Almanac Footy: ‘A History of Australian Rules Football in Woomera 1948 to 1992’ – Part 5: 1962-1963

David ‘Dick’ Turpin  is a Brisbane friend of Almanacker Allan Barden. During the late 60s early 70s David spent a few years working in Woomera when it was quite a thriving community.

David has researched and written a history of footy in Woomera from the years 1948 to 1992.

The Footy Almanac will publish David’s extensive history over a number of weeks. 

Dick has also completed a history of Woomera water polo. 

 

1962

 

In 1949, an 18-year-old Ray Whitaker of the Port Adelaide Senior Colts side won the Tomkins medal for the best player in the Colts league by scoring 31 votes out of a possible 33 votes in 11 matches.

 

He played three senior matches for Port Adelaide in the SANFL late in the year and scored 8 votes out of a possible 9 votes in the Magarey Medal count. This was a remarkable achievement as Ron Phillips of North Adelaide won the medal with 18 votes and he played a full season of senior football.

 

Ray played senior football from then on and was a member of the SANFL State team each year from 1950 to 1953, including two Carnival teams in 1950 and 1953; won Port Adelaide Best & Fairest in 1952; and was Port Adelaide’s leading goalkicker in 1953.

 

Despite all these achievements, in 1954 Ray requested and was granted a clearance to captain/coach Kybybolite in the Kowree-Naracoorte League. Here he won five Mail Medals, four with Kybybolite in 1954, 1955, 1956, and 1957, and one with Lucindale in 1959. He was also runner-up in 1960.

 

In 1961 it is thought he played for Risdon in the Spencer Gulf League and in 1962 he arrived in Woomera where he was employed by the Department of Works.

 

In 1962 Koolymilka again joined the League making it a five-team competition comprising Centrals, Koolymilka, RAAF, Village, and Works.

 

It is not known who was appointed Central’s coach but after a few matches he was forced to resign due to ill health and Fred Brown was appointed coach for the rest of the year.

 

Koolymilka appointed Vic Savill as coach. Vic was a tough and hard-as-nails ruckman.

 

RAAF appointed as coach Des Doran, the leading goalkicker in 1961 with Village. RAAF also decided to change colours and adopted the St Kilda colours from the VFL.

 

Village reappointed Gil Smith as coach.

 

Not surprisingly Works appointed Ray Whitaker as coach.

 

In the Area & Mail medal count the result was reversed from the previous year. Colin “Bluey” Waller won with 17 votes; second was Ken Rau from Centrals with 11 votes.

 

Bluey Waller was a Sergeant in the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RAEME) group attached to the Army Guided Weapons Trials Unit (AGWTU) based at Woomera. Bluey was also an above-average Rugby League player and starred in the Rugby League grand final when Army won the 1962 flag. In the summer months he turned his attention to tennis and cricket where his abilities won him the batting aggregate and bowling average trophies.

 

He must be rated as one of the finest all-round sportsmen ever to have lived in Woomera plus he was a real gentleman and very fair in the way he played the game. He passed away unexpectedly at the relatively young age of 40 in 1977. He is buried at the Pinnaroo Lawn Cemetery in Brisbane.

 

Not surprisingly Works went through the season undefeated and along the way set several records:

 

• Roland Hollow kicked a league record 21.7 in a match.
• Works kicked the highest-ever score of 48.43 in a match.
• Works were undefeated for the second time, the first being in 1958. They were the only team in the competition to achieve this feat at that time.
• Works had the top 3 goalkickers in the competition Ray Simpson, Roland Hollow, and Ken Smith.

 

Unfortunately, Roland Hollow was injured late in the season and did not play in the winning grand final team.

 

Points at the end of the minor round were Works 30, RAAF 22, Village 18, Centrals 14, and Koolymilka 6.

 

Team	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts
Works	12	3	0		1747	524	76.93	30
RAAF	8	3	4		1151	777	59.70	22
Village	6	3	6		1201	662	64.47	18
Centrals	4	3	8		818	1077	43.17	14
Koolymilka	0	3	12		271	2138	11.25	6

 

Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
1st Semi	Centrals	10	13	73	Village	8	16	64
2nd Semi	Works	15	20	110	RAAF	5	8	38
Preliminary	Centrals	13	10	60	RAAF	11	5	71
Grand	Works	16	19	115	Centrals	7	8	50

 

Grand Final: Works defeated Centrals 16.15 (115) to 7.8 (50).

Premiership Coach: Ray Whitaker. Premiership Captain: Ray Whitaker.

Best in Grand Final: Neil Williams – Works.

League Best & Fairest – Area & Mail Medals: 1^st Colin “Bluey” Waller – Village 17,

2^nd Ken Rau – Centrals 11, 3^rd Malcolm Starr – Works 10.

Leading Goalkickers: =1^st Ray Simpson – Works 38, =1^st Roland Hollow – Works 38, 3^rd Ken Smith – Works 36.

Life Membership: H R “Dick” Zehender (RIP).

League President: L Thiels. League Secretary: S Riley/W C “Bill” Mole.

 

Figure 9 Ray Whitaker – Works Captain/Coach 1962, 1964 & 1965

 

1962 WJFL

 

In 1962 there were enough boys interested in Aussie Rules to enable a fourth junior team, the Eagles, to be formed.

 

The table at the end of the minor rounds showed the Roosters as minor premiers.

Team	Played	Wins	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts
Roosters	9	7	1	1	401	188	68.08	15
Demons	9	6	3	0	380	318	54.41	12
Magpies	9	3	5	1	276	313	46.86	7
Eagles	9	1	8	0	243	477	33.75	2

 

 

 

The major rounds resulted in a premiership for the Rooster.

Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
1st Semi	Magpies			Def.	Eagles
2nd Semi	Roosters	9	5	59	Demons	4	8	32
Preliminary	Magpies	3	12	30	Demons	3	3	21
Grand	Roosters	8	7	55	Magpies	4	3	27

 

 

 

Premiership Coach: Graeme “Dasher” Smart. Premiership Captain: David Shales.

 

This is probably a good time to mention Graeme “Dasher” Smart. He played for Village for several years and was a member of their 1961 premiership side. He was also big on helping the club in off-field activities such as looking after the jumpers, first aid kits, hosting after-game events, etc. He was awarded life membership of the Village Football Club in 1964 and in 1965 he left Woomera to take up a position as head of security at the Portland Meat Works in Victoria.

 

I thought that would be the last I would ever hear of Graeme until in 1996 I read that a Graeme Smart the property steward at the Brisbane Bears had been granted one of only two life memberships, the other being player and captain Roger Merrett. The next season the Bears amalgamated with the Fitzroy Lions to become the Brisbane Lions and at the first home game of the 1997 season I took notice of the chap who erected the advertising banner around the playing group at ¾ time. Although he walked with a limp it sure looked like the Graeme I knew from Woomera.

 

A few months later I was in the Brisbane Lions social club on a weekday and said to one of the office staff ‘Is Graeme Smart around?’ She replied that ‘he was out in the delivery van but she would get him on the radio.’ I spoke to Graeme over the two-way and told him I had played for the Roosters in Woomera when a Graeme Smart was coach and asked ‘if he was the same Graeme Smart?’

 

He was back in the club in a flash and we had a good chat for about an hour.

 

He told me that before he joined the Bears in their formation year, he had become mixed up with the Morningside Football Club in the Queensland State League and had achieved life membership there as well.

 

Thus, we had a chap who through his dedication to Australian Rules Football was a life member of a club in a country town, Village; life member of a club in a state league, Morningside; and finally, a life member of a club in a national league, The Brisbane Bears. I would think this is probably a unique feat in Australian Rules.

 

Graeme also told me some interesting stories about Christopher Skase who was the owner of the Brisbane Bears at one stage e.g. Every Friday he would go to the building where Skase operated, go up to his office on the 37^th floor, and collect the payroll for the players. This was always in cash and would be 40 or 50 thousand dollars. Interesting times indeed!

 

 

1963

 

The teams for this year were Centrals, Koolymilka, RAAF, Village and Works.

 

Coaches appointed were Centrals – Peter Holness, Koolymilka – Vic Saville, Village – Rodger Stringer, and Works – Allen Grindley.

 

Peter Holness had built a good reputation around the Gawler/Elizabeth areas.

 

Rodger Stringer has played football in Woomera since 1952 and whilst he had slowed down, he still had the footy nous.

 

Allen Grindley was a well-known Woomera sportsperson who had recently won the cricket batting averages with an average of 112. He was also a good fast bowler and all-rounder.

 

A highlight of the season was Ken Rau, the Central’s star centreman, playing a game at full-forward and kicking 14 goals.

 

During the year 3 juniors Bob Roper, Terry Beckman, and Terry Green graduated to senior ranks. The move by the League to foster a junior competition was beginning to pay off.

 

In the Area and Mail medal count RAAF allrounder Bob Anderson won with 21 votes from teammate Dennis Horgan with 14 votes. Works ruckman Michael Daly was third with 12 votes.

 

Bob as a schoolboy had lived in Woomera in the early 50s when his father was Commanding Officer of No. 1 Air Trial Unit (1 ATU). At that time, he had played for Village before he left to join the RAAF. Earlier in 1963, he won the best and fairest in the water polo competition. He was another good all-round sportsman.

 

Points at the end of the minor round were Centrals 26, Village 24, Works 22 RAAF 12, and Koolymilka 6. Eventually, Village won the title with their centre-half back Geoff Dyke being Best on Ground in the grand final. In 1964 and 1965 he played 3 league games and 27 reserve games for Norwood in the SANFL.

 

Works ruckman Mick Daly also left Woomera at the end of 1963 as he wished to play for Central Districts in their first season in A grade in the SANFL.

Team	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts
Centrals	10	3	2		1212	597	67.00	26
Village	9	3	3		1231	587	67.71	24
Works	8	3	4		1180	567	67.54	22
RAAF	3	3	9		508	1102	31.55	12
Koolymilka	0	3	12		319	1832	14.83	6

 

Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
1st Semi	Works	18	13	121	RAAF	2	3	15
2nd Semi	Centrals	15	8	98	Village	5	15	45
Preliminary	Village	12	8	80	Works	10	16	76
Grand	Village	14	12	96	Centrals	4	5	29

 

 

 

Grand Final: Village defeated Centrals 14.12 (96) to 4.5 (29).

 

Premiership Coach: Rodger Stringer. Premiership Captain: Rodger Stringer.

 

Best in Grand Final: Geoff Dyke – Village, Fred Jurgens – Centrals.

 

League Best & Fairest – Area & Mail Medals: 1^st Robbie Anderson – RAAF 21,

 

2^nd Dennis Horgan – RAAF 14, 3^rd Mick Daly – Works 12.

 

Leading Goalkickers: 1^st Jeff Cason – Centrals 35.

 

Life Membership: Denny Scott (RIP), William “Bill” Leverington (RIP).

 

League President: William “Bill” Leverington (RIP). League Secretary: W C “Bill” Mole (RIP).

 

 

 

1963 WJFL

 

Team details for this year were:

 

• Magpies – Coach Bill McFarlane – Captain Kim McFarlane.
• Roosters – Coach Dasher Smart – Captain Steve Wright.
• Demons – Coach Neil Jenkins – Captain Brian Dempsey.
• Eagles – Coach E Morris – Captain Ian Beckman.

 

The table at the end of the minor round showed the Magpies as minor premiers.

Team	Played	Wins	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts
Magpies	9	7	2	0	439	219	66.7	14
Roosters	9	5	4	0	395	227	63.4	10
Demons	9	5	4	0	301	254	54.2	10
Eagles	9	1	8	0	170	611	21.8	2

 

 

The major rounds resulted in a premiership for the Magpies.

Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
1st Semi	Demons	10	8	68	Eagles	2	4	16
2nd Semi	Magpies	6	12	48	Roosters	4	7	31
Preliminary	Demons	7	5	41	Roosters	4	3	21
Grand	Magpies	4	10	34	Demons	3	6	24

 

 

 

Premiership Coach: Bill McFarlane. Premiership Captain: Kim McFarlane.

 

Best in Grand Final: Kim McFarlane – Magpies, Tim Biles – Demons.

 

In 1963 the League decided to introduce a WJFL Best and Fairest. It was won by Steve Wright of the Roosters with runner-up Brian Dempsey of the Demons.

 

The League was also conscious of not awarding more than one trophy to a player and awarded a further 8 trophies to each team i.e., a total of 34 trophies were awarded to 34 recipients.

 

 

Part 1 can be read Here,  Part 2 Here,  Part 3 Here

Part 4 Here

 

 

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