NYAH WEST man Charlie Stewart will be watching the Western Bulldogs grand final match on Saturday with a little more interest than most.
The 77-year-old ex-footballer was part of the 1961 Footscray grand final side that went down to Hawthorn by 43 points. Mr Stewart is modest in his recollections of a short but successful VFL career.
“I was born in Swan Hill, I’m a Wamba Wamba man, my people were from around here,” he said.
“We moved to Shepparton when my father got a soldiers settlement property and I spent a few years kicking around there.
“One day, a scout was in the area and said, ‘right-o, you better come with me’, and that’s how I went to the city to play football.”
Mr Stewart said he played only one season of VFL football because his wife did not want to move to Melbourne.
He was paid 30 pounds per match and worked at an abattoir to support himself. He trained two nights a week and played each Saturday and remembers the camaraderie of Saturday evenings after games fondly.
The 22-year-old played a stellar season but aggravated a prior broken wrist in the last round of the home-and-away season leaving his grand final appearance in doubt.
1961 was the last time the Bulldogs had a grand final berth.
To read more about this story, grab a copy of today’s Guardian (September 30).
