Kalkee, the tiny town with a big heart

WE SET out to find the smallest town with a footy club, and they don’t come any smaller than Kalkee.

Junior Kalkee footballers and Auskickers. Picture: Karla Northcott

YOU will never hear the Kalkee farming community complain about the rain.

Even though it was the coldest day recorded for nearby Horsham this month, and was raining to boot, there were more than 52 people running around kicking soggy Sherrins at Thursday night training two weeks ago, from Auskick age through to the seniors.

Fifty-two is the number of people who live in Kal­kee, according to the last census — but they have a median age of 43, so it was probably not the same people at training

This tiny Wimmera “town” — there is no school, pub or church — about 17km north of Horsham is the smallest to have a football team. Despite its size, it is also one of the most successful in recent country football history.

Kalkee has won 19 senior premierships, including five in a row in the Horsham and District league between 2008-12.

Their most famous player recently is Steve Schultz, a born-and-bred Kalkee local who laughs that his family home is “probably second or third-closest house to the footy ground”.

“I just loved my footy when I was young, I really just idolised a lot of players,” Schultz said.

“Looking back now I've really enjoyed playing with a few people I idolised, and then I've ended up playing with their kids because I played so long.”

Wimmera ties: Kalkee star Steve Schultz in his canola field. Picture: Colleen Petch

The former Kalkee coach retired earlier this year after a decorated career that netted four league best-and-fairest awards — three in Horsham and District with Kalkee, one in Wimmera league — and four Kalkee premierships.

Schultz and his brother coached Warracknabeal in 2011-12, the same years Kalkee extended their premiership run to five in a row (Steve played the first three).

Family connections are strong at Kalkee.

Manning the barbie last Thursday, carefully overseeing the “florries” — a Wimmera delicacy of crumbed steak, ham and cheese — was club games record holder Phil Mills.

He “retired” from football two years ago after winning the reserves premiership, but has filled in since, racking up another 20-plus games in the process.

But the father of three boys, two of whom played in Kal­kee’s under-14 premiership last year, has been able to played alongside his eldest son as a result.

“We were short six or seven weeks ago at ­Laharum, they went in and asked for under-17s to fill in and he put his hand up,” Phil said.

“I didn’t even realise until quarter-time when we came off the ground and he was on the bench

“They put him on at ­quarter-time ... I was happy. The coach told him whatever you do don’t kick it to your old man ... so he kicked it to me and I got a goal.”

Phil officially lives in Murra Warra, just north of Kal­kee, but his father, Allan, also a premiership player, does live in Kalkee.

Allan played until he was almost 40 — “which was probably a year too long”, he quips — but he remembers when the club disbanded in 1959, and was reformed a year later.

There have been two key moments in Kalkee’s recent history, according to Greg “JJ” Lawson, who lives near the club and takes care of the grounds.

The first was the installation of the sprinkler system, making keeping the ground watered “a lot easier”.

“When the pipeline came through we got water all the time, whereas back in the old days we relied on the dams to water our ­facility,” Lawson said.

“The oval is much better than it was back in my day, when it was rock and dust.”

The second was the redevelopment of its clubrooms 10 years ago. The club’s next project is to build more netball and tennis courts.

Father and son combo Allan and Phil Mills: Picture: Karla Northcott

The future for the football clubs in the region is ­uncertain. More than once at training, the impact of larger farms resulting in fewer families in the area is raised as an issue that threatens the club’s existence. Other clubs such as Pimpinio (population 184) and Rupanyup (population 536) are not far away, and there are plenty of others also recruiting players who live in nearby Horsham.

It is not only football feeling the pinch — the local cricket club Blackheath merged with Dimboola several years ago.

Kalkee Football Club president Trevor McRae knows if the club folds, it might not have the same ripple effect as it would in towns where the football club supports other institutions such as pubs and schools.

But Kalkee served an ­important purpose for this community, McRae said.

“It’s keeping the community together,” he said.

“Everyone can come here, have a yak and talk about stuff. If this wasn’t here, they’d be sitting at home watching TV. Here, you’re talking about what you’re doing on the farm, the young blokes talking about what they’re doing Saturday night.”

Schultz, who moved back from Geelong in his 20s to work on the family farm, echoed that point.

“You’re flat out working all the time. it’s just nice to have an outlet,” he said.

“You don't see other people when you’re out working on the farm, and that's why I think it’s ­really important socially and to get away and have a breather and catch up with mates.

“It gives you an excuse to catch up with all the people ... and have a bit of a kick and a giggle. It’s great.”

Do you know a smaller town with a footy club? Email us at [e-mail]