By Kath Gannaway
Woori Yallock Football Club was a team of champions in 1947 as it claimed the premiership flag at Warburton.
Two of that team, Wally Robertson, now 95, and Albert ‘Sel’ Rowe, now 93, were back at their home club on Saturday 22 July for the club’s 1000th game.
The third surviving player and star of the day, Mac Wilson, 103, was unable to attend but, no doubt, wishing he was there.
Wally and Sel were in good company with Trevor Selby, an all-time great of the club, best and fairest player, with more than 400 games to his credit and a premiership player in the ’80s joining them as they flew onto the ground in a helicopter.
Another great of the game, former VFL/AFL player Damien Monkhorst, was interstate with Hawthorn Football Club and unable to take his place in the helicopter.
“We wanted to make it pretty special,” club president Robert Thompson said.
“It’s 70 years since the three of them played and Mac, who went on to play nine games with Carlton, is the oldest living VFL player.
“Trevor is a club legend, playing in five premierships and our most decorated player and it turned out that both he and Wally wore the number 15.”
Wally went to school with Trevor’s dad.
They were just two of many revelations and special connections on the day.
Robbie Allen, Sel Rowe’s grandson, played in the 1000th game which was against neighbouring club Wandin.
Wally inspected the players in the lead up to the game and had some inspiring words of encouragement … possibly channelling a previous era.
“He walked up to them before the game and said “just get stuck into them boys” … or something along those lines,” Mr Thompson said.
Wally’s memories of that 1947 grand final victory are bitter-sweet.
He told the crowd of more than 200 Tiger faithful that he was only on the ground for 10 minutes and five of those were laying on the ground with a broken leg … waiting for a stretcher.
The stretcher never came, but the Warburton host-club managed to unscrew a door from the club rooms and he was carried off and taken to the Yarra Junction Bush Nursing Hospital in the back of a T-model ute.
“The suspension was not so good, and the road was pretty rough,” he recalled.
He did get to have a victory drink with his team mates dropping in at the hospital before heading off to the Woori Yallock Hotel.
Mr Thompson said the day, which involved a lot of organisation, was a fitting tribute to the club which ranks just a couple of games behind Upwey for games played.
He thanked the Wandin players who joined the applause and guard of honour for Woori’s past premiership players.
“We’re glad you were able to participate in this history-making day,” he said.
