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East Sydney Australian Rules Football Club "The BulldQgs" established 1880 [ An abridged history: 1950s - 1990s There was something safe out on the fields where all that mattered was to give your best. There was character and courage with honesty and tntst and only we knew . what .it really. meant. Our thoughts were iust for the day not realising that it touched others in a totally different way. And we achievedfar more than we ever really knew, our minds and spirit runningftee. .hist me and the 'dogs the 'dogs and me. page 2 comnilerl hv J. Roherts Foreword My earliest recollections of East Sydney Australian Rules Football Club go back to sometime in the mid to late 1950's when I started playing in junior football teams. One of the people most responsible for encouraging junior football in the area at the time was Roy Hayes. Roy was a driving force behind the Bulldogs for many years and he was recognised as one of the most skilful footballers in Sydney during his playing days. He provided great encour­ agement to local juniors and during many years of involvement he occupied just about every position within the club ranging from Club President to senior Captain Coach to junior organiser and just about everything else thrown in. I fondly recall Roy piling as many kids as possible into his car on Saturdaymomings and driving at breakneck speed to get us to a game. I remember one particular day when Roy hired a taxi cab to take extra kids who couldn't fit into his car. He told the driver "we are in a hurry, just follow me". Sitting in the taxi listening to the driver curse and swear as he attempted to keep pace was a learning experience for half a dozen young footballers and certainly not part ofthe post match report to mum and dad when we arrived home. - . -·- ··- -- . - . ---··--·-· - Third grade (Ul8yrs) was a great time. Our coach was Ron Henson and we trained at the Reg Bartley Oval, Rushcutters Bay on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Ron's wife, who we affectionatley referred to as "Mrs. H", sometimes accompanied him to training sessions and on the odd occassion they would bring their daughter Patricia. Pat was a budding athlete and if my memory serves me correct she had attained junior representative level as a walker. On most occasions the roll-up to training was pretty good but no prizes for guessing when we got the best attendance!· I recall playing in a couple of third grade grand finals during the early 1960s without success. Newtown and Bankstown were our main rivals during the period and I remember wondering at the time how was it that some of their players had "matured" much earlier than us Paddo kids. Many of the younger players at both junior and senior levels during the period were locally born and bred which created a fantastic environment of mateship and support Many of my contemporaries included Bob and Gary Wilton, Bany Graves, Brian Ratcliffe, Phil Sykes, Ron Fitzpatrick, John Cbislett, Ian McKinnon, Kerry Shoveller, Danny Ryan, Graeme Hart, John Stone, Ray Bain, Bany Page, Noel Smith, Frank Delmoro and many others who also deserve mention and are hopefully recognised in later pages. As you will read in later pages of this publication, Easts had achieved unprecedented success during the 1950s with seven consecutive first grade premierships between 1953 to 1959. The 1960s was a period when the dub was rebuilding and it was an exciting time even though only limited success was achieved on the playing field. It was during the period that atteinpts were made to to secw-e licensed premises on the site which is now a vacant parkland directly beside Trumper Parle Oval. The club secured the site and converted the existing premises into a club house of sorts. It wasn't much to look at but it sure was the place to be. Particularly after matches when we gathered to celebrate a success or simply drown our sorrows. One of the requirements on the night was either to sing a song. tell a joke or just make a fool ofyowself. Billy Ayton's impersonation of Johnny Ray was first class and Jack Hamil­ ton's delivery of"Deck: of Cards" was always popular. Bob Wilton regularly "entertained" with bis wide array of Frank Sinatra songs and Bill Chisholm usually cleared the room with his stirring rendition of"There's a Bridle Hanging on the Wall". Unfortunately, East Sydney was never to realise the ultimate aim oflicensed premises on the site but the memories are irreplacable. It's strange how some of the worst moments stick in your mind but it was during the 1960s that I experienced one of the most devastating results in a game offootball. I don't recall the precise year. We were a struggling side but not short on giving ourselves a bit ofa chance against any opposition. We were due to play St.George, one of the stronger teams, at Tnnnper Park and it had bucketed down rain for most of the week leading up to the game. Come .. match day and the ground was a-bog. This was our big-chance to knock off one of the tall poppies in conditions which should have suited us more than them. Imagine our surprise when the Saints gave us a real wet weather lesson. I can't rember the exact score but it was something like StGeorge (107) v Easts (3). I'm pretty sure I shared the points scoring with good friend Bob Wilton. It was too frightening to think what might have happened if the conditions had suited the opposition! Turnaround in club success started in the late 1960s when we made the final series coached by Kevin Little (I %7 - 1968). We were a team full of desire but just couldn't match it with the big guns in the games that really mattered. However, coach Little brought a real toughness to the way we played the game and I believe this established a base for later success. The 1970s was a fantastic time to be part of the club. Reserve grade coached by Jack Hamilton in 1970 really set the ball rolling by winning the premiership with unarguably the best team to ever represent East Sydney at that level. I recall sitting in the old club rooms at Trumper Park one night in early 1971 with Jack Dean and other committee members waiting for a prospective captain coach to turn up to discuss terms for the coming season. That person page 3 comniled hv .L Rohert.~ happened to be Cliff Matson who Jack had identified as being the prime target for the club. His appointment turned out to be a master stroke as Cliff really helped set-up a decade of outstanding success for the club. The 1970s was also a period when the combination of Jack Dean and Bob Carter came to the fore as a successful match committee. Both street wise and astute judges of individual player capability they were adept at providing expert advice on game strategy and instrumental in East Sydney's success during the period. Many an interesting post grand final breakfast was had at the Dean residence in Walker A venue. Jack and Joy Dean were perfect hosts and almost compulsory attendance saw players tum up early on the morning after the grand final in all states of condition. Sausages and eggs washed down with plenty of champagne was the order of the day before we moved on to one of the local hotels where the festivities continued. The 1970s also saw the club secure licensed premises at Bondi Junction. Succ~ on the field brought a larger supporter base and combined with the Swans move to Sydney the licensed club became an extremely popular nightspot. I recall a few nights when the doors were closed as the club overflowed with patrons. What a shame all that was lost due to less than astute management. _ Th~__ were ~l.IJlY funnY inciden.t§ tha! oe<:~4 ~_ver the y(!ars 00.~ _one ~ I recall Was during the 1970s when grand finals were played at Trumper Park. Long time club supporter/player/conllriittee man, KeVfu Ryan WaS quite agOOd artist and had painted a very large bulldog on the wall leading to the change rooms. Now I'm not sure if the Sydney Football League (SFL) leaders were impressed with his efforts or not but around the same time someone had painted a large message on the fence surrounding the ground "SONNEMAN SUCKS". Ian Sonneman just happened to be the leading central umpire of the time. There was no evidence who the culprit was but everybody knew that East Sydney was responsible. I think these events motivated the SFL to declare that action would be taken ensure no further similar actions occur prior to the grand final. As a result the SFL hired a security finn to patrol the ground on grand final eve. Well, they didn't count on the determination of Kevin Ry.ul and his 'partner in crime', Glen "Halfil -Globe" Glaser. They both knew the security finn had arranged to leave a guard dog at the ground overnight. Being a butcher, Haifa-Globe supplied the meat and he and Kevin visited the ground under cover of darkness. Imagine the surprise of SFL officials on grand final morning when they found the very top of the goal posts painted in red, white and blue bands. Not to mention the surprise of the security firm at finding their large white guard dog with a red and blue band around its girth! Another funny incident occurring during the late 1970's involved player Dave Tobin.

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