Footy side still coming together

WITH the passing of the third Sunday of May came the annual reunion for past players of Ballarat YCW Football Club’s junior third eighteen side.

The 1969-era team once again reunited at the Red Lion Hotel over the weekend as part of a decade-long tradition to catch up and reflect on their undefeated season which culminated in a premiership win.

The team had an average winning score of 95 points per game, and organiser Michael Walsh said the event is proof of their enduring legacy.

“YCW doesn’t exist anymore,” he said. “This has been a terrific event ever since we started it.

“In reminiscing, we find the kicks get longer, we’ve kicked more goals, taken more spectacular marks, but you go in and everyone knows everyone.”

Greg Jolly, who was a regular attendee of the annual reunion, was absent, having passed since last year’s one.

A minute’s silence was held for Mr Jolly as well as other deceased team members including Rip Kirby Pat Collier, Frank Burke, John Crowe, Frank Segrave, Paul Smith, and coach Colin Dodd.

Mr Walsh said the team will continue to meet “until the last man is standing.”

The team’s utility player Brendan Britt performs music throughout Ballarat, and introduced a song for this year’s reunion to commemorate their premiership season.

The aim is to record and distribute the song, called The Legend of ’69 and I was played publicly for the first time during the reunion.

Britt said it encapsulates the atmosphere of the era.

“It’s about that time, about Ballarat, and what was happening at that time and the fact we were premiership champions,” he said.

“Everybody in the room said they loved it. The thought of the wording in the song was about somebody who’s heard of this team reunion at the Red Lion.

“When I look back, we didn’t realise how good the team was. We were undefeated. The highlight for me is this regular get-together. It hasn’t waned at all.”