CHANCE FIND RECALLS 1968 PREMIERSHIP TRIUMPH - UPDATED
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
By John Ure
Long time Box Hill supporters
recall with relish the Club’s first Senior VFA Premiership in 1984. In fact, the Club’s first VFA Flag (after
joining the competition in 1951) was won in 1968 by the Box Hill Under 19s.
Finishing the home-and-away season
on top of the ladder, the Mustangs defeated Frankston by 14 points in the
Second Semi-Final and in the Grand Final, played at Beach Road Oval in Sandringham, Box Hill edged out the Sunshine Crows by 8 points, 15.9(99) to
13.13(91), to claim the Premiership.
Recently we have renovated the
President’s Room to provide expanded accommodation for our coaching staff on
match days now that it is no longer required for the President’s Lunch. Cleaning out an old cupboard we found some unlabelled
garbage bags. Inside was a wonderful
discovery – a number of old Premiership pennants, including the 1968
Premiership pennant!
I am delighted to say that the
Club now has in its possession all 7 Premiership pennants it has won in the VFA
/ VFL – 1968 (Under 19s), 1976 (Under 19s), 1984 (Seniors), 1986 (Seniors),
2001 (Seniors), 2006 (Reserves) and of course last year’s Reserves Premiership
pennant which is yet to be unfurled.
I extend the Club’s sincere thanks
to 1968 Premiership player Gary O’Brien – who has kindly provided to the Club a
copy of the 1968 Premiership team photo and who has also obtained from the
State Library of Victoria the Grand Final preview and match report published in
the Box Hill Gazette.
A reunion of the 1968 Under 19 Premiership team is planned for Sunday 1st August (Box Hill Hawks vs Casey Scorpions). If you would like to receive full details in due course please contact the club directly.
1968 Box Hill Football Club Under 19s - Premiers
Back Row: Brian Cooper, Barry Game, Wally Georgetti, Mick Greaves (Runner), Leigh Dent, Paul
Miall, John Walters.
Centre
Row: Geoff Jacobs (Assistant Team Manager), Ken Pullen (Team Manager), Alex
Miskiewicz, Kevin Harris, John Hardman, Jeff Smith, Geoff Cameron, Gerard
Bowshall, Peter Greaves (Coach), Jack Wellings (Trainer).
Front Row: Laurie
Smith, Rob Fergie, Norm Fineberg, Alan Taylor (Captain), Gary O’Brien, Phil
Gurr, Dave Heffron.
Seated: Ken Lehmann (Vice Captain).
Missing team members: Geoff Perry, Greg Newman, Alan
Howard, Greg King
Extract from Box Hill Gazette Wednesday 28th
August 1968:
THIRDS READY
Box Hill Football Club Thirds should win their first
VFA premiership by defeating Sunshine at Sandringham
football ground next Saturday.
This will be the second meeting of the teams in a
grand final – Sunshine having won by 17 points in 1963. Box Hill were also runners up in 1960 to
Preston and in 1961 to Coburg.
The Mustangs should win because of tight defence,
which had the fewest points scored against it in 2nd division:
greater physical strength and brilliant players Lehman in the centre and rover
Perry who can cut opposition defences to ribbons.
Tickets can be obtained at 30 cents each at Box Hill
oval tomorrow (Thursday) night.
Supporters, parents and friends are invited to give the support the boys
deserve. The match begins at 11:30am.
Extract from Box Hill Gazette Wednesday 4th
September 1968:
FLAG WON BY THIRDS
Box Hill carried off the VFA Thirds grand final on
Saturday. They won a brilliant and
thrilling game at Sandringham. It was Box Hill’s first Thirds premiership.
Pictured (above left) is Kevin Harris, 1968 Box Hill
Gazette football award winner who was best on the ground.
The Mustangs “jumped” Sunshine and kicked three goals
before their opponents had scored. At
quarter time Box Hill had a handy lead.
Sunshine took control in the second quarter and quickly wiped off the
deficit. The Mustangs defence at this
time was very ragged and at half time Sunshine led by six points.
Lead Changed
After the interval Box Hill resumed with John Hardman
at full back and the back line played better.
The lead changed several times during the quarter, but Box Hill were
beginning to get on top.
The final term saw Box Hill race to a 19 point
lead, however, Sunshine fought back to get within eight points, but Box Hill
were too strong and were able to score a well deserved victory.
John Ure
President - Box Hill Hawks Football Club