More woollen jumper photos, this one featuring the eleven year old Kevin Bartlett in the middle holding the cup.
This photo was found in a promotional booklet for the Hawksburn Primary School.
I was given this booklet during the late 1970’s when I visited the school on behalf of the Education Department to plan their school renovations and any temporary accommodation requirements.
I struck gold with this photo of KB. I know he was a Footscray supporter when he was younger and like me, he was taken to see the Bulldogs win the Grand Final in 1954. We are the same age but he has played 403 more games than me as well as winning a Norm Smith medal.
The jumpers definitely look really woolly and the kid on the left looks like he will have to take his jumper home to Mum or Grandma for some darning repairs.
Compared to the very plain Warrnambool Tech jumpers of 1928, the Hawksburn jumpers at least have a light coloured band around the middle to add a bit of style.
The Hawksburn School about five kilometres south-east of Melbourne was built in the 1870’s and closed by the Kennet Government in the early 1990’s.
KB lived in Lennox Street Richmond (where the All Nations Hotel is situated) when he was a teenager and in 1962 wandered down to the Punt Road Oval to see if he could get a game with Richmond. Not surprisingly he won the 1962 and 1963 Best and Fairest awards in the under 17’s and the rest is history.
About Neil Anderson
Enjoys reading and writing about the Western Bulldogs. Instead of wondering if the second premiership will ever happen, he can now bask in the glory of the 2016 win.
Surprised KB was a Dogs fan growing up in Lennox St, Richmond.
Neil, between you both, you and KB have played 403 games and won a Norm Smith. That’s all people need to know.
Neil & Luke,
If KB was still playing under 17s in 1963 (he may have already been promoted for at least some matches to the under 19s), I would have played on an opposing team. The 4ths did not have a complete roster of VFL teams, as the under 17s played in something called the Melbourne Boys’ League. Geelong, Essendon, North and Carlton were not part of our comp, but I suspect that they would have had under 17s in a separate competition.
Struck gold, indeed Neil.
Eureka.
What a beauty.
Thanks Luke.
I will call into your cricket ground when I’m passing next time.
Not sure exactly the name of the comp where KB played in the under 17’s. But the time-line seemed about right to me when I checked details of his bio.