I recall being introduced to Sir Doug in the former Kyabram football clubrooms — then in the south-eastern corner of Kyabram Recreation Reserve — when he attended a Kyabram game in the 1960s.
He was there to watch a fellow Indigenous player, Kyabram’s Geoff Cooper, playing for the Bombers.
He wasn’t disappointed with what he saw, as Cooper was a player well ahead of his time who won two Morrison medals.
Many Kyabram fans with long memories believe Cooper was one of the greatest Bombers who never got to play at VFL level but should have.
Nicholls has a strong district connection and played with Tongala in the 1930s before going on to play 52 games with Fitzroy in the VFL with two stints with VFA club Northcote before and after his days at Fitzroy between 1932 and 1937.
In 1935, he became the first Aboriginal player to be selected to play for the Victorian interstate team, ultimately playing four games in the Big V.
The laneway into Tongala Recreation Reserve is named in his honour and a reminder and legacy of his days with the Blues.
After his playing days he spent a stint as South Australia’s Governor.
Sir Doug was born on December 9, 1906 on the Cummeragunja Reserve near Barmah in NSW.
He was the youngest of five children born to Herbert Nicholls and Florence Atkinson.
I can remember delivering bread with my late father to Sir Doug’s brother Wally, who lived in a brick home on the corner of Church and Tulloh Sts, across from Kyabram Bowls Club in the 1950s.
He was a babysitter there at times for the Sullivan family of the historic Kettering property north-east of Kyabram, where he also worked and lived at times when not shearing.
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One of the most skilful players in the Goulburn Valley League in the 1960s died last week.
Tony Zappia was a pharmacist who was also a very footballer who played with three GVL clubs — Rochester Shepparton and Tatura.
He played in premiership sides with Rochester in 1963 in its winning premiership streak, and with Shepparton, which beat Kyabram for the flag the following year.
He finished his career at Tatura, but was forced into early retirement with injury.
A Tatura teammate and GVL legend Freddo McMahon remembers Zappia best for his accurate left foot kicking.
‘‘He was just a beautiful kick,’’ McMahon said.
A speedy and skilful wingman, Zappia played with North Melbourne thirds in his younger years and also had few reserves games with the Roos before moving to the country as a pharmacist.
He had been living in Tatura since his playing days.
His funeral is being held on Thursday, May 22 at Tatura’s Catholic Church from 11am.
· Another former GVL premiership player Ron “Spud” Florence died early this week.
Spud was a member of the Alan Murphy-coached Tongala side which beat Shepparton for the flag in 1961.
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Numurkah Cricket Club is sticking with Gino Saracino as head coach of is Cricket Shepparton Haisman Shield side.
It’s a case of unfinished business for the former Old Student Cricket Club batting ace who led Numurkah to a history making one-day title in Cricket Shepparton last season, but was tipped out of the Haisman Shield finals in the last home and away round last season.
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Kyabram-trained trotter Money Talks showed he had his hoof firmly on the till in his two previous outings and proved it at last week’s Shepparton meeting.
The Paul Railton-trained and driven five-year-old son of Cardigan Boko had finished second at his past two starts at Shepparton and Bendigo to indicate he was ready to shed his maiden status.
And he did it in style too, sitting just off the pace and outsprinting his rivals at the business end of the race.
At the finishing line he was nearly 10m clear of the runner-up Blondies Bliss with Amarty 6.2m away in third place.
It was only start eight for Money Talks who was a 5/1 chance.
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