All-Time W.H.S Football Team - Call Out For Names
Wangaratta High School’s Football “Team Of All-Time” - Call Out For Names
With next year bringing up the school’s 125th Anniversary, we are currently attempting to put together a Wangaratta High School All-Time Football Team.
Such a task is usually extremely subjective, so the plan is to select from boys that have made it to the highest level and played in the AFL.
We have scoured old year books, reached out to sport historians around town, uncovered a previous team selected by the legendary ex-Wangaratta High School teacher of 22 years & local historian Bill O’Callaghan, spoken to past P.E teachers and other legendary staff, and much more.
In doing so, we have so far uncovered 16 boys that, after attending our school, played in the AFL, plus another 6 boys that were drafted top the AFL but didn’t manage to play an official senior match.
We believe we have all of them from 1961 onwards. However, we have not yet found any boys from between the years 1909 and 1961. We are sure there must have been some players from that era that made it to the Big Time.
So this is a Call Out to all of you…
Do you know anybody that played AFL (known then as the VFL) and also attended our school? A family member from way back perhaps?
If you can help us add to our shortlist (pictured below), we would love to hear from you.
Email Juddy at Jud.Mullins@education.vic.gov.au.
The lists so far is very interesting. Of note is the “Early 2000s Golden Era” between 2001 and 2005, where 6 of our boys debuted in the AFL in the space of those 5 years. And then just as shockingly, not a single W.HS boy has made it since, 18 years later.
I also note that 3 of those boys (O’Keefe, Johnson & Mullins) all attended Appin Park PS, and as they were all within 2 grades of each other, would have been kicking to each other on that oval often. Quite remarkable.
Another incredible thing is that we had 3 boys at the same AFL club at the same time (McCormick, Norman & O’Keefe), and then again when Porter joined McCormick & Norman there in 2004.
On top of this, there were 3 of them in same Junior League Tigers era. Johnson & Mullins were often in the same side, as were Johnson & Breese, even in the very same forward line.
In terms of Wangaratta High School football teams, this era produced the most success. With numerous school teams having multiple future-AFL players in them, there were many State Titles won.
Stevie Johnson was part of 3 of these - first as a Year 7 in 1996 (with Norman alongside him), then Year 9 in 1998 (alongside Norman, O’Keefe & Breese), and again in Year 10 in 1999 (alongside Norman and Mullins). O’Keefe won another State Title in 1999 as a Year 11, in a team that could have boasted McCormick as well. Even without McCormick, the team won the final at Waverley Park against Ballarat High School by 10 goals. Michael Newton also clinched a State Title in 2003 when in VCE.
There was another Super Team to perhaps rival that 1998 Intermediate team. In 1987, we had 3 boys in our State Title team that were drafted the following year (Wilson, Williamson & Patrick).
Another amazing anecdote is that Mark Porter & Leigh Newton were both the same age, and both played in the same team when their King Valley side won the 3rds Premiership. Veteran teachers recall Porter being “lifting wights in the gym every lunchtime.” I’d like to unearth stories of those two, both listed at 6 foot 6 tall in their playing profiles, playing in the same school team together. Imagine being playing in the midfield at their feet.
It would be fair to rate Johnson our greatest player of all time. He went on to win 3x Premierships with Geelong and won a Norm Smith Medal as Best on Ground in a Grand Final (could have easily been awarded a 2nd of those in 2011) and be in many people’s AFL Team Of The Last 25 years.
Looking at the records of some of the Older Timers, John Hendrie stands out as perhaps the 2nd best player in our All-Time side. He came 32rd in a Brownlow Medal, and won 2x Premierships at Hawthorn. He must have been one hell of a footballer. Brian Kekovich is another who must have been a top shelf talent, topping Carlton’s goalkicking twice.
When we get closer to announcing the team, we look forward to touching base with the players and families to gather stories and memories which we’ll share with everyone.
Many thanks,
- Jud Mullins