I was 15 years old when I left school. I finished school after form 2 and got a job down at the Warrnambool Woollen Mill.

My dad was working at the mill and he helped me get the job.

I think there was about 300 people working at the mill when I started there back in 1948.

We used to start at 8am and finished at 5pm.

My first job at the mill was as a wool sorter.

I used to sort out the greasy wool.

We were upstairs and used to drop the wool into the bins where it was scoured and then washed.

We made rugs and blankets out of the wool.

I ended up working at the mill for 12 years.

The mill was up with Fletcher Jones and Nestles as the major places to get a job in Warrnambool back in that era.

Where did you work after finishing at the mill?

I got a job with Cyril De Grandi at his sports store in Timor Street.

I worked in sales we dealt with all the local sporting clubs.

It was a great job and gave me the chance to meet so many wonderful people who were associated with sport, in particular footy and cricket.

I worked there for six years before taking over my own sports store in Frankston.

Our lives changed around in 1978 when I was appointed the manager for Malvern Star Cycles in Western Australia.

We packed up everything and moved to Perth to live.

Let’s go back in time. You played for Russells Creek when they were premiers and champions in 1957. Did you start your career with the club?

Yes, I started playing with Russells Creek in 1949.

I was 15 years old. They only had the one senior side.

There were only five sides in the Warrnambool and District Football League back in 1949 – East Stars, West End, Merrivale, South Rovers and Creek.

We played at the CBC Oval.

I played at centre-half-back on our 1957 premiership side.

We defeated South Rovers by more than 30 points to win the flag.

It used to get really muddy at the grounds in the depth of winter.

But in saying that, all the grounds used to get muddy because there was no drainage.

We were runners-up to Merrivale in 1958.

We lost that grand final by two points; it was the first premiership win for Merrivale.

The game against Merrivale was tough.

The lead changed seven times in the last 15 minutes.

Despite only having the five sides in the competition, we used to get good crowds as there was nothing else to do in Warrnambool on Saturday afternoons.

All the shops in town used to close at midday on Saturday.

So people would fill in the afternoon going to the footy to catch up with family or friends.

I played with Creek from 1949 to 1960.

I played five games on day permits with South Warrnambool in 1955, but I just wanted to go back and play with Creek.

Did you stay involved with footy after your playing career ended with Creek in 1960?

Yes. I had been on the committee at Creek, as my dad had been president at the club.

Jack Esam was secretary at Creek and he decided to stand down in 1952, so I put up my hand for the job.

I was secretary for 10 years. My brother Brian took over as secretary of the club after I stood down.

Between us we had 24 years service in the role.

I ended up taking over as the district governor for the Hampden Football League for five years.

I replaced Fred Reid, who was suffering with ill health.

The Reid Oval is named after Fred.

I was also the representative on the Victoria Country Football League.

When we shifted to Frankston, I was on the tribunal for the Mornington and Peninsula Football League.

I filled a couple of other footy administration roles over the years before we moved to Perth.

I decided to step back from footy administration when we moved to Perth.

Do you still follow footy now?

I still live in Perth but I come back to Warrnambool each year for a few weeks to visit family and friends.

I’ve still got a great love for footy, whether it be in Warrnambool or in Perth.

When I’m home in Perth, I keep across all the footy stuff in Warrnambool through The Standard website.

I suppose I’m like lots of people I’m disappointed with the direction that footy is heading in the country and in minor city leagues, and I lay a lot of the blame at the feet of the AFL. It’s sad to see the weekend results of the games and one side kicks 25 goals and the other sides boots one goal.

That’s happening all over the country.

Clubs all over the country are struggling for numbers, support and money. 

But on the other hand, we have the AFL sending sides over to China while grassroots footy is on its knees.

Financially, it’s got to be so difficult for small country clubs to survive.

I really feel sorry for the country clubs.

The footy and netball clubs are the social fabric of country towns.

The foundation for footy is starting to crumble.

I’m not sure where footy in the country areas or minor city leagues would be without volunteers.

The volunteers don’t appear to get much support from big brother.

Sadly, I can’t see a rosy picture for country footy while the AFL refuses to help its grassroots grow.