WITH the passing of the third Sunday of May came the annual reunion for past players of Ballarat YCW Football Club\u2019s junior third eighteen side.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cYCW doesn\u2019t exist anymore,\u201d he said. \u201cThis has been a terrific event ever since we started it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn reminiscing, we find the kicks get longer, we\u2019ve kicked more goals, taken more spectacular marks, but you go in and everyone knows everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg Jolly, who was a regular attendee of the annual reunion, was absent, having passed since last year\u2019s one.<\/p>\n
A minute\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Mr Walsh said the team will continue to meet \u201cuntil the last man is standing.\u201d<\/p>\n
The team\u2019s utility player Brendan Britt performs music throughout Ballarat, and introduced a song for this year\u2019s reunion to commemorate their premiership season.<\/p>\n
The aim is to record and distribute the song, called The Legend of \u201969 and I was played publicly for the first time during the reunion.<\/p>\n
Britt said it encapsulates the atmosphere of the era.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about that time, about Ballarat, and what was happening at that time and the fact we were premiership champions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody in the room said they loved it. The thought of the wording in the song was about somebody who\u2019s heard of this team reunion at the Red Lion.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I look back, we didn\u2019t realise how good the team was. We were undefeated. The highlight for me is this regular get-together. It hasn\u2019t waned at all.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WITH the passing of the third Sunday of May came the annual reunion for past players of Ballarat YCW Football Club\u2019s 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 […]<\/p>\n