Samford War Memorial is re-dedicated
MONDAY, JANUARY 20
Steve Haddan delivers an emotional tribute to former Australian selector, Les Geeves at the funeral service at Victory Church, Brendale. Steve, a former Channel 9 sports reporter and rugby league tragic, is a long-time friend of the Geeves’ family and was asked by Les’s wife, Daphne to talk about the rugby league side of things. I learnt a few things, such as the fact Les captained the Brisbane rep side in their famous victory over Great Britain in 1966. Family members speak about more personal memories, while one of the bosses from Sunshine Coast Turf Club speaks of Les’s love of racing. I sit with ARL Life Member, Kevin Brasch and his wife, Tilly. Les loved to wave goodby to family members with a handkerchief, and mourners farewell the hearse in that fashion.
I thought it disappointing more players who had been chosen for their State and Country during Les’s time, could not find the time to attend. The only ones there were Ben Ikin and Steve Price, and they are fulltime employees of the QRL. Former Easts’ teammate, Des Morris is there along with another former State rep from the 1970s, Steve Farquhar.
It was lovely to see a mini-bus load of Laidley Lions rugby league identities make the trip from the Lockyer Valley town, with former Logan City, Ipswich and Laidley player, Rob Bichel the driver, and stalwart, Chris Ryan the navigator. Rob, a brother of former Test cricketer, Andy Bichel played under the great Tom Raudoniokis at Logan City and Laidley, and had some great yarns. In 1994 Tom asked his fiery forward pack – which included Bichel, Bill Dart and Bradley George – to put on a stink against the South Queensland Crushers’ side which was playing in the XXXX Cup, ahead of the club’s debut season in the elite ARL competition. Suffice to say with the likes of Dart and George causing mayhem, there were quite a few backward steps taken by several Crushers’ forwards.
Earlier in the day I had been in Samford’s Main Street when the revamped war memorial was officially re-dedicated.
My fellow History Committee member, Bec Trimble texts to say Second Division and Brothers’ St Brendan’s rugby league legend, Mick Tierney has died. (See Vale Mick Tierney, this website).
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21
My former Courier-Mail colleague, Bart Sinclair is busy organising guest speakers for the February 21 Bernborough Club lunch. It is a big responsibility and nerve wracking, because if you tell the members ‘such and such’ is the speaker, and then he or she backs out at the last minute – well – how embarrassing.
Soccer player, Dino Arslanagic allegedly used the old ‘Don’t you know I am’ line when being ushered from a bar by the police for some sort of alleged misbehaviour. Evidently the Belgian national pointed out to them that he was an A League player. Look, I’m not denigrating A League footballers – anyone who plays at that level is obviously not a dummy. But 99 percent of A league players could walk down the street and the average punter would have no idea who they are. I’m surprised his story made the paper because it’s usually only NRL and AFL players the media are bothered with. It was probably because of Dino’s own self importance.
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 22
I didn’t expect to be talking gardening at an international cricket match, but that was the case at Allan Border Field, where an Australian XI was playing the England Lions. Sitting in front of me was Phil McCann and his wife, whose son, Freddie, 19, was playing for England. Phil is a ‘horticultural script writer’ for the Monty Don Gardening show, which features on the ABC.
On the way out of the ground I bump into former Courier-Mail colleague, Robert ‘Crash’ Craddock, who, like me, believes a sports museum is a must before the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane. ‘Crash’ was here earlier in the day when Pat Brown from Derbyshire bagged a hat-trick for the Poms. ‘Crash’ loves covering Olympic Games and hopes to be still writing for News Ltd in 2032. He enjoyed Paris, particularly working alongside former Australian Rugby League back, Matt Johns, who is a media natural. Matty had ‘Crash’ laughing out loud on a regular basis. One of Crash’s main interview targets at Border Field is Rocky Flintoff son of England Test legend, Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff.
Nambucca Leagues Club on the North Coast of NSW is destroyed by fire with 70 years of history going up in flames. One of my good mates, Malcolm Minns is a former Nambucca player.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 23
Broncos’ jack-of-all trades, Tony ‘Springer’ Spencer could be a world class pest when journalists were trying to conduct interviews at Broncos’ training, bringing the mower close to the assembled pack, forcing camera crews to take a break. It was all in jest, and most scribes took it as ‘Just Springer being Springer’. Tony’s name comes up today during RadioSEN’s morning show, when former Broncos’ forward, Corey Parker comments about the mower noise in the background as ‘The Hammer’, Hamiso Tabuai Fidow, is interviewed at Dolphins’ training.
Veteran halfback, Adam Reynolds retains the Broncos’ captaincy, under new coach, Michael Maguire. No real shock there. Marie and I see Adam and most of the Broncos while we are having lunch at Broncos’ Leagues Club, Red Hill. They walked across the road from their performance base for drinks from the cafe, where there is also a gathering of ‘The Knights’ – not the Newcastle Knights, but a group of old mates with connections to Brisbane rock n’ roll legend, Dennis Knight, who has been a Broncos’ man since day one. The group includes Springer’s former off-sider, Ken Rach and a former transport business owner, Bob (his surname escapes me) who would drive famous Broncos’ recruitment boss, Cyril Connell to various engagements ‘back in the day’. Cyril always insisted on a McDonalds’ stop, Bob says. A woman on a table next to us is obsessed with the fact one of the players scratched his arse. I mean, really. I wonder if she watches Nadal play tennis.
The Broncos have been on a pre-season camp at a secret location. I’m sure it was tough, but former Bronco, Corey Parker surmises that some things that were tolerated in his time would not be allowed now.
Driving back into Samford a young male P plate driver tailgates me, and when I have the audacity to reduce to 60km from 70, as we hit the designated 60kmh speed zone, he throws his hands in the air in frustration. I think it is a classic case of ageism.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 24
The TV ad for broadband, which features the punchline ‘That’s the Actual Aussie Way’, is a thinly disguised jab at the old school values on which this country was built, and, of course, features a family NOT of Anglo Celtic appearance when getting to the punchline. The Courier-Mail carries a photo of two little kids from Mitchell in western Queensland, the boy wearing the local Magpies’ rugby league shorts, and both of them looking as if they have a day outdoors. This is classic Aussie photo in my view, as opposed to a family in western Sydney playing computer games in the lounge.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 25
Veteran rugby league coach, John Dixon looks back at his time as coach of Celtic Crusaders and wonders what might have been. The battling Welsh rugby league club was making progress in ‘The Valleys’ until 2009 when six Aussie players, one of them Queensland Origin player, Josh Hannay, were deported over visa irregularities. It broke his heart to see genuine, hard-working blokes, who had made a mistake, kicked out while other ‘illegals’ bludged off the system, living year after year in the ‘old dart’ and contributing nothing. John and I have a nice chat at Brendale, as Redcliffe and Ipswich play in under-19 and under-17 trials in men’s and women’s rugby league at the home of the Albany Creek Crushers. ‘Dicko’ is helping with the young coaching staff at the Dolphins, one of whom is Ben Ebert, a close friend of our eldest lad, Damien. Ben and Damien toured the UK in 2001 with the Queensland Universities Rugby League side, under John’s coaching.
One of things which amazes me at the footy today is the size of the teenagers playing our game – not too many skinny nine stoners, as in my day.
On the way back to Samford, an idiot in a ‘ute’ tail gates me in what is mainly a 60km, single lane road over Eaton’s Hill, a drive which is just kilometre after kilometre of what looks totally unnecessary road works. At one stage this Rhodes Scholar looks at going up the inside of a line of traffic. His appearance is similar to one of those blokes who stormed the White House. But I don’t think even Trumpy would pardon this dickhead, who overtakes madly at the roundabout at the end of Samford’s Main Street, and then roars down Camp Mountain Road, up the arse of another oldie from our Samford Grove village. He’s the first wombat I’ve seen in Samford Valley.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 26
My wife surrenders her thong throwing title. Oh! the shame. She went out at first throw. I won’t mention how I went. Suffice to say I did not improve on last year, when I went out first throw. Two-up is another feature of the excellent Australia Day Breakfast at Samford Grove. Effervescent Russell Platt deserves much of the credit for the fun and games. His aim is to have everyone here smiling and laughing.
Samford Museum has what is effectively an open day, with no entry fee, and visitors number close to 1,000, most of them family groups, which is great to see. Federal Opposition Leader, Peter Dutton had been in nearby Scott Park earlier after attending a Citizenship ceremony at the Community Hall, as he has done for 23 years now. Our PM bagged Dutton for not being in Canberra. Really! At least here he only has the Australian flag to contend with.
Our grandsons, Ethan and Connor attend a Brisbane Bullets NBL (basketball) home match against Melbourne United. Their dad, Lliam cajoled me into taking him to a game at Boondall back in the 1990s. I hated the razzamataz and spent a good chunk of the night in the bar, I’m ashamed to say. Now that same razzamatazz is part of the NRL.
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