Interminable married couple banter. Some news on the Merewether soccer Anzacs honour board. Then Ian follows up on his research on Footscray Thistle player and Victorian representative George Macaulay, which included meeting George's children, and taking scans and photos of Macaulay football memorabilia - including medals and member ticket booklets. We try to figure out where one of the photos with a scoreboard "G.B.P." on it - Paul thinks maybe the Motordrome. Ian tries to sum up what we've learned about Macaulay and the people he played alongside, and how he seemed to be lost to local soccer - and the ways in which the pre-WW2 soccer culture doesn't necessarily follow through to the post-war period. Also, how Melbourne soccer seems afflicted by a lack of depth, and a lack of native-born players to help carry the culture into second and third generations.
After the break we chat with journalist Dylan Arvela, about his book A Drop in the Ocean: the story of Woonona's Illawarra Premier League championship, (available for purchase via Amazon). which covers the titular club's unexpected 2020 title run. Among the things we discuss are the history of Woonona, and its comparative lack of success; the current power balance within Illawarra football; what football was like under Covid conditions; what's more important, a league title or grand final win; is it a championship or a premiership?; how different clubs value different titles in terms of importance; the nature of the rivalries of Wollongong soccer; a dramatic final day of the league season; and what else Dylan has lined up to write next.
(also Paul gets to talk about driving around Wollongong's northern suburbs soccer grounds with Travis Faulks).
We finish with a brief edition of 100 Years Ago Today, where finally we have some news of the Melbourne season, and we finish off with the segment's first ever reference to the Northern Territory, with the arrival of the Geranium in Darwin.
Are we sure that the folk on the Geranium played soccer, and not another football code?
ReplyDeleteAlso, not only is there not an IKEA in Newcastle, there isn't even one in Queensland.
ReplyDeleteNot SURE they played soccer but it strikes me as most likely
ReplyDeleteYou'll like this:
ReplyDeleteGeranium was in Darwin in mid-July when the Minister for Home and Territories, Alexander Poynton, visited the town. Geranium's engineer (Lieutenant George Hutcheson, RAN) later recalled that as Poynton disembarked from his ship, several wharf labourers began to sing the communist anthem 'The Internationale'. In response the local dignitaries responded with repeated renditions of 'God Save the King' to drown out the other song. Geranium's crew and guard stood at attention and the salute in the midday sun for over half an hour while this farce took place. https://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-geranium