FROM BILLABONG
“Belgium Park” is a fifth-generation sheep station between Balranald and Ivanhoe. It’s location and families down the years could have been the scenario for Mary Grant Bruce’s wonderful Billabong series. Ray and Marie Scott are the current custodians and are really fine “salt of the earth” people. Ray was at ACK in the 60s, a handy footballer and cricketer. Four sons and some grandchildren have attended the college. One at least of the sons will carry on the family tradition. Over the decades there have been good times and tough ones. Very dry at the moment as is much of Australian. Once there were thriving little outback villages in the region with stores, school, pubs, cricket and footy teams. One tiny locality Hatfield has a pub apparently. My father was a shearer and tent fighter shore at “Belgium Park” for quite a few years and the picture shows him with some of his workmates.
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ON TOP OF THE “G”
Long-time Kilmore resident Paul Rea had the task of raising the Australian flag on ANZAC Day at the MCG. It required a climb to the top of the scoreboard. Paul has been an MCG steward for many years and has been on duty for countless AFL games and many Test matches. He tells some great stories of the people he meets from both sports and the media. Paul, an Essendon fan, and his wife Maureen, a Carlton follower, did not have a lot to cheer about for some time. A son and three daughters attended ACK and made fine contributions to the life and times of the college. Paul, a handy all-round sportsman, played in the strong Essendon and District cricket and footy comps and played for Kilmore for some years. Maureen’s dad Tom Dillon and uncle Kevin Dillon played footy for Carlton and Richmond.
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TRUE CHAMPIONS
It was great to have a visit a week ago from a friend of many years, Neville Clark (OAM), and daughter Lucy. Neville was a wonderful school principal and a Vietnam War hero. Now living in Hobart, he travelled to Bendigo to be with Lucy and family over ANZAC Day weekend. Lucy is a deputy principal at Bendigo Senior Secondary College (2000 students in Years 11 and 12). Neville was given a roaring welcome from a thousand students at the school’s ANZAC service. On the following day he was prominent at the dawn service, attended by 5000, and then later marched through streets of Bendigo. Lucy is a really impressive lady who has clearly inherited some of her father and late mother’s qualities. About 20 years ago Neville told me that there should be one period a week in every school in Australia where “good manners, respect and appreciation of the past” are taught. Such lessons would sure be valuable today.
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VARIA
Damien Christensen and his brother Martin were champion lads and footballers at Assumption just over 40 years ago. Both played in college premiership teams (AGSV and Herald Sun Shield). They also later played for Geelong. Another brother, Ross, also played AFL. They came from Lara, near Geelong, and their parents were wonderful and hospitable people. Sadly Damien, a career police officer, passed away last week after a really tough cancer fight. In the end he had endured enough and just wanted to go.
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ACK FOOTBALL
Assumption First XVIII has opened the season with a comfortable win over Camberwell and a four-goal loss to Trinity. The Trinity clash at ACK was decided in the second quarter when the visitors took a handy lead. New coach Nathan Thompson (ex-Hawthorn) is working hard with the squad – it’s a busy winter for him as he is also in charge at Broadford Football Club in the Bendigo league.
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I’m pretty sure I can explain the rules of cricket, rugby league and union and soccer but I can no longer explain the rules of AFL. In a relentless bid to make the game even faster there are continuous rule changes that I doubt the four umpires fully comprehend. Maybe it’s time for the rule committee to take a step back. The Australian game began with a page of rules – now the rules content is just about thicker than the Bible.
