A Season in the Country: 1975 in the Wimmera and Farrer Leagues – Episode 7

 

 

Lockhart Football Ground

 

 

Episode 7                  Lockhart win heart stopper

 

Featuring Lockhart’s Jeff Nimmo

 

The Farrer League

                             

 

 

     Bulldogs                                    v                                      Tigers

 

 

Match of the day: Lockhart v Wagga

Saturday 31st May 1975

At Lockhart (see a photo of the ground above)

 

Riverina town Lockhart, once known as Green’s Gunyah, is a gem set in a vast wheat- sheep farming landscape. Viewed from nearby Galore Hill (379m above sea level) in spring, the rural landscape is a patchwork panorama of green and gold stretching eastwards towards The Rock and westwards to the Riverine plains. As canola fields flower and the wheat crops start to head, it is time for that other spring event to unfold, as the football finals begin. Back in town, the National Trust listed main street is a reminder of turn-of-the-century architecture. Sculptures now adorn the streetscapes of Lockhart proudly reflecting the history of the district.

 

The towns of the Riverina are characterised by their cement grain silos and railway crossings, verandah-clad main streets, red, silver or green galvanised iron roofed houses, peppercorn trees and the Aussie Rules football ground, often situated where the settlement merges with the surrounding farmland alongside a main road or railway line. Such is the scene at Lockhart.

 

Lockhart was as far west as the Farrer League extended in the 1970s. Currently the club (now known as the Demons) participates in the Hume League, which holds the towns and villages southwards towards Albury. Lockhart has won seven premierships over its 124 year history: two when it was a member of The Rock and District Association; one in the Milbrulong and District League; one in the Central Riverina League; one in the Farrer League and two since joining the Hume League in 1982.

 

 

The teams

 

Lockhart

 

B:         R. Carter, B. Love, R. Stevens

HB:      T. Carter, C. Carroll, G. Knight

C:         M. Conlon, J. Nimmo, K. Bender

HF:      T. Wooden, N. Hagan, A. Dowdle

F:         T. Gooden, R. Campbell, L. Knight

Foll:     R. Haberecht, S. Goodwin (c)

Rov:     P. Wooden

 

 

Wagga

 

B:         P. Friedleib, A. Parr, J. Lipp

HB:      P. Ponting, I. Inglis, M. Briggs

C:         R. Wilson, P. Power, B. Baker

HF:      B. Rowe, G. Colvin, I. Gilmour

F:         B. McElhinney, G. Sheather, D. Smith

Foll:     P. Osbeiston, D. Priest (c)

Rov:     R. Hodges

Res:     C. Rava, A. Snowden

 

 

Lockhart registered an outstanding victory over Wagga and showed their resilience in overcoming the late loss of one of their stars, Norm Hagan. The poor goal kicking of hot favourites Wagga Tigers cost them the match. But all praise went to the Bulldogs and in particular to their two driving forces, centreman Jeff Nimmo and captain coach Steve Goodwin. Nimmo registered over 40 kicks and ruck rover Goodwin booted six goals for the winners. That tally took Goodwin to 32 goals for the season, in third place behind Garry Mickan (Henty) second, with 42, and Greg Sheather (Wagga) who led with 43.

 

 

Final scores: Lockhart 17.14 (116) defeated Wagga 15.23 (113)

 

Around the Farrer League grounds

 

North Wagga overcame The Rock-Yerong Creek, home side Temora took the points against Holbrook, while Mangoplah-Cookardinia narrowly defeated Henty. Collingullie were one point winners over luckless Culcairn after rover Colin Hounsell booted a goal in the final minute of play. Hounsell, our featured player in episode 18, was soon to pack his bags for South Melbourne.

 

 

Next week in the Farrer League:

 

Wagga v MCU, Lockhart v Culcairn, Henty v Temora, Holbrook v North Wagga, TR-YC v Collingullie.

 

Wimmera League

 

Roundup

 

Former Hawthorn utility player Peter Chilton guided Jeparit (the ‘Redbacks’) to an 11 point win over Horsham. In other matches: Ararat proved too strong for Warracknabeal; Stawell outshone Murtoa; Rupanyup celebrated their first (and only) win of the season, downing Nhill by four points; and Dimboola made the trip to Minyip rewarding with a six point win.

 

Next week:

 

Ararat take on Murtoa, Warracknabeal host Minyip in our match of the day, Dimboola meet neighbours Nhill, Rupanyup play Horsham at home and Jeparit journey to Stawell.

 

Next episode’s featured player is Wimmera League legend Bill McGrath (Minyip).

 

 This episode’s featured player: Jeff Nimmo (Lockhart)

 

 

 

South Melbourne gave opportunities for several young Farrer League stars to trial with the club in 1975. Jeff Nimmo (Lockhart), Billy Burgess and Colin Hounsell (Collingullie) all ventured to the Lake Oval to test their mettle and show their skills in the VFL environment. Of the three young talents, only Hounsell would get a senior guernsey and remain with the Swans.

 

The dynamic centreman Nimmo had already won two Farrer League best and fairest awards (Baz medals) by 1975 and was well on his way to another when he got the call from South to come and have a trial in June of that year. A week later he was back with the Bulldogs helping his side climb the ladder and continue the excellent form that was to lead him to a third Baz Medal.

 

Jeff captain coached Lockhart in 1976 and also represented NSW and the Farrer League with distinction. He later contributed to football in the Riverina through his work with the NSW-ACT Australian Football Development Foundation.

 

 

 

In the VFL Carlton kicked another big score (16.19 – 115) and easily accounted for the faltering Tigers. Collingwood got home in a close one against St. Kilda, while Melbourne defeated Fitzroy in a high scoring contest. Hawthorn outclassed Footscray and in the ‘battle of the bottom’, South Melbourne encountered no difficulty in defeating Geelong. North’s big test against Essendon at VFL Park proved beyond them as they sank to a 15 point defeat. With just three wins after nine rounds the Kangaroos looked anything but potential 1975 premiers. But two country boys, half back flanker Ross Henshaw (from North Albury) and Gary Cowton (Benalla) would have escaped the ire of coach Ron Barassi after their faultless, never-say-die performances. However, Barassi was fined $100 by the VFL Tribunal for “screaming” at field umpire Mike Henry.

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile …

 

In a move that sent shocks through the ALP, Defence Minister Lance Barnard was on the verge of accepting a posting as ambassador to Sweden. His resignation would precipitate a by-election in the Tasmanian seat of Bass held by Labor on a 4% margin.

 

Melbourne had experienced its driest summer-autumn periods for 19 years, with only 190 mm recorded in the previous six months.

 

Ampol and the ACTU entered an agreement for the oil company to refine Australian crude oil for the union giant allowing it to enter the cut-price fuel market.

 

Sand mining on Fraser Island was about to get under way despite strong opposition from environmental groups and a local progress association.

 

 

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. Thanks again, Peter.

    Was Jeff related to Brad Nimmo (who played at Port Melbourne VFA and had a run with North Melbourne in the early 80’s)?

  2. Thanks again Peter. Lockhart, verandas, the two words fit nicely together.

    It’s a long time since I’ve seen the name Peter Chilton in print. To my memory a medium size player, played wing /flanks, but not around for the 1971 premiership team.

    South Melbourne won easily that day at the Lakeside Oval: how much more would the margin had been if they’d kicked straight? Yes that win was one of their two for the season, both against Geelong. The second year in a row they won down there.

    Glen!
    G’day Smokie. Brad Nimmo was at Coburg, the only time he played at North Melbourne was in a Coburg jumper ( unless I’m having another seniors moment).

  3. Riverina Rocket says

    What an evocative piece about Lockhart!

    Felt I was standing in Green Street looking around me as I munched a Lockhart-baked pie.

    A couple of upsets in the footy.
    Fancy Lockhart beating Tigers!
    And Jeparit knocking off Horsham.!!!

    Lots of familiar names in the Wagga team: Jumping Jack Osbeiston in the ruck, captain-coach Doug Priest, Bev Rowe on a hff, Scatters Sheather at full forward, Pebbles Power in the centre, Rita Colvin at CHF, my old uni coach Peter Ponting on a back flank, and another ex-coach Col Rava as 19th man.

    But out-gunned by the Bulldogs led by Timmy Norgs Gooden!

  4. Glen
    You are correct about Brad Nimmo being a Coburg player – that was an error on my part.
    However, there was a Brad Nimmo who played for North in 1982/83. He played 13 games.
    Same bloke??

  5. G’day Smokie.

    Brad Nimmo played for you blokes in the early 1980’s. He played on the half back line. He then moved over to Coburg.

    He played in two of Coburg’s premierships ( 1988& 1989) if my memory is correct. Coburg had a good team(s) from the late 1970’s into the start of the 1990’s. This was the period the VFA was being swamped by the expansion of the VFL into the AFL, though the VFA still produced good quality football, with reasonable crowds. Memories

    Glen!

  6. Peter Clark says

    Sorry Smokie I can’t find a connection between Brad Nimmo and Jeff.

    Riverina Rocket, why not a Lockhart-baked pie at lunchtime and a Lockhart lamb shank for dinner.

    Glen, your recognition of former players’ names is amazing!

    Next week, we are back in the Wimmera.

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