Almanac Country Footy: The GOAT of Gippsland
There’s something powerful about the word ‘ours’. I live in Traralgon, but I still feel a sense of local pride when some poor forsaken soul who has to endure a life lived in Melbourne, Sydney or the French Riviera waxes bold about the beauty of our region. Lakes Entrance? Ours. And they are our fairy penguins storming our beaches at Philip Island. The word “ours” is tribal. It speaks to an ‘us’.
In 1993, our Gippsland Power joined the nascent Victorian Under Eighteen Football League, then known as the TAC Cup. Over the last thirty years, many of our boys have used their time at the Power as a springboard into the AFL. The good people at Gippslandia have invited me to consider creating a first eighteen team based on not just these last thirty years but prior to this as well. Imagine this Power team of my making taking to a field of dreams together as one? Could the old Melbourne suburbs of Fitzroy or Richmond create a team that betters it? How would other regional districts in the state go – Ballarat? Bendigo? Unapologetically biased, I think our boys here would take some beating.
Putting together a team like this is a hubristic exercise that is a recipe for raised eyebrows. People either love or loathe these types of circular ‘Greatest Of All Time’ (GOAT) discussions. I’m on a hiding to nothing. Who is the best of Nadal, Djokovic or Federer? How do you compare their deeds to Laver’s historic ones? What of Borg? Whose premature retirement means his greatness will always be seen through the lens of what could have been.
I started my planning with some social media research, asking the question on a Gippsland Facebook page for names that may be worthy of inclusion. The page was so overwhelmed with nominations that it manually closed down responses after a day. Parochial pride of residents from places like Fish Creek, Lucknow, Yinnar and Bairnsdale became feverish as they extoled the vurtues of their town’s favourite sons.
A lot of my selections is gut feel. There are Brownlow, Coleman and Norm Smith medallists as well as one Gary Ablett Snr, perhaps footballs’ individual GOAT. Despite some impressive resumes this was not a statistical exercise but an aesthetic or poetic one. I want to watch a team with Barry Round, who would be my choice as captain, taking the centre bounce and finding Scott Pendelbury who delivers it lace out to the princely Bernie ‘Superboot’ Quinlan whose seventy metre drop punt soars through the goals.
Some of these players are widely associated with our region – there’s a Roughead Street in Leongatha and up until very recently when the business was sold to Brown and Wigg, one could purchase their livestock needs from Jack Scott and Sons. There are also some whose Gippsland connection may not be as well known, Queensland champion Michael Voss was born in Traralgon and lived his early years in Orbost. The first ever Brownlow Medallist in 1926, Carji Greeves came from Warragul.
My selection methodology has faults. There is clearly recency bias, probably a slight preference for players with Latrobe Valley connections and deferential respect to any player whose name and deeds have echoed for generations after they played – like Greeves and Phonse Kyne. Darren ‘Doc’ Wheildon and Alex Ruscuklic may not have earned a spot were it not for my personal penchant for Fitzroy. Stratford’s Bill Young was my dad’s childhood hero – that’s reason enough for me to find a spot for him.
It’s worth doing some research on the names you know and the names you’ve never heard of. There are a couple of players listed who are perhaps there to fill a spot and based on future promise and some champion utilities playing out of position. Roll your eyes at my choices, scratch your head in wonder. Maybe even come up with your own team.
There are some incredible stories here. Champions all.
FB: Gary Ayres (Hawthorn), Ben McKay (North Melbourne), Bob Murphy (Western Bulldogs)
HB: Michael Tuck (Hawthorn), Neil Cordy (Footscray/Sydney), Brendan Goddard (St. Kilda/Essendon)
C: Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood), Brian Royal (Footscray), Dyson Heppell (Essendon),
HF: Jarryd Roughead (Hawthorn), Bernie Quinlan (Footscray/Fitzroy), Gary Ablett (Hawthorn/Geelong)
F: Bill Young (St. Kilda), Kelvin Templeton (Footscray/Melbourne), Darren Wheildon (Fitzroy)
Foll: Barry Round (Footscray/Sydney), Michael Voss (Brisbane), Carji Greeves (Geelong)
Interchange: Jack Scott (Richmond), Alex Ruscuklic (Fitzroy/Carlton),
Coach: Phonse Kyne (Collingwood)
You can read more from Shane Reid Here.
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About Shane Reid
Loving life as a husband, dad and teacher. I'm trying to develop enough skill as a writer so that one day Doc Wheildon's Newborough, Bernie Quinlan's Traralgon and Mick Conlon's 86 Elimination final goal will be considered contemporaneous with Twain's Mississippi, Hemingway's Cuba, Beethoven's 9th and Coltrane's Love Supreme.
That’s a seriously talented team Shane. Physically powerful, loaded with footy IQ and a couple of freaks in Doc and Ablett. Hard to beat, especially on a heavy deck. You’ve nailed it. Cheers
Big fan! (I suspect you knew I would be)
In addition to Roughead Street etc (Jarryd was born in the same month as this Jarrod, and our mums were nurses who went on maternity leave from the same hospital at the same time!) you can add Lovett House from Wonthaggi Secondary College – named after Dees Hall of Famer, State of Origin rep and 200 gamer Brett.
Any side that leaves out Scott Lee and Rudi Mandemaker must be good.
Swish- ditto Wayne ‘The Weed’ Weidemann. 68 of the finest games!
Seriously, Shane that’s an insanely good side.
Excellent! But no room for Geoff Ablett or Daisy Thomas? Cheers, from Drouin
Thanks for weighing in everyone. I reckon I hit send far too quickly of my draft of this piece and team, Rick Kennedy (who is actually a second cousin of mine) should have been a lock at Full Back. In hindsight, I’d move Ben McKay to the bench as a back up key position player and the face of the future – he could swap with his brother and who’d know!
Ian, thank you – I’m not sure many would have gone with Doc apart from me. Gippsland has had incredible forward line riches, there’s a few good options to kick to in my forward line so I figured I could take a punt on the mercurial Doc. Ablett was obviously one of the first names pencilled in, it takes some pretty good KPF to move the incredible Roughead to a flank.
JL – I figured you’d add some intel I wasn’t aware of, thanks mate. I’d love to see you have a go at a team from our region too.
Thanks Swish – I had to look those names up! I do remember the Weed though Mickey. For those who know the Saturday Night Live sketch, Christopher Walken and Will Ferrell suggested my team needed more cowbell!
Rick, both are definite oversights. Can I have a bigger bench and list some emergencies!!
Thanks all, I loved and hated this task in equal proportion.
What about Shane Loveless, Shane? One of the best players to have come from Sale, who played until 46 years of age, turning out for 16 clubs, kicking over 2,000.00 goals, 7 times recording a century in a season, twice kicking 25 goals in a match. Not a bad track record.
He had a brief VFL career with Footscray. This includes a purple match in mid 1980 when he kicked 15 goals in a fortnight in Footscray’s victories over Fitzroy, then South Melbourne ( does any body remember them?). He also got a bag of 8 against Hawthorn a few weeks later.
No, he didn’t have a long or spectacular career at the highest level but his longevity, and durability are certainly worth noting.
Glen!
Mighty team Shane! Great work. Imagine trying to get a touch in that forward line amongst Superboot, Kelvin, Roughie and God. I reckon the Doc would be content to just sit in the pocket and have a dart.
Shane – I have spoken with the selectors and have had to make some serious changes>
Out: Tuck (ineligible) Heppell, Roughead, B.McKay, Young, Whieldon, E.Greeves (all omitted)
IN: Brett Lovett (IK) , Peter Knights (LW) Geoff Collins (Y’lln) David Wojcinski (Hey), Tom Alvin (Bdale), Garry Crane (Y’lln) ,Geoff Ablett(Dr)
My well-balanced team (note well balanced),
Backs: G. Ayres(Haw) Neil Cordy (F’cray) Brett Lovett (Melb)
H.Backs: Geoff Collins (Melb) Peter Knights (Haw) David Wojcinski (Gee)
Centres: Geoff Ablett (Haw) Rob Murphy (F’cray) Tom Alvin (Car)
Half F’wds: Brendon Goddard (St,K) Bernie Quinlan Fitz) Gary Crane (Car)
Forwards: Gary Ablett (Gee) Kelvin Templeton (F’cray) Scott Pendlebury (Coll)
Ruck: Barry Round (SM) Michael Voss (Bris) Brian Royal (Foots)
19th: John Shelton (St.Kil) Barry Bourke (NNS)
Umpire: Matt Stevic (Leongatha)
No correspondence will be entered into! There is no such thing as G-O-A-T (ban it!)
IK = Inverloch Kongwak
LW = Longwarry
Y’lLLN = Yallourn
HEY = Heyfield
B’DALE = Bairnsdale
DR = Drouin
NNS = Neerim-Neerim-South
Note: JOHN SHELTON is from KooWeeRup and BARRY BOURKE played with Melbourne
10 in premiership teams. Brownlow (3) 2 clubs or more (7)