Almanac Footy: Breen’s Bears
Barry Breen (second left) celebrates North Shore’s 1985 premiership triumph
(Photo courtesy Gerard Dignan)
By Rod Gillett
The banner sign in red and black placed up on the Falcon St exit of the Warringah Expressway announced to the commuters on the north shore that North Shore had won the 1985 Sydney Football League premiership.
It was coach Barry Breen’s first premiership as coach after two grand final losses with Balmain and Norths to the all-conquering East Sydney outfit that dominated the competition in this period winning five consecutive premierships 1980-1984.
However, it was undefeated Campbelltown that North Shore dramatically beat in the grand final after four losses to the Blues during the season including a 75-point drubbing at the SCG on 25 August.
Also, it was Breen’s first taste of premiership success since 1966 when he famously kicked that wobbly punt that bounced through for a point that sealed St Kilda’s historic first, and thus far, only premiership.
Richard Damien Finbar Barry Breen made his debut for St Kilda in 1965 whilst still at school. “Finbar”, as his Saints team-mates called him, played 300 games until his retirement in 1982 which also included the brutal 1971 grand final loss to Hawthorn and three games for Victoria.
After retiring from the VFL, Breen came to Sydney to coach the Balmain Tigers in the SFL in 1983, and never left. “I just love Sydney, it’s got it all. Lifestyle, weather, beaches and fine golf courses” he told me over a coffee in Cammeray on Sydney’s lower north shore recently.
His main preoccupation these days is golf which he plays golf twice a week; he is a former club captain and president at the NSW Golf Club and is currently a Board member of NSW GC Foundation.
And Breen has got history with Sydney’s most famous sporting landmark, the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Breen first played on the SCG in a VFL exhibition match against Carlton in 1968 attended by 22,472 “enthusiastic fans”. The Saints thrashed the eventual premier, 21.12.138 to 11.14.80 with champion St Kilda premiership captain Darrel Baldock turning on “an inspiring exhibition of goal-kicking, ball control and all of the other skills of the code” (NSW ANFL Record 9 June 1968).
“The Doc (Baldock) was the best player ever” declared Breen over our coffee which will brook no argument from this writer.
Breen (6’3’’) played alongside Baldock (5’10’’) on a half-forward flank in the premiership team. Stringbean Ian Cooper on the other half forward flank was 6’2’’. “He never said much, he just led by example, and he was truly inspirational, a wonderful leader” Breen told me.
When Baldock returned to his native Tasmania at the end of the 1968 season Breen inherited his #4 guernsey and the centre-half forward position, a position he would hold until the twilight of his VFL career until moved to full-back by then-coach Alex Jesaulenko.
Breen played at full-back when the Saints next played on the SCG in 1980 against Richmond; it was a most forgettable 152-point thrashing by the eventual premier.
In his final season in 1982 with the Saints, Breen again played full-back at the SCG against the Swans at their new home-ground in round 15; the Swans won by 96 points, 30.19.199 to 15.13.103.
After getting Balmain into their first grand final since 1919, he coached North Shore into three grand finals winning a flag in 1984 when the Bears beat undefeated Campbelltown in a “boilover” but going down to Easts in 1984 and Campbelltown in 1986.
He also played six games for NSW including a stint as captain-coach in 1984.
“It was always a thrill to run out onto the SCG whether it was with St Kilda or Balmain or Norths. I even played for NSW on the SCG. It was a good ground to play footy on”, Breen told me in our interview.
Later, he served the Sydney Swans as CEO in the difficult transformation from VFL ownership to proprietorship by a consortium headed by Mike Willessee from 1988 till 1991, followed by five years at as the AFL general manager in Tasmania.
This provided a far different perspective on the SCG. “It was hard work dealing with the SCG management to get better facilities for the players, to get access to corporate hospitality, and even to get on the ground for training. No pre-season games either because of the cricket. They’d never had a club actually based at the ground so they really didn’t understand all the requirements for a modern-day AFL club” he recalled.
“But gradually we made some progress. A major break-through was getting Swans members into the SCG Members area and the Dennis Carroll Room in the Bradman Stand for pre-match and after-match activities”.
Breen still occasionally goes to Swans games, as well as North Shore games at Gore Hill; when he coached, they were called the “Bears” and played at North Sydney Oval.
He maintains his passion for the Saints, whom he has supported since he was four years old and serves on the Board of the St Kilda Football Club Foundation.
Read more from Rod ‘Rocket’ Gillett HERE.
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Played agst. North Shore during my 2 seasons with the Sydney Uni. club in 1962-63 Rocket Rod. We were the only amateur club in the Sydney comp. and as far as I can recall North Shore was a handy side. Swooper Northey was at Western Suburbs but the toughest bunch of blokes played for Sydney Naval. Got kayoed by a Naval mid one day at Trumper Oval and still got the scar on left side of chin. Was out cold for 30-40 secs. and trainers back in those days not all that skilled. so their assistance, apart from a water bottle, a bit shy of helpful.
An interesting read Rocket.
In Barry Breen, the Saints’ loss was certainly NSW’s and Sydney’s gain.
Thanks for your comments Gents.
RJ, the Sydney has always been a rough-and-tumble affair, more so than in the 50s and 60s so pleased you didn’t miss out. Haha. The bad boys have always gone after the swift running/talking uni boys.
Alas no more Sydney Naval – originally Sydney in 1880 – but went in 1970 – not so many sailors in Sydney – all in Vietnam, and no juniors.
PC – Breenie just part of the wood work in Sydney, coming up to 40 years in Sydney-town.