by Glen Davis
I tried a while ago to select a team from Berrigan, and adjacent areas in that part of the Riverina, but fell a few players short. How I left out/forgot Shane Crawford is staggering. I have taken on board the comments of fellow Almanackers such as Sheikh Mohammed bin Rocket, and his suggestion to include players from around Deniliquin, but after a long, hard process, I have thought no. Why? The last time I was in Deni would have been in the late 1960’s when I was in short pants; actually I’m still in short pants this morning.
No, I will focus on Berrigan, and those small towns adjacent of Barooga, Finley, Jerilderie and Tocumwal. Here we go.
B: R Watt, Tocumwal/Geelong, M Hawkins, Finley/Geelong, J Hawkins, Finley/Geelong
HB: B Toohey, Barooga/Geelong/Sydney/Footscray, R Jeffrey, Jerilderie/Geelong/St Kilda/Brisbane, T Powell, Berrigan/Richmond/Carlton
C: M Jeffers, Tocumwal/Melbourne, A , ‘Yabby’, Jeans, Tocumwal/St Kilda, M Dowdle, Jerilderie/North Melbourne
HF: T Hargraves, Berrigan/Hawthorn/Geelong, P, ‘Ocker’ Stephens, Jerilderie/Geelong, P Doyle, Berrigan/Geelong
F: T Hawkins, Finley/Geelong, W, Billy’ Brownless, Jerilderie/Geelong, D Jackson, Finley/Geelong
Foll: F Way, Berrigan/South Melbourne, B Gleson, Berrigan/St Kilda, S Crawford, Finley/Hawthorn
Int: T Gleeson, Berrigan/Melbourne, G Toohey, Barooga/Geelong, J Crawford, Finley/Hawthorn/Sydney, R Wadell, Jerilderie/Carlton/Geelong, P Baldwin, Tocumwal/Geelong
And as the coach, how can we go past the great ‘Yabby’ Jeans. A side with a number of premierships players, including those who captained or coached flag winning teams, complemented with the fact two players are Bronwlow medallists, would take some beating.
Cheers,
Glen!
Leon Higgins – 100 odd games for Swans , is a Tocumwal boy
Good article Glen.
Quite disappointed that we never get to play the Saints after the division split in 2009.
Thank Mark, a shoddy mistake re Leon. For some silly reason i thought he came from Tooleybuc, a long way west. Glen!
David Murphy Swans team of the century comes from finley
Steve, i’m pretty sure David Murphy played for a Wagga team. I’ve put him in my composite Wagga side.
Glen,
While David Murphy went from Turvey Park to the Swans – he played his junior footy at Finley and under the Carey Rule he would be deemed a Finley product.
He claims Finley as his hometown.
See piece by Neil Cordy
https://aflnswact.com.au/a-new-south-welshman-that-represented-victoria/
Ta Dr Rocket.
I’ll have a sticky beak.
Glen!