melbourne on that day. Some historians think that J. Dorgan is the same Jim Dorgan who crossed to South Melbourne in 1951 and went onto come 3rd in the 1956 Brownlow Medal. Jim Dorgan later coached Yallourn, but that is another story. I must not stray eh!

Another player who went from Yallourn to AFL ranks at that time was Peter Cook. Peter was an outstanding centre half forward who left Yallourn in 1956 and played 14 senior games and kicked 6 goals with Melbourne. Peter was regarded highly but his opportunities and success at Melbourne were restricted by the powerful Melbourne list of that era.

One of my boyhood heroes (and cricket captains) John Hutchinson was recruited to Fitzroy in 1957 and played 3 games. John returned to coach
Yallourn in later years.

The 1950 photograph includes Bruce Knight, a dominant ruckman in LVFL at that time, Bill 'Ginger' Jackson a hard and highly skilled midfielder,
George Bates an elusive forward and other popular and talented stars like Stan Brown, George Botten and Kevin Fanning. (The mascot featured in the photo was Colin Broberg who was a very talented footballer in the Yallourn juniors in later years.)

Like all country clubs, Yallourn Football Club has so many stories about the times and its players. There are so many names and connections that emanate from those days. Here are a dozen or so names that might conjure great memories of our wonderful club and amazing sportsmen of those times. Vic Lawrence, Laurie Shipp, Gerald Marchesi, Ricky Belford, Alistair Thorpe, Tom Garland, Teddy Heesom, Garry Hurle, John Henderson, Ron Lee, Steve Szabo, Jack Vinall, Jim Brown, Jock Mc Gregor, Des Madden, Merv"Storky" Crane, 'Hoot' Gibson, Keith Angove, Neville Linney, Grant Cowley, Doug Williams (Carlton 1944-51), Vin Sabatucci, Ray Kitney, Kevin Gould ...and the list just goes on and on.

Note: Barry Spurrier, who played as a winger for Yallourn, has vivid memories of when the AFL/VFL scheduled matches in country regions in 1952. Yallourn sponsored the game between St Kilda and Footscray and more than 3500 spectators packed the boundary fence and watched St Kilda win by 15 points. Like the English cricket team's visit to Yallourn (in 1955) it must have been the pinnacle of the sporting calendar for the township that season.

I have never forgotten the 'local heroes' who wore the Blue and White and thrilled the Yallourn supporters every Saturday in winter. Those great country football players and their exploits were the stuff of childhood dreams.

I trust some of readers may find the above of interest.

Kind regards and best wishes to all…Roger Spaull”