Aussie Rules Football by Max Mathers

My involvement in Aussie Rules goes back to early schooldays. Aussie Rules is ’s own football game and in fairness to the other three codes, is by far the most spectacular and skilful game of all the world’s football codes.

It was developed in the early 1800’s and because cricket grounds were the major sporting venues in our early years of development, the game evolved and developed around grounds the size of cricket grounds.

As youngsters growing up in the great depression years, actual footballs were few and far between. Balls were mainly held for the main part at schools, and therefore other means had to be developed so that we could play at home in the off school hours.

My mind goes back to the “pretending” footballs made of rolled up newspapers which served us well in our backyards and in the street, and many hours were spent developing our skills and interest in our great game. Of course at school, we were able at lunchtime to kick the ball (actual footballs) and further develop our ball handling and associated skills.

At weekends we would go over to the local football ground and watch the local team (Kew) playing their opponents. At half time and after the game, we would search the playing area to see if we could find any “stops” which may have come out of the players boots. If we were lucky enough to find a stop or two, we would take them home and knock them into an old pair of shoes and think we were “Christmas”.

From playing in teams at both primary and secondary school, we graduated to the Church Team – “West Hawthorn United” which played in the “Eastern Suburban Churches League”. When I say we, I mean the three Mathers brothers – Max, Bruce and Ian. Wartime of course interrupted our playing careers. I was at sea in the Merchant Navy for three and a half years and didn’t play again until after the war.

Initially, I was back working at 3UZ and often my duties took me to the VFL Football as we used to broadcast the Game of the Day. However, as time passed, I still played fairly regularly and in 1949 we won the Premiership. Our coach was Jack McLeod, a star halfback with Hawthorn and that was the only team with which I played that won the Premiership.

By this time I was married with a daughter Robyn and we were now living in our home at Parkdale, a bayside suburb of Melbourne situated between Mentone and Mordialloc. Jack McLeod encouraged Ian to train at Hawthorn (the “Hawks”) and wanted me to do likewise, but at 23-4 I reckoned I was too old to break into top football. Ian did well and played for Hawthorn for a number of years.

Instead of going to Hawthorn I decided to play for Parkdale (our local team). Parkdale played in the amateur competition and we did reasonably well over the next few years. As luck would have it at this time, I had been elected as a Councillor to the local Municipal Council (City of Mordialloc) at 25 years of age, and was the only councillor in Victoria playing football at that time.

One of my local associates of the time was Bruce Andrew. Bruce was a former Vice Captain of Collingwood and a top player. He was also a returned soldier and belonged to our local RSL, the Mentone/Parkdale RSL. Bruce became the Secretary of the Australian National Football Council, and was initially responsible for taking two teams to America to play exhibition games. He also was the instigator of turning the game into an Australian wide game in the fullness of the meaning AUSTRALIA WIDE.

In 1953, we sold our home at Parkdale and with a close friend of those days Cyril Molyneaux, went into a business partnership at Officer in the local country store. Both Cyril and I joined the local Sporting Activities, Cyril with cricket and myself with football. The Officer Football Team was one of eight clubs which formed the South West Gippsland Football League and as well as playing I took a substantial interest in the administration of the League.

In 1957, my fourth year at Officer, I captained and coached the team and that year we finished fifth, just outside the final four. That year also became the last year at Officer. We sold the business and on the advice of our doctors, moved from Victoria to for the sake of Andrew our eldest son who needed a warm climate.

Initially we settled at Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast the nearest suburb to Tugun where Muriel’s Mum and Dad had moved a couple of years earlier following Dad’s retirement from the Caulfield City Council due to ill health. Dad was an original ANZAC, had fought at Gallipoli and France during World War 1 and they had bought a small block of flats at Tugun to sustain them in retirement.

We settled at Currumbin Beach as I mentioned above and at 33 had “hung up” my footy boots after leaving Officer. Also at that time there was no Australian Rules Football on the Coast, it was Rugby League Country.

One day in 1958 whilst talking with a neighbour Roly Daniels, the subject came round to football and to my surprise Roly (a builder by profession) had played Australian Rules Football in where there was a pretty good Competition, the QAFL (Queensland Australian Football League). Roly and I decided that with the number of former southerners on the Coast, Aussie Rules should do well.

So we decided to call a public meeting and endeavour to establish the game on the Coast. To that end, we placed an advertisement in the Gold Coast Bulletin, and called a meeting, which resulted in two clubs being formed.

To assist our endeavours, we were able to make contact with a Mr Joe Grant, the then Secretary of the Q.A.F.L. and the two clubs (1) Palm Beach - Currumbin and (2) Southport became active. You can’t of course start a competition with only two clubs, and we made contact with Mr Bob Gear, a Kedron Club (Brisbane) member and also a very active Life-Safer on the Gold Coast. Bob played for Kedron with his brother Tom and was considerably helpful to the two fledgling clubs on the Coast.

Palm Beach – Currumbin adopted the club colours purple and gold as we had been materially helped by the local LIONS club to become established, whilst Southport adopted black & white (Magpie colours). Both clubs set to work and attracted local chaps to their ranks to play Aussie Rules. Some were converts from Rugby League and it took some persistence to develop the skills of Aussie Rules so that we could play some games – initially social games. Our first game was played at Labrador on the northern end of the Coast one Sunday in 1959 on the Labrador Cricket Ground, and it was of course between the two newly formed local clubs, Southport and Palm Beach – Currumbin.

Initially I had decided not to play again and was acting Boundary Umpire in this initial game. Roly Daniels was Captaining Palm Beach – Currumbin and Ken McDonald was the Southport Skipper. Joe Grant had arranged for a central umpire from Brisbane to assist us.

Unfortunately during the second quarter, Roly Daniels badly injured a hamstring, so yours truly took over his role and I was back into the game at 35. In that season, largely with the help of Joe Grant and Bob Gear, we played a number of social games with teams that came down from Brisbane for the day.

Apart from the necessity to attract players and potential players it was essential that additional clubs be formed and that we obtain grounds on which to play, in particular in the locality where the clubs were formed. Also during Exhibition time in Brisbane (Annual Royal Show) the R.A.N. had at least one warship visit at that time of year. We were able to arrange with the Navy to send an Aussie Rules team from the visiting ship down the Coast and play us in a social game. A very excellent help in getting the game established on the Gold Coast.

Regarding grounds, as I related herein, we played our initial match at Labrador on the cricket ground. Then the hard work started as we began to create more than the two initial clubs.

The initial Executive of the New Aussie Rules League on the Gold Coast consisted of the following personnel:

Roly Daniels A builder by profession Max Mathers A representative with Golden Fleece John McCann A Fire Brigade Officer Frank Forest A builder “Bink” Hawker A Flat Owner Rob Alsop Profession N/A Bob Gear Service Station Proprietor.

There were others who joined the movement as time progressed and new clubs were formed. As my duties with Golden Fleece Petroleum required me to travel throughout southwest Queensland during the week, I was able to attend meetings of the Q.A.F.L. in Brisbane usually on Monday nights as a Delegate from the Gold Coast League.

Palm Beach - Currumbin Club were able to develop the at Currumbin with the considerable help of the Lions Club through “Bink” Hawkers assistance. Southport were able to develop an oval at Southport Showgrounds with the help of the Gold Coast Show Society. As time passed, clubs at Broadbeach, Labrador, Burleigh Heads, Surfers Paradise and Coolangatta came into being. Recruiting players of through the schools and local Surf clubs began and the Gold Coast Aussie Rules League was able to mount a competition and really get the game established. In 1962, Golden Fleece required me to move to Brisbane, so it was farewell to the new flourishing competition, which was in good administrative hands and led to my retirement as a player at 42.

We settled in Brisbane at the northern suburb of Aspley and whilst I spent more time in Brisbane, my duties continued to take me into south west Queensland country areas most weeks.

At that time 1962/63 there was virtually no local sporting clubs catering for youngsters {in the area}. So with my contacts at the Q.A.F.L., in particular Bob Gear and Sandy McMahon, we decided to endeavour to start an Australian Rules Club at Aspley for the young lads of the area.

On one Sunday morning in June five of we interested folks met at a large area known as “Stitz’s Paddock” in Graham Road at Aspley to explore the possibility of creating a club. Those present were:

Sandy McMahon Kedron Football Club Senior Member Bob Gear Also a Kedron Club Member Cyril Dunne Deputy Principal Aspley east State School Avril McClennahan Interested local lady And Myself.

We decided a Junior Club should be formed at Aspley and with the initial help of Joe Grant of the Q.A.F.L., set the wheels in motion to form the Aspley Junior Australian Rules Football Club”. Interest locally soon built up and the club was initially formed and we set about getting the local youngsters interested in joining the club and playing our game. But first came the problem of finding a sports ground on which to become established. We looked at a few locations including Marchant Park much closer to Chermside, which was a very large area, but unfortunately not available.

The ground at Stitz’s Paddock where we had first met was available, but had no facilities whatever. In fact the only buildings on the area were two old tin “dunnies”. The ground had originally been used and owned by a now defunct organisation known as the “Aspley Pastime Club” and as no other local body at the time was interested, the ownership was transferred to the “Bald Hills Aspley RSL Club”.

[Typists Note: “Stitz’s Paddock was used in the late 50’s for inter schools Aussie Rules competition by the primary schools in the area]

We were able to negotiate with the RSL and eventually took out a Lease and Licence of the ground with the exception of an area at the rear of the property, which had been leased to the Aspley Lawn Bowls Club. And on which they developed two bowling greens and a clubhouse.

Apart from Australian Rules Football, I was a member of the Liberal Party as was Muriel my wife, and the local Member for Aspley in the Queensland State Parliament was at that time Mr Fred Campbell. Fred Campbell was very helpful and through his offices we were able to negoitate with the RSL and in particular the then President of the Bald Hills/Aspley RSL, Mr Alec Millar.

[Typists Note: Aspley’s Club Colours (brown and gold) were a result of Max’s negotiations with his connections in the ]

Without wishing to go into more boring detail, we decided in the first season to field three teams, Under 11’s, Under 13’s and Under 15’s and training and coaching was necessary to get the Club underway. With no facilities at the ground our initial season was very hard, but with the help of the parents, the acquitted itself very well.

As time progressed, a number of very active parents who had been involved in both Australian Rules activities and other Community movements, joined the Club and became Committee members. Amongst these were Mr and Mrs Ken Hipwood and Mr and Mrs Harry Bax.

Now came the task of building the Club, adding to necessary facilities such as dressing sheds toilets etc. and of course to provide these it was necessary to raise funds. Through “chook raffles”, “sportsmen’s nights” etc we achieved the basics and soon were able to with voluntary labour and the building expertise of some of our members, to build our first dressing sheds and toilets.

Our now properly constituted Club with a very active Committee and Board of Trustees (Mr Harold Bax was our first Chairman of Trustees), with considerable assistance from Mr Fred Campbell MLA, the State Member for Aspley, the Club started to grow and become recognized locally as an important part of the Aspley Community. We had also appointed our local Federal Member, The Hon Mr Alan Hulme, Postmaster General in the then Federal Government, as Patron of the Club.

By now, the Club as well as an active Committee, had an excellent “Mother’s Club” which worked tirelessly to build the Club’s community recognition, as well as carry out the “weekly chores” associated with a football club. Through the Committee’s work and in particular the enterprise of Mr Harold Bax, he sponsored the design of the Club Rooms and a Community Hall and was instrumental in assisting us to raise the necessary funds to build the Club Rooms through a bank.

Gradually the Club began to grow and many young lads in the Aspley and surrounding districts joined the Club and took part in various age group competitions. This meant that a constant demand for coaches, team managers etc. A good deal of my spare time went into coaching and Committee work.

In mid 1966, the Company (Golden Fleece) promoted me to North Queensland Manager based in Townsville. So off went the Mathers family. Robyn, our eldest was now married and stayed in Brisbane with her husband John.

There was a reasonable Australian Rules Competition in both Townsville and Cairns so I joined the Hermit Park Club in Townsville and got stuck into some coaching etc with the juniors. One of our service station lessee’s (Ray Oldman) also a very active Aussie Rules supporter, worked with me in his spare time and we were able to get the local Channel 7 TV Station interested in televising some of our Aussie Rules Activities. This included some interviews and pre-game discussions on a Friday night before the Saturday fixtures.

Andrew, our eldest son was unable to play football because of a medical problem (heart) so I trained him to be a goal umpire and he did so well that the Aussie Rules Administrators made him an official umpire, which allowed him to be involved with his mates. One of the toughest jobs I had with the Juniors in Townsville was in company of another member of the Aussie Rules Administration. We took 93 lads from Townsville to Cairns one weekend to play a series of Inter-City games. Our mode of travel was by Rail Motor and we left Townsville at 2:00pm on the Friday afternoon and headed for Cairns. There was very little sleep that night and we arrived at our destination about 6:30am. And breakfast had been arranged for us at the Cairns Youth Centre.

Then followed a day of football games against the Cairns Juniors in the various age groups which took us through the day until 5:00pm. Evening meal was fish and chips and then it was back aboard the Rail Motor and headed south for Townsville where we arrived about 11:00am on Sunday.

Sunday night back home I’m sure we all slept better that night because I’m sure not too many of the party had managed much since we left Townsville on the Friday. It was a good outing, even if somewhat tiring.

Soon after my Company (Golden Fleece) posted me back to Brisbane as Retail Sales Manager for Queensland, so it was “farewell” to my Aussie Rules friends in Townsville and back again to coaching Juniors in the Aspley Club.

Back at Aspley following our time in Townsville, where Australian Rules is well established:

The Aspley Club continues to prosper and grow providing for youngsters of the area, sport facilities that were not there a few years ago. In addition to football and cricket, some of the enterprising ladies fostered the establishment of basketball (Netball) for the girls of the district. However, because the Netball Administration had determined that all the north side clubs should centre their activities at Downey Park, that is where the bulk of these activities take place.

As the years go by, junior footballers progress to senior ranks and ultimately become fathers and coaches of the next generation of young footballers. Aspley Club over the years has grown and expanded to the extent that as of the 2007 season, the Club catered for 1,000 lads of junior age. Half of them are just coming into the game involved in the “Auskick Program”, with the older juniors engaged in competitive games.

From small beginnings, the Club has fulfilled its objective and I’m proud to have been a part of its establishment in 1963. And now at 84 years of age, most of my football centres on the TV matches of the AFL.

Typists Notes: (Andy Mathers)

Max Mathers was born in Melbourne in 1924. He grew up during the depression years and learned that things in life had to be earned and if it was going to happen, you had to get off your backside and “make it happen”. He brought his family to Queensland (Gold Coast) in the mid 50’s and moved to Brisbane 6 years later. He has always been involved in community activities, and served several years on the Sports and Social Club committee at Golden Downs Retirement Village (Fitzgibbon) where he currently lives.

Max Mathers is a much deserved Life Member of the Aspley Australian Rules Football Club!