Port Melbourne Football Club’s 2011 premiership cup disappears
Port Melbourne Football Club capped an unbeaten VFL season in 2011 with a flag. But mystery surrounds the whereabouts of the precious premiership cup and now police have been called in.
Inner South
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When Port Melbourne Football Club vice-president Jen Pryor presented at South Melbourne police station last Thursday, she had an unusual complaint.
She wanted to report the disappearance of the club’s 2011 premiership cup.
It turns out the cup, hoisted by Borough captain John Baird and coach Gary Ayres after the grand final against Williamstown at Etihad Stadium, has been missing for some time.
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Port officials decided to act after the issue was raised at the club AGM in December.
A member asked if it had been found. President Michael Shulman said it had not and shortly after he told his board it was time to go to police.
Shulman said the question had been asked often in the past year or so.
He said Port had put out word that if anyone had it, it was time to return it to North Port Oval.
Officials have searched everywhere at the club and checked a storage locker but the cup’s whereabouts remains frustratingly elusive.
“I think it’s been 12 to 18 months where we’ve gone, ‘Let’s look here, let’s look there’,’’ Shulman said.
“We’ve decided we’ve looked everywhere and haven’t got anywhere. That’s why we’ve taken this course. It’s the only way to do it at this point.
“It has been a topic of conversation for quite a while … enough’s enough, it’s time to track it down. What we’re trying to do is get it out there, because someone might know someone, who knows someone. That’s what I’m hoping for.’’
Asked if the cup had been stolen, Shulman said: “You can use whatever words you want, I guess. Someone may have taken it and forgotten they took it. Or someone could have taken it for the sake of taking it. It’s the sort of thing you’d realise was in your backyard or garage or whatever.’’
Shulman said it was the club’s property and should be on display.
The Borough have won 17 premierships, but the 2011 flag is held up as one of the best in the history of the VFA/VFL.
Winning 21 matches, Port went through the season undefeated. Around the time some VFL observers were adamant a team not affiliated with an AFL club could not win the premiership.
Ayres calls it a “very special year’’.
But he’s annoyed the silverware of his side’s success has disappeared.
He and Baird lifted the cup at Etihad and a few weeks later carried it into the best and fairest count.
Ayres can recall the cup being used in a photograph during the 2012 pre-season. He thinks that’s the last time he saw it.
After the Borough’s 2017 premiership, plans were made to take a photograph of retiring players Toby Pinwill, Chris Cain, Sam Dwyer and Hugh Sandilands, as well as Ayres and assistant coach Peter “Crackers’’ Keenan, all of whom also figured in the 2011 flag.
That prompted a thorough search for the cup that turned up nothing.
“Of course it’s frustrating,’’ Ayres told Leader.
“That was a very special year — premiers and champions, and that hadn’t happened at Port before — and the only place the cup belongs is here at the club. You wonder what value it is to an individual because it’s not as if it could be put on display.’’
Former Borough president Peter Bromley said the cup was “of no value to anyone other than the football club’’.
“It’s one of our most precious items, and we want it back,’’ he said.
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