Lancefield Football Club: Book launch part of 150th anniversary celebrations

Lancefield Football Club will celebrate its 150th anniversary on Saturday with the launch of a book featuring the inspiring story of a homegrown star.

Lancefield Football Club celebrates its 150th anniversary on Saturday with the launch of a book that features the inspiring story of a homegrown star player who served in two wars and played for two VFL clubs.

Alexander “Ike” Johnston grew up on a farm in the Lancefield region and initially served in the Boer War before returning home to play for Carlton and Richmond between 1906 and 1908.

Lancefield Football-Netball Club history book co-authors Denis Graham and John Chisholm. Picture: Zoe Phillips

With the outbreak of World War I six years later, Johnston again volunteered to serve his country and was part of the 8th Light Horse regiment sent to Gallipoli.

He was one of the few survivors of the disastrous Battle of the Nek in August 1915.

Johnston, who played in the first of seven premiership teams with Lancefield at the age of only 13, features on the front cover of the book that has been co-authored by Denis Graham, John Chisholm and Shirley Kishere.

Dr Fay Woodhouse’s editing skills were also called on to complete the 248-page book with more than 200 photographs.

Mr Graham said the impetus for the book began when a box of football memorabilia was discovered in a local shearing shed and handed over to the club.

“All these stories started to emerge and that is when we realised we had something special to write about,” he said.

“The story of ‘Ike’ Johnston was one of them.

“He was one of the few who came out of the trenches at Gallipoli and survived.

“He not only survived the war, but came home and captained premierships and finished in a premiership and the best players in his mid 40s.”

Lancefield Football-Netball Club history book editor Dr Fay Woodhouse, right, with co-authors Shirley Kishere, Denis Graham and John Chisholm. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Lancefield was formed in 1873 with the 150th anniversary celebrations coinciding with the match against arch rivals Romsey.

Lancefield players will wear the club’s original colours of maroon and blue on Saturday.

It won the first of eight flags in 1888 before entering the Riddell District league where it has won a further 12 with the most recent being in 2009.

It has also produced seven best and fairest winners, Bonny Lamb (1903), Ray Russell (1952), Keith Shannon (1958), Bern Shannon (1959), George Clark (1980), Marty Lakey (1991, 1995) and Tom Waters (2008 and 2010).

The book can be purchased by contacting the club at [e-mail]