VALE KEITH KERMOND

Former Queensland Secondary Schools’ representative, Keith Kermond was 29 when he arrived in Murwillumbah in 1969 to take up a playing position with the Brothers’ club, which contested the Tweed/Gold Coast Rugby League competition.

He stayed only the one season, but, playing at lock, had a huge impact in a team full of class and physicality, under the leadership of former Maitland Pumpkin Pickers’ prop forward, Bob Pannowitz. 

Brothers defeated Cudgen 11-0 in the 1969 Grand Final played at Murwillumbah Oval, a match covered by Brisbane’s Courier-Mail as well as the local media.

In  1970 Brothers failed to make the finals following the departure of the likes of Kermond, Athol Gear, Des Lee and the Nunan twins, Allan and Geoff.

Gear, Lee and the Nunans were just starting their senior careers, whereas Kermond had just about run his race, after having played lower grades for Wests in Sydney, as well as district football in Sydney’s west – for Guildford. After one match for Guildford – against Sydney University – the match report noted that Guilford “had chased the ball all day. Bob Pritchard played a solid game and Keith Kermond a grand 80 minutes.”

The year before he joined Brothers, Keith had played Third Grade for Wests Magpies in Sydney alongside the likes of future Redcliffe first grader, Ron Sparrow and future Wests’ CEO, and Australian team manager, Ray Bernasconi.

The second youngest of five boys, Kermond and his brothers spent much of their childhood in a boys’ home’ at Manly on Brisbane’s southern bay side. Keith’s selection for the Queensland under-15 Secondary Schools touring side in 1955 was the sporting highlight of his formative years, with the young Maroons playing games in Newcastle, Sydney, Nowra and Wollongong, including two matches against New South Wales.

The Queenslanders beat Newcastle 18-0, before travelling by train to Sydney. NSW won the first inter-state game 13-5 after Qld led 5-0 at halftime. The Blues also won the return game – at Brookvale Oval – 7-3. The team then travelled south to Nowra, beating Nowra High 15-12, before the players attended a school dance. The next day the team visited the Horlocks Malted Milk Factory, before returning north to Wollongong where they attended a reception hosted by Mayor, Alderman J J Kelly.

The next day Queensland beat the Illawarra representative side 10-9. The local steelworks was the next port of call for the team before they returned to Brisbane. During the 12 day trip the boys were billeted by families of opposition players, something that does not happen any more. Keith’s tour blazer was provided by the Wynnum High School’s Parents and Citizens Association.

Keith and another brother, Bernard (also known as ‘Bumper’) were prominent in the surf life saving scene on the Gold Coast, and ‘Bumper’ was a member of the first ever Wynnum senior side (Third Grade) to win a Brisbane premiership – in 1972.

Keith’s nephew, Peter, who lives at Glenwood in the Blue Mountains, had this to say about his uncle. “Keith was also impeccably dressed, and was always a gentleman. He was a hard worker – a truck driver. When he lived in Sydney it seemed every second footballer drove a truck and Keith was mates with the likes of (Internationals) Arthur Beetson and Graeme Langlands. I remember they often caught up in a pie shop at Balmain. I would travel around with Keith sometimes, and became addicted to vanilla slices (from the pie shop). Keith would also stop at comic shops, so I had something to read, like ‘The Phantom’.”

Peter’s father, Wally (Keith’s older brother) is a Speedway legend, and at the age of 88 is still racing. The day I spoke to Peter, Wally was in Goulburn for a speedway meeting. Wally was inducted into the Australian Speedway Hall of Fame in 2023. Peter himself was a fine footballer, coming through the famous St Mary’s club in the Penrith district, as well as playing for the Opens at St Mary’s Senior High.

Footnote: Peter Kermond is a founding director of Squirrel Grip Cricket, with former NSW rep Mark O’Neill the company’s specialist batting coach. Mark is the son of cricket great, Norm O’Neill. Australian captain, Pat Cummins is one of many players to have squirrel grip on their cricket bats.

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