A Red to Black Fish tale by Graeme Anyon

I arrived at uni in 1969 and played five games with the Reds under an assumed name, as did a lot of country kids in those days.
The people I got to know early in first year said that the Blacks were a pack of toffs, so they urged me to play for the Reds.
I played four games in the seconds and due to me getting a power of kicks off the back flank three games in a row, and dashing off half-back bouncing and weaving and kicking goals, I was promoted to the seniors just before the end of term one.
We played at Kinglake in the fog. The ground was under water and mud. You couldn't see more than 20m and knew the ball was coming by the splashing sounds.
I found out years later that several players went off at three-quarter time not to return.
After the game, I threw all my gear away never to be used again.
I went home to Stawell for the break and started playing there and returned home every second week to play. We made the finals and got beat in the grannie.
By this time I became friendly with a few Blacks players and found out that they weren't up themselves and seemed half human.
I went to the grand final in the Panton Hill League with Dave Carland and Terry Twomey. Stood next to Russell Badham and had the best lesson in footy sledging that I ever heard.
The game was a beauty and La Trobe won by over 10 goals.
I then recognised blokes that I had been walking past all year, plus the quality of the footy was extremely good. So, when I managed to scrape back into uni for 1970, I went over to the Blacks.
Unfortunately for the team, a new coach was appointed and insisted that everyone had to train twice a week. That meant the Trober's super-star, Dave Morgan, who later in life became one of La Trobe's greatest exports (he kicked 150 goals in 1969) couldn't play in the first year in the VAFA.
I was able to get a game in the seniors mainly on the back of who I knew, not my ability.
Played back pocket ruck. Just went for five games and was on the verge of being dropped when we played the top side, Brunswick.
I think that we were about third or fourth on the ladder.
Greedy Greg Sceney had replaced Morgan at full-forward and was going alright, but on this day was getting flogged.
We were only three goals down at three-quarter time and I had only two kicks, so Sceney was moved to the centre and I went to full forward.
At home I had played a lot of footy in the forward line, plus I could kick straight, so, in the first 10 minutes of that quarter I got three marks and one kick off the ground to have two goals two behinds.
In the next ten minutes I was able to kick two more goals and we had turned a three goal deficit into a two goal advantage.
We ended up winning and everyone was ecstatic, none more than me.
So, in a way, I thank the three or four blokes who threw me into the mud in the middle of the ground, so the rest of the year I ended up at full-forward and kicked about 50, I think, in the last half of the year.
And I got to see why Morgan got so many goals. John 'Fish' Condon at centre-half-forward was an absolute gem of a footballer. A great talent, both feet, beautiful pass.

Our first medicos by Glenis Sheldrick

I have lots of memories of good times from 1967-70, and even more over the past 12 years that Dean has been involved.
Jenny Goldsmith, Jenny Wheller and myself were the original 'orange girls/medicos'.
The medical kit for the first game included one bottle of mercurachrome, 1 roll of cotton wool, a packet of bandaids and a knife to cut the oranges!
As the team ran out, Brian Mannison passed his false teeth to Jenny G - yuck and horror. Next week, a soap container was added to the first aid box.
As medicos we were useless, but we loved those first couple of years. I remember the first bus trip to Kinglake. Jenny G's mother supplied endless packets of Tim Tams. It was on this trip that Bob Segrave and Andrew Gee composed the beginnings of a memorable La Trobe song which, believe it or not, was sung at Dean and Tracy's wedding!
I also recall Kinglake when the fog lifted and a goal post fell down. True. I did have a photo somewhere but misplaced it.
Will try to think of some more stories.

Tarmac sickness by Brendan O'Brien

Stories printable and unprintable come flooding back.

Dave Carland reminds me of the Trobers fateful return from Inter-Varsity in Perth (1972 - ed), where the airline informed us that anybody who was pissed would not be allowed on the plane home - something to do with our behaviour on the way over to Perth the previous Saturday night!

A certain Craig Nelson was clearly in that inebriated state, along with the rest of us, and we all breathed a sigh of relief, with us all on board, as the plane began to taxi towards the runway

It was at that moment when young Craig emptied his beer intake over the back of the seat in front and the hostess ran shrieking to address the situation and inform the pilot to stop the plane.

Whilst clearly under some pressure, Craig was ever quick on his feet and exclaimed - no problems love, must have eaten a bad piece of fish at the farewell reception.

We all made it back alive.