Teammates from the Cohuna Football Club 1964 Premiership team were reunited on Saturday evening, 60 years after their win.
14 of the 25 premiership team members and officials, plus the wife and daughter of the team’s captain and coach attended the function held at the Cohuna and District Historical Society where, as well as finger food and refreshments, team members perused the Society’s comprehensive sports collection.
There was much reminiscing by the gentlemen around game play on that victorious day, and also on social activities (much of which is better left out of the printed media), as well as remembering those who have passed away. They may now be in their eighties, but they were once young, agile fellows who knew how to have a good time on and off the field, strengthening team bonds that remain strong to this day.
In the Northern District Football League 1964 Grand Final, Cohuna 10-9-69 defeated Union 9-11-65.
Brian Main, now 80, recalls the day. “We were probably the favourites, but we were behind most of the day, and we just hit the front very late in the game and were probably lucky to win in the finish. It was really great.
“For me, it was such a long break before Cohuna had won one, and some of the older fellas, our presidents and trainers, were so overjoyed to win something. We were a very young side, I think 11 of us were 20 and there were five or six older senior players, but most of us were 20 or turned 21 that year. The youngest was 16, so we were an extremely young side.
“I think there was a bond formed that we’ve stuck with. It was a very successful period, and Matt Goggin was quite a legend at that time. It was just a very strong period for the club.”
Des Walsh (Poppa) at 27 was one of the older players on the team (hence the nickname) – here is his mischievous conversation with teammate Ross Bateman about the game.
Ross – “Pretty good backline.”
Des – “Wasn’t too bad.
Ross – “You and Patto with Macca (Kenny McGlone). The half back line was Gary Easton, Doug Peace and myself.”
Des – “You were always out that side, and you had a habit of sneaking back a little bit further than your position.”
Ross – “...and they’d kick it to me.”
Des – “Yeah, me, kicking over to you. This bloke from Kerang one day wanted to know how I knew where to kick it – I said, can’t you smell him?”
Most of the players still live in the area, but some travelled from as far away as Melbourne. It has been 10 years since their first and only reunion, but they have vowed to make their catch ups more frequent.