1970 MFC Annual Report

We open the time capsule and bring you the MFC Annual Report for 1970. The club chairman was Dr. D. G. Duffy:

ANNUAL REPORT 1970

In presenting the Annual Report for Season 1970, we are pleased to state our team did rise a little from the position it occupied in 1969. The number of matches won were double the previous year but the year was still not as successful as it might have been.

We are not going to place our lack of success down to inexperience. The team should be respected more than it is. We possess players of above average ability who on occasions produce football equal to the best. However, it is not sustained in a consistent manner. We have for many years bemoaned the lack of big men in our team but with Peter Keenan, Rod Payne, Brent Jones, Peter Weekes and Max Walker, we are pleased with our big men at this moment and believe that we have the necessary height to compete with most teams in the Victorian Football League.

Our rovers, in Greg Wells and John Townsend, backed up by our other reserves, are adequate. Our back line, comprising Frank Davis, Paul Rowlands, Tony Sullivan, Derek Feldmann, Gary Hardeman and Barrie Hodges are equally sound. Our wingmen, headed by Stan Alves, Barrie Bourke, Trevor Rollinson and Bob McKenzie are quite positive and whilst we still need a dominating centre player, this position has been covered reasonably well throughout the year. Our forward line comprising Ross Dillon, Greg Parke, Lloyd Burgmann, Des Campbell and Graham Molloy have all proved successful and have generally pleased officials and supporters alike.

Why then have we not won more matches? We are inclined to believe that our team has not yet learned to win. We feel that many matches were lost because the team has not developed an aggressive attitude towards staying in front and clinching the victory that was ever so close and this characteristic must be developed if the side is to succeed in 1971.

John Beckwith has had to resign as Coach due to business commitments and we will miss him greatly. During the time that John has acted as Coach there has been a steady development in our team and it is indeed unfortunate that he cannot remain to reap the success that is so very close, and which he so richly deserves.

We have made a new appointment as coach for season 1971. We look forward with confidence to Ian Ridley achieving as much success with our senior side as he did with our Reserves. Further mention is made of our coaches in another section of this report.

We will, however, have to introduce still more players to our Club if we are to make the Final Four in the competition. This matter of obtaining players, however, has been made extremely difficult by the introduction of the Country District scheme throughout Victoria. The Victorian Football League, in a desire to produce a more even competition, has supported this scheme and all League clubs now find themselves operating under it. Whilst this evening up is undoubtedly taking place, it is most irksome to your officials engaged in recruiting players to be confined to those leagues that have been allocated to us, particularly when it is quite obvious that league players are definitely not available from these leagues at the present time. There are young players who possess potential, but our immediate needs cannot be fulfilled from our country zone. In the past, your secretary and coach together with our recruiting officers have been able to tour Victoria seeking the type of player we require. This is no longer possible.

The recent suggestion of the V.F.L. Administrative Director. Mr. E. O. McCutcheon, to introduce a drafting system in which all V.F.L. clubs would be invited to submit a list of names to a central authority and that our clubs be given the opportunity of selecting in rotation, the type of player that it requires, warrants close attention. This system operates in America with its professional football and has proven most satisfactory in that nation.

Further limitation has been imposed on the recruiting of interstate players and this has had the effect of offers to these players reaching astronomical proportions. The situation is rapidly becoming out of hand and is causing a great deal of worry to all clubs in our League.

Despite these difficulties, our members can be certain that no stone is being left unturned to secure players to improve our team in the years ahead. We have a most efficient recruiting organization headed by our Chief Recruiting Officer, now a co-opted member of Committee in Ken Carlon. Ken has proved himself to be the number one recruiting officer of all league clubs and his cheerful personality and sound judgment are extremely valuable assets; we are most grateful for his help on behalf of our Club, backed up by former players Bill Deans, Geoff Case, and Allan Mackay we are well covered in this direction. Our metropolitan area, in a similar manner to our country district, is under constant scrutiny and it is safe to say that no player has been overlooked.

This then, backed up by the determination to succeed, springing from all sections of the club, can assure our supporters that a total effort is being maintained on their behalf. We can do no more than this and will await the conclusion of season 1971, sure in the conviction that our hard work will achieve satisfactory results.

Once again our Reserve XVIII was successful in winning the Reserve XVIII Premiership. This team, coached by Ian Ridley, was in top position almost throughout the season and with an identical performance to that of 1969 brilliantly won the Grand Final over Richmond who were strong favorites for this flag on the day. A tribute must be paid to the splendid leadership of Philip Rhoden who enjoyed the respect of all players and capably led this successful team.

In the Night Football, our senior team was unfortunately defeated by Footscray in the grand final and were most unlucky to lose this game. It is certain that, had we been able to retain the services of Graham Molloy in the grand final, the result may well have been victory instead of defeat. It is worthy to record the excellent year of Graham Molloy who, after playing only fifteen matches, finished fifth in our Best and Fairest voting and also won our Best First-Year Player award from many excellent recruits. Graham has been a most popular importation, and at this early stage, is a strong candidate for Victorian State team selection in 1971 and will produce even more brilliant football in the years ahead. We are most pleased with the calibre of our 1970 first-year players who comprised such excellent team men as Colin Anderson, Bruce Brown, Lloyd Bergmann, Paul Callery, Des Campbell, Ray Carr. Barry Hodges, Peter Keenan. Noel Leary, Graham Molloy and Rod Payne, a very fine group of players who reflected great credit on our recruiting organization.

On the financial side, our club enjoyed a better financial season and this we know will be improved even more by the success of our team. Until we are restored as a final four side, our financial situation must still be restricted. Team performance undoubtedly governs gate receipts and we look forward with confidence to a general improvement in this direction in 1971. We suffered a financial loss for season 1970 amounting to $8,711.00.

OUR COMMITTEE

Dr. D. G. Duffy again presided as Chairman of the football club for season 1970. Right from the outset of this season, Don showed determination to improve our team's position on the ladder. He has been most attentive to all matters pertaining to the club's development and his attention to many of the problems that arose during the season was most commendable. He has shown an interest in recruiting and we are certain that his participation in this direction will lead to a few new faces in the year ahead. He has called for a sustained and vigorous effort from all members of the Committee and is a most vigorous worker in the interests of our Club. He was ably supported by a Committee which comprised the following:

Representing M.C.C. Committee: Dr. D. G. Duffy, Dr. D. P. Cordner, Mr. T. C. Trumble.

Representing M.C.C. Members: Messrs. B. J. Dixon, R. S. Geary, F. V. Hughes, A. L. King. C. McLean, N. J. McMahen, J. R. Mitchell. I. R. Porter.

Representing M.F.C. Members: Messrs. J. P. McGrath, G. A. Lenne. Representing Reserve XVIII:

Co-opted Officials: Messrs. G. M. Swan, K. Carlon.

Special reference should be made to the outstanding contribution made to our club by Mr. A. L. King. Mr. King has been a member of Committee now since 1938. Mr. King, amongst his various activities, controls our membership ticket sales at the beginning of the year and also our reserved seat sales prior to the final series. He is our permit delegate to the V.F.L. and is a member of many sub-committees on that body and is acknowledged by all football administrators as being one of the outstanding delegates in the V.F.L. He has led the V.F.L. permit committee in its introduction of the country district scheme and has overcome innumerable difficult meetings with the Victorian Country Football League. Fie was also a member of the V.F.L. Executive and at present of the Waverley Park Committee. Mr. King also finds time to act as Secretary to our coterie and must surely be the hardest working administrator and the most competent member of committee found in any club.

We were unfortunate during the season to have the retirement of Mr. H. C. Long who was forced to resign owing to pressure of business. Mr. Long has occupied a position on our Committee almost since his retirement as a player. He began playing with the Melbourne Football Club in season 1929 and during that period, played 110 games, retiring at the end of season 1937. Almost immediately he joined the Committee of the M.F.C. and has occupied the position on Committee until the present time. A most efficient worker and a keen judge, he did over this period occupy a position as selector for a great number of years. His experience and background will be sadly missed. We trust that he will be a frequent visitor to our rooms where he will always be welcome.

His place on committee has been taken by Mr. R. S. Gary who was formerly representing our Reserve XVIII's.

Another member of committee who was forced to retire was Mr. M. P. Gibb. Maurie, as he is better known, is a former player who began his career in 1934 and played 132 games until he retired in 1943. Maurie has represented M.F.C. ticket holders since 1949 and was recently appointed Assistant Secretary to the Melbourne Cricket Club under Mr. Ian Johnson. The great and varied amount of work that Maurie is called upon to do on a Saturday has forced him to resign from our Committee where he also served as Treasurer.

His place has been taken up by Mr. G. A. Lenne, another former player of the Melbourne Football Club who has taken his place as Treasurer and M.F.C. representative of our members. Maurie, of course, is still around our Club and is a frequent visitor to our rooms.

COACH AND ASSISTANTS

Once again our coaches made a splendid contribution to the success of the teams. John Beckwith as senior coach was assisted by Ian Ridley who also acted as Reserve XVIII Coach. A new addition in Brian Gray, former Collingwood wingman. was appointed to coach our Under 19's and was an outstanding success, whilst John Osborne coached our Fourth XVIII. They comprise a young and efficient group who served our Club to everyone's complete satisfaction.

John Beckwith has, unfortunately, decided to retire as Coach; John did not enjoy the success in games that his coaching merited, but taking over as he did when so many of our players retired in the years 1966, 1967, 1968, left John with a very inexperienced group of footballers and it is to his credit that the team has developed as well as it has. It seems a great pity that John is not able to continue and enjoy the success that we are sure is fast approaching. The happy, friendly atmosphere in our rooms today is proof conclusive of the good work he has done and we are sure that this will be carried on by the appointment of Ian Ridley as our Senior Coach.

Ian's record as a player has been an outstanding one; he joined the Club in 1954 and played 130 matches in which he kicked 302 goals. He also played in five premiership teams. He was coached by Norm Smith and later left the Club and won premierships with Ringwood in the Eastern Suburban League and quickly showed that he had captured some of the Smith magic in winning a premiership in his first season with that team. He returned to Melbourne where he acted as assistant secretary to Jim Cardwell for three years. But the call of coaching was too great and in 1968 he was appointed as assistant coach to John Beckwith. Premierships with the Reserve XVIII again followed him in 1969 and 1970.

It is interesting to note that Ian has played in premiership teams in every competition he has appeared, and we trust that this premiership magic will soon be felt with our Club. An outstanding speaker, he possesses the ability to win the respect, the admiration and the goodwill of all players plus the modest characteristics that made him the unanimous choice of all members of committee for the job.

Brian Gray was appointed coach of our Under 19 team for season 1970 and proved completely satisfactory in this position. Our Under 19s were a little unfortunate not to have made the final four and this was probably due to the fact that our successful Reserve XVIII made many calls upon their players, but for the first time in many years it would appear as if many League players will make their way to our senior side from the Under 19s.

Our Fourth XVIII again played off in the grand final but this year were defeated in that match. However, credit must be given for the fine work of John Osborne who carried on as coach to the complete satisfaction of all.

Special reference must be made to the outstanding contribution of our Reserve XVIII Committee in its guardianship and welfare of Reserve, Under 19 and Under 17 players. Led by its executive, Messrs. R. S. Geary, N. Parkhill, R. Read and W. A. Rodriquez, the many members of the Reserve XVIII Committee have spent hours attending to the best interests of their young players. Special praise is due to Mr. Bill Rodriquez who has been an outstanding Reserve XVIII Secretary and we must thank him for the work he carries out on behalf of our Club. It was most pleasing to see Mr. Noel Parkhill associated with the success of our Reserve XVIII in winning its premiership as it was Noel's first year as Manager of the Reserves abd a fitting reward for a job well done.

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