Fitzroy memorabilia with estimated worth of $80,000 found in garbage to be displayed in club museum

Fitzroy memorabilia from 121 years ago — and valued at about $80,000 — almost ended up at a rubbish tip. How they were salvaged is a remarkable story. ANDO’S SHOUT.  

More than 120-year old Fitzroy memorabilia was uncovered in a rubbish bag which will be shown in a Roys museum.

It’s the rubbish bag that contained a fortune of VFL memorabilia and came within a small throw of being lost to the garbage man.

Instead, the 1898 Fitzroy jumper and cap that belonged to Richard McKay now takes pride of place at Fitzroy Football Club’s stunning museum at Marvel Stadium.

The story goes like this.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE SUPERFOOTY PODCAST

McKay began his life as John McCabe before he changed his name to secure a bootmaking apprenticeship at a time when some jobs did not allow persons with Irish Catholic names to apply.

So McCabe became McKay and he played 24 games with Fitzroy in their premierships years of 1898-99 before he moved to St Kilda where he became captain.

CROWDS: KENNETT SAYS HAWKS ARE SUFFERING IN SILENCE

GOAL REVIEW: ANOTHER ISSUE RAISED IN GEELONG’S WIN

His priceless gear was passed down in his family and ended with John and Bev Keogh when they cleaned out a relative’s shed.

The large plastic bag containing the gear actually made its way into a skip before Keogh decided he’d better give its contents closer examination. He uncovered a jumper and cap valued around $80,000 by Melbourne memorabilia expert Rick Milne.

The jumper and cap are part of an open day at the Marvel Stadium museum next Sunday, July 7, from 11am-2.30pm.

On display will be honour boards on which 950 of the 1150 footballers to have played for Fitzroy from 1897-1996 have been identified by picture. Long-time club historian Arthur Wilson has constantly updated the boards as family members send in photos.

More than 120-year old Fitzroy memorabilia was uncovered in a rubbish bag which will be shown in a Roys museum.

LEGENDARY CARTOONIST SET TO LAUNCH FOOTY BOOK

Paul Harvey is known to many of us for capturing our sporting greats in cartoon, something he celebrates this week with Wednesday’s launch of “Harv Footy Stars, 30 Years of Caricatures”.

Harvey and his pen have become part of the AFL landscape, even if his entry into the world of drawing had its moments.

“I used to sit in class drawing the teachers at Marcellin College and for whatever reason I decided to draw them in an orgy,” Harvey said.

“I was showing the drawing to one of my schoolmates in Andy Maher (Front Bar and SEN fame) when a Brother came down and confiscated it. So for three months I was waiting to be expelled for rude behaviour at a Catholic boys’ school.

“But I heard nothing and eventually forgot about it. Ten years later I went back to the school for a game of footy, when one of the teachers said: ‘Aren’t you Paul Harvey, the boy who drew the teacher orgy?’

“It actually hung in the staffroom for six months and this teacher still had it at home.”

Harvey has lost none of his passion for drawing but at times yearns for the olden days.

“I started doing mullets and moustaches, now it’s man-buns and beards,” he said.

“Bruce Doull would be my all-time favourite, although Kevin Sheedy kept providing material. ‘Sheeds’ has lived a bit which shows in his face and they are the best to do.”

Paul Harvey has been drawing footy caricatures for three decades.

‘RIDE LIKE A GIRL’ ACTOR’S STUART DEW LINK

All systems are blazing for the September 26 release of Ride Like A Girl, the directional debut of Rachael Griffiths and starring Teresa Palmer as Michelle Payne on board Prince of Penzance in the 2015 Melbourne Cup.

Palmer has an AFL connection. She’s a passionate Port Adelaide supporter and once dated a former player in Stuart Dew, these days coach of the Gold Coast Suns.

Trailers released for the flick are impressive, even if it’s hard to spot anything of winning trainer Darren Weir, whose on-air minutes are said to have been significantly reduced following his four-year suspension from the sport earlier this year.

Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew and Ride Like a Girl star Teresa Palmer were formerly an item.

WORLD CUP BRINGS OUT CELEBRITIES

Celebrity spotting was to the fore at Lord’s during the England-Australia clash on Tuesday night. Actors Stephen Fry and Damien Lewis, comedian Michael McIntyre, singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran and soccer stars Gareth Southgate and Glenn Hoddle were on hand to watch England get thumped.

Also looking on was former Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland, who has been smelling the roses since steeping down from that role last year.

A passionate Geelong supporter, could it be that Sutherland is in line to replace longstanding Geelong boss Brian Cook when he leaves the role next year?

English football manager Gareth Southgate meets actor Damian Lewis during Australia’s Word Cup fixture against England. Picture: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images.

THE QUOTE

“I just couldn’t believe we could do that to a group if young men.”

Mark “Bomber” Thompson at his magistrate’s court trial this week. If only those same words could have been uttered six seasons earlier.