Dwayne Russell’s departure from 3AW creates opening for former SEN favourite Kevin Bartlett
One high-profile radio star’s departure to a cross-town rival last week has opened up a key post. Will Kevin Bartlett get a look in or is it time for new blood? Plus Jon Anderson on ‘Polly’ Farmer.
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THE departure of Dwayne “Pipe” Russell from 3AW to SEN opens up a co-hosting role alongside Gerard Healy on Sports Today which runs from Monday to Thursdays (6-7pm).
One view is it’s time for some young blood to partner 58-year-old Healy, in which case Tom Morris and Sam McClure will be two names to the fore.
Russell leaving may also provide an opening for Kevin Bartlett to return to 3AW after a 25-year hiatus in a calling role.
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THE DAY I MET MY HERO, POLLY
POLLY Farmer’s death means many things to many people, from pure aesthetic joy watching the big Cat go about his exquisite ruckwork to a rare meeting on a Bellarine beach in the summer of 1967.
We’re talking about a very hot January day, when the March flies were in full force on the Point Lonsdale back beach. It was a time when cream was something you put on strawberries, as distinct from nose and lips, usually resulting in a few days of serious pain.
And so I found myself when my mum raised the Box Brownie or its 1967 equivalent for a happy family snap. Given my cracked lips there was no way I was going to smile for one of those corny beach snaps.
Younger brother Ian looks relaxed, cousin David beaming and Dad pensive as he gives a Kent micronite filter a working over. There were very few persons or happenings in the world that could lift me out of such a mood of self pity, a condition my parents used to refer to as “Jonny’s pout”.
But all was about to change, even though I refused to believe it was anything but a ruse at first.
Upon hearing Dad’s exclamation, “Jon, look who’s walking on the beach, it’s Polly Farmer,” I merely rolled over and told him to grow up, or whatever 10-year-olds of the time were saying.
But just in case it was true my eyes searched under my right arm for the hero of all heroes, Graham “Polly” Farmer.
My reaction was to run very fast, like a Tony Polinelli sprint down the Kardinia Park wing, and without saying a word I took off in the direction of the great man. His expression was one of bemusement as my mad dash reached its conclusion.
Upon getting within a metre of Polly I launched myself and ended up wrapped around his famous left leg.
Initially he was quite polite even as my grip tightened. The sight of my parents running after me probably relaxed Polly, but he wasn’t aware of my determination. Some gentle prodding from my father failed to have the desired result so Polly took matters into his own hands and started to shake his leg.
He might have been able to overcome John Nicholls in the ruck with such tricks, but it wasn’t going to work on me. Eventually I was dragged off Polly, who forgot his leisurely style of minutes earlier and adopted a power walking technique years ahead of its time.
My cracked and bleeding lips were a thing of the past, relegated to obscurity on the day I danced with Polly Farmer at Point Lonsdale.
POLLY’S MIND ON MOONEE VALLEY
THESE days Geoffrey Steward is a respected and colourful Melbourne-based criminal barrister (and prolific contributor to OP Ed pages), but 52 years ago he was a wide-eyed, 10-year-old Geelong supporter.
It was in that guise he found himself being introduced to Graham “Polly” Farmer after Geelong’s huge second-half comeback win in the 1967 preliminary final over Carlton at the MCG.
Young Steward, whose father was a friend of Geelong’s club doctor Edward Ryan, shook hands firmly with “Mr Farmer” and looked him in the eye as Dr Ryan congratulated the ruckman on his game. Farmer’s response has lived with Steward for the ensuing 52 years.
“Yeah, but bloody Court Stepper got beat in the second leg of the double at Moonee Valley,” was Steward’s memory of Farmer’s reply.
That memory changed recently when curiosity prompted him to find the race results for Moonee Valley on Saturday, September 16, 1967.
“I was relieved to find that Court Stepper had indeed been ‘beat’ that day, by a horse named Bellition in the John F. Feehan Handicap. But it was in the first leg of the double and not the second,” explained Steward this week when news of Farmer’s death came through.
“Turns out Polly had found Shorengro at 9-1 in the second leg over the 7-4 favourite Quezette, so I can understand his angst.”
A DREAM RESULT FOR PAPERS
THERE were sub-editors just waiting in the wings when Jimmy Krakouer burst on the WAFL scene with Claremont in 1978, hoping against hope that he would be added to the WA state squad that was to be coached by Graham “Polly” Farmer.
Before Krakouer was added to the squad, Farmer was asked at a press conference would he like the explosive rover to be selected. When he enthusiastically answered in the affirmative, you should be able to guess what headline appeared in The West Australian next morning.
That’s right, none other than “POLLY WANTS A KRAKOUER”.
POLLY CUTS DOWN GOUGH
HE may not have been tertiary educated, but “Polly” Farmer was just as quick in his feet off the field as on it as highlighted by his 1972 meeting with Labor’s aspiring prime minister Gough Whitlam, who was campaigning under “It’s Time” in the federal election of December that year.
Farmer had just been appointed Cats coach while Whitlam had visited the typically volatile Geelong electorate in an attempt to shore up votes. As part of his display of new-found love for all things blue and white, Whitlam posed in a Geelong jumper, prompting Farmer to observe: “Excuse me, Gough, but I actually thought you were a Collingwood supporter.”
Whitlam laughed before he moved on to his hustings. Turns out Farmer had correctly recalled a 1967 picture of Whitlam as opposition leader being presented with a Magpie jumper by Collingwood legend Ray Gabelich.
WILL GIANTS BE THIS GOOD AGAIN?
AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan was open in his passion for Greater Western Sydney during the week on 3AW’s Sports Today when he declared he would “love” Steven Coniglio to remain with the Giants.
Irrespective of whether you think his comments were appropriate from someone in his position, McLachlan’s sentiments are understandable given the AFL didn’t create GWS to fail.
The problem is the boat may have sailed as the club struggles to maintain the playing depth necessary to win a flag.
If you doubt that, consider the team GWS selected for its epic 2016 preliminary final loss to the Western Bulldogs at the Sydney Showgrounds, one I consider the most talented put on the park by any AFL side in the past decade.
“Most talented” doesn’t always equate to best given some team members were early in their careers and a couple of others nearing the end. When the Bulldogs prevailed by six points, the story goes that a senior AFL employee allegedly commented “that’s a good result as it would have been a year too early for GWS” or words to that effect.
The Giants had only begun their journey in 2012 and to win a flag just five years later would have been seen as too early by many in an AFL competition in which many already believed the Giants and Gold Coast had been gifted too much, too soon.
As for their team that day, it runs like this:
Defenders: Heath Shaw (All-Australian 2015-16), Phil Davis (co-captain), Nick Haynes, Zac Williams, Adam Tomlinson, Nathan Wilson, Joel Patfull (Merrett-Murray Medal 2012-13).
Midfielders: Stephen Coniglio, Ryan Griffen (All-Australian 2013, two Bulldogs B&Fs), Jacob Hopper, Josh Kelly, Shane Mumford, Tom Scully (2nd in the 2016 B&F), Dylan Shiel, Callan Ward (B&F 2012), Lachie Whitfield.
Forwards: Toby Greene (All-Australian and B&F 2016), Jeremy Cameron (All-Australian, B&F 2013), Rory Lobb, Rhys Palmer (2008 AFL Rising Star), Jon Patton, Devon Smith (2nd in 2014 B&F).
FYNMORES MADE FOR FOURSOMES
PRETTY handy effort from the Fynmore family at Metropolitan Golf Club’s Men’s Foursomes last weekend.
For the record, three generations of Fynmores in 85-year-old Russell (19 handicap), 58-year-old Stephen (12) and 21-year-old Ben (2) were part of winning combinations in all three grades.
Ben and Lukas Michel won Club Grade, Stephen and Tony Beaconsfield B Grade and Russell (Russ) and Michael Enright C Grade. Not surprisingly, grandfather Russ described it “as one of the greatest days in my life”.
BAKER HOPES TO RISE AGAIN
KHALID Baker, the Hoppers Crossing-based boxer who served 13 years after being found guilty of murder in 2005, is leaving no stone unturned in his desire to reignite his career at age 31.
Now four from four in his pugilistic pursuits, Baker has gone to the world of athletics to give himself an edge, contacting leading coach Nic Bideau earlier this year.
“He rang me out of the blue and asked me could he train. I explained I didn’t train boxers but he still turned up, wanting to run with a couple of world-class athletes in Stewart McSweyn and Ryan Gregson,” Bideau said.
“So he turned up and was hopeless, that far behind them it wasn’t funny, but you know what, he kept turning up and kept trying. Still does. He just needs to get his weight down from cruiserweight because he’s still a few kilos over where he needs to be.”
THE QUOTE
“I think Scotty’s improved over the last couple of years tenfold.”
Geelong’s Mitch Duncan on his coach Chris Scott, who took the Cats to a flag in his first year.
WHO AM I?
I was a fine English batsman who Shane Warne dubbed “the Sherminator”.
A: Ian Bell
TRIVIA
1 Which Australian has taken the most wickets in a single Test at Lord’s?
2 With which sport do you associate Australia’s Dwight Ritchie?
3 In what year did Jarryd Roughead play his first senior AFL game?
4 Which English batsman made 333 in a Test at Lord’s?
5 Of the top five leading AFL goalkickers for 2019, which one was originally from Tasmania?
6 In which Australian state would you find Ellerston Golf Course?
7 Who beat Kostya Tszyu in his last professional fight?
8 Who were the last three wicketkeepers to captain Australia in Test cricket?
9 Which US golfer is nicknamed Captain America?
10 Which AFL clubs did Martin Pike play for?
ANSWERS
1 Bob Massie
2 Boxing
3 2005
4 Graham Gooch
5 Ben Brown
6 New South Wales
7 Ricky Hatton
8 Tim Paine, Adam Gilchrist, Barry Jarman
9 Patrick Reed
10 Melbourne, Fitzroy, North Melbourne, Brisbane Lions
HOT
GABRIELA RUFFELS
First Australian to win the US Women’s Amateur Championship.
DAISY THOMAS
For refusing to conform to the sterile norm.
OUR CRICKET SELECTORS
Haven’t got too much wrong in England to date.
NOT
NICK KYRGIOS
The ATP is reaping what they’ve sown with this clown.
OVER RATES
Test cricket simply can’t allow teams to bowl so few overs in a day.
Originally published as Dwayne Russell’s departure from 3AW creates opening for former SEN favourite Kevin Bartlett
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