Riverina Wool Team Inspires Selection of NSW Greatest Team

 

The naming of the Riverina Wool Team at the Footy Almanac AFL Grand Final in 2014 was the genesis for the selection of the NSW Greatest Team at the Carbine Club AFL Lunch in Sydney today (9 May 2019).

 

The nomination of Ariah Park – Mirrool’s Pat Quade as first ruck in the Riverina team captured the imagination of country footy writer and author Adam McNicol who wrote a lengthy piece on Quade for last year’s AFL Record for the Country Game.

 

One of the many interested readers was former Sydney Swans chairman Richard Colless, who was sitting at a Swans game at the SCG with his good friend Rick Quade and other members of the Quade family, including the late Pat Quade’s daughter, Megan. It was extremely heart-warming for the Quade family.

 

Colless, who had served as the inaugural chair of the NSW/ACT AFL Commission and travelled all around the state in that role, decided it was high-time to recognize and celebrate NSW’s rich football history by honouring the greatest players.

 

With the support of the NSW Australian Football History Society and the AFL NSW/ACT, Colless assembled a panel of experts to select the NSW Greatest Team. Senior selectors were Mike Sheahan and Gerard Healy supported by NSW Australian Football Society executive members Ian Granland and Rod Gillett,  and author Miles Wilks. AFL NSW/ACT CEO Sam Graham and AFL Commissioner Gabrielle Trainor represented the AFL.

 

The panel was chaired by Colless, who is the AFL convenor for the Carbine Club of NSW.

 

Nearly 500 NSW players have since 1897 played senior football in the VFL/AFL and a smaller number in the SANFL, mostly from Broken Hill.

 

There have been various attempts to select teams that represent part of NSW, e.g. Southern NSW/ACT, the Riverina and Sydney teams.  And there have also been a number of teams selected by historians and supporters that have been posted on the internet.

 

There has however, never been an official NSW team that embraces the game’s 140-year history and includes every part of the State in which the game has been played.

 

Players from the Riverina Wool Team selected include, Terry Daniher, Dennis Carroll, Luke Bruest, John Longmire, Paul Kelly, and Tom Hawkins. A pretty healthy representation.

 

Alas Neale Daniher and Sir Doug Nicholls did not meet the threshold of 100 VFL/AFL games.

 

 

The NSW Greatest Team is as follows:

 

Backs:

Ross Henwood (North Albury),     Leo Barry (Deniliquin),       Chris Lethbridge (Sydney YMCA)

Half-Backs:

Jarrod McVeigh (Killarney Vale),      Gordon Strang (Albury), Dennis Carroll (Lockhart)

Centres:

Shane Crawford (Finley), Lenny Hayes (Pennant Hills), Neil Davies (Central Broken Hill)

Half-Forwards:

Terry Daniher V-C (Ungarie), Wayne Carey (North Wagga), Luke Bruest (Temora)

Forwards:

John Longmire (Corowa), Bill Mohr (Wagga Tigers), Paul Kelly V-C (Wagga Tigers)

Rucks:

Bruce McGregor (West Broken Hill), Brett Kirk (North Albury), Haydn Bunton (Albury)

I/C: Mark McClure (East Sydney), Isaac Smith (Cootamundra), Kieran Jack (Pennant Hills), Tom Hawkins (Finley)

 

 

To see the Almanac’s Riverina Wool Team click here: https://www.footyalmanac.com.au/ultimate-wool-team-riverina-a-better-side-from-historian-rod-gillett/

 

 

 

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Comments

  1. An excellent team, Rod.
    And that is a very strong forward line.

  2. Rocket Roseville says

    Thanks Smokie,

    We had 11 top class forwards to choose from …

    Billy Brownless, Cameron Mooney, Tex Walker and Geoff Kingston all missed out. Sellers on the bench.

    Alas Johbn Sharrock didn’t reach the reach the threshold of 100 games.

    Riches run deep

  3. craig dodson says

    Great initiative. Great to see Wagga punching above its weight as always. Let’s hope kids from the bush continue to get the opportunity to be seen and display their talents on the big stage in the years to come.

  4. G’day Rocket Nguyen. A Q?

    In the back pocket you have Ross Henwood, North Albury. May i please ask if you meant Ross Henshaw, North Albury ?

    If my memory is correct he hails from Corowa, the family having resided on the Albury road. My mum’s aunty Flo, and her family also resided in that part of Corowa.

    Glen!

  5. Hey Rod, you left out the great sixties centre half forward / full forward from West Torrens, Geoff Kingston. Kingston also represented SA in state footy. Kingston grew up in NSW where he learned his trade.

    After his footy finished, Kingston, a journalist, became the head football writer in the “Advertiser” and retired to become a full time Amway distributor.

  6. PS, Although born in Melbourne, Kingston, at an early age moved to Wagga Wagga where he was recruited by West Torrens in Adelaide. He was inducted into the SA Hall of Fame in 2006.

  7. Good work Rod,
    One correction Dennis Carroll- Ganmain not Lockhart. Maybe he played a season at Lockhart.
    Adam Schneider (Osborne) A 200-game premiership player must have been close to selection but i guess not in the same class as Luke Breust as a small forward.

  8. Dr Rocket says

    Glen!

    You are correct. SNAFU. Getting Mate mixed up with my old mate Moose…
    Ross Henshaw. Not sure of the Corowa connection.
    Went from North Albury to North Melbourne.

    You’re right about Geoff Kingston, Fisho

    Geoff Kingston was an emergency so highly considered.
    Highly rated in the SANFL. All-Australian in 1961.
    He went from Turvey Park to West Torrens.
    We had a list of over 500 to consider…
    also plenty of quality forwards to choose from

    Thanks Dan

    Dennis tells me his football journey started at Lockhart but he did get around.
    Also played at Tumburrumba and Albury Tigers.
    He went to boarding school at Champagnat in Wangaratta.
    He famously played in the school-boys game for the Carrolls against Ganmain in 1968 to raise funds for the swimming pool as the curtain raiser to the Carrolls v Rest of Ganmain.
    Then the family moved to a farm at Lockhart.

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