FOOTBALL/NETBALL
GIPPSLAND LEAGUE
By LIAM DURKIN
ONLY four players in the history of the V/AFL can lay claim to winning both the Brownlow and Coleman Medal.
Two of those four are from Traralgon, and both were back home for a special Maroons reunion at the weekend.
Bernie Quinlan and Kelvin Templeton joined fellow luminaries and local boys Rick Kennedy, Jim Silvestro, Geoff Jennings, and the Cordy boys, Graeme, Brian and Neil as Traralgon Football-Netball Club celebrated its quarter century.
The star-studded line-up watched Traralgon seniors inflict Sale with a near 100-point defeat at Terry Hunter Oval.
Past met present when current Collingwood forward and Traralgon senior premiership player, Tim Membrey also stopped by. Membrey was back home due to a Collingwood bye, and used part of the weekend to work on his property in Tyers.
Formalities recognised all club premierships won since the turn of the century, while teams of the quarter century for senior football and A Grade netball were also announced.
Traralgon has won five senior football flags since 2000, including last year. Season 2015 was of particular note, with the Maroons doing the ‘double’, winning seniors and A Grade netball.
Current senior player Dylan Loprese spoke of the 2015 triumph under playing-coach Mark Collison, who introduced what was dubbed the ‘circle of death’ during training sessions.
Of all the premierships however, one undoubtedly stood out above the rest. With a large turnout in the Traralgon FNC social rooms, calls for “bit of shoosh” were inevitable, all except for when 2005 senior premiership coach Tony Lane took the microphone.
Total reverence was reserved for the team, 18 of whom returned for the reunion, in full commendation for what they achieved.
The Maroons, rank outsiders that season, defeated a Maffra team that went into the Grand Final with 45 consecutive wins under their belt.
Such a premiership deserves its own write-up, and will be featured in next week’s Express.
Quinlan won the Brownlow Medal in 1981 and two Coleman Medals (1983-84). Templeton achieved the same feat, with a Brownlow in 1980 and Colemans in 1978 and 1979.
Traralgon was zoned to the Western Bulldogs (then Footscray) during the 1970s/80s.
Templeton played 143 games and kicked 494 goals for the Bulldogs, before moving to Melbourne where he played a further 34 games for 99 goals.
Quinlan played 177 games for the Bulldogs, yet his Brownlow/Coleman double was achieved with Fitzroy (189 games).
Kennedy was Western Bulldogs captain between 1986-88, Geoff Jennings played 137 games for the ‘Scray, Neil Cordy 139, Brian Cordy 124 and Graeme Cordy a handful. Jim Silvestro played for Sydney, as did Neil (more than 200 games combined) and Graeme.
Templeton kicked 104 goals for Traralgon seniors as a 16-year-old in 1973.
According to local legend, Quinlan once kicked a torpedo from Terry Hunter Oval that sailed over the railway line and bounced into Victory Park.
