Aboriginal Royboys.

[MaroonBoy]

Hoping you can help me out.

I'm putting together a short profile of Aboriginals who played for the Roys. I've identified eight:

Joe Johnson: 55 games, 1904 - 1906

Norm Byron: 2 games, 1918

Doug Nicholls: 54 games, 1933 - 37

Wally Matera: 32 games, 1989 - 90

Kev Caton: 9 games, 1989

Dale Kickett: 15 games, 1990

Trent Cummings: 27 games, 1994-96

Chris Johnson: 59 games, 1994 - 96

If anyone knows of other Aboriginal players, can you let me know, either here at the public forum or by private message.

Thanks!

MaroonBoy.

 

[Fat Pizza]

Kevin Taylor: 1 game, 1984

I'm not sure, but I think Peter Bird may have been part Aboriginal too.
15 games, 1995-96

 

[MaroonBoy]

Thanks Fat Pizza. The web's amazing - in minutes I've discovered there have been 13 Aboriginal Royboys in all. 12 are listed at a couple of sites devoted to Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander VFL / AFl footballers. The 13th, Norm Byron, has been overlooked. Norm was a renowned figure around the club in the earlier decades of last century - he was described in the 'First 100 Seasons' as Fitzroy's 'unofficial poet laureate'.

For further details on Aboriginal Royboys, try www.aboriginalfootball.com.au.

 

[skilts]

I played under-18 footy with Doug Nicholls' son Ralph. Through this I got to meet Doug. Being a person who has very little time for those of a religious persuasion, it is indicative of the quality of the man that I was left with such a high opinion of the pastor.

Just before the season began, Doug walked into the rooms at the end of one training night. He approached our coach and gave him a $50 note. He said, " I know the club will have to raise money during the season by various methods. I also know that some of those methods will involve gambling. I don't allow my son to gamble. So the club doesn't miss out financially, I'll make this contribution."

Such a seemingly small gesture taught me more about ethics than 5 years of its study at university.

Unfortunately, Ralph died when he was about 50. At the time, he was among Australia's finest traditional dancers and had a huge influence on aboriginal culture being exposed to a greater audience. He was a skilled and fearless footballer, but wasn't in the same class as his dad apparently was. He had however inherited his father's strength of character.

 

[Tim the Toolman]

The Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls' Grandson or Great Nephew was actually a trainer with us for a year. You'll find Ringo (real name I can't remember), an Aboriginal trainer was working with Fitzroy in their last year and is still with the Brisbane Lions as a Melbourne based trainer.

 

[Levo]

my wordy is Ringo still running around, they can't slow the old bloke down can they......!
Shady (Shadrach) James, Rob Cummings, Ted Lovatt.

Trent and Robert Cummings are the Great Grandsons of Joe Johnson.

 

[Fat Pizza]

Shady James was the uncle of famous umpire, Glenn James.

Alan Thorpe played for Fitzroy's Reserves.

 

[Paul D]

my wordy is Ringo still running around, they can't slow the old bloke down can they......!
Shady (Shadrach) James, Rob Cummings, Ted Lovatt.

Trent and Robert Cummings are the Great Grandsons of Joe Johnson.

Yep, Ringo gets a mention on the current Lions website in the trainers area.

 

[Levo]

Alan Thorpe played for Fitzroy's Reserves.[/QUOTE]

Thorpie won Victorian Aboriginal Sportsman of the year in around '86, whilst playing for my Sunday side. He's now playing for Wakool.

 

[MaroonBoy]

"Shady James was the uncle of famous umpire, Glenn James."

Hey Fat Pizza, can you point to a source for this? So far I haven't been able to find confirmation from the info on Glenn James that I've come across.

Thanks,

MaroonBoy

 

[Fat Pizza]

"Shady James was the uncle of famous umpire, Glenn James."

Hey Fat Pizza, can you point to a source for this? So far I haven't been able to find confirmation from the info on Glenn James that I've come across.

Thanks,

MaroonBoy

I heard this on radio 3LO, when Glenn James was umpiring one of his early games. It just stuck in my head.

 

[Fat Pizza]

Shady James was the uncle of famous umpire, Glenn James.

Glenn's brother, Des James was named in the Back Pocket of the All-Australian team in 1979, while playing for Sandy Bay in Tasmania, despite never attracting any interest from VFL clubs.

 

[pod17]

Hi Guys,

Been a while since this thread has had any posts. Does anyone know by chance if there is a 1940/1941 fitzroy team photo floating around? The years that Shadrach James played down at the roys?

 

[Last of the Roys]

The Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls' Grandson or Great Nephew was actually a trainer with us for a year. You'll find Ringo (real name I can't remember), an Aboriginal trainer was working with Fitzroy in their last year and is still with the Brisbane Lions as a Melbourne based trainer.

First time I have read this thread. From what I have read about the history of Fitzroy, Sir Doug Nicholls has to go down as one of the all time champion blokes, right along side Haydn Bunton (who was also all class off the field). I have read the story a few times that Bunton took him under his wing when he first came to Roys - back in the day when racism was still overtly practised.

On Ringo - he is an old favourite of mine. I think he is still a trainer for the Lions at our Melbourne games, but he must be getting on a bit. We used to talk to him a bit in the early years of the Lions - I always thought he was Chrissy Johnson's uncle / or somehow related (or maybe it was just that Aboriginal thing when everyone is thought of as a relative).

 

[Robroy]

Graeme Bux and Leigh McConnon are two more players to add to the "officially listed" 13!