Vale Graham "Polly" Farmer (10.3.1935 - 14.8.2019)

[Total_Juddshanks]

What's that got to do with anything?

I'm just saying SBS completely butchered their report on him.

Then again, this is a station who completely forgot to eulogise Damien Lovelock – someone who was part of the fabric of the sport's football programming for a decade-plus.

They mispronounced the Aboriginal group he was part of, implied the Geelong Football Club is in Western Australia, and said he won 10 Sandovers. Jump on wikipedia and in 15 seconds you'll find out the facts. They have a gay Asian bloke reading the news and are all about inclusion, run ads patronising their audience and imploring them to say 'what's your background?' not 'r u azn?' and yet they completely disrespect an important Aboriginal person.

Colour me cynical, but I think one of the reasons outlets like SBS struggle to know what to do with him is he doesn't fit very well with the accepted narrative that racism is rife in modern Australia and Goodes is a unique figure and a hero for standing up to it.

Which is a pity, because this is an Aboriginal man and member of the stolen generation who, decades before Adam Goodes was even born, during a time when racism was far far more prevalent in Australian society, through his brilliance, leadership and force of personality simply transcended any racist taunts anyone threw at him and captained 3 top tier clubs, and coached a State side. The stort of his life is incredible, he's plainly one of the greatest Western Australians ever to have lived.

 

[Matera92]

My old man used to tell me stories about what an absolute gun he was, revolutionised the handball and just dominated the game.

Vale Polly.

 

[gingernuts]

Really enjoyed watching this-

Sam's beautiful Polly tribute | Fox Sports Videos

AFL: Geelong champion Sam Newman has paid tribute to his great inspiration and former teammate Graham Polly Farmer, claiming hes the only person thats changed the way Australian rules football is played.

www.foxsports.com.au

Sam's obviously a polarizing figure but it is clear that Polly had an incredible influence on him as a player and a person.

I can remember reading an article about the perceived perception that Sam Newman is racist and especially referring to the Nicky Winmar black face epsidode on the footy show.
The article went on to say that Newman was young(21?) when polly came to geelong and the cats had no money. Newman(or his family) paid Polly's wages.
The article also said that Newman has sponsored an indigenous golf tournament in QLD and has done for 30 years or more but keeps it quiet.
My memory is a bit s**t but I reckon I read this in the 90's. Happy to be corrected.
Newman in the media is not Newman privately imo

 

[masai]

Tying in with Total Judd’s comments above, I struggle to think of a person in the footy community who has a bad word about Polly. He just got on and did things, didn’t complain and was always humble. He led by actions.

Unfortunately other “leaders” can sometimes be seen as devisive, due to their actions.

 

[Thrawn]

The article went on to say that Newman was young(21?) when polly came to geelong and the cats had no money. Newman(or his family) paid Polly's wages.

Sam Newman would've been 11 at the time, if that age is correct.

 

[Kwality]

Sam Newman would've been 11 at the time, if that age is correct.

I've not heard about the wages, Newmans father was a teacher of some sort?

 

[Rusty Brookes]

What's that got to do with anything?

I'm just saying SBS completely butchered their report on him.

Then again, this is a station who completely forgot to eulogise Damien Lovelock – someone who was part of the fabric of the sport's football programming for a decade-plus.

They mispronounced the Aboriginal group he was part of, implied the Geelong Football Club is in Western Australia, and said he won 10 Sandovers. Jump on wikipedia and in 15 seconds you'll find out the facts. They have a gay Asian bloke reading the news and are all about inclusion, run ads patronising their audience and imploring them to say 'what's your background?' not 'r u azn?' and yet they completely disrespect an important Aboriginal person.

I was replying to your post noting the following:

Jeez. Four pages.

If he was born in Victoria this'd be 44 pages.

Hence my reply regarding it was major news here and the lack of posts in the thread most likely to do with a generation gap rather than any bias in the media.

By the way Frank "Bluey" Adams passed away this week and it hardly caused a ripple. He played in six winning premierships, only behind Michael Tuck in the competition.

If SBS didn't put in a eulogy for Damien Lovelock then, yes they deserve all the criticism coming their way. Both for his contribution to soccer and to live music in this country. I didn't see the article on Polly so can't comment.

 

[Spuddigger]

Polly spoke about taking out Keith in the GF and always gave the impression that he regretted it a tad but made the point that it was a Grand Final and unfortunately for Keith, he was between Polly and the ball.
I knew a bloke who played a few reserves game for West Perth and one day at pre-season training he made the mistake of coming under friendly fire from the champ.
Likened it to running into a dozen bags of dry cement.
Immoveable and zero give.
As an aside and not wishing to derail the Polly thread, you are right about Doncon.
Apparently he was, after the '66 Carnival, more keenly sought after than Cable or Walker.
Richmond and Collingwood were the ones I think, who were very, very keen on recruiting him.

Doncan played for Wickepin and Cabes for Narrogin, Cabes was an East Perth fan. Imagine having him and Doncan in the same side.

 

[Silent Alarm]

I was replying to your post noting the following:

Jeez. Four pages.

If he was born in Victoria this'd be 44 pages.

Hence my reply regarding it was major news here and the lack of posts in the thread most likely to do with a generation gap rather than any bias in the media.

By the way Frank "Bluey" Adams passed away this week and it hardly caused a ripple. He played in six winning premierships, only behind Michael Tuck in the competition.

If SBS didn't put in a eulogy for Damien Lovelock then, yes they deserve all the criticism coming their way. Both for his contribution to soccer and to live music in this country. I didn't see the article on Polly so can't comment.

It wasn't an article – it was on prime-time televiison, on the news.

 

[Spuddigger]

I might be a pro-Victorian s**t stirrer...

Don’t worry about the best indigenous, best ruckman, best Western Australian dribble

This bloke was as good as it gets. Period

As a one eyed East Perth fan, when Polly came home from Geelong and went to the mortal enemy West Perth , i felt betrayed. I will say i don,t blame him as the Royals made it difficult to go to Geelong.

 

[Bald]

Commentators of today question why players do those little 5M kicks. Meanwhile Polly is in heaven handballing 40M pearlers to all the other legends of the past.

 

[emuboy]

RIP Graham 'Polly' Farmer, a true champion of the game.

I've always admired Graham Farmer - his achievements in the game speak for themselves - but he overcame more adversity than most other players, confined to hospital for months on end as a boy after contracting polio.

 

[JCHolmes]

12 page special in the west australian. State funeral. I didnt know much about him or see him play. But the man was revered and from where he came from and who he was, seems to me he was a truly inspiring and yet humble figure.

 

[Kwality]

Doncan played for Wickepin and Cabes for Narrogin, Cabes was an East Perth fan. Imagine having him and Doncan in the same side.

Picky so sorry, Doncon.

Cabes & Doncon were both selected in the 1966 All Aus team following the Carnival in Tasmania

Australian Football - Keith Doncon - Player Bio

australianfootball.com

Anyone know if Polly was selected in the Vic side, Nick went AA.
Kevin Murray captained WA & went AA.

 

[DaveEgoat]

As a one eyed East Perth fan, when Polly came home from Geelong and went to the mortal enemy West Perth , i felt betrayed. I will say i don,t blame him as the Royals made it difficult to go to Geelong.

Can’t see too many clubs letting a player like Polly go without a fight

 

[TheShardMan]

The Polly Pipe which goes under Northbridge along with the road was opened in 2000 by himself

In Bunbury, the Polly Pipe has multiple meanings. depends who u talk to.

 

[TheShardMan]

Really enjoyed watching this-

Sam's beautiful Polly tribute | Fox Sports Videos

AFL: Geelong champion Sam Newman has paid tribute to his great inspiration and former teammate Graham Polly Farmer, claiming hes the only person thats changed the way Australian rules football is played.

www.foxsports.com.au

Sam's obviously a polarizing figure but it is clear that Polly had an incredible influence on him as a player and a person.

He spoke well but I found it really hard to believe him when he said he never once heard Polly get racially abused by any player, staff member, not even anyone in the crowd. Really? Early 60s, when they were still banned from voting and widely considered as savages?

these days sams further right then one nation. latched onto the theory that there's no racism in australia. and too stubborn to admit if he's wrong. no one abused Polly. Lol. shame hes come to that.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Nice front page by the West on Thursday.

 

[Spuddigger]

Picky so sorry, Doncon.

Cabes & Doncon were both selected in the 1966 All Aus team following the Carnival in Tasmania

Australian Football - Keith Doncon - Player Bio

australianfootball.com

Anyone know if Polly was selected in the Vic side, Nick went AA.
Kevin Murray captained WA & went AA.

Yeah Polly played for the Vics

 

[Spuddigger]

He spoke well but I found it really hard to believe him when he said he never once heard Polly get racially abused by any player, staff member, not even anyone in the crowd. Really? Early 60s, when they were still banned from voting and widely considered as savages?

these days sams further right then one nation. latched onto the theory that there's no racism in australia. and too stubborn to admit if he's wrong. no one abused Polly. Lol. shame hes come to that.

I saw somewhere that Polly said he was regulary abused by another WA ruck champion.I couldn,t believe it as they played for their state together.

 

[benji2]

Sam Newman would've been 11 at the time, if that age is correct.

Sam Newman would have been 16 when Polly first came to Geelong, and teammates from 1963-67.

RIP to a great.

On LG-K500 using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Sam Newman would have been 16 when Polly first came to Geelong, and teammates from 1963-67.

RIP to a great.

On LG-K500 using BigFooty.com mobile app

Sam was team mates the year after the 1963 flag. I remember a story on Sam 10-15 years ago and seeing footage of Bobby Davis being interviewed down at Kardinia Park months after the premiership and asked about what he has in store for Geelong supporters in 1964 and talks about a very talented 17 year old CHF from Geelong Grammar called John Newman. Pretty sure he didn't play regularly for underage teams for Geelong as he would have had to play for the school.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Sam Newman would have been 16 when Polly first came to Geelong, and teammates from 1963-67.

RIP to a great.

On LG-K500 using BigFooty.com mobile app

haha found part of that interview I mentioned in my previous post. Davis spoke for maybe 30 seconds longer about Newman that is in this clip.

 

[Kwality]

He spoke well but I found it really hard to believe him when he said he never once heard Polly get racially abused by any player, staff member, not even anyone in the crowd. Really? Early 60s, when they were still banned from voting and widely considered as savages?

these days sams further right then one nation. latched onto the theory that there's no racism in australia. and too stubborn to admit if he's wrong. no one abused Polly. Lol. shame hes come to that.

Heard some in the WAFL days , but things people get offended about these days didnt draw any comment then.
You need to understand there were 3 x other indigenous guys at East Perth at the time, all good footballers.
The stuff in the crowd & over the fence peaked for me in the 80s particularly at Jimmy Krakouer both in the WAFL & the VFL and Chris Lewis of the Eagles.

Think you are gilding the lily claiming what Newman said amounts to no racism in Aus, he didnt say that, whats your game?

 

[Farang83150]

Doncan played for Wickepin and Cabes for Narrogin, Cabes was an East Perth fan. Imagine having him and Doncan in the same side.

You sure about that...