Past Parrots flock to Grand Final Breakfast

THE IMPRESSIVE turnout for Leongatha’s inaugural AFL Grand Final Breakfast on Friday and an engaged audience happy for the event to go a little overtime suggest it will become an annual tradition.

Organiser Tony ‘Jock’ Johnston expressed delight when looking out at “a sea of happy faces”, those faces including many who have played for the Parrots over the years.

Johnston and Dan Eddy drove the formation of a past players group, the value of which was illustrated by the great social vibe on Friday.

“This is about reconnecting,” Johnston said, remarking people tend to disconnect socially when they retire.

Past Leongatha players who made it to the AFL or its forerunner VFL were a big part of Friday’s proceedings, current AFL umpire Matt Stevic also welcomed warmly in his hometown.

Former Footscray, Melbourne and Sydney player Garry Baker spoke of struggling to get a game in the Leongatha Under 16s, joking the club “gave me the arse”.

Such was his career progress after that early blow, a highlight was being Melbourne Best & Fairest in 1978.

A lowlight came the same year when as one of the favourites for the Brownlow Medal, Baker failed to poll a vote.

Asked about the reputation of the Brownlow nowadays as a midfielders’ medal, umpire Stevic said that tends to be the case with other AFL player awards too.

While former chief football writer at the Herald Sun Mark ‘Robbo’ Robinson, who tag-teamed with Eddy in asking questions, expressed surprise Stevic wasn’t named for Saturday’s AFL Grand Final, the umpire saw it coming.

“I knew I was no chance,” he said, noting that as an emergency earlier in the finals he wasn’t in contention.

Still, Stevic has a record 12 AFL Grand Finals to his name.

“It’s our job to be the calm ones out there,” he said when Robinson asked about handling the fierce emotion coming his way.

Robbo quipped that, “As journos and umpires, we’re one and two aren’t we?”

“We’re one,” Stevic responded, discussing the passion people feel for the game and a death threat he once received over a decision in a Geelong versus St Kilda match.

Former Parrot Ian Salmon reflected on his time at Footscray and a visit to the family farm from Bulldogs coach Ted Whitten, whom he acknowledged got his hands dirty.

Salmon contrasted the modern AFL environment young players come into with his experience as a 17-year-old, saying he was just dropped at the hotel and told “See you at the game,” a daunting experience arriving from the country at such a young age.

“Nowadays, they’re held by the hand and led to where they’ve got to go,” he said.

Ivan Rasmussen also spoke of his time at the Bulldogs as well as a couple of Premierships representing Port Melbourne.

Laurie Moloney was asked about his time at Essendon, including a well-known Windy Hill brawl and responded, “A lot happened,” adding he mostly stayed out of it.

He was presumably more involved in another brawl at Carlton the following year, being suspended for two weeks, declaring it is still a mystery to him how one of Friday’s attendees, and then Blue, David McKay got off.

Mick Johnston played eight Senior games in a formidable Hawthorn side, along with over 100 in the Reserves and a couple of Senior matches at Footscray, Leongatha’s 2001 Premiership his first.

Hawthorn champion Jarryd Roughead still fondly recalls his junior footy for the Parrots and the desire to play Seniors for the club, the AFL initially seeming a long way away.

“All my memories of junior footy are being here and wanting to be part of this footy club,” he said, having also desired a cool nickname like Senior players had.

He recalled playing his first Senior game with fellow panellist Mick Johnston.

With Friday’s event very much past player driven, it was appropriate that group’s inaugural Most Valuable Player Award was announced, going to current Leongatha Skipper Tom Marriott.

Coach of the past five seasons Trent McMicking, whose decision to attend the event was praised by ‘Jock’ Johnston, spoke glowingly of Marriott.

Everyone enjoyed a great breakfast, plenty of banter and the joy of catching up with old Parrot friends.