A Season in the Country – 1975 in the Wimmera and Farrer Leagues: Episode 4

 

Lockhart Football Ground

 

 

Episode 4                  Running at Stawell        

 

Featuring Stawell captain coach Greg Perry

 

The Wimmera League

 

                                              


Redlegs                       v                             Blues

 

 

Match of the day: Stawell v Minyip

Saturday 10 May 1975

At Central Park, Stawell

 

 

Synonymous with the annual ‘Easter Gift’, first held in 1878, Central Park in Stawell is a haven for athletes from far and wide to compete in Australia’s premier professional footrace.

 

 

Action from Central Park, Stawell in days gone by
(source: Sporting Globe 5 April 1939)

 

 

 

 

   

And today, 2022 winners Harrison Kerr and Carla Bull with the historic grandstand in the background

 

Readers, have you been to Stawell? My first and only visit was in 1967 as we drove from Victor Harbour to Melbourne on the way home from a family holiday in South Australia. On the morning after our overnight stop at Warracknabeal we drove on towards Melbourne, when unannounced Dad stopped the car in the middle of the highway at Stawell, got out and proceeded to run a few yards down the roadway… What are you doing Dad? we thought but were too shocked to ask. “ I’m running at Stawell” he replied with a big smile on his face. For him it was a young man’s ambition ‘achieved’.

 

 

The old gold mining town of Stawell’s has other attractions. It serves as a gateway to the nearby Grampians National Park. The volcanic Grampians Mountains, which rise majestically from the Wimmera plains, draw bushwalkers, climbers and lovers of nature from all over Australia.

 

 

The Footballer: official organ of the Wimmera League

 

 

The match between the Redlegs and the Blues was predicted to be the closest of the round. The Wimmera Mail-Times tipped Stawell to win an even contest because of the dominance of their “indestructible” centre half forward Terry Carr. Coming into the match, both teams were on the verge of the top five.

 

 

The teams

 

Stawell

 

B:         P. Rathberger, A. Poyner, B. Dowdell

HB:      Thomas, S. Stewart, T. Croton

C:         S. Rickard, R. Jackson, J. Jones

HF:      I. Brilliant, T. Carr, R. Morrish

F:         Chris Perry, B. Evans, A. Thomas

Foll:     Greg Perry (c), C. Robson

Rov:     C. Gent

Res:     I. Sibson, S. Newton

 

 

Minyip

 

 

B:         P. Wood, D. Petering, G. Liersch

HB:      B. Wilson, G. Ubergang, R. Clarke

C:         N. Goodgame, K. Schurmann, W. Gaskell

HF:      A. Habel, A. Niewand, W. Webber

F:         W. Coxall, W. McGrath (c), P. Niewand

Foll:     P. Wood, L. Power

Rov:     G. Jelly

Res:     M. Parsons, S. Boschen

 

 

Minyip was well in the contest early and enjoyed a narrow lead at the first change, however after quarter time it was one-way traffic as Stawell piled on 14 goals to Minyip’s meagre addition of four. As predicted in the press, Terry Carr led the way for the Redlegs with four goals. The ease of Stawell’s win was largely due to a very weak performance from Minyip who only had a handful of players willing to pull their weight. Among them was veteran Wimmera League champion and 1975 co-coach Bill McGrath. We will catch up with Bill McGrath in episode 8.

 

Stawell was well led by ruckmen Greg and Chris Perry, small forward Ian Brilliant and former Horsham defender Bob Dowdell. Key forward Terry Carr put in another dominant performance for the Redlegs.

 

It was not going to get any easier for Minyip in round five with their opponents, ladder-leaders Jeparit, in top flight. Stawell had a more appealing match against the winless Nhill.

 

Final scores:            Stawell 15.21 (111) defeated Minyip 6.8 (44)

 

Around the Wimmera League grounds

 

Ladder-leaders Murtoa made it five from five, defeating Dimboola by 37 points at Dimboola Park after coming home with eight goals to two in the second half. The home side bolted out of the blocks with seven first quarter goals, but were halted in their tracks after full forward Richard Kalms left the ground at half time with a leg injury. The young Rupanyup team pushed Warracknabeal for most of the afternoon, but fell short by 29 points. Jeparit outclassed Ararat at Menzies Park, while Horsham had a percentage-boosting 85 point win over Nhill.

 

The Wimmera League was one of the first country competitions to introduce a final five system. Although only ten clubs participated in the league at the time, a final five system was adopted (based on the McIntyre Final Five System introduced by the VFL in 1972). The final five model gave Wimmera League clubs a theoretical 50-50 chance of making the finals and was a boost to September gate takings.

 

 

Next week in the Wimmera League:

 

Ararat v Rupanyup, Warracknabeal v Dimboola, Jeparit v Minyip, Horsham v Murtoa, Stawell v Nhill

 

Farrer League

 

Roundup

 

Collingullie got home against Mangoplah-Cookardinia United in a thriller; Henty had a close call against a stubborn Culcairn; Holbrook’s atrocious kicking cost them victory against Wagga; The Rock-Yerong Creek enjoyed a good win over Lockhart; and Temora shocked North Wagga.

 

Next week:

 

In the battle of the ‘combines’, MCU play TY-YC, Lockhart are at home to Holbrook, Wagga host Henty, Temora meet Collingullie and Culcairn take on North Wagga in our match of the round. In next week’s episode we will shine the spotlight on MCU’s captain coach Graham ‘Curly’ Ion. We will also meet a Culcairn legend – a player whose career spanned three complete decades and over 600 games. Look forward to meeting Henry ‘Splinter’ Liston.

 

 

This episode’s featured player: Greg Perry (Stawell)

 

(Source: Wimmera Mail-Times)

 

 

Stawell Ruckman Greg Perry was scouted by Essendon and made his first appearance for the Bombers in 1970. He experienced a disjointed VFL career  having three separate stints with the Bombers (1970, 1972-74 and 1976). In 1971 he was in Vietnam with the Australian army as a National Serviceman where he played in the Vietnam Football League along with former Essendon player Bill Thompson. In 1975 Greg spent a season back in the country at Stawell. Across the five seasons with Essendon he played 63 senior games and kicked 38 goals. One of his best performances for Essendon was a four goal effort against Footscray in 1973.

 

When Perry returned to Stawell in 1975 to captain coach his hometown club, he took on the mission of lifting the Redlegs into the finals from the seventh place they finished the season before. His return to the Wimmera provided an opportunity to play with his younger brother Chris who also played in the ruck. Chris later joined Collingwood where he played 27 games (1976-1980). Greg Perry’s assignment at Stawell was achieved although the Redlegs fell short on grand final day 1975 against Ararat.

 

He ventured back to Windy Hill in 1976 but only played three games before a knee injury halted his VFL career.

 

 

In the VFL round six winners were Carlton, Richmond, Geelong, St. Kilda, North Melbourne and Melbourne. The highlights of the round were: a victory by the Blues who prevented Hawthorn from achieving club history by winning its first six games; the rise of Peter ‘Crackers’ Keenan who finally made Demons supporters smile as he tore into the contest over a disappointing and demoralised South Melbourne; and the first win of the season by the Cats, as they downed the Bombers by nine points at Windy Hill.

 

North Melbourne backed up their first win of the season with a thumping win over Footscray, but earned the ire of coach Ron Barassi after relaxing in the third quarter. ‘Mopsy’ Rantall was best on ground for the Shinboners, while Benalla boy Gary Cowton showed his value with three goals. With the win North climbed to tenth on the ladder and looked forward to the trek to VFL Park to play Collingwood in round seven.

 

 

Meanwhile …

 

Prime Minister Gough Whitlam returned from his visit to the Americas taking the reins back from his deputy Dr Jim Cairns.

 

Medibank, the Federal Government’s health insurance initiative, was ready to be rolled out.

 

In Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge moved in to take control of the capital Phnom Penh as thousands of the city’s residents fled or were forcibly evacuated.

 

 

Read more episodes of A Season in the Country – 1975 in the Wimmera and Farrer Leagues HERE 

 

 

To read about Geelong’s Record Run, click HERE.

 

 

Peter also wrote about St. Kilda’s premiership season in his 1966 and All That series. You can read that HERE.

 

 

To return to our Footy Almanac home page click HERE.

 

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Comments

  1. Riverina Rocket says

    So good when the little towns and villages knock off the big towns!
    Gladdens my heart.

    Jeparit having a good win over Ararat at RG Menzies Park!

    Actually the little joints punched well above their weight for many years in the Wimmera league.

    Looking forward to the Curly Ion story!
    A real character.

  2. Ta Peter.

    I recall Greg Perry as someone who had his VFL career disrupted by the Vietnam War. There were a few ‘Bombers’ from Windy Hill called up. The following article mentions Greg and his colleagues.

    https://www.footyalmanac.com.au/vfl-and-the-vietnam-war/

    In Geelong’s first win of the 1975 season another Vietnam ‘Vet’ was in action, Geelong’s Wayne Closter.

    How bad was Holbrook’s atrocious kicking?

    Glen!

  3. Peter Clark says

    Thanks for your contribution Glen.
    Your 2013 post on Vietnam and footballers certainly drew some strong responses. Well done!

    As for Holbrook’s kicking … bad kicking is bad football!!

    Peter

  4. Thanks once again, Peter.
    Enjoyable reading.
    Cheers

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