General News
20 March, 2026
Postcodes Don't Matter — Enthusiasm and talent override all else, with Brian Lennen
Maryborough's Brian Lennen shares another adventure from his youth.
When I lived in Brunswick Street, North Fitzroy, our house bordered the Carlton boundary.
On one side it was Carlton and the other Fitzroy.
We were over the road from the Fitzroy Football ground and the expansive Edinburgh Gardens.
We played our own test matches against a light pole. We used a hard “compo ball” with no pads, helmet or protection.
The grass surface was treacherous and skidded through ominously.
Johnno and Neddy played district cricket for Fitzroy so were able to exploit the conditions.
Later we had proper stumps and bails. I bought them on a weekly payment from Mrs Mangels. She allowed me to take them before I completed payment. Tragically she and her disabled brother were killed when the shop caught fire. She sacrificed her own life trying to rescue her brother.
Without an umpire, decisions were often controversial. Most were decided by group consensus.
Under the conditions we were often struck on the shins. Our legs were covered with dark bruises.
A bonus came when the council levelled an area and created a hill we called “the hill”.
The grassed field was given goal posts and a concrete wicket donated by K.G. Luke’s workers.
A highlight was when Thornbury Cricket Club challenged us to a match. They considered us to be “easy beats”.
We bowled them out for under 50 and made over 200 before declaring.
Neddy, an accomplished left hander, scored an unbeaten century. Their coach considered the first innings an aberration.
Batting again they struggled to a meagre 27. Johnno was unplayable taking seven wickets for less than 10.
I had a big match achieving the treble no runs (didn’t bat), no wickets and no catches.
If you look up the records you will find Neville Tame (Neddy) played one senior game with Fitzroy Cricket Club.
They were the dominant district club featuring Jack Potter, Ron Fiorlong, Eddie Illingworth, Ray, Brian, Neil (the test legend) Harvey, David Anderson, Carl Adams, Bob Bitmead, Harold Shillinglaw to name a few.
No wonder he only played one senior game.
Resources were so limited that VFL matches re-used footballs and often only had two balls. If both balls were kicked out of the oval the game was halted until they were retrieved.
Old balls were used for training and often resembled basketballs.
At school “kick to kick” was all the go as students fought in a pack for a mark or kick, usually on an asphalt surface.
This was mirrored in schools all over Australia. You would travel a long way to see “kick to kick” today.
Woollen football guernseys were all the rage. They shrunk, weighed a ton on wet days and itched the skin on hot days.
Jonco shorts (named after John Coleman) were short and tight and came in only black and white. Boots were only black leather and featured leather stops. Jenkins were the predominant manufacturers.
Sherrin and Faulkner were the most in demand. The lighter and less expensive “Lyre-bird” were used predominately in minor leagues. With a tail wind they could be kicked an incredible distance.
Officials manning most minor leagues often consisted of one field umpire with boundary umpires and goal umpires supplied by the clubs.
Teams shared the time keeping and scoring and deciding time-on.
With only one official, reports were rare and “snipers” could flourish.
Most country clubs have only survived due to the merging with netball clubs. In many cases the girls are the driving force behind most clubs, particularly fundraising.
Umpires travelling from Melbourne to distance country leagues thought twice before reporting a player as they would have to make a return trip.
The Wimmera League held their tribunal hearings immediately after the game.
One of the biggest threats to many sports are the “mercenaries”. They are players who demand substantial payment usually with no long-term commitment to the club.
With the talent pool finding study and work in larger centres, the small towns are being drained of numbers.
It will be a tragedy if our home town can’t re-energise itself to have representatives in the competitions that we have excelled in on years gone by.
Cricket Australia is deluding itself if it ignores the overwhelming number of imported players dominating in country competitions.