The Clubs formation days and nomination for Life Membership for Noel Fergus:

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1 Monday, December 14, 2009 Subject: Mt Eliza Football Club History Mt Eliza Football Club: "The Club" The Clubs formation days and nomination for Life Membership for Noel Fergus: View of what transpired in the first 10 years as viewed by Lynton Shannon. Supported by historic reference. I, Lynton Shannon recall periods of time when starting at The Club when in its infancy at the time of The Club applying to enter into the Mornington Peninsula Football League. At that time I had been living at 10 Roborough Ave Mt Eliza for just on one year. It was just on my 16th birthday in September 1966 when Ernie Barnard (I think his name was Ernie), came to my place on a recruiting drive. I was interviewed about becoming a player. I told him I did not like the jumper colours. (Green with the top, a yellow like Melbourne FC jumper.) He said they were going to change that colour and asked me what I thought it should be. As I barrack for Melbourne I said Melbourne colours. Ernie said the colours were being considered by popular opinion. I signed up and at the time I was listed with the Mornington Under 18's. That particular Mornington side had consisted of players bound for the VFL and I found it hard to get a game. In fact I had only played about 6 games of football and that was in the Mornington Fourths. I was only an emergency a couple of times for the Under 18's without a game to show for it. I wasn't going to be missed if I went to Mt Eliza. I jumped at the idea of being promoted to a Reserve side skipping third level football. I did not need a clearance back then to go to Mt Eliza because I had not played enough games. During the following summer I used to run around the Ranelagh Estate and it was dirt roads then, although they had just begun to seal the roads. I also had an early morning paper round that also kept me fit. I hardly had any football experience at this stage, so I practiced at kicking a ball at a gum tree that was in a vacant block behind my place. I also tied bricks to my feet and walked around to strengthen my legs. I was informed that training would start at a reserve in Camborne Ave and that Mt Eliza FC was applying to secure the Baden Powell ground for the clubs games. The old ground that The Club used when in the Nepean League was doomed to have the highway

2 put through it. The Highway went through the middle of the old ground that was part of the primary school between Coonara Ave and the school. I played a couple of games of cricket on that ground for Mt Eliza colts in 1966 which was part of the then Football club, so I believe. That's how I think E Barnard knew where I lived. Training started at the end of January and not many were there at the start. I remember John Jenkins as he was a big fellow and he had a plastic taped around his body. He said it made him sweat to get his weight down. Ross Ramus was the Coach, his son Brian was introduced (and he turned out to be a good player). I noticed a guy who I did recognize as an insurance salesman that used to come to my place to collect the monthly premium for life insurance he had sold me. The insurance salesman was Noel Fergus who was living down in Rugby Court or Rutland Ave near Rugby Court. Training was just jogging and sprinting to see how fit we were. That part I was up with the leaders. Ferg as he wanted to be called was not in that lead group fitness wise. Groups were put together for ability tests and I recall Terry and Greg Patterson were amongst the better players. When we got to ball work I ended up in Fergies group as he was considered an experienced player. He was always barking orders at me as he was doing the group ruck work and obviously I was being tried out for roving. I recall playing Tooronga in a practice match at Tooronga and I think that was my first senior game experience, the next I think were the North Brighton Old Boys or Gramarians anyway it was at the oval that is by the Nepean Highway Brighton. That lot, were far too good for our group. I got about a 15 minute run, as did most. We had a number of Army or Navy players who would drop in and out for the Club. Those people were already playing in Army or Navy Football sides, but were able to play for civilian games and as military games were occasionally during the week, therefore the weekends could be utilized etc. The Peninsula School did allow some of its boys to train with the club but they could not play if picked in the school team. This meant Mt Eliza was desperate to get regular players because of the unreliability of those players not being available all the time. So Mt Eliza had a very transient player group. However the core group from the start bonded well together, stuck with the club, made the club viable and competitive. It would not be the same club as it has grown into today and probably would have folded if it weren't for the dedicated.

3 I clearly remember Mark Thorpe and David Stamp in the early group. I am sure Tom Stamp put in a few games as well, as we were School class mates. The foundations were laid and The Club was into the MPFL. It was a big deal then as this was stepping up in competition. However the Baden Powell ground foundations were not good thus the playing surface was not good. It was a bog heap in the winter and no better in the summer. The septic tanks from the housing up hill were seeping onto the ground. The council dug out a section and put clay in to plug it but when it was rolled and seeded the grass grew in to stubble and the ground was rock hard in one place and soft in the next with patches of sand that made a player loose footing. Mt Eliza players could not develop the skills needed for individuals or as a team on this ground. However the players become robust and were able to mussel into a game and in a way other sides gave the team respect. Meaning that even though the other sides had the skills and talent to win a game, it was not certain other sides would win at Mt Eliza! The names of players have faded a bit, but many faces are still in my memory. I am not sure of when most players started but there are a few that I remember that were important part or the clubs structure and have been there at the start in the new era under the Red and Blue and Melbourne like jumper. We were called the "Dees" for a while until Rye came into the MPFL with the same colours and trade name, "The Demons". We kept the colours; the jumper design and the name the nickname "The Mounties" Rye changed to stripes and stayed "The Demons". Darryl Currie created a club theme song. "Where the Crackaboy creek is flowing". It started off as "Any Plumb any Pood are we any F@!.?ing good we are the boys from Mounty Land." Is it still sung? Our Club President was Ernie Barnard, I think Lance Mogford was Vice President and/or secretary? I recall a young guy with dark rim glasses, Alan Meyer, Tracy's, Brown's and Lindsay Lambert who became the President and so on. The beer barrel after the game mostly supplied by Graham Vine who was a committeeman and had the Vines Hotel in Frankston when the beer was "Courage". (Mostly it gave us the sh1ts) This was the bonding point after the game and I met my future wife at Baden Powell who came along with our new female trainer and she became the first football female trainer in our State. Julie was featured on the front page of the Herald and in the background of the photo was one of our players (who was a hopeless player) having a Sherrie (He became a VFL umpire, Vassolo I

4 think his name was?) Julie had introduced a Sherrie for our three quarter time drink. Julie had been going out with Mike Harvey at the time. I think Andy Wright introduced her to The Club? The Coaches in my time and how I recall Baden Powell then and to Wooralla Dve: Ross Ramus Firsts Coach for about 3 years, Ernie Barnard did the Reserves for a while and I recall Lance Mogford having a go at it. From memory Lance Mogford often played in the Reserves and mostly to make up number as he had retired from the game. Bruce Mc Clennan was next: Ex St.Kilda player and one time detective come private investigator. I say he either brushed someone up the wrong way or he got the best out of a player. For me he concentrated on skills and short sharp play. Close checking of a player was his technique. Up until this, the club relied on its best players to do their own thing. While other payers just filled in positions not knowing what the game plan was or if there was a plan at all? It was just "go out there and get them boys". When you got onto the ground either Firsts or Reserves you had make up your own game plan as you went. It wasn't just the coaching on the day, but it was more the lack of being able to train properly and within good facilities, that was the problem. What ever was thought of Bruce McClennan he helped me improve and he helped the club improve performance as a team. The leader group did not have control of the players, but Bruce did and some did not like it. At this time the Reserves had made big steps from when I played in the first MPFL appearance by Mt Eliza in that league. In the first 3 games back then, we could not field a Reserves side. But rather than forfeit a game the young kids from the Fourths played after their game to fill in the Reserves just to get the numbers up. The Firsts were having a go with the likes of Dick Coppin putting in good efforts. I recall State MP Ian Cooper giving it a go. Ewin Pollock (and his Olympian wife Judy) were involved and I think Ewin was the Reserves Captain. He would do a place kick when he had a shot on goal. Bob Spicer, Garth Brown, Vosti were other Reserves or First's who played at the start. I recall playing Carrum in the Reserves on the Baden Powell ground, it was probably the fourth game of the first year in the comp played on our slop heap that favoured us; which meant we held Carrum's score to just under one hundred points and that was a first at the time. However the ball only went into our forward line once and that is when the Carrum boys were too tired to chase me through the mud as I ran towards an open goal. I was barely able to lift my legs

5 out of the mud to kick at goal; I kicked the balloon like object only to see the ball slue off the mud soaked boot through for our only score of the day; one point. We had improved on our game from the week before that was against Mornington; played on an excellent surface. Back then we could only field 14 players a week for the early games and on that day some were under 14 and with army drop in's. However we did put up a brave fight for the first 10 seconds. I was playing against my old school buddies and those who I went through the Fourth's with at Mornington. For the first time I got more than ten kicks in a game, so by then I had not been very productive. Calling for the ball and getting it was new to me; (it came in handy knowing the Mornington boys.) my opponents heard my voice, but they just forgot I was on the other side. Anyway I had a better match than my old mate Gary Watson who played in the backline for Mornington and I must say he hardly touched the ball. It took the shine off his gloating at our defeat when I told him I got more touches than he did and I was in the losing side. Mornington kicked what was then, a league record score for the Reserves; score 33 goals 36 points; although Mornington had to kick a point for us to be able to get percentage. Those two early games have served as a point in time that I will not forget! Ron Campbel coached the Reserves in the last years at Baden Powell and maybe the First's at Wooralla Dve as I recall. Three years after Campbel took control of the Reserves we made it to Mt Eliza's first ever-senior final against Chelsea. I was dropped for the game even though I played in all our winning games averaging just over a goal a game an ended up polling the most umpires votes in Mt Eliza Reserves for that year. I had to make way for the "Firsts" imports. Noel Fergus (not Fergie) was Captain of the Reserves and a Club Selector; he claimed they wanted more speed and someone who could kick the ball straight; to him that is. (After all what are Captains for?) The Reserves lost by 3 points to Chelsea who later took out the premiership. Fortunately for me I never played in a losing finals side for Mt Eliza and the first final at that. That side had the potential to win a premiership, but I was on the sideline, so that chance was lost. Tony "the Show Pony" Johnson was my replacement. He got dragged in the last quarter. I would have dragged him after the first quarter! I think after Bruce McClennan coached we had Alan Miller an ex South Melbourne Coach, he was good but I think he was just filling in time for a year.

6 Kerr coached the First's when at Wooralla Dve; he could play and so could the players all round him, but I do not think he noticed that, as he was too busy with his own game. Yes I did get most of my senior games with Kerr at the helm; however he was not interested in little people. You know the ones that were not included in his game plan! It was just a game to kick the ball to tall's straight down the centre. He forgot the other sides had tall's and smalls that could run the ball down the ground. Fortunately we had some good boys that came through the Fourths and Thirds at Baden Powell to be some of the clubs best players at Wooralla Dve. They were able to improvise and win more games than they lost with the likes of Blackford, Clarkson, Meyer, Foster etc. Max Lyons (Ex Fitzroy) came along for the Reserves he again was a good coach that kept up the support for the Firsts. (Max came along to my wedding, with other players, like of Peter Dillon, Graham and Darrel Currie, Fergus, Harvey, Bob Russell etc) Max was able to do a lot of hard stuff and kept the team we needed to get into a final. People liked coming to the club that had blokes with likes of R Campbel, Lyons, Johnny Wild all these Coaches got the Reserves into finals and kept the pressure up on the firsts. Greg McIllraith was another who played and coached. Ken Ring was the most popular of coaches for the Firsts and as a valuable player at Mt Eliza during my time at the club. But the one player that could match Ken Ring was Mike Demaine. Mike set a game pace that pivoted around his ability that nobody was able to match as a player. He was one in a Million and you could see why he would have been one of the VFL great players had he not been severely injured while playing for Hawthorn. Unlike a lot of past senior players I was not able to get enough senior games to play in the same side, but for two games. One I will not forget and that was against Frankston Bombers at Kananook Oval. Mike racked up a league record for kicks let alone possessions that day. I recall that his tally was 56 kicks. I can't remember how many marks or handballs he had. He was a one-man machine and I notched up more than 10 kicks myself in the seniors that day. All I did was to play where he told me to play and even better he delivered the ball to where I could get it. "Curly" Ellis was another who was good and he took an interest in all players ability he had his teams ticking along nicely and was a respected player coach. I was just fading out of The Club although I resumed training for a one last shot but failed to get my knee right. Darryl Currie was another that also got along well with his players when coaching and playing. For a long time he was between the Reserves and Firsts since crossing from the Frankston Bombers with Col Smyth to help mould a very happy team at Mt Eliza. However Darryl did cost us a premiership one year when in the dying minutes of the final quarter Mt Eliza Reserves were behind

7 by 4 points, he marked on the edge of the goal square played on and kicked into the post that game ended soon after with the siren sounding and Mt Eliza losing. On the same ground I recall Marty Levers as a trainer when he was king hit by a Chelsea trainer in a Thirds Grand final. I had gone onto the ground to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, as he had swallowed his tongue when out cold. Fortunately before that I had to perform that same thing on another person and I had spotted what was wrong with him. Did I do the right thing? My time as a player finished at the end of 1975 when on the eve of a semi-final and at training my knee again was injured. This resulted after a good come back from; when in 1974 Glen Harrison put me under the pump with a lighting hand-pass that sailed past me and then a Mornington player (Barry Murray) dived across my leg to get the ball and snapping out four cartilage's around my knee; I was stuffed. Not surprisingly the Mt Eliza Football club had no assistance scheme in place. In fact nobody in the upper level even asked if I was OK. I had to wait in pain until the game was over to get a lift back home. I missed a weeks off work until a sorted out my problem plus years of problems after that. I wonder if anything has changed at Mt E FC in this regard? In 1976, I was asked to manage the Reserves team by Mike Demaine as he volunteered to coach. Mt Eliza rejected Mike s wish to play that year because of medical reports that indicated; if he played his life would be threatened by his injuries. Mike insisted he was OK and was disappointed by the clubs stance. He coached the Reserves reluctantly. I recall a game against Edithvale away, where we were short a player and he wanted to play under my name as I was still listed to play. Problem is he would have been found out, as my name would not be one that would be associated with blitzing another team. However if he were injured we would be both in the shit. Of course I had to say no, but I was happy with his suggestion. Mike had offers from other clubs to play and I think he did not coach the whole season. I think maybe Greg McIlwraith or Darrel Currie took over or even Garth Brown had a go at some stage? Mike might have been elevated to the Firsts as coach. What ever it was; the year I think was controversial one as a result of Mt Eliza not playing Mike. Mike later went on to play and coach a Canberra side with premierships and a place in an ACT squad that humbled our Victorian team and he got best on the ground for that. So I should have let Mike use my name I might have become a champion in the Reserves without pulling on a boot. My work for my in-laws took me away from Mt Eliza, but I did keep up with appearances, membership and ties with the club and through my association with Fergie. Whilst I was there at MtEFC from the start of 1967 until the end of 1976:

8 Fergie played on and brought his son Shayne into the club who also become a great player: If I have just on 10 of the early years of service with the Club; then Fergie has more than 10 years as a player and a service member. The only reason I did not play more games than I did, was due to injury and the fact that I was committed to work a Saturday once a month for my apprenticeship as a plumber to be completed in It was the terms of agreement with my employer although it was not strictly enforced. My comeback in 1975 was also to be sure that I played 100 games that did not include sitting on the bench. I think it was 16 games in a year back then. I played at least two full years in 71, 72 and 73 other years it was about 12 games and two years about 6 games each year only due to injuries. Anyway I recall it totalled to 114 games. I bare witness that Ferg as player and in more recent years as past player membership President and membership development member, has contributed a great deal to Mt Eliza FC, he has raised funds and contributed to social events far more than has been acknowledged by others. For me to nominate someone who dropped me from a team that I helped get the Reserves into a first ever final is a big ask, but as a long time friend and we did play at the same time, I just have to put that issue I have and my disappointments behind that was about Ferg having me dropped. I will support Ferg as I used to on the playing field where I thought Ferg was tall, but must he have stood in all the dry spots on the grounds in those days and it gave the impression he was tall. But looking back I think I had sunk into the mud that gave that impression. Will The Club benefit from this drunk and disorderly person if he is a life member? Make him a Life Member or he might get more drunk and disorderly and it could get worse. But more likely The Club will miss out on his great service if he is not a Life Member. As Fergie insists he paid and renewed my membership this year 2009, then I must be eligible to now nominate Noel Fergus as a life member. Failing that I will renew my possibly lapsed membership for next year. From your Honourable member: Lynton Shannon Raglan St Daylesford, 3460

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