Butch arrived in the Murray River town of Tocumwal at the end of 1956, but should have been there six months earlier.
He had been transferred to Tocumwal as head clerk in the NSW Railways and was supposed to make the move from Canberra mid year.
Legend has it the president of the Queanbeyan-Acton Football Club, who Butch was playing with at the time, knew people in high places in the NSW Railways and got his transfer to Tocumwal delayed until the end of 1956.
While Butch’s Canberra club celebrated a flag win that year, according to the late Don (Doughy) Macdermid his non appearance with Tocumwal cost the club the Murray Football League premiership.
Tocumwal lost the grand final by only seven points to Strathmerton, and as Macdermid — who played with Kyabram and was a brother of Kyabram ruckman and club stalwart Cam Macdermid — stated later, after being a teammate of Butch in the ensuing years, his absence had proved the difference between winning and losing that flag.
Unfortunately Butch, who made his mark as a long-kicking full back, never got to play in a premiership side with Tocumwal, missing out in 1965 and 1966 when the Bloods were runners-up.
He captained Tocumwal for several years and won three club best and fairest awards.
He hung up his boots at the age of 38 and was a trainer and selector when Tocumwal claimed the 1967 flag under coach Don Whitten, brother of AFL footy great Ted Whitten.
● It’s been coming for quite a while and it finally arrived at the Cobram trots meeting Friday.
Kyabram-trained pacer Just a Philtra finally broke through for her maiden win.
The Mick Blackmore-prepared four-year-old Auckland Reactor mare put in a tough run, racing without cover for most of the 2190m trip but pulled away from her rivals at the business end of the race to beat the runner-up Our Art Christian by over 11 metres.
Just a Philtra had a frustrating 11 minor placings, including six seconds, from her previous 24 career starts and was bursting to eliminate her maiden status.
Blackmore said Just a Philta, bred and owned by Mt Scobie’s Phil and Tracey Wade, had gradually been getting tougher in her performances.
‘‘She is now able to do a lot more work in her runs than she used to. It was also a good race to win as it carried the first-win bonus as well as the normal prizemoney,’’ Blackmore said.
● Mooroopna Football Club continues to build its on-field and off-field resources.
Respected and vastly experienced coach Darren Ogier has joined the coaching team of the Cats’ new senior coach, John Lamont.
Ogier was head coach of the Murray Bushrangers for six years and also held coaching roles at AFL clubs Carlton, North Melbourne and Sydney.
Lamont has pencilled in Ogier to take the Mooroopna forwards under his wing.
● Echuca South Cricket Club may be faltering on the field in its bid to end a finals drought in Goulburn Murray Cricket but it’s making plenty of runs off the pitch.
Recently it passed sales of $15,000 in the Toyota Good For Cricket raffle, all of which goes back into its coffers.
A recent Big Bash clash in which the club had $500 riding on every six hit pulled in another $6000.
● Young Shepparton golfer Kyle Michel has notched his first win as a professional, recently claiming the honours in a pro-am event at Traralgon.
Despite delays caused by lightning and strong winds, Michel carded four-under-par rounds of 68 on both days to claim the event by three shots.
● One event that has not been cancelled because of COVID-19 is the Australian Beach Volleyball Tour.
Thanks to grants from the Victorian Government and the Moira Shire the event was conducted last Friday to Sunday at Cobram’s Thompsons Beach, with surrounding towns also enjoying financial benefits from the influx of participants and supporters.
Over 90 per cent of Australia’s elite volleyballers participated in the tournament.
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