Arma's Winding Back the Clock I represented the Vic State Team in 1980, 81 & 85. 1985 was to be the last season that I would play with my club of 9 seasons. I then made the move North where helicopters were more the order of the day than Chardonnay at the time. I played a further 5 seasons (56 games) for my new team, taking me to a total of 203 games. It would be fair to say that I would have played quite a few more games if the rules were different. I played in one premiership team in the 80's. My team won another premiership that I was around for, however, I was a late withdrawal from the team. I also played in a losing Grand Final side. Going quite against the grain, I did remarkably well in the Brownlow in one of my best seasons of footy. Winding Back the Clock I played more than 200 games and kicked more than 200 goals with my proud club. Even considering that I played in four premiership sides, I could be seen as much-maligned by a fair percentage of my club's supporters. Perhaps tradition has a lot to answer for. Towards the end of my career, I was diagnosed with a rare heart condition, and missed most of the season - but managed to play for another 3 years. As a washed-up hack (some would say), I was drafted by a Punt Road club known for its astute recruiting. Recruited originally in 1977, I somewhat surprisingly had a testimonial year in '87. Winding back the clock I played more than 200 games with my club in what could be described as a "pretty lean time" . Given that, it is remarkable that I played in a final series in my first season, and then a Grand Final side a few years later. I will always be known as an instrumental part of the result of this Grand Final, as I held my man to very few possessions until the last quarter, when his performance decided the outcome of the game. I became captain of my club, and then lost the captaincy in unusual circumstances. I accepted a coaching role with a VFA club, only to change my mind. The captaincy in the meantime, had been passed on to a legend of the club. I retired at the end of a season that will probably be more remembered for one of my teammates "playing without a permit". However, in more recent years I have become more widely known (and respected) as a coach and administrator of my club. |
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