Country club in focus: Shepparton East Football Club

by PAUL DAFFEY

Shepparton East Football Club: Central Goulburn Football League

FORMED

Early 1920s, before going into recession a decade later. In 1943, the club reformed through the efforts of teenagers such as Don Fairless, now 77, who continues to follow the club. The teenagers raffled a Murray cod to earn the money to buy the club's first football. In the early 1950s, Shepparton East merged with the SPC Football Club to become City United. A few years later, City United morphed into Shepparton United, the Goulburn Valley league club. In 1956, Shepparton East reformed in its original guise.

GROUND

After reforming in 1943, Shepparton East played at Laws's paddock, erecting temporary goalposts for each game. The next year, the club moved on to a parcel of land donated by local orchardist John McDonald, who later served two stints as Victorian Premier before being knighted. The land, off Central Avenue, was named Central Park. It is about six kilometres east of the Shepparton city centre.

LEAGUE

Central Goulburn Valley Football League (until 1955), Kyabram District Football League (1956-61), Murray Football League (1962-67), Tungamah Football League (1968-96), Goulburn Valley Football League, Division 2 (1997), Central Goulburn Football League (1998- ).

GUERNSEYS

The club wore Richmond's black with a yellow sash until moving into the Murray league in 1962, when a jumper clash prompted the change to Essendon's black with a red sash. It still wears the Essendon colours and is known as the Bombers. .

PREMIERSHIPS.

1925-26, 44-45, 48 (Central Goulburn), 1958-61 (Kyabram), 1972, 80, 82, 85, 94-95 (Tungamah), 2001 (Central Goulburn).

VFL/AFL PRODUCTS.

Justin Davies (Carlton 2002- ).

BEHIND THE GOALS.

Club administrative legends include Stan Monti, a father figure for the teenagers who reignited the club in the 1940s, and Harold Wilson, who was president for eight years during the 1950s. Doug McKenzie was a player before becoming a trainer in the 1960s. Now 75, he is still the club's head trainer. Current president Neil Davies, an uncle of Carlton wingman Justin Davies, represents the third generation of his family to perform key duties at Shepparton East. "There's a lot of committed families at the club," he said. Neil's brother Ron is the current vice-president, having served on the committee for 30 years. A decade ago, Ron Davies was goal-umpiring at Shepparton East when a nearby commotion forced him to hand his flags to the full forward and full back and jump the fence. He grabbed a stick and killed a brown snake.

PLAYING LEGENDS.

Before becoming president, Neil Davies was centre half forward for most of his career of 237 senior games, from 1978 to '92. The current secretary, Marcus Spencer, son of former North Melbourne full-forward Jock Spencer, played 200 senior games for both Shepparton East and Shepparton United, earning three premierships with both clubs during a career that included 12 grand finals. John "Boofa" Wayman played at centre half-back during his 275 senior games for Shepparton East, mostly with his brother George "Sparrow" Wayman, who played 234 games, beside him on the half-back flank. The Wayman brothers played between 1973 and '87. Shepparton East's games record-holder is Ray Henderson, who played 315 games, all seniors, from 1967 to '82, mostly as a ruckman.

ROLL ON SEPTEMBER

Since 1972, Shepparton East has missed the finals only twice, in 1978 and '86. This year the club went into the final round needing to win to ensure a finals berth. After a training session under Tom Hafey, the Bombers won a hard-fought match at Yea and clinched second place with only 10 games. The final five revealed the dominance of Rumbalara, who finished the home-and-away rounds undefeated: Rumbalara (18-0, 183.9 per cent), Shepparton East (10-8, 112), Alexandra (10-8, 107.8), Yea (9-9, 103.0), Thornton-Eildon (9-9, 100.0).

FINALS FEVER

Back at Yea for the second semi-final, Shepparton East stunned Rumbalara by kicking away to a five-goal lead. In the end, the Bombers held on to win by 14 points, with Gerard Doyle, the ruckman and playing-coach, and Hayden Bray, the centre half-back and co-captain, leading the way. In the grand final, held last Saturday in appalling conditions at Violet Town, Shepparton East and Rumbalara were neck and neck all day before Shepparton East was penalised for throwing in the dying seconds. The siren rang as a Rumbalara player went back to have his kick with the scores level. From 35 metres out, straight in front, he miscued a torpedo and failed to make the distance. Umpires immediately announced there would be a rematch. "It was a hollow feeling," said Marcus Spencer.

SECOND CHANCE

In the rematch at Violet Town Shepparton East 17.10 (112) defeated Rumbalara 16.10 (106).

This article first appeared in The Age on 18 September 2004.

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