A toast to 125 years of Collegians Football Club

Warrick Mitchell

I AM HONOURED TODAY TO PROPOSE A TOAST TO COLLEGIANS FOOTBALL CLUB IN ITS 125TH YEAR OF AMATEUR FOOTBALL.

“THE COLLEGIANS “WAS THE BRAINCHILD OF ONE ENGLISHMAN LAWRENCE ARTHUR ADAMSON – THE SPORTS MASTER AT THE TIME AT WESLEY COLLEGE.

IN 1889/91 – L.A. ADAMSON FORMED AN OLD BOYS EIGHTEEN “TO KEEP THOSE WHO HAD LEFT THE SCHOOL TOGETHER”

IN EARLY 1892 A GROUP OF CITIZENS INCLUDING  L.A. ADAMSON AS PRIME MOVER MET IN MELBOURNE TO ESTABLISH THE METROPOLITAN JUNIOR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION -THIS NAME CONTINUED UNTIL 1932 WHEN THE NAME CHANGED TO THE VICTORIAN AMATEUR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

OF THE ORIGINAL CLUBS – COLLEGIANS IS THE ONLY FOUNDATION MEMBER STILL PLAYING IN THE ASSOCIATION TODAY.

IN THE EARLY YEARS COLLEGIANS WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL CLUB WINNING THE UNOFFICIAL PREMIERSHIP IN 1891 AND  PREMIERSHIPS IN 1892, 1896, 1898, 1899, 1902  AND 1904 – CERTAINLY PLAYING MOST OF ITS GAMES ON THE FRONT TURF AT ST KILDA ROAD.

L A ADAMSON BECAME HEADMASTER OF WESLEY COLLEGE IN 1902IN THE EARLY DAYS THERE WERE SOME EXTRAORDINARY LINKS BETWEEN WESLEY COLLEGE, COLLEGIANS AND THE NOW KNOWN VAFA

IN 1896 L.A. ADAMSON BECAME PRESIDENT OF THE MJFA ASSOCIATION – A POSITION HE HELD UNTIL 1932 AND THE NEXT PRESIDENT WAS HAROLD STEWART -WHO FOLLOWED ADAMSON AS HEADMASTER OF WESLEY -AND HE HELD THE PRESIDENCY UNTIL 1949-

SO, YOU HAD JUST SHORT OF 60 YEARS OF CONTINUOUS GOVERNERSHIP BY HEADMASTERS OF WESLEY COLLEGE TO THE VAFA.

I MAY ALSO ADD THAT ADAMSON AND STEWART WERE ALSO PRESIDENTS OF COLLEGIANS FOOTBALL CLUB FROM 1892 UNTIL 1949. AGAIN, A PERIOD OF ALMOST 60 YEARS.

LAST WEEK WE REMEMBERED ANZAC DAY – 16 MEMBERS OF THE 1914 COLLEGIANS FOOTBALL TEAM ENLISTED -INCLUDING THE CAPTAIN AND VICE CAPTAIN  – AND SADLY 27 O W’s DIED AT GALLIPOLLI

ON SATURDAY 17 JULY 1915 COLLEGIANS WAS UNABLE TO FIELD A TEAM FOR THE FIRST AND LAST TIME IN ITS HISTORY OF 125 YEARS.

THE COMPETITION WAS SUSPENDED SHORTLY AFTERWARDS FOR THE DURATION OF THE WAR

LET US MOVE ON

ANOTHER LINK WITH THE VAFA WAS THAT AN OW JACK McCANN WAS SECRETARY OF THE VAFA FROM 1933 UNTIL 1946 AND HE WAS FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER OW GEOFF MOORE AS SECRETARY FROM 47 UNTIL 51.

BOTH JACK McCANN AND GEOFF MOORE WERE PRESIDENTS OF THE VAFA FROM 1960-1970

ADAMSON, STEWART, McCANN AND MOORE ALL WERE MADE LIFE MEMBERS OF THE VAFA IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR SERVICE TO THE VAFA.

COLLEGIANS WON PREMIERSHIPS IN 1926 AND 1936-37

FOLLOWING THE GREAT WAR IN 1946 COLLEGIANS REACHED A CRISIS POINT.

AS I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS SOME RELUCTANCE BY OW’S TO BECOME HONORARY OFFICIALS TO ASSIST THE TEAM AND IT WAS BY ONLY A SLIM MAJORITY AT A COMMITTEE MEETING IN 1946 THAT THEY DECIDED TO CONTINUE.

BRUCE GREGORY AND BRUCE JACKSON BECAME INVOLVED IN THE OFF FIELD RUNNING OF THE CLUB

CAN I NOW MOVE ON TO WHAT LAURIE HUMPHRIES, A FORMER MASTER AT WESLEY COLLEGE RECALLED IN HIS 100 YEAR HISTORY OF COLLEGIANS FOOTBALL CLUB AS “THE GOLDEN AGE.”

IT PROBABLY STARTED AROUND 1952 WHEN BOB FERGUSON JOINED THE CLUB AND ORGANISED A FUNDRAISER THAT ENABLED THE CLUB TO HAVE FUNDS TO PAY FOR A TRAINER.

ALSO IN THAT YEAR JACK McCANN WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN COLLEGIANS OBTAINING A HALF SHARE LEASE IN THE OLD HARRY TROTT OVAL THAT WAS SITUATED AT THE NORTHERN END OF ALBERT PARK.

BY HALF SHARE I MEAN COLLEGIANS SHARED THE OVAL WITH COMMONWEALTH BANK FOOTBALL CLUB WITH BOTH CLUBS TRAINING ON THE SAME NIGHT -TRAINING UNDER CAR HEADLIGHTS!!

THERE WERE NO STORAGE FACILITIES WHATSOEVER PRACTICE BALLS ETC WERE KEPT IN GEOFF HIBBINS CAR BOOT.

IN 1955 GEOFF HIBBINS WAS APPOINTED COACH – HE WAS ALSO CAPTAIN AND SECRETARY

HE HELD THESE THREE POSITIONS UNTIL END OF 1958.

WITH THE FUNDRAISING EFFORTS OF BOB FERGUSON, THE CLUB WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE ONE SET OF FLOODLIGHTS -A VAST IMPROVEMENT

ONE OF THE FIRST ITEMS ON GEOFF’S AGENDA WAS FOR COLLEGIANS TO ESTABLISH A SECOND TEAM -COLLEGIANS GOLD -SO THAT ALL EX WESLEY STUDENTS WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE A GAME OF FOOTBALL -AND THIS HAPPENED IN 1958

GEOFF ALSO INTRODUCED AN ANNUAL GAME AGAINST THE CURRENT WESLEY SCHOOL SIDE -FOLLOWED BY A PIE NIGHT SO THAT FINAL YEAR STUDENTS WOULD THEN HAVE A PATH AFTER FINISHING AT WESLEY TO CONTINUE PLAYING WITH THEIR MATES –

IN MUCH THE SAME TRADITION AS ADAMSON DID IN 1889.

COLLEGIANS WERE B GRADE PREMIERS IN 1956 AND A GRADE PREMIERS IN 57,58,59 AND 61 -AN EXTRAORDINARY RUN OF SUCCESS.

GEOFF WAS A REMARKABLE FOOTBALLER WINNING 5 ASSOCIATION BEST AND FAIREST AWARDS, CAPTAINED THE VAFA SIDE IN THE DEMONSTRATION GAME AT THE MELBOURNE OLYMPICS AND WAS MADE A BIG V LEGEND OF THE VAFA IN 2007

THE HIBBINS FAMILY HAVE MADE A REMARKABLE CONTRIBUTION TO COLLEGIANS

BOTH GEOFF AND LEX PLAYED OVER 200 GAMES EACH, LEX’S OLDER SON MARK PLAYED OVER 200 GAMES WON TWO ASSOCIATION BEST AND FAIREST AWARDS AND CO -COACHED THE SENIOR SIDE FOR 7 YEARS -WINNING TWO A GRADE PREMIERSHIPS

LEX’S YOUNGER SON NICK WAS A VERY HANDY FOOTBALLER WHO COACHED THE UNDER 19’S TO A PREMIERSHIP LAST YEAR – A TEAM THAT INCLUDING MARKS’ YOUNGER SON – JACK

NICK HIBBINS THIS YEAR IS COACH OF THE COLLEGIANS WOMEN’S TEAM – AND I AM SURE I SAW NICK’S SON ZAC -RUNNING THE BOUNDARY FOR THE WOMEN’S SIDE TWO WEEKS AGO

MARKS OLDER SON SAM IS PLAYING IN THE SENIOR SIDE- SO THERE IS ALMOST 70 YEARS OF CONTINUAL SERVICE TO COLLEGIANS BY THIS WESLEY FAMILY AND DARE I SAY -MANY YEARS TO COME.

THE NEXT MAJOR MILESTONE FOR THE CLUB WAS THE OPENING OF THE CLUBROOMS ABOVE THE CHANGE ROOMS IN 1963-THIS ALLOWED THE WIVES AND GIRLFRIENDS OF PLAYERS TO COME TO THE FOOTBALL AND WATCH GAMES IN COMFORT -AS WELL AS PROVIDE AFTERNOON TEAS ETC.

THE LATE STEPHEN BROWN WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUND RAISING. HE SOLD 10 POUND NON-INTEREST BEARING DEBENTURES TO MEMBERS. THE DEBENTURES EXPIRED IN 10 YEARS –

SO, I WOULD BELIEVE HE NEVER HAD TO PAY OUT AT ALL ON ANY OUTSTANDING DEBENTURES -MOST WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST IN TIME OVER THE TEN-YEAR PERIOD

WHILST COMPETITIVE, COLLEGIANS DID NOT WIN ANOTHER PREMIERSHIP FOR 25 YEARS -THE CLUB WAS STILL STRONG AND ACTIVE WITH THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF AN UNDER 19 SIDE IN 1983 – TO GIVE FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR EX STUDENTS OF WESLEY COLLEGE TO KEEP IN TOUCH.

1986 WAS A VINTAGE YEAR – ALL 3 TEAMS MAKING THE FINALS AND THE FIRST EIGHTEEN WINNING THE A GRADE PREMIERSHIP.

IN THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF THE V A F A (IN 1992) IT WAS FITTING THAT COLLEGIANS A GRADE AND RESERVE GRADE SIDES WON THEIR PREMIERSHIPS.

COLLEGIANS WAS AGAIN SUCCESSFUL IN WINNING THE 1993 A GRADE PREMIERSHIP

COLLEGIANS WERE ALSO SUCCESSFUL IN WINNING BACK TO BACK A GRADE PREMIERSHIPS IN 2011 AND 2012

IN TOTAL COLLEGIANS HAVE WON 20 SENIOR PREMIERSHIPS, 2 RESERVE PREMIERSHIPS, 6 UNDER 19 PREMIERSHIPS AND 3 CLUB  18 PREMIERSHIPS

A VERY PROUD RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENT

MAJOR CHANGES WERE MADE BY PARKS VICTORIA TO ALLOW FOR MELBOURNE TO HOST THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX IN 1996.

THE OLD HARRY TROTT OVAL AT THE NORTH END OF THE PARK WOULD BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ALBERT PARK GOLF COURSE AND A NEW HARRY TROTT OVAL INCLUDING CLUB ROOMS WOULD BE BUILT AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE PARK

MAJOR FUNDRAISING WAS REQUIRED BY THE CLUB TO EQUIP THE UPSTAIRS AREA WITH A KITCHEN AND DINING FACILITIES- AS WELL AS A KIOSK ON THE LOWER LEVEL

THE CLUB SHARED THE GROUND WITH SOUTH MELBOURNE CRICKET CLUB – SO IT WAS NECESSARY FOR THE 2 CLUBS TO FORM THE HARRY TROTT ASSOCIATION TO ENABLE IT TO ENTER   INTO A 21 YEAR LEASE WITH PARKS VIC.

WITH THE DEMISE OF SOUTH MELBOURNE CRICKET CLUB IN 2007 A HEADS OF AGREEMENT WAS MADE BETWEEN COLLEGIANS, WESLEY COLLEGE, AND CRICKET VICTORIA -IN EQUAL SHARES – TO CONTINUE THE LEASE OF THE OVAL.

THIS LED TO MAJOR CHANGES AT THE OVAL -THE HTA TOOK OVER CURATING RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE OVAL, INSTALLED EQUIPMENT SHEDS AND AN ELECTRONIC SCORE BOARD.

COLLEGIANS WITH THE SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT OF WESLEY COLLEGE HAS RAISED FUNDS TO PROVIDE AN OVAL LIGHTING SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS FOOTBALL MATCHES TO BE PLAYED AT NIGHT AND IN THE SUMMER SPORTS SEASON THE POSSIBILITY OF BOYS AND GIRLS CRICKET AND SOFTBALL

THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE HARRY TROTT OVAL IS REGARDED AS THE NUMBER 1 OVAL IN ALBERT PARK

MENTION MUST BE MADE OF THE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION MADE TO THE CLUB BY RECENTLY RETIRED PRESIDENT WAYNE DYER AND HIS WIFE AMANDA

ALL OF THE ABOVE-MENTIONED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE HARRY TROTT OVAL WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE DRIVE AND ENTHUSIASM OF WAYNE AND AMANDA

WAYNE AND AMANDA ARE BOTH LIFE MEMBERS OF COLLEGIANS FOOTBALL CLUB AND THE OLD WESLEY COLLEGIANS ASSOCIATION HAS ALSO RECOGNISED THEIR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION BY AWARDING BOTH WAYNE AND AMANDA LIFE MEMBERSHIP OF THE OWCA.

TIME DOES NOT PERMIT ME TO MENTION SO MANY MORE OF MY FAVOURITE MEMORIES OF COLLEGIANS OVER THE LAST 60 YEARS BUT I WOULD LIKE TO FINISH ON A VERY POSITIVE RECENT EVENT

TWO WEEKS AGO AT THE HARRY TROTT OVAL THE MEN’S SENIOR SIDE HAD JUST WON AGAINST UNIVERSITY BLACKS AND THEY THEN FORMED A GUARD OF HONOUR FOR THE COLLEGIANS WOMEN’S SIDE TO RUN THROUGH FOR THEIR NIGHT GAME -WHICH THEY SUBSEQUENTLY WON.

THE DREAM HAS NOW COME TRUE OF NOW PROVIDING EX STUDENTS – BOTH MEN AND WOMEN -THE OPPORTUNITY OF PLAYING FOOTBALL AT THE SAME CLUB.

WOULD YOU PLEASE BE UPSTANDING AS WE TOAST COLLEGIANS FOOTBALL CLUB ON ITS 125 YEAR ANNIVERSARY.