Bad Hair, Flares, Tin Sheds and Football

For the people of Oakleigh and the Oakleigh Youth Club Football Club the prospect of a new decade was to be one of meeting the new challenges of growth. For the Oakleigh City Council these were around issues of planning for growth with the ballooning number of flats, and the sharp rise in transport and traffic issues causing much tension in council chambers. Also the push for late night trading in Melbourne was on the agenda, which the Oakleigh Council didn’t support. Ironic in hindsight now given that the Chadstone shopping centre in Oakleigh’s backyard looms large over the Melbourne retail landscape and is open 24 hours on some occasions during the retail year.

1970. Team with coach Jack Malcomson

For the football club the seventies would see growth in numbers of teams and players, club activities and a growing interest in the sport of football generally across the community. The latter largely fuelled by the development and promotion of the Victorian Football League (VFL). This was both, as a spectator sport through television coverage with shows like Channel Seven’s “League Teams” and  “ World of Sport” (a must watch every Sunday), and as a desirable profession for a young man to take up and “earn a quid from”. A number of OYCFC players emerged in the seventies as real VFL/AFL prospects, most notably David Rhys-Jones and Warwick Capper, and would be blessed with both the talent and drive to succeed.

It should be remembered that junior football in the seventies was also a pathway to the well-regarded Victorian Football Association (VFA) competition and a number of Oakleigh Youth Club footballers distinguished themselves on this stage as well. Oakleigh having a VFA side gave local boys an added impetus to do well at the junior level as it was part and parcel of their community. Among those achieving at that level Stewart Lemmens and Terry Lucas Jnr at Oakleigh, Bruce Chapman (Sandringham), Mark Ryan (Port Melbourne) and Ashley Westaway (Box Hill)

The football club realised that to successfully meet the challenges of growth it had to organise itself better. Perhaps one of the most important decisions taken was to set up a Ladies Committee under the management of Mrs Doreen Chapman as the inaugural President and followed in subsequent years by Yvonne Lemmens, Gwenda Mogg and Beverley Greenwood. Mrs E Thorn was the inaugural Treasurer of the Ladies Committee. This committee was set up initially to assist with fundraising efforts and “the provision of hot meals for players and supporters” (refer footnote-18)

1970. Team with scoreboard

Another new development for the OYCFC in the early seventies was the arrival of a tin shed that was to become the expanded canteen. More food could be on offer and as a result more valuable income for club expenditure could be raised. Another development was the new scoreboard (the numbers for the scoreboard were made by Wal Capper) which we know could barely cope with the score Oakleigh 16. 12. 108 to opposition 1.1. 7. It was a tight fit although scores like these were a rarity.

The first “changing of the guard” also occurred in the early seventies with only Ray and Doreen Chapman staying on the committee from the founding days and providing one of the few links to the actual Oakleigh Youth Club itself.

On the football side of things the club was settling into Edwards Street Reserve, a reserve that had been in existence since 1924. It was named after local identity and cricket stalwart Jack Edwards in 1981 in what he described as an “economical move” by council as the reserve coincidentally flanked Edwards Street (refer footnote-19) . To the council of the day this would have probably represented a saving on signage, although these days we would call that marketing!

1970 seemed to be a happy year especially for the main trophy winners that included a beaming Neil Armstrong winning the first of his two under 10’s best and fairest awards. Bruce Chapman won the first of his three best and fairest awards and David Miller, later to kick six goals on debut for Richmond against the Magpies also chimed in for a trophy.

1970. OYCFC club trophy winners		1971. Ray Chapman and guests celebrate presentation dinner

Apart from 1972 when the club lost the under 13 team the remaining years of the seventies saw a pattern of stabilisation and from the end of 1975 onwards growth in the numbers of teams. An under 9’s was added in 1976, under 12’s in 1977, and the club had an under 17’s in 1977 and 1978, for the first time since 1966.

1972. Under 11's. Warwick Capper & David Rhys-Jones

The club also had two under 11 teams in 1971 as well as under 13’s and 15’s. The under 11 “A” team photo features both David Rhys-Jones and Warwick Capper in the front row. After beating Cheltenham in the semi final this team made it through to a preliminary final and were beaten by Edithvale 4.7.31 to 6.3.39.
S Williams scored 3 goals and the best players were Mark and Steve Miller, Philip Mitchell, Philip Greenwood.

Apart from a couple of matches where the under 11 “B” team either failed to score or managed a couple of behinds, the club from results point of view was reasonably competitive. In addition, the under 13 team made it to the semi-finals losing by a couple of goals to East Malvern.

The most significant event of 1972, apart from all teams making the finals and the boys playing good football, was the announcement in October of life memberships to the City of Oakleigh Youth Club for football activities. These went to Ray Chapman and Yvonne Lemmens for work they had done over a long period of time with football. Both received badges from the Victorian Association of Youth Clubs (VAYC) and Mrs Lemmens was presented with a coffee table and Mr Chapman a painting (refer footnote-20).  The painting of autumn trees is still at the Chapman house in Murrumbeena.

1972. Yvonne Lemmens & Ray Chapman. First Life Members		1972. Yvonne Lemmens. Life membership badge

1972. Under 15's running out to meet Essex Heights

One result we do know from 1972 is that Essex Heights put the Oakleigh under 15 team out of the Preliminary Final in a narrow defeat of 9 points.

Whilst narrow defeats in finals are disappointing, and the OYCFC over the years would have many of these, in junior sport they are really a measure of great success as they indicate high levels of competitiveness and commitment.

1973. OYCFC Club trophy winners

The club recognised this at the October Presentation Night held in its Haughton Road rooms.  Although they hadn’t won a flag, 1972 was deemed to be a successful year. By now the seventies had truly arrived as the trophies seemed bigger with more gold and the hair seemed longer! 1973 was also another successful year for the trophy winners.

Hope of the club again having an under 17’s team in 1973 was still strong as training nights were set aside for them at the Edwards St. Reserve on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A coach, Mr. R.V.Jackson, was also appointed to the position. Jack Malcomson coached the under 15’s, D Stow the under 13’s and the club expected to have two under 11’s teams coached by Brian Mogg (refer footnote-21).

By using the local papers in 1973 to promote the club and training times, the OYCFC was becoming much more aware of the need for even local junior sporting clubs to market themselves to their communities. This would be both for recruitment purposes and for sponsorship opportunities. Not getting two of the intended teams on the field indicates how difficult it was for clubs to attract new players, especially in the older age brackets.

1973. Under 13's coached by Jack Malcomson. Team included David Rhys-Jones and is that two girls in the front row?

1974. Under 11 A team

Ray Warren completed his third year as president in 1974 and Brian Mogg took over for the 1975 season. Some interesting names began appearing on the best and fairest honour board in this period.  Warwick Capper won the under 11 best and fairest in 1974, a crouching Warwick can be seen at the front of the 1974 team photo that also features a very stern looking Brian Stow as team manager. Bruce Chapman, who went on to play with Melbourne under 19’s and Sandringham, won the under 15 best and fairest the same year. Bruce Nicholas and David Rhys-Jones captured the 1975 best and fairest trophies for the under 11 and under 13 age groups respectively.

Judging from the number of boys and team officials in the team photographs of these years the club must have been more than competitive across these two years.

1975. Under 15's		1975. Under 13's

The addition of an under 9 team in 1976 was important in adding a strong base to the club. For a short time the boys must have been a little confused as they wore the Collingwood colours of black and white, a set of jumpers borrowed from Holy Redeemer primary school. The club has had under 9’s since that year when D Freedman won the inaugural under 9 best and fairest.

The following year was even better in terms of consolidation with the addition of two teams, under 12 and under 17 with John Flynn and J Krikas winning the best and fairest trophies at the presentation and trophy night held at the Youth Club on Sunday August 7,1977. Mid season Chris Heverin took over as under 17 coach from Stewart Weston. Chris also played and captained under 19’s at Richmond and had a successful career at Oakleigh VFA.

The teams of the OYCFC had a reasonable year although it appears none made the finals. John Flynn and Greg Paydon went to Perth as part of the Junior Sunday Football Association (JSFA) under 12 team.

The club was also building off the field in 1977. The Ladies Committee or as the club newsletter refers to them the “Ladies Auxiliary” (refer footnote-22) managed, through cake stalls and canteen, to raise enough money, $180.60, to finally purchase a set of jumpers for the under 9 team. They also raised another $445.00 for sets of jumpers for the under 13 and 17 teams and purchased all medical equipment for all teams including a stretcher for the club.

Socially the club was also strong in 1977 with dinners at the Barren and Beef, Bingo Nights at the Chapman’s in Murrumbeena, two Basket Cabarets at the Youth Club (June and July) and a dinner dance. The end of season trip was to Creswick in early October, which included a trip to Kryall Castle, films on Friday and Saturday, and plenty of fresh air and fun.

1978. Under 9's. Peanut Farm, St Kilda. First time in green shorts

For the first time the players of the OYCFC played in coloured shorts in 1978, green with gold stripes. They were worn for all games, home and away and the recommended supplier was the Sports Store in Portman Street. A pair could be purchased for the princely sum of $4.50.

The Fred Martin Pavilion was officially opened by the Mayor of Oakleigh, Councillor J B Perryman J.P. on the 9th of April at 2.30 pm. It should be noted that through the new canteen in the Fred Martin Pavilion more stock could be made available for sale. The old tin shed canteen had served the club well but progress had to happen.

The old tin shed canteen		Terry Lucas and John Van Der Wouw buying up big from the new Canteen. Monica Bloy, Ros Kernick and Maureen Van Der Wouw in canteen

A quick glance at the statistical analysis in Appendix 7 clearly shows the impact that new facilities can have on sporting clubs such as the OYCFC.  The income stream improved significantly from 1977 when the canteen took $613, to much higher figures in 1978 ($2,329.71) and 1979 ($1,312.52).

The Ladies Auxiliary continued its hard work, which was the case every year, by raising money for another set of jumpers. This time the lucky team was the under 12’s. The Ladies Auxiliary also managed to furnish the newly opened clubrooms with a range of donated items from tea towels to tables as well as turn the canteen into a valuable source of income for the club. This would prove very important in funding the growth of the eighties just over the horizon.

The Club had been in existence for 15 years by 1979 with one premiership to show for its efforts in the very first year, which no one knew about. The under 9 and the under 13 teams both made the finals in 1979 finishing as runners up. As a reward the committee or parts thereof decided to have a flag made up to commemorate the effort and to make the boys feel like winners when they entered the club rooms. Veronica Stow willing undertook the task and despite the odd wrinkle replicated the real thing convincingly enough so that some recent day members of the club think it’s a real flag presented to the OYCFC by the league!

1979. Under 9 runners up		1979. Trophy winners. Darren Payet (13's) & Brendan Hocking (15's). Both highly regarded players at the club

Veronica’s flag was both a reflection of the previous decade and a portent for things to come. Looking forward it was a sign that the club was determined to achieve success by building on the ethos of good sportsmanship, confidence and high self-esteem. The eighties were to be an explosion of all of these.

Looking back across the seventies the flag represents recognition for all involved who had grown the club and felt the sense of community that comes from sharing what is essentially a family activity. Last word on the seventies really belongs to former player Bruce Nicholas and life members Pat Rhys Jones and Brian Stow. To these three club stalwarts the best thing about the club wasn’t the football but the making and building of lifelong friendships. To them in one sense the sport of weekend junior football was both a vehicle for shared parenting and the teaching of life values as well as an opportunity for them and their families to engage socially with family and friends. Two of the most important bonds that hold communities like Oakleigh together.

Related

footnote-18
Watson, Cheryl. Oakleigh Youth Club football Club History 1965-1990. OYCFC. Oakleigh. 1991.  p. 7.

footnote-19
Edwards, J. McG., Candlelight on Broadway: a journey to a quieter world. Oakleigh & District Historical Society, Oakleigh. 1988. p. 76.

footnote-20
The Standard Times. 3 October 1972.

footnote-21
The Standard Times. March 13. 1973. p.20.

footnote-22
OYCFC Club Newsletter. June 1977.