Ovens & Murray: Corowa and Rennie champ Jim Sandral passes away, aged 91

Jim Sandral was one of the greatest players in the Ovens & Murray’s 131-year history. Read about his remarkable career.

Jim Sandral, one of only seven official legends in the Ovens and Murray league’s 131-year history and a member of Melbourne’s Olympic Games year VFL premiership team, has died, aged 91.

Sandral grew up on a family farm at Buraja, north of Corowa, attended boarding school in Sydney where he played rugby league at St Gregory’s College.

But his return home to life on the land in 1948 coincided with the start of a truly great country football career.

Sandral first played for Rennie where he earned the wrath of the umpire in his first match for wrongly wearing his rugby league boots with steel stops.

Jim Sandral became an official legend of the O&M in 2013. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

After only eight matches with Corowa, Sandral was picked to play for the O&M.

The long weekend carnival held in Albury consisted of three games in three days and Sandral was best-on-ground in two games and second best in the other.

North Melbourne guaranteed him six games the following year, but Melbourne had the inside running courtesy of former player Ken Carlon, who had coached Rennie.

Sandral flew from Corowa on a small plane for a midweek training session with the Demons in July 1955 before returning to play for Corowa the following Saturday.

Jim Sandral played in Melbourne’s 1956 premiership winning team against Collingwood. Picture: Bruce Howard

Although he found it difficult to break into the powerful Melbourne team, Sandral had the greatest respect for legendary coach, Norm Smith.

“He was one of the hardest men you’d meet,” Sandral said in 2021.

“Whatever he said went. No one could backchat him.”

Sandral played 15 matches in 1956 including the second semi-final and grand final wins over Collingwood.

Sandral didn’t stay in Melbourne for the Olympics because harvest awaited on a farm near Coreen he had bought.

Dual Corowa-Rutherglen premiership coach Peter Tossol.

Corowa-Rutherglen’s last premiership coach and former Melbourne player Peter Tossol said he had “not met a better bloke in football”.

Tossol’s father and Sandral lived together in the city when they were both at the Demons.

“In every game I coached at Corowa-Rutherglen, Jim would walk in the changerooms 15 minutes prior to the start of the game,” he said,

“He would just stand at the back of the room and this presence provided so much comfort to me and the players.

“He wouldn’t need to say anything, but he made you feel good.

“I am so sad he is no longer with us. I could always go to Jim for advice and I often did.”

Sandral returned to play for Corowa in 1958 and was appointed coach.

He won the first of three Morris Medals the following year.

Dennis and Jim Sandral are members of the Ovens & Murray Hall of Fame.

Sandral played in only one grand final for Corowa in 1963 when it lost to Benalla.

He was also a premiership player, coach and league best and fairest winner at Rennie.

In 2013, he became the fourth legend in the O&M Hall of Fame and has been a regular attendee at the annual function that will be held again next week.

His son Dennis, who played 333 matches for Corowa-Rutherglen, has also been inducted into the league’s Hall of Fame.

Jim and Dennis both won five best and fairests for Corowa with Dennis playing in two country championships winning teams in 1985 and 1987.

The father-son duo were also picked in the O&M’s Team-of-the-Century.

O&M chairman David Sinclair said Sandral was a true legend of the league.

“His devotion to family and commitment to the Corowa Football-Netball Club and community were limitless,” he said.

“His humble and selfless leadership, was inspiring.

“He was a beautiful man to meet. He will be missed.”

Sandral had been diagnosed with leukaemia and his funeral will be held in Corowa on Thursday.

Originally published as Ovens & Murray: Corowa and Rennie champ Jim Sandral passes away, aged 91