V.F.A in the 80's

[mediumsizered]

I loved Herman Van Der Beek just because his name was Herman.

You could add Alan Harper, David Drosher, Bill Thompson and Lew Wright a bit later.

I actually got to know Bill Thompson in the early '80s. He was a real down to earth bloke. Of course he played for Williamstown from 1972-1975 before being lost to Dandenong. My grandfather used to refer to him as "guess who" in his Williamstown days because he was so reliable in defence.

 

[Axel And Guru]

My o

I actually got to know Bill Thompson in the early '80s. He was a real down to earth bloke. Of course he played for Williamstown from 1972-1975 before being lost to Dandenong. My grandfather used to refer to him as "guess who" in his Williamstown days because he was so reliable in defence.

my old man had an enormous amount of time for Billy Thompson and speaks very highly of him. Lew Wright was a good bloke also bless his soul.

 

[Axel And Guru]

I actually got to know Bill Thompson in the early '80s. He was a real down to earth bloke. Of course he played for Williamstown from 1972-1975 before being lost to Dandenong. My grandfather used to refer to him as "guess who" in his Williamstown days because he was so reliable in defence.

my old man had an enormous amount of time for Billy Thompson and speaks very highly of him. Lew Wright was a good bloke also bless his soul.

 

[Axel And Guru]

Great thread about great VFA memories. Started watching VFA in 1967 when John Peck moved from Hawks to Port. Pecky was genuinely hard. I think he went nuts in the 67 GF, got rubbed out for ages and never played again. Used to hang around with a few Port lads in the mid 80s and reckon Kevn Goss was one of the scariest blokes I ever knew. Even the legendary Buster Harland was s**t scared of him and they were on the same team!

Haha Port still lost the game hey,to a very well coached Alan Morrow side.

 

[Axel And Guru]

Great thread about great VFA memories. Started watching VFA in 1967 when John Peck moved from Hawks to Port. Pecky was genuinely hard. I think he went nuts in the 67 GF, got rubbed out for ages and never played again. Used to hang around with a few Port lads in the mid 80s and reckon Kevn Goss was one of the scariest blokes I ever knew. Even the legendary Buster Harland was s**t scared of him and they were on the same team!

Haha Port still lost the game hey,to a very well coached Alan Morrow side.

 

[Axel And Guru]

Terry Reid is the player you are referring to, wore #7. Very handy player for the Redlegs.

Terry Reid won a B&F at Dandy, i just carnt remember the year,me old man would know. I can still remember Terry walking around at my place eating a sav,when the old man had a club doo at home.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Terry Reid won a B&F at Dandy, i just carnt remember the year,me old man would know. I can still remember Terry walking around at my place eating a sav,when the old man had a club doo at home.

I have Terry Reid's autograph somewhere at home. Go Redlegs!

 

[Axel And Guru]

I have Terry Reid's autograph somewhere at home. Go Redlegs!

Did you follow dandy in those days Timmy or do you have a connection ?

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Did you follow dandy in those days Timmy or do you have a connection ?

Grew up in Noble Park so used to get taken out to Shepley Oval to see 2-3 games a year. The Shinners brothers, Ray Orchard, Pat Flaherty, Terry Reid, Frosty Miller... those were the days!

 

[Axel And Guru]

Grew up in Noble Park so used to get taken out to Shepley Oval to see 2-3 games a year. The Shinners brothers, Ray Orchard, Pat Flaherty, Terry Reid, Frosty Miller... those were the days!

Ray Orchard was great mates with my old man.my idols were Ray and Ken Beck. Dad was team manager for Dandenong from 1971 to 1979 so i was lucky to go and see a awful lot of VFA as a young kid. I miss those days and often think of them footballers now. I would love to talk to some of them now especially Ken Beck.

 

[HULK HOGAN]

Was very sad to hear about the passing of Billy Kaakour, Coburg's speed machine of the late 80's early 90's
RIP KAK.

 

[Nostradumbass]

Who remembers this guy?

 

[HULK HOGAN]

Who remembers this guy?

Little Frank "tight shorts" Vergona haha

 

[Nostradumbass]

Little Frank "tight shorts" Vergona haha

He's a legend little frank.

 

[Obi fella]

My father played for Williamstown in the '40s and '50s, and also coached Willi seconds to a premiership. Yes, I know that makes me, umm, older, but it was fascinating hearing him talk about those days.

Port vs Willi always got VFL sized crowds, 20,000+, and were bloodbaths. Lots of kids weren't allowed to go to Port games with their parents, apparently. Tough days!

Dad often talked about playing on the HFF with Ron Todd from Collingwood at FF. Dad didn't know until years later that Todd was on a quid ($2) a goal, while most players got 4 or 5 quid a game.
Dad always said that if he'd known that, he wouldn't have kicked it to Todd for less than 5/- (50c) a time.

BTW, he was earnig about 2 pounds a week at work...

Did you umpire VFL footy?

 

[GetDimmaBack]

Did you umpire VFL footy?

No.
Why do you ask?

 

[Obi fella]

No.
Why do you ask?

I chatted to a famous VFL umpire at Williamstown's Hall of Fame last year & his dad played in the same era at Willy. Would've been teammates with your dad. Told me stories his dad passed on to him about Ron Todd etc. Was a long shot... ...but it's a small world sometimes.

 

[GetDimmaBack]

I chatted to a famous VFL umpire at Williamstown's Hall of Fame last year & his dad played in the same era at Willy. Would've been teammates with your dad. Told me stories his dad passed on to him about Ron Todd etc. Was a long shot... ...but it's a small world sometimes.

Yeah, that's interesting.
Care to PM me his name?
I know another guy whose dad played at Willi at that time. Small world indeed.

 

[Obi fella]

Yeah, that's interesting.
Care to PM me his name?
I know another guy whose dad played at Willi at that time. Small world indeed.

Player in question is Eddie Deller. Back pocket premiership player.

 

[Nostradumbass]

Oakleigh vs Williamstown 1989.

 

[Obi fella]

v Port '84

 

[Nostradumbass]

v Port '84View attachment 220624

I would have been there, standing on the wing as always.

 

[datwhitey]

Grew up in Noble Park so used to get taken out to Shepley Oval to see 2-3 games a year. The Shinners brothers, Ray Orchard, Pat Flaherty, Terry Reid, Frosty Miller... those were the days!

So Timmy, you'd be (another) IMO rare person that supports both the 'Pies and the Redlegs? Grew up going to Shepley Oval when Frosty, Eddie & co. were in their heyday. Obviously Darren Millane in later years quickly became a favourite player, captaining the Redlegs before playing for the 'Pies. Really do miss the old VFA...

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

So Timmy, you'd be (another) IMO rare person that supports both the 'Pies and the Redlegs? Grew up going to Shepley Oval when Frosty, Eddie & co. were in their heyday. Obviously Darren Millane in later years quickly became a favourite player, captaining the Redlegs before playing for the 'Pies. Really do miss the old VFA...

Millane played juniors with my brother at Parkmore, along with Pat Foy who ended up at the Swans (and ironically was the Swans player Kicked by Collingwoods Darren Bourke in the seconds at lake Oval before he went on to famously deck the umpire, and then a spectator!!!)

Mind you I was a Collingwood supporter long before Milllane joined. Also kinda-sorta family friends with the Morwoods (one generation removed), Shane who of course also became a premiership player for the Pies with Millane. Dont think the Morwoods had any Redleg connections though. Noble Park was a South Melbourne zone hence Foy and the Morwoods playing there. Not sure how Millane ended at Collingwood but very grateful he did

 

[datwhitey]

Millane played juniors with my brother at Parkmore, along with Pat Foy who ended up at the Swans (and ironically was the Swans player Kicked by Collingwoods Darren Bourke in the seconds at Swan Oval before he went on to famously deck the umpire, and then a spectator!!!)

Mind you I was a Collingwood supporter long before Milllane joined. Also kinda-sorta family friends with the Morwoods, one of whom of course also became a premiership player for the Pies. Dont think the Morwoods had any Redleg connections though. Noble Park was a South Melbourne zone hence Foy and the Morwoods playing there. Not sure how Millane ended at Collingwood but very grateful he did

Dandy was in the Hawks' zone, if I recall correctly, and they (bless 'em) decided he wasn't up to scratch. Or that's my memory of things. Yeah, I was also a Collingwood supporter long before Millane, he was just one of the few (perhaps the only one) I can personally remember playing for both clubs. Obviously I want the 'Pies VFL team to do well, but it's really just a reserves team, and (for me) the VFL competition doesn't matter one iota. The VFA, on the other hand, DID matter at the time