The Spirit Never Dies SANDY BAY FOOTBALL CLUB 1945 — 1997 PART I The Spirit Never Dies SANDY BAY FOOTBALL CLUB 1945 — 1997 MIKE BINGHAM W.T. (Bill) WILLIAMS and BRIAN LEWIS CONTENTS PART 1: Foreword ix 1. The Final Siren 1 Published by 2. Birth of The Bay 6 Sandy Bay Past Players, Officials and Supporters Association Inc Sandy Bay, Tasmania 3. The Recruiting Ground 10 Australia 4. The First Flag 12 5. Gordon Bowman 15 © Sandy Bay Past Players, Officials and Supporters Association Inc, Australia 2005 6. Rex Geard’s Triumph 17 7. Building a Club 20 This book is Copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of 8. The Travellers Rest 25 private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system 9. The Ollson Years 28 by any process without the written permission of the publisher. 10. Three in a Row 35 11. The Countdown 39 12. Laying It on the Line 44 13. Margot’s Story 48 14. All in The Family 57 15. Backing The Bay 65 16. Pleasant Sunday Mornings 69 17. Seagull Sorell 73 18. A Time for Champions 77 19. Unsung Heroes 85 20. 9Hall of Dame 90 21. Good for a Laugh 94 PART 2: Seagulls on the Wing. Official history of the Club, year by year. Designed and edited by Michael Ward Typeset by Mikron Media Pty Ltd, Hobart. Printed by Monotone Art Printers, Hobart iv v THE SPIRIT NEVER DIES SPONSORS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Sandy Bay and South East Past Players, Officials and Supporters The Mercury Association Inc. wishes to sincerely thank and acknowledge the gen- The Sandy Bay and South East Past Players, Officials and Supporters erous contribution provided towards the publication of this book by: Association Inc. wish to gratefully thank The Mercury and its Editorial Manager, Janet Weaving, for her substantial assistance and guidance with the publication of this book. The Association also appreciates The Mercury's permission to reprint over 150 images cov- ering the club's games, personalities and activities. Photographers and Cartoonist WREST POINT HOTEL CASINO The Association also wishes to thank and acknowledge the following photographers/cartoonist for their contribution to the pictorial histo- ry of the Sandy Bay Football Club from 1945 to 1997, some of which has been used in this book. The Mercury photographers THE TASMANIAN GOVERNMENT Kevin Bailey (cartoonist) Beattie’s Studios (Bill Stephenson – Tasmanian Historic Photographs) Joe Barnett Alan Maney THE CASCADE BREWERY CO PTY LTD Michael Dermoudy Michael Webb The Association would also like to thank the following members for their Artizan Photographics – (Sarah Gorringe Photographer) generous contributions towards this project: The Association regrets if it has omitted to acknowledge any photog- The family of Ken and Gladys Austin Colin & Peter Millington rapher whose work has been used in this book. Bob Purden Bill Dienaar Robert Johnston (Shadforths Ltd) Michael Seddon W. T. (Bill) WILLIAMS John Hollis Barry & Lesley Joyce John Howard (Eye Spy Signs) Neville Schofield The Sandy Bay and South East Past Players, Officials and Supporters Clive Simpson Bill Shields Association Inc. wishes to acknowledge the contribution of Bill Bill Sorell Tony Martyn Williams for his original research and the publication Seagulls on the Ian Rumney Leith Harper Wing – Commemorating the 21st Anniversary of the Sandy Bay Denis Hawker Graham Hills Football Club 1945 to 1966, which through the kind permission of his Lance Morton Rex Morrisby daughters Shirley Anning and Lynne Porter has been reproduced in John Oldmeadow Ray Giblett John Guiver Anonymous this book. The Association would also like to acknowledge that Bill’s Bruce Goss Roger Henderson, Judith Abbott, book provided the inspiration for the production and publication of Bob Lahey Anthony Steele and Gary Henderson this book on the complete history of the Sandy Bay Football Club. vi vii THE SPIRIT NEVER DIES FOREWORD KEITH WELSH FORMED IN 1945, SANDY BAY FOOTBALL CLUB flashed like a meteor across the sky and, in the next 53 years, delighted thousands of THE SANDY BAY keen followers with many fine performances. FOOTBALL CLUB SONG In its first season, Sandy Bay reached the TFL final and the next year won both the TFL and State premierships. Other successes were to follow. In 1976-77-78, the club had a purple patch, winning three suc- Seagulls,Seagulls,that's our name cessive premierships, something hitherto unaccomplished in TFL foot- We're the boys that play the game ball. The Tigers,The Robins we've beaten them too All this is history now, but the Sandy Bay and South East Past The Eagles,The Magpies, and even The ROOS, Players, Officials and Supporters’ Association, still functioning, has determined that the club will be remembered by arranging for the pub- So come on, come on, win or lose lication of Sandy Bay Football Club 1945-97 — The Spirit Never Dies. It matters not to the White and Blues The book has been written in two parts, one giving details year by Seagulls,Seagulls flying high year of the club’s performances on the field and also naming officials May the spirit never die. and players. The second part goes to great lengths telling of various offi- cials, coaches and players. Mention of these names will bring back To the tune of California Here I Come memories and whet the appetites of readers, particularly those who Al Jolson. played in the club’s colours, or who were officials, or who were just avid supporters of the Seagulls. They, especially, will find these pages fasci- nating reading. Sandy Bay certainly made a great contribution to football in the South and won eight TFL titles as well as two State Premierships. Fourteen William Leitch medals were won by Sandy Bay players, three of whom won the medal twice. As one who saw much of the players and officials during a quarter of a century as senior football writer for The Mercury and then as Chairman of the TFL Umpires’ Board for seven years, I admired the club. It was a well conducted and happy club. With thousands of others I regret the demise of a great club. It has a great history. Now, read on … viii ix THE SPIRIT NEVER DIES 1. Mike Bingham wishes to thank all the members of the THE FINAL SIREN Sandy Bay Past Players, Officials and Supporters Association Inc for their co- operation and assistance, particularly Kerry Doran, Mike Polegaj, Margot Scales and club historian Brian Lewis for their unstinting support and brilliant organisation. Preparation and research was made much easier because such LOSING A GAME IS TOUGH for any supporter or player. Losing a meticulous records had been kept over more than 50 years and valuable club is devastating. The pain (and the passion) was never better memorabilia, including photographs and cartoons, assembled. The late W T expressed than on the late afternoon of Saturday, August 16, 1997, Williams’ book Seagulls on the Wing, (1945-1966) commemorating the 21st when Sandy Bay left the field for the last time. The club born in anniversary of the club’s formation, was an excellent reference point. wartime and a giant of Tasmanian football throughout the 1970s was no more. James Kerr, a photographer for The Sunday Tasmanian was on the boundary line at Bellerive Oval to take the picture which said it all – club president Bill Sorell, in tears with his arm around the shoulder of the equally tearful vice-captain Nigel Palfreyman. Sandy Bay had been beaten by 76 points and that hurt, but the real agony was the realisation that there would be no chance for revenge the fol- lowing season, or any season. It was all over, and only 1222 people were there to see it. x 1 THE SPIRIT NEVER DIES THE SPIRIT NEVER DIES Even the Clarence diehards acknowledged the loss of a once great ered that Saturday was increasingly spent ferrying kids to their own club – standing to applaud and farewell their rivals. The Roos’ coach, hockey, netball or junior footy games. Grant Fagan, a former Bay player, led his team and officials into the Where once roster games attracted 4000 or 5000 spectators, atten- visitors’ changeroom after the game to share a drink and swap mem- dances eventually slumped to as few as 400 or 500. In short, the ories. lifeblood of local football was draining away. Bill Sorell, club presi- That gesture helped to ease the pain a little. But only a little. Club dent from 1991 until the end in 1997, knows better than anyone just champion Graeme Mackey spoke for everyone when he told the gath- how tough those last few seasons were. ‘In the end it was hard to get ering: ‘I have cried three times today, and this is the fourth. I want to people to stand for the committee because they knew there were thank Bill and the players who have carried the club this far.’ financial problems and they didn’t want to get involved,’ he said. ‘We It is a very real measure of that strength and passion that now, had half a dozen committeemen prepared to work their butts off, and almost 10 years later, the club lives on through the Sandy Bay and the Seahawks were great supporters, but the “money men” of Sandy South East Players, Officials & Supporters Association, and that the Bay were more interested in sailing.’ support group, the Seahawks, continues to back junior football in the Bob Gozzi, club president from 1982-1986 and later TFL chief area. commissioner, agreed with Sorell’s comments.