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RIP Bert Worner

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jim boy

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Ok, I admit I've never heard of the guy, but he was a dual premiership player in 51-52 as well as playing in the 53 grand final. There aren't too many who can claim that.

Passed on yesterday

respect
 
Bert Worner

Born 18/9/1929 , Swan Hill
178cm & 78kg Right foot , #25

An extremely fast half back flanker /centre man / wingman who used his physical strength to advantage, he was was built and kicked the ball superbly. He was at his best when he had the play straight ahead of him
51/52 Premiership team
65 games in total. (Ref Material from Cats Tales compiled by Col Hutchinson , 1984)

To me he sound like a cross between Wojo and Josh Hunt. The number of games don't tell the story. Sounds a gun player to me.

RIP Bert.
 

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One of only 46 Geelong players to have been involved in more than one flag with the Cats.

83 is a great innings, condolences to his family and Thank-You Bert for your contributions to Geelong !!
 
Sad to lose another Geelong premiership winner. We'll have to add 2 more to the list this year to make up for the loss. Vale.
 
RIP Bert, even though you are a bit before my first Geelong memories it is fitting that my first post honours and gives condolences for a past Geelong champion.

May you and the other Geelong footballers of yore take to that great paddock in the sky. No longer encumbered by ailing earthbound bodies, but restored to youthful vigour, may you and your team mates once again stream forward across the field of play in that fast, exciting unstoppable torrent that is Geelong.
 
52GFplamerandworner.jpg
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1952 Grand Final​
​
​
Bert Worner’s Arrival at the Club​

“I was referred by Ken Harrison, a Geelong talent scout who rang the club to say who to look out for. I was invited to train at Geelong in 1950 but didn’t like it and returned to Swan Hill. Jack Jennings and Reg Hickey visited later in the year and my father agreed that I would go to Geelong.
“I was ready to make the move the following year. My father made the decisions about my recruitment by Geelong. Dad drove me as far as Gisborne before the car refused to go any further. I caught a train to Melbourne, then to Geelong. On arrival no-one met me so, being a ‘firey’ in Swan Hill I rang the Geelong Fire Brigade for advice. Their response was ‘Wait five and we’ll pick you up and take you straight to the ground’. My early days at Geelong were at Dysart Boarding House where a number of newcomers lived. I played a number of games in the Seconds before winning senior selection in Round 8 against Footscray.”



Bert Worner Breaks Team Rule​

Late in the 1951 Grand Final, I marked in the back pocket and short-passed to Bill McMaster, but Reynolds ran in to intercept and thankfully was off-line with his shot. At the conclusion, a big hand grabbed my shoulder as we were walking up the race, and the words “you’ll never play ever again if you do that again. Do you get the message!!! Now go and enjoy the win”.



One of Worner's highlights was winning the Geelong City Gift on Sunday 17th January 1954. Worner encouraged many Geelong footballers to sprint racing and it is widely recognised that their participation was a major factor giving Geelong a pace advantage during the first half of the 1950s.

From Classic Cats - The Story of Geelong's Premiership Years 1951-1952
 
RIP Bert.

As someone who now resides near Swan Hill I'll have to ask a few of the older folk if they knew Bert or remember any stories of his journey. Worner isn't a surname I'm familiar with in the town so I'm not sure if he ever came back to live here. We have a sporting complex named after Ken Harrison which is fascinating to know that he was a Geelong talent scout.
 
RogersResults said:
52GFplamerandworner.jpg
​
1952 Grand Final​
​
​
Bert Worner’s Arrival at the Club​

“I was referred by Ken Harrison, a Geelong talent scout who rang the club to say who to look out for. I was invited to train at Geelong in 1950 but didn’t like it and returned to Swan Hill. Jack Jennings and Reg Hickey visited later in the year and my father agreed that I would go to Geelong.
“I was ready to make the move the following year. My father made the decisions about my recruitment by Geelong. Dad drove me as far as Gisborne before the car refused to go any further. I caught a train to Melbourne, then to Geelong. On arrival no-one met me so, being a ‘firey’ in Swan Hill I rang the Geelong Fire Brigade for advice. Their response was ‘Wait five and we’ll pick you up and take you straight to the ground’. My early days at Geelong were at Dysart Boarding House where a number of newcomers lived. I played a number of games in the Seconds before winning senior selection in Round 8 against Footscray.”



Bert Worner Breaks Team Rule​

Late in the 1951 Grand Final, I marked in the back pocket and short-passed to Bill McMaster, but Reynolds ran in to intercept and thankfully was off-line with his shot. At the conclusion, a big hand grabbed my shoulder as we were walking up the race, and the words “you’ll never play ever again if you do that again. Do you get the message!!! Now go and enjoy the win”.



One of Worner's highlights was winning the Geelong City Gift on Sunday 17th January 1954. Worner encouraged many Geelong footballers to sprint racing and it is widely recognised that their participation was a major factor giving Geelong a pace advantage during the first half of the 1950s.

From Classic Cats - The Story of Geelong's Premiership Years 1951-1952
Click to expand...

wow, awesome stuff.

I really, actually might have to buy that book.
 

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you pick one said:
RIP BERT.
And thanks RR for the history,they were wonderful times for the Geelong Football Club, fair dinkum unbelievable.
Click to expand...
The book Classic Cats - The Story of Geelong's Premiership Year's 1951-1952 was initiated by some of the surviving members of those teams (including Bert Worner) who felt that as their feats passed from living memory the details of who they were and what they did would fade.

In the history of organised sport few institutions anywhere in the world have a hetitage as long as the Geelong Football Club. The more people know about about that heritage can only strengthen it and help it to endure through good times and not so good times.

​
In the 92 years that have passed the club has experienced fluctuating fortunes. Some difficult times have been encountered but, it was in the blackest periods that the club stalwarts from time to time, rose to the occasion and carried the club through to participation in one of those cycles of prosperity, which like adversity, are well-known to all clubs.​
​
From the foreword of the 1951 Geelong Football Club Souvenir History Book
​
 
James1970 said:
That picture of the great Worner from the '52 GF just proves there's nothing more beautiful in football than a Cat in full flight, and nothing more courageous than a Cat's teammate. Looks like the opposition had to resort to playing the man to try and beat such class - nothing changes.
Click to expand...
That's the right intuition. There's a lot in the book Classic Cats about Reg Hickey promoting 'brains' over 'brawn' and revolutionizing the game and some remarkable stats to back that up. Researching the book gave me more understanding of the Geelong Football Club culture and the origins of 'playing the game as it should be played'.
 
James1970 said:
That picture of the great Worner from the '52 GF just proves there's nothing more beautiful in football than a Cat in full flight, and nothing more courageous than a Cat's teammate. Looks like the opposition had to resort to playing the man to try and beat such class - nothing changes.
Click to expand...

Bad news if Thorold Merrett had to go the knuckle - 5'3" in his high heels, and 23 lb wringing wet.
 
RIP Bert

I'm sure Bobby will have a place for you in the team up there
 
RogersResults said:
That's the right intuition. There's a lot in the book Classic Cats about Reg Hickey promoting 'brains' over 'brawn' and revolutionizing the game and some remarkable stats to back that up. Researching the book gave me more understanding of the Geelong Football Club culture and the origins of 'playing the game as it should be played'.
Click to expand...

You can see this sort of thing in the Cats history DVD.
 

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There was a death notice in yesterday's local paper that mentioned sympathies to a list of family members. Gone but not forgotten...
 

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