We hear all about the footballers and ex-footballers behaving badly but less so about those who are solid citizens contributing to the community. A friend of mine in Sydney last week had lunch with one of my Magpie favourites from the late 1970s and early 1980s Craig “Boofa”or “Snake”Davis. After playing at Carlton and North, Boofa kicked 88 goals in his first year at the Pies in 1979 to finish second in the Coleman Medal, including four in the Grand Final, before kicking more than 50 goals in the next two seasons. His first three seasons all ended in Grand Final heartbreak. His career ended in 1988 when he came back to (then) VFL footy after four years out of top-level footy to play for Sydney for one season.
One of my memories is that my dad told me that Boofa was a great mate of Jezza from his Carlton days (and may have indeed been godfather to one of Jezza’s kids). After Stan the Man Magro ironed out Jezza in 1979 (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v8V1_xVSd8) Dad told me that Boofa was so upset at half-time at the injury to Jezza that he didn’t want to play the second half and had to be coaxed into returning to the field.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Davis_(Australian_footballer) or http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/craig-davis/ for more details re his career. For younger readers who don’t remember him, the stats are impressive but don’t tell the whole story as he was incredibly courageous to play again after the terrible injury he suffered at Carlton. My friend, who is not a Pie, tells me that Boofa supports Sydney with whom he was also an administrator, but barracks for the Pies.
He is of course also the father of Nick Davis who started his career at Collingwood under the father-son rule before heading to Sydney where he was a hero in their 2005 premiership campaign, basically winning the semi-final against Geelong off his own boot with three last-quarter goals.
Boofa these days is doing some great community work in Sydney with the organisation Youth Off the Streets (YOTS), the well-known organisation run by Father Chris Riley. YOTS opened Craig Davis College in 2013, the naming being recognition of the hard work Boofa has done for many years. See http://www.youthoffthestreets.com.au/craig-davis-college#.VccFCfmqpBc for more details. Anyway my friend has bought a table at YOTS’ upcoming fundraising dinner and asked me whether I could plug the organisation and the function. See http://www.youthoffthestreets.com.au/galadinner2015 if you are interested and/or especially have any contacts in Sydney that might be interested in attending.
Another piece involving Craig Davis – CHECK THIS OUT FROM DAVID BRIDIE.
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