VFA Footy The Halcyon Days

Remembering Norm Goss Sr. on the 111th anniversary of his birthdate.
(6 June 1915 – 17 March 1983)
Goss played his earlier football for Port Melbourne in the Victorian Football Association, having made his debut in 1937. He finished his VFA career with 85 games, but it would have been more had the league not gone into recess during the second world war. As a result, he spent two seasons in the VFL with Hawthorn, playing five games in 1942 and a further three in 1943.
Goss won premierships with Port Melbourne in 1940 and 1941.

Administration

After leaving Hawthorn, Goss continued playing at Port Melbourne until taking up the role of club secretary in 1947, in which he was highly influential. He remained in this role until 1976 and was then the VFA's vice-president through to 1981. From 1981 to 1983 he served as Port Melbourne's president. In the infamous 1967 VFA Grand Final, during his time as secretary, Goss is known to have intervened to stop captain-coach Brian Buckleysending his team off the field to protest against the umpiring.
Following Goss' death in March 1983, the VFA established the Norm Goss Memorial Medal, which has been awarded annually since 1983, to the best player afield in the VFA/VFL grand final.
In the 1970s, the main grandstand of North Port Oval, Port Melbourne's home ground, was named the "Norman L Goss Stand" in his honour.
One of his sons, also named Norm, would likewise start his career at Port Melbourne and play league football for Hawthorn, in addition to South Melbourne. Two more sons, Kevinand Paul, played for South Melbourne and Melbourne respectively.
* Wikipedia

Former Brunswick VFA player Bill Jacobs passed in 2011 aged 91.
Jacobs layed 266 consecutive club matches for Fitzroy Cricket Club between 1937 and 1956 coming from the Brunswick Cricket Club. He claimed 448 dismissals, as a wicketkeeper, and was captain/coach of their 1953/54 premiership team, having played in two earlier grand final victories.

He also played football; in the then VFA, with Brunswick.

An outstanding administrator, Bill was a Victorian State selector for many years. He was manager, Australian Cricket Team, tour of South Africa 1966-67, he also managed the Rest of the World team that toured Australia, after South Africa was exiled in 1971-72. He then led the Australian tour of the West Indies in 1973.
Bill was better known for his work as a football caller for 3AW for 34 years, covering 25 Grand Finals.

Overall Bill was involved with Victorian cricket as a player, administrator and selector for 65 years.

In 2005 the Lord's Taverners ‘honoured’ Bill with LEGEND status and also his son, Ken in 2010.

**The Fitzroy Doncaster Cricket Club has put together a wonderful Eulogy on the Cricket Victoria website, please click here to see this article.

http://lordstavernersvic.ning.com/m/blogpost?id=6407310%3ABlogPost%3A3001

Prahran’s Peter Wallace, Grant ‘Rocky’ Reed, Gary Batt, Jack Cook and future Two Blue Dean Hipworth playing for Berwick in the background. 1986 photo at Toorak Park.

Prahran Football Club reappoints Kevin Rose as coach.
Southern Cross newspaper 7th of February 1973.

Kevin Rose coach.

Prahran captain coach Kevin Rose is carried off after the 1970 VFA first division grand final win over Williamstown.

Photo courtesy of Rodney Lovell.
Published in the 1970 VFL Grand Final Record.
Kevin’s brother Bob coached Collingwood to his 3rd VFL Grand Final loss a week later in 1970.

Prahran's Kevin Rose gets his kick away against Williamstown in the 1970 GF.
Photo and caption again courtesy of Armin Richter.

Prahran's Kevin Rose
Rose played 159 games for the Magpies between 1958-1967, a career which included a premiership in his debut season and a Victorian jumper in his fourth. He coached Fitzroy, later won premierships in the then VFA with Prahran and returned to Collingwood as a director. His administrative career with the club peaked with his rise to the presidency in 1996, a post he held for three seasons.

1976 VFA U19s Combine team photo.
Post courtesy of Mark Fitzell.