Hobart John
John's football page 1
FOOTBALL,
real football. More footy pages linked from this page.
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2008. So now it looks as if there will be another team added to the AFL line-up, a team on the Gold Coast. For the benefit of overseas readers that's near Surfers Paradise south of Brisbane in Queensland. I have come to the conclusion that although the present modern day footy is very fast it is not as spectacular as it was in the past. The positional play, the half forward and half back position is near to non existent. Flooding has ruined the game. Players kicking backwards, a lot of non contested possessions because players leave their opponent to do the flooding. Players out of position whereby a full backman sometimes score or a wingman on the western side plays on the eastern side of the ground. Also the rotation of players from/to the bench mean that people find it hard to keep track of certain men. |
Being a southerner I follow Australian Football. For a few years I also went to soccer games because John was playing it, the team of which I was the manager. By the way the team was Latrobe but was changed before John's second year to Bardon-Latrobe.
When I lived in Gippsland which is in Victoria, during my school years I barracked for Officer where we lived and also Essendon (Bombers). Mum knitted me a black woolen jumper with the red sash. We lived in a little town called Officer. Dad used to collect the money from the Officer players which I think went into an insurance to cover any injuries.
When I arrived in Queensland I then lived with mum and dad who lived in Clontarf which is a suburb of Redcliffe. That was in 1952. Mum and dad had already been going to see Sandgate (Hawks) games so naturally I barracked for the Hawks. Sandgate was the nearest footy club to where I lived in Clontarf.
After
Marie and I married we used to take baby John to games which were
played at Sandgate and Perry Park and other grounds. Perry Park is
now a soccer ground and club. The three of us lived in Toowong so I
switched and barracked for Western Districts which was located at
Chelmer.
I have kept most of the little booklets that one gets at the games. The Queensland ones have been called; Football Record and Hot Footy. Here is a scan of the front cover of “Football Record Grand Final” of September 1966 when Mayne defeated Western Districts.
The first one I have is dated 7th and 8th of May 1966. I went the Brisbane Cricket Ground (the Gabba) and saw Western Districts defeat Wilston-Grange.
In 1966 there were eight teams, all of which had 1sts, 2nds and younger teams. The nine teams were in standings;
Western Districts, Mayne, Kedron, Wilston-Grange, Coorparoo, Sandgate, Morningside, Ipswich and Windsor-Zillmere.
On Sunday nights radio 4BK played the recorded final quarter of various games.
The premiership in 1966 was won by Mayne 16-18 (114) defeating Western Districts 16-10 (106) a close game.
I
have seen many changes in the football scene in Queensland. As with
other codes the introduction of a national competition caused big
upheavals. Many clubs went broke with some able to continue in other
competitions which is what Sandgate did but some just faded away such
as Western Districts. Some formed merger teams or clubs such as
Kedron and Wilston-Grange but later fell apart. Mayne had big
problems and even did not field a team for one one year but the
persistence of some people at the club saw it reamerge which now
calls the defunct Kedron team's ground their home ground.
In the new National League, the Queensland club called the Bears had their own problems. At first it was located on the Gold Coast at Carrara. After much effort it was relocated at the Gabba and called the Lions. An amalgamation of the Fitzroy and Brisbane clubs brought new light to the club which has gone from strength to strength. The Lions won the 2001 and 2002 Premierships.
To my second footy page which is about the 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 AFLQ Grand Finals and some information about the AFLQ for 2005.
To my third footy page about Zillmere Eagles new jumper.
I have been to many football grounds in Brisbane and elsewhere over the decades. Here are a few links to my photos of some of them, beginning with Brisbane grounds. If anyone has photos of others perhaps you could E-mail me at the address at the bottom of this page. Thanks.
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This is my Web link to Australian Football League Queensland I attend a few Queensland footy games rather than Brisbane Lions games although I have made the effort a few times.
I have a few links to AFLQ and AFLSQ clubs here. Western Magpies
The Southport Sharks also The Yeronga Devils . The Springwood Pumas
JCED06
