Ando’s Shout: Vale Fred Cook, a footy legend

VFA legend Fred Cook was best remembered for his stunning display in a violent grand final, where he returned after being poleaxed. Watch the full video

No player better captured the halcyon days of the VFA, or the pitfalls of associated fame, than the late Frederick William Cook.

My memories include him religiously answering his mobile (and he was the first person I knew to have one) with a booming “Fred Cook, superstar”.

It was part of his shtick from a man who was many things, kind-hearted, immature, amusing, easily impressed, unreliable and addicted to fame and sadly an evil drug known as speed.

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“Fabulous” Freddy Cook, the glamour full forward who died this week in a Bendigo Nursing home aged 74, helped make the Victorian Football Association compulsory viewing each Sunday, and he had no finer moment than a notorious Sunday afternoon on September 19, 1976, in front of 32,137 at the Junction Oval.

Fred Cook was a VFA legend with Port Melbourne.

Cook was at the height of his considerable powers, booting 100 goals that year as he did on six other occasions for Port Melbourne, whereas Dandenong were surprise opponents in the Grand Final.

Standing Cook was an undersized (183cm) full back named Allan Harper, who legend has it told his teammates before the game he would “knock Cook out if he makes a fool out of me”. He was true to his word, leaving Cook requiring 27 stitches after poleaxing him with a round arm left hand in the second quarter.

Six years ago Harper admitted he was “embarrassed more than anything else.....it annoys me that I did it. I’m thankful that I didn’t hit him hard, although I did hit Norm Brown pretty hard.”

Cook cops a friendly jab on the chin from former VFA goals record-holder Bob Bonnett.

Brown was Port Melbourne’s captain-coach and after Harper clobbered him, Port’s Graham “Buster” Harland did what Port boys should do and evened up, breaking Harper’s jaw. Typically, Cook never held a grudge.

“I have no animosity towards him. I was lying on the table at halftime with a big slab of meat hanging off my face when our president Norm Goss walked by. I said ‘sorry Norm, who are you going to play at full forward now?’.

He quickly replied ‘what’s wrong with you, you don’t run on your face’ so I went back out.”

Cook kicked five goals and Port won easily.