Country club in focus

by PAUL DAFFEY

Greta Football Club: Ovens and King Football League

FORMED

A TEAM known as Greta South played in the King Valley Football Association a century ago; a 1910 Greta South team photo now hangs on the wall of Greta's clubrooms. Footballers from the Greta district, which is 20 kilomtres south-east of Wangaratta, combined in various forms before the Greta Football Club was formalised in 1945, just after World War 2. The club played in the Ovens and King Football League's opening round on 2 June 1945, less than a month after the end of the war.

LEAGUE

Before World War 2, teams from Greta played in the King Valley Football Association, the Fifteen Mile Creek Football Association, the Benalla and District Football League, and the Glenrowan-Thoona Football League. Since 1945, the Greta Football Club has played in the Ovens and King Football League.

GROUND

Greta first played in McKenzie's paddock, opposite the Greta cemetery. After bushfires had raged through the area in 1952-53, the Greta Recreation Reserve was created from a paddock next to the Greta-Hansonville hall and the club moved there. There is no township of Greta; it is a farming district that is occasionally referred to as Kelly Country because it was the home of Ned Kelly. The Greta Football Club is one of only a few remaining clubs in country Victoria that is not based in a town.

GUERNSEYS

In the club's early days in the Ovens and King league, Greta wore a navy blue and light blue jumper. Soon afterwards, it swapped to purple with a gold monogram. In 1986, the club swapped to Carlton's navy blue with a white monogram. Greta's nickname is the Blues.

PREMIERSHIPS

Greta South won the King Valley premiership in 1912. Since the Greta Football Club joined the Ovens and King league, it has won nine flags: 1946, 54, 65-67, 80, 93, 95, 99. Only Chiltern, with 10, has won more.

VFL/AFL product

Ian Montgomery (Collingwood 1965-68).

DOUBLE DIPPING

In 1946, former South Melbourne great Laurie Nash achieved a rare feat when he coached two clubs to premierships in one season. He coached Ovens and Murray club Wangaratta at training during the week and on Saturdays; on Sundays, he ventured out to Greta to guide the Ovens and King club's weekly training session. Current Greta committeeman Laurie Wallace admitted that Greta's 1946 captain, Fred O'Brien, did much of what would be considered the coaching duties, but no one can deny Nash's place in the premiership records. "He's in the picture as coach," Wallace said.

FIFTH QUARTER

In the last quarter of the 1954 grand final between Greta and Chiltern, umpire Alan Arvidson blew time-on so often that the final minutes seemed to drag on forever. Many spectators left the Tarrawingee oval, believing that Chiltern had won, before Greta staged a dramatic comeback. In the 44th minute, just before the siren, Greta centreman Bernie Greenwood, a primary school teacher and one of only a few non-farmers in the team, kicked a goal to put Greta eight points ahead. Greta's timekeeper, Ted Jones, and his Chiltern counterpart, Jim Lappin, explained that they were forced to take their cue from the umpire, but Chiltern's anger over the result lasted for decades. John Tanner, a defender in Greta's 1954 premiership team, who is now 71, said: "There was bad blood between Greta and Chiltern from that day on."

WALLACE THE GREAT

Lionel Wallace, a centre half-back in Greta's premiership teams in 1946 and '54, is said to be the greatest player in the history of the Ovens and King competition. As a young serviceman during World War 2, Wallace reportedly eclipsed Carlton's Bert Deacon, a future Brownlow Medallist, in a servicemen's match in Melbourne. "They reckon ïLiney' never gave him a kick," John Tanner said. After Wallace had returned to Greta, Laurie Nash apparently said the high-marking defender would be the biggest drawcard in the game if he would leave the farm and play in Melbourne.

CHILTERN'S NEMESIS

In 1993, Chiltern stars such as schoolboys Matthew and Nigel Lappin, the current AFL heroes, lent the Swans clear favouritism going into their grand final against Greta. But with Greta's injured playing-coach Rod Canny taking out a key opponent by camping in a forward pocket, the underdogs rattled the favourites with eight goals in the third quarter. Chiltern retaliated with aggression and had three players sent off, paving the way for Greta to win by 11 goals. Two days later, the Wangaratta Chronicle ran a picture of five Chiltern players sitting on bench normally reserved for two. It summarised the Swans' day.

This article first appeared in The Age on 14 August 14.

Disclaimer