Toast PAFC & the ANZAC Spirit – ANZAC Day Centenary Anniversary

The display cases containing the Bob & George Quinn and Peter Chant medals, badges and photos will be officially presented to the Club by next-of-kin during the 'Before The Bounce' function in the McLachlan Room at Adelaide Oval today.

We have two tables at the function: one for the Quinn / Chant families and one for C Company, 9RAR (Peter's mates), with both tables sprinkled with a sampling of BF posters, besides yours truly.

REH and fireboy will be there. Also faquito will be there and I'm looking forward to shaking his hand and chatting about things Vietnamese, Chinese and Portonian.

We - plus other BF-ers in the room - will provide commentaries asap after the event... assuming anything interesting takes place. ;)

Edit: Guest at the C Coy., 9RAR table will be Lindsay McGie - played 30+ games with Essendon in the 1960s, a few seasons with Port Magpies in the 1970s and served as an infantryman in Vietnam with other battalions.
 
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Garibaldi Red

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A great day yesterday at Adelaide Oval, it is clear to see the relationship that the PAFC has with the Armed Forces. Great to hear the acknowledgement from those currently services.

Well done to all concerned.
 
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Reflecting on the past weekend, I'd like to personally thank the brilliant and continuing efforts of all involved; C Company, 9RAR, Lockhart Road, fireboy, RussellEbertHandball and so many others for their efforts and research related to the PAFC & the ANZAC Spirit - Target Anniversary, Adelaide Oval, 2015 activities.

Projects like this ensure,

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We Will Remember Them" .
 
Many thanks RossFC for spotting and posting the Today Tonight video clip. Watching for the second time was no less brilliant.

Many thanks also HaroldOliver for your tribute.

Yesterday at Adelaide Oval, we capped off a simply marvellous ANZAC / Chant / Quinn long weekend in stupendous fashion on the field. 40 points! Ye gods.

Will post my report re the day asap. Have been held up by my personal recovery session, and a morning at Port HQ talking Hong Kong...
 
This project has been good for the soul to work on, but as a result of it I found out last week I have known 1954 for over a decade in a professional capacity and I spent most of the game against Westies at Alberton with him as well as meeting CreightonS after years talking to them both online on TPFP. I also had a couple of quiet ones with '54 after the game in the club rooms upstairs and we managed to catch the Magpies post function.

At half time I went looking for De Souza pies and pasties outside the northern end gate. Got talking to someone who looked sort of familar and at some point he asks if I went to St Pauls and we worked out we knew each other from there and he was a couple of years ahead of me. Then as the wait continued - De Souza's sold out during the first quarter and never returned - he asked me if I was REH, I said yes and he introduced himself as HaroldOliver. He picked my voice from one of the podcasts.

Typical one degree of separation Adelaide. But typical Port Adelaide hospitality. Thanks for the nice words HO in your above post.
 

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This project has been good for the soul to work on, but as a result of it I found out last week I have known 1954 for over a decade in a professional capacity and I spent most of the game against Westies at Alberton with him as well as meeting CreightonS after years talking to them both online on TPFP. I also had a couple of quiet ones with '54 after the game in the club rooms upstairs and we managed to catch the Magpies post function.

At half time I went looking for De Souza pies and pasties outside the northern end gate. Got talking to someone who looked sort of familar and at some point he asks if I went to St Pauls and we worked out we knew each other from there and he was a couple of years ahead of me. Then as the wait continued - De Souza's sold out during the first quarter and never returned - he asked me if I was REH, I said yes and he introduced himself as HaroldOliver. He picked my voice from one of the podcasts.

Typical one degree of separation Adelaide. But typical Port Adelaide hospitality. Thanks for the nice words HO in your above post.
Yeh was great to finally meet and chat with the one and only REH while watching our Maggies knock off yet another SANFL club last Saturday - sorry I couldn't stay after the game but I had to find my cousin in the bar area to give her a lift home - as an aside, I called around to Jan (Peter Chant's sister) and her hubby Grant's place this morning during my fitness walk and we discussed the brilliant day that was yesterday at AO and I can tell you guys they were absolutely stoked with their experience - they kept little mementos of the occasion up in the PAFC's special area in the Western Stand (things like the menu signed by Port greats such as Russell Ebert).

As a further aside, pity you didn't score any of those incomparable De Souza pies/pasties on Saturday at Alberton Oval REH as I have very fond memories of them and actually thought they were no longer being made - I need to know the location of their shop so I can go buy some.:thumbsu:
 

StrappingTape

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Hey I was in the lift with a pram anf some diggers with a display case thing were in it before the game yesterday, wasnt any of you oldies was it?
 
The pregame function along with the way we payed capped a magical day.
Simply awesome.

What is the relevance of the extra "L" on Bob Quinns Magarey? It is inscribed "SANFLL".

For 3 or 4 years the SANFL was a Limited organisation rather than an Incorporated organisation eg the sanfl on legal documents and on its stationery has SANFL Inc . I don't know what the legislation was back 70-80 years ago and how it worked. I also don't know if it was limited by shares or guarantee or some sort of other limited organisation.
 
Hey I was in the lift with a pram anf some diggers with a display case thing were in it before the game yesterday, wasnt any of you oldies was it?

There was 2 lots of us - I was with the Quinns and Chants and we headed off first after their photos on the southern plaza, so you would have been with the 9RAR Charlie Company guys, so you would have been with Lockhart Road
 
There was 2 lots of us - I was with the Quinns and Chants and we headed off first after their photos on the southern plaza, so you would have been with the 9RAR Charlie Company guys, so you would have been with Lockhart Road

Not guilty Mr Handball, for two reasons:
1. Mick & I stayed back to wait for the last to arrive whose bus had been in a scrape that required replacement and lost him 30 minutes. This was ex-South Adelaide halfback Eric Schmidt, brother of Bob, who was on the same chopper, having been wounded himself, that dusted-off Peter Chant's body to the hospital in Vung Tau. Eric had a long chat with KT about his impressions of the modern Port Adelaide to whom he along with other Crow veterans at our table are now warming.
2. I do not fall comfortably into the category of 'oldie' - I love the old pop songs, I love the old Port footballers, I love the old movies... but I can't help it: I'm 67 years bloody young!
 
That minute's silence.
It was, to pluck an adjective out of the modern vernacular, awesome. It was awe-inspiring. It was surreal.
We stood there, level 4 above the western wing... ten of us, all mates of Peter Chant, heads bowed.
But I couldn't keep my eyes down. There was something magnificent taking place in front of me, all around me, and it couldn't be missed. I kept lifting my eyes and peering left, right and centre... searching for a movement.
I couldn't see one. Not one. Okay, maybe a pro cameraman here or there, changing his position...
Apart from that, absolute stillness. Absolute silence. For over a full minute...
47,000 people stood in that white horseshoe of grandstands, up on the hill, like a human petrified forest.
It was, I thought to myself, the most spine-tingling tribute to our fallen that I have ever experienced.

The pre-match function.
I won't go into it too much. ANZAC Round 2014 is over, and it's time to look ahead. One magnificent weekend is behind us, the next one ahead and that's the one we should be looking at.
What I'll do is pick out a few highlights, as I saw them, leaving plenty of room for RussellEbertHandball, fireboy and faquito to fill the gaps as they see fit.
Two tables of 12 each - the Quinn and Chant families, five from each; and the Charlie Company, 9RAR table with we ten Vietnam Vets including Peter's commanding officer Laurie Lewis, faquito as special guest with his Vietnamese parentage and love for PAFC and Community, and Lindsay McGie representing the Port Magpies past-players who served in Vietnam.
Lindsay was with 1RAR and 6RAR - D Company, 6RAR in fact, which, but for the grace of timing, would have put him at Long Tan on 16 August 1966 but didn't.
Lindsay played with Russell Ebert. Russ came over and swapped footy talk with Lindsay and others, then spent time at the family table with Jan, Pete's sister, his brother-in-law Grant who served in Vietnam with 4RAR, and Greg Quinn and his kin.

Kochie's ANZAC Round speech was a long one. He had so many names to read out in acknowledgement, gratitude and tribute. Jan's speech, in contrast was short. She presented the display case containing her fallen brother's medals and photos to Kochie, then fronted up to the microphone in front of 600 people. She was clearly nervous. Nay, she was terrified. But the hallmark of true bravery is to deliver despite that. She spoke clearly, word by word, often punctuated with a deep breath... and nailed it. There, I thought, stands a Chant.
That, for me, was the highlight of the pre-match function.

Victory, but most of all the style of victory.
Second year in a row, Peter Chant was at ANZAC Round - last one at Football Park in 2013, first one at Adelaide Oval 2014.
His score: two out of two. One win was a biblical come-from-behind act of gut-running brilliance, this win was a footy campaign on the field that had redemption written all over it, on every part of the field, from the first bounce.

Peter's project began on BigFooty. We had no idea where it was going. We had no idea it was even a project at all, to begin with. But it grew into a project, and then it grew further, wider, beyond one project into a multi-layered crusade, one that you've heard tell of recently and are destined to hear more, one that REH is best qualified to expand on here.
Peter's project has been a success, the worthy result of a wonderful team effort. It is done. He is back at Alberton in more than just spirit. Now there are many more than just his mates from Charlie Company who know about him, and who will also never forget him.
Thank you, team.
Thank you PAFC.
Thank you all.
 
I waited until LR posted something and I probably have forgotten a few things. So I'll list some points/highlights and roughly in order they happened

* Meeting all the 9RAR guys and Lindsay McGie outside the ground and chating to them during the day
* Meeting the rest of the Quinns, Greg's sisters Pam and Margaret, brother inlaw Roger and son Mitchell and Peter Chant's family - sister Janice and her husband Grant Carmody their three boys, Gavin, Justin, and Selby and barracking hard all day especially with Gavin.
* KT casually coming up and chatting to fireboy and me whilst we were waiting for the McLachlan room to open up and were watching the ADF v Emegency Services game. fireboy had been to a crisis management seminar recently where KT spoke about what happened when J-Mac passed away. It was interesting listening to some of the things he spoke about as they discussed the seminar.

*At the pre match you get to see a lot of faces you either know personally or have seen around the place which means there was plenty of choice of who to talk to.
* I was on the Quinn/Chant family table and had a good chat to Greg Quinn about things, especially how Mick called him out of the blue and he was very wary about what he was suggesting, but by the 5th call or so he was looking forward to his calls.
*The speeches that both Greg and Janice made about their family members and how they both thought the medals couldn't have better homes and the pride in their voice, but the struggle to keep their emotions in check. They both did a splendid job. It was hard not to be moved by both of their speeches and the room went silent as they spoke and the clunking of glasses and cutlery stopped.
*Meeting faquito inside the McLachlan room who was a little late and then chatting to him all day and night at the post match function as even when we walked up King William Rd. I loved his comment about Russell Ebert coming over to the 9RAR table where he was sitting, and saying hello to everyone and putting his hands on his shoulder. Faquito was surprised how huge his hand was. I said that's why he could pick up a footy with one hand from the top, not the bottom and then get a slick handball out when no one else could do that.

*MC Mark Soderstrom's speech was clear and concise about what ANZAC day meant to Port, touched on the previous service, Badcoe medal, the history behind some of things Port do on ANZAC day, explained our ongoing project and that we are looking to find other PAFC footballers who served in the war and asked people to take a form with our contact details and to fill out any details they have of ex footballers. Soders mentioned the Tom Quinn - Port /Geelong connection which I think surprised a lot of people in the room.
*Kochie's speech was long and reasonably slick given some of the content. The first thing I noticed was how many people he formally acknowledged were in the room. It must have gone for about 3 minutes. Touched on all the usual themes. Made it clear Port are a big admirers of Geelong and we are striving to be like them and copying them. The Geelong President Colin Carter was at his table, as was CEO Brian Cook and a few more Geelong directors and staff were in the room.

At the end of the function before we headed to our seats I noticed Colin Carter go and take photos of the Quinn and Chant medals display boxes. I wouldn't be surprised if Geelong look at doing something similar for next year for their past footballers who served.

*The speech by the BAE representative - who were the game day function sponsor was interesting. I think he only mentioned BAE once, and talked all about the defence forces, the ANZACS and community programs and Port Adelaide Footy Club. A nice non corporate touch.
*The food was very enjoyable and there was plenty of beer flowing and red and white wine as well. The chocolate mouse served just before we headed up to our seats were sensational.
*Russell Ebert came over and had a good chat to the Carmody's but missed speaking to Janice. About 15 minutes after he left he came back and sat down and spoke to her and apologised for missing her on her previous trip over. He spoke to the Quinn's as he is close to them and knows them well. Greg told me how Russell was fantastic during Bob's convalescence in his final few years going to visit him every Tuesday for the last 4 years or so he was in the nursing home.
*The Drummond family including Phil Smyth were all up the front looking at the two display boxes that was made for Roy Drummond MM - one was a smaller box with his medals and another with a large photo in his Port footy gear and some other things in the box, think it was footy stuff - I think footy medals. I wanted to talk to them about who found Roy won an MM so that I could work with them over the next 12 months and it looks like Matthew Agius has been hard at work doing a lot of research over the last month independent of what my group has been doing. I had to tell Phil and his family that I thought only physical characteristics were handed down through genetics, but given what Roy won his MM for, then no wonder he was known as the General and was able to organise his team mates and the intangibles get handed down as well. They all had a good laugh about that.
*Ended up talking to a few people I know and before too long it was approaching 3-40 and the ANZAC ceremonies were commencing so I headed to my seats.


* We were given the first few rows of Aisle 409 slightly to the right of the centre circle. Just a great view of the ground.
*The silence during the minute's silence was amazing and awe-inspiring and surreal as LR said. Like him, I couldn't help but raise my eyes and look around the stadium and see the stillness and take in the silence. It is like nothing else I have experienced.
* I noticed our boys were arm in arm and the Geelong boys each stood their singularly.
*Then they played Julie Anthony's version of the national anthem and I had to bet that out in full voice
*I don't know what LR's mates made of Never Tear Us Apart countdown/video but I belted that out as well
*So far everything had gone so well so I was hoping the game would go well.

*The game started a bit slowly for us and I wondered if the emotion had got to the players like it had got to me. But slowly but surely we turned it around and the boys hit the afterburners. The second quarter was almost a carbon copy of last years semi-final with our run and carry bamboozling Geelong. Lots of cheering from those around me in that second quarter.
* The ADF and Emergency Services boys who played in the curtain raiser sat in the bay to our right and I noticed some of them looking over a few times when loud roars of approval came from our area.
* At half time as I headed back to the function room, Phil Smyth who was sitting 2 or 3 rows back from me grabbed me by the arm and smiled and said we are playing well and said good luck with your project. I think he had to go as I didn't see him after half time, but I was really chuffed by that.


*At half time we all went back to the function room and I asked LR, do I tell Brian Cook about our Plan B for next year if we don't get the ANZAC round home game? He thought about it for a moment and said why not. Our table was just across from the coffee table and I had seen Brian Cook go for a coffee so I told LR I will grab him. So as he walked towards our table I walked up to him and said hello Brian, introduced myself, asked how he was enjoying the day, introduced LR, explained who we were and what we were doing and then talked about how Geelong had lost a lot of ex players in WWI in particular and spoke about Tommy Quinn. I then sowed the seed that if the AFL didn't grant Port an ANZAC round home game if Geelong would be interested in setting up a reciprocal agreement were we play for the Quinn cup one ANZAC round in Geelong and the next one at Adelaide Oval. He said he was interested and to " talk to Keith about it and then we can discuss it." Ok next program has been established.
*more food and drink was consumed as had a chat to a couple of people I knew
*I spoke to Brigadier Matthew Hall who was at the function and has done work with Port before - most notably before last years ANZAC round game against WCE as per this
combined article about him and Peter Chant . His father played in the 1954 premiership side. I told him about next years project and if it grows to more than just ex players, I said I'm wary of it not excluding veterans of current wars as I had just watched on Friday a Lateline interview with ex Afghanistan veteran James Brown who is now working at the Lowy Institute and he said that next year's centenary commemorations swapping current veterans with more money being spent on it than on assistance to current veterans. I also talked about the Trojans Trek work being done by Vietnam Veterans with current veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan and that hopefully part of this project is to use the marketing horsepower of the AFL to get corporates to do more with veterans groups. He gave me he business card and asked me to keep him informed. It wasn't until this morning that I had a good look at his business card and saw that he was based at Headquarters Joint Operations Command in Canberra.
* Had a brief chat to board member Jamie Restas who I played footy with at uni. Told him about FishingRick04 's project and that I would hook them up and I thought this is exactly what Rick and Tim Ginever were talking about at the end of their podcast, we can all do a little bit to help the club.

*I made sure I got back before the bounce down for the 3rd quarter, I just did and saw us kick two early goals whilst most were making their way back. We smashed them in the first 10 minutes - the exact opposite to what happened in last years semi final 3rd quarter.
*The Cats came back but we held our nerve and then hit back and ended up winning the quarter by 3 goals. That play by Matty White happened in front of us was bloody brilliant. Despite being 38 pts at 3/4 time I was nervous in the last quarter. Not so much that we would lose but that we would take the foot off the pedal and let them back in. But in the end there was no fear of that happening.
*The roar at the end of the game was electric.
*I thought the skipper was our best player but I wondered if Lobbe would get the Peter Badcoe VC medal as he perfectly fitted the criteria. The thing I found amazing was that about 12 people voted on the medal. But how good was the skipper with Peter Badcoe's sister Thelma taking time to thank her, talking to her and doing the photo stuff with her??


*post match I met a few bigfootyites but didn't have much time as I had to run around and find a whole lot of people.
*Had a beer with the 9RAR guys before I met and found someone I have roped in to help LR with his HK/China project.
*The post match went on for ever it seemed but the mood was as good as back at Alberton after winning a final or last year in the Hilton Hotel after the Collingwood final.
*Ended up walking with some of the 9RAR boys looking for the temporary pie cart on King William Rd that Mick found after the showdown. No luck. We decide to try on the off chance it might have returned to the Casino site but wasn't there.
*Mick called the missus to pick up a him and a few of the boys up and 20 minutes or so later it was all over. The day was as good if not better than 25 September 2004. There was less tension, as the prize wasn't as big but it was a very special day none the less.


Thanks to the PAFC management for taking our project on board and providing us with a wonderful experience . Thanks to the way the PAFC footy department performed on the day. And thanks to the Port Adelaide faithful who rocked up and filled the stadium and made it so memorable.

As the song says - Port Adelaide Proud!






 
Great stuff, REH. As usual, a hard act to follow.

I have to correct you on one minor point, though. When you got Brian Cook in your cross-hairs at halftime I wasn't so sure about it. I didn't think he'd be in the mood to talk about the future, being three goals down. But you're the one who covers all bases, so off you went and button-holed him. I warned you that's how I'd correct you if you chose to use any other word. You button-holed him. As a result the ice has been broken with the Cats re an ongoing Quinn Cup ANZAC Round blockbuster and if/when it happens, REH, you have permission to cut another notch in the butt of your Colt .45.
 

StrappingTape

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There was 2 lots of us - I was with the Quinns and Chants and we headed off first after their photos on the southern plaza, so you would have been with the 9RAR Charlie Company guys, so you would have been with Lockhart Road

Hmm well the guys in the lift had a frame with what looked like medals in it, was pretty decent sized frame, I thought maybe reading this thread it was one of the things for your event. I must say the event sounds great, well done to all
 
Hmm well the guys in the lift had a frame with what looked like medals in it, was pretty decent sized frame, I thought maybe reading this thread it was one of the things for your event. I must say the event sounds great, well done to all

You thought right, Strapper.
And thanks, mate.
 

faquito

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Lockhart Road and RussellEbertHandball impossible acts to follow, but I'll give it a shot.
It was great to finally put a face to a name.

I was lucky enough to be invited to this event by LR through speaking with him on Bigfooty after being engaged by the stories of his past (HK, Vietnam and all things PAFC). I was seated on the Charlie Company, 9RAR table with LR and got to meet the 10 other Vietnam Vets who were some of the most humble, down to earth and welcoming blokes I've ever met. I felt a little overwhelmed with the occasion and my surroundings at first but it didn't take long for the guys to make me feel welcome and show genuine interest in my story and heritage.

The function was very classy and very well run by the club. Kochie's speech along with the presentation of the medals from the Chant and Quinn families were definitely the highlights of the event. Scanning the faces around the table during the speeches, it was easy to tell how much the day meant to everyone.

Some highlights and observations throughout the day.

- I was at the function for a total of 5 minutes before REH introduced himself and we got to talking like we'd known each other for years. He sat about 2 rows behind me during the game and every time I was about to yell out in frustration, I would hear him yell out half a second before me, twice as loud (F**Ken Pittard!!).

- Lockhart Road and RussellEbertHandball are very much like their Bigfooty personas. LR a scholar and gentlemen and REH an enthusiast walking encyclopaedia.

- I always thought I'd be able to keep it together a lot better when meeting people I'd seen on TV/read about but I definitely felt in awe after meeting Russell Ebert and David Koch.

- It was different.. but I could get used to wearing a suit and watching the football sitting on the 3rd floor of the Western Stand at AO. :p

- We got to walk on the oval cutting across in front of the Southern Stand for a tour of the Player's Race with Matthew Richardson. The stadium at night looked magical from the ground level. I found myself taking shameful 'selfies' by the goals in an attempt to capture the moment.

- It was good to see so many people acknowledging LR and the guys during the game and post-match. Matthew Richardson and a few of our supporters bought the guys a round of beer during the post-match function which I thought was a nice touch (not that they needed any more beer).



Overall, it was a great win and a great day that I felt honoured to be a part of.
Thank you again to Lockhart Road and RussellEbertHandball for the invitation and fireboy and the PAFC for making it possible.
 

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Here are a few photos I was able to take with my phone during the day.

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Top post, faquito - it was a privilege having you with us for the function, through the game and at the post-match activities including climbing King William Road in search of a non-existent pie cart.
After you left (picked up by his girlfriend, no less), one of us got lost in the Casino and emerged later $100 richer, while REH and I sat in the bar watching the Foxtel replay until our own driver - Mick's wife whom he'd kept waiting through no fault of ours and was not in the best of humour - arrived.

A highlight I omitted to mention earlier, and which you've nicely captured on film, was the Geof Motley Race and the Honour Board, the look-see so kindly arranged by Matthew Richardson, as you've said.
To see my father's name on the Board, with my own, capped a very special day of off-field memories combined with new history in the making on-field.
 
- I was at the function for a total of 5 minutes before REH introduced himself and we got to talking like we'd known each other for years. He sat about 2 rows behind me during the game and every time I was about to yell out in frustration, I would hear him yell out half a second before me, twice as loud (F**Ken Pittard!!).....

I remember dropping the F bomb after that Pittard handball out of bounds when we would have been away and thinking oh s**t that wasn't supposed to come out. I remember using a few bloody hells . I hope that's the only time I did it as I was trying to limit the language - but not the volume.
 
Kochie has told my mate who is on his Sydney advisory board, that he was surprised by the amount of blue language he has noticed at our games - ie in the members stand at Footy Park last year.
 
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