Almanac Footy: Dan Oakley Memorial – Williamstown Seagulls FIDA FC

 

 

 

Dan Oakley Memorial 

 

As my wife and I pulled up in our car, I stared across a rainy and windswept oval. It was the Fearon Reserve in Williamstown. Which I last saw, prior to my season-ending ankle injury, back in 2017. We walked the perimeter of the boundary line, as the reserves match was just getting underway. With muddied grass and steady rain, I thought I don’t envy the players, having to writhe around after a football in this weather.

 

I have a lot of associations with the Fearon, having spent four seasons, playing for the Williamstown FIDA Seagulls. For anyone not in the know, FIDA, or Football Integration Development Association, is a football competition, for players with intellectual disabilities. My involvement with FIDA began in 2003, which ended, as a player in 2017. On this rainy day in July 2024, I returned because of an article I posted to the Footy Almanac, back in May of this year.

 

Self portrait of Callum Quirk in his playing days

 

That article, was about some of my experiences competing in the FIDA competition. After I’d posted it, I called my former coach, to tell him that I’d written it. He promptly invited me to read it at an event. That event was commemorating 10 years since, one of my former team mates had passed away. The player was Dan Oakley, who was 24 when he tragically died in July of 2014. So, it was this context in which, my wife and I found ourselves back in Williamstown.

 

Gold and blue streamers adorned posts, under the pavilion, as a girl dressed as a Seagulls Mascot stood chatting. There were some players wondering around, as well as some other people. There were a lot of unfamiliar faces, but still, plenty who were familiar. There was this one guy, who upon seeing my wife and I, smiled widely and embraced us both in a hug. Soon I was introduced to the Master of Ceremonies of the event, who was the father of Dan Oakley, whom I’d never met previously.  I was told by my former coach, in the lead up, that Dan’s father would get proceedings underway, before he introduced me to speak first. Fellow Almanac Contributor Vin would also be reading one of his pieces at the event.

 

I stepped inside the heated club rooms, remarking, you know, I’ve never actually been in here. Photos of Victorian Amateur Football Association teams, adorned the walls. There were tables and each spot had a Seagulls beanie. In my talk, I mostly had my head down, reading a print-out of my article in front of me. Mainly just ensuring my voice was loud enough, as the podium was not in line with the microphone. The article details my head injury, who I played for, when and why I stopped playing.

 

It was a relaxed atmosphere; Reserves and Seniors games were happening at the same time. Guests were able to come in and take a seat or watch the games. After I spoke, I was in conversation with someone, and he pointed out two people in the audience. Those two people were 1990 Collingwood Premiership Player Mick McGuane and 1996/1999 North Melbourne Premiership player Mick Martin. I said loudly Mick McGuane! If I knew he was here, I would have been a lot more nervous. In my piece I had mentioned his team mate, Darren Millane.  Millane played for Collingwood in the 1990 grand final. A year later, he was killed in a car accident.

 

In my very first piece for the Footy Almanac, I spoke about the fact that I was severely injured in a car accident. Then in 2001, I was chosen by the Collingwood football club, to be their poster boy for their new sponsor, the TAC (Transport Accident Commission). Anyway, back to my encounter with Mick McGuane. I was introduced to Mick by Dan Oakley’s father, and I showed Mick that first Almanac piece I had on my phone. He read my piece, remarking, “oh someone asked for your autograph”? I took a photo with Mick McGuane. He also did a talk there, discussing playing in Ballarat and then being recruited to Collingwood in the late 80s. I also had a bit of a chat with Mick Martin.

 

A little later on, in between meat skewers and fruit platters, and chatting to Vin, there was a talk by another player. When I saw him get up, to do a talk, I recognised him straight away. He is in his early 20s now. But I actually met him for the first time when he was in grade prep. I was doing a placement at a special school. I was helping out in the art classes where he was one of the students. One on my duties was I helped set up art activities before the students came into class. Of all the classes, I could always rely upon the preps to come in and do the exact opposite to what we’d set up. And this player was the most mischievous, but he won me over pretty quickly with his infectious energy and enthusiasm. I was impressed he was actually talking at the event, as during the placement I never heard him say any words. He was playing in my last season as well, but I didn’t hear him speak then either.

 

All in all, it was good to acknowledge Dan Oakley, see some familiar faces again and hear some stories.

 

 

 

You can read more from RagingBull (Callum Quirk) Here.

 

 

 

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