Ken Clarke

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My Redan Story

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November 2024

 

My story starts on April 2nd 1941 when I was born at Epworth Hospital in Richmond. My mum (Emma) came from Allendale, my father (Don) who later became a committee man for Redan came from Waubra and we lived in Collingwood. My father went into the army in 1942 and was sent overseas. Before this, he was on a subcommittee raising funds for the Richmond Football Club. 

 

We he came home in 1945, he found out I was a Collingwood supporter thanks to the three young girls who lived next door. He put me on the handlebars of his bike and off we went to Punt Road – home of the Tigers and bought me a junior membership. I am still a member of the Richmond Football Club today.

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While still living in Collingwood, I went to the Christian College for boys in Fitzroy. Many league football players went to school there, Lou Richards called it the Football College, but the best sportsperson was my classmate and playmate Keith Stackpole the Australian cricketer. We are still mates and many years ago I arranged for him to attend one of the Redan sports nights, he was a guest speaker (for no fee).

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So now for my Ballarat story….

 

In 1950 my mum and dad sold the house in Collingwood and we moved to Ballarat. We lived with my grandparents in Dana Street. I went to school at Drummo Christian Brothers and we played all our sports at the Western Oval.

 

In 1951 we moved into our new home in Sebastopol where I met Terry Cook and we became good friends. Terry found out about a group of boys who were getting ready to form a football team so we jumped on our bikes and took off to Trekardo Park and joined into the group.

 

At the time the Ballarat Football League only had U/19’s and U/16’s and were looking to form an U/14’s competition to play Saturday mornings before the U/16s. So in 1954 Redan fielded an U/14s side where my Redan story started. I can’t remember too much about this first year, but I know we had a lot of good players.

 

This is where my Redan story starts. I don’t remember our first year, it was 1954 but what I do remember looking at the phone that ten of the guys who played that year went on to play senior football for Redan.

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We were coached by George Brumby and we were premiers in 1955. It was then up to U/16. Coached by Les McKay (the best coach I ever had). Les coached us to win in the 1957 Premiership. Six players from that side went on to play seniors for Redan. Then, up to the U/19s and another Premiership in 1959 also Champions coaches by Eric Waller. We never lost a game for the year. Ten of this team went on to play with the Redan Football Club senior team.

 

The week after the U/19 grand final. The senior side was playing their last game for the year at City Oval, Jack Nuttall’s last game as coach against Geelong West. Graham Waller was selected to play in the centre, Allan Rich centre half forward and myself on the wing. I had a few kicks and a handball, but not as many as the other U/19s.

 

A fair bit harder, Geelong West had this ruck called Lance Pyror and early in the game he came from behind me and gave me a big whack on the back of my head. When the game was finished, he came up to me to shake hands and I asked him why the whack, all he said was ‘just welcoming you to the big time sonny’.

 

The next year, Gary English came from North Melbourne and was appointed coach. Although I could have another year in the under 19’s, Gary talked me into staying at the senior level.

 

We are not sure how many games I played as some of the records have gone missing but we think it’s about 16 senior and 120 reserves games. In 1961, I played in a premiership beating Maryborough, coached by Gary English. In 1965, I was appointed captain of the Reserves and runners up by one vote to John Burt in the Best and Fairest.  

A couple of things that happened on the field, one funny and one not so funny. The funny one happened on the Sturt side wing. I went for a mark jumping in the air and landed on my left knee and, it was poking out.

 

They called for the stretcher, World War one, I think. As they were carrying me off, the stretcher started to tear down the middle and I fell through it onto the ground landing on my hurt knee and putting it back in. I then walked off the rest of the way, believe it or not I played the next week.

 

I retired at age 27 in 1968. A few years later, Bud Annand who was a selector for the seconds and they were short of players, he smooth talked me into filling in. Well, I did and at the end of the game a former Redan player now playing for Ballarat named David Clogan, jumped into my back and yes, two broken ribs as he said ‘welcome back old timer’.

 

Myself, Peter Loughnan, Bobby Carpenter and Ian Scott formed a Social Club running many pleasant Sunday mornings at the Western Oval and Cabaret Balls (a great time was had by all). The morning of the 1976 Grand Final we ran a Beef & Burgundy breakfast at the Western Oval club rooms, the place was packed. We also had a band and the last half hour played the Redan Football Club theme song. Then at 12 noon about 50-60 supporters marched up Pleasant Street to the City Oval linking arms and singing the Redan Football Club theme song. We had some great times those days, but why not, we were a very successful club.

 

This time was a great time in Redan land, just after John Northey landed at the club. He changed the club around, just by bringing everyone together as well as forming a great team of players good enough to win three premierships in a row. In 1977 I was elected President and had some great people on the committee, that year we won the premiership, 3 in a row.

 

1978 saw many of our good players move on, including John Northey who took on the coaching of St Kilda reserves. After that my family and I moved from Sebastopol to Mount Helen and my boys started playing Under 14s for Buninyong.

 

My eldest boy Andrew played two senior games for Redan on permit from Buninyong while playing seniors for them. My second son Tony at the age of 18 won Buninyong best and fairest in 1987, then came to Redan and was beaten in 1988 or Redan’s best and fairest by one vote to Terry McAlice. Tony went on to play 126  games, one year as Vice-Captain for Redan. My third son David only played one game with Redan reserves when they were short.

 

I was Vice President in both 1990 and 1991, it was around this time that my wife Patricia became very ill and I was made her full time carer and was not around the club much. After she died, I came back to the club and have been around ever since.

 

I have seen many great players at Redan just to name a few, Bill Closter, Ken Dalaland, Bud Annand, Bill McKenzie, Graham Gellie, Tim Brooks, Ray Spargo and Gary English. There has also been many great Redan Committee members past and present including Alby Lawless, Ron Ludbrook, Peter Loughnan, Bill Dunstan and Teddy Neville.

 

My Life Membership came as a big surprise as I was missing for some time from the club but, I did start in 1951 and still here in 2024. I had already been made a service life member for playing over 100 games.

 

All in all, I have been with the Redan Club for many years, joining as an 11-year old boy and loving every bit of this time as a player, supporter, President and Vice President also contributing as a volunteer, sometimes behind the can bar and also one of the ‘gang’ who clean up the Den every Tuesday.

 

I hope my story is not too long but, at my age I have a bloody lot of great memories about our terrific club, Redan.