By Sean Cusick

The Warrnambool Football Club has carved out a formidable niche, Sean Cusick writes

THE Kangaroos could be forgiven for casting a longing glance at the Warrnambool Football Club's pristine facilities at Reid Oval. The newly refurbished bars, bistro and outstanding player amenities are first-class, and unrivalled in Victoria's south-west, while the poker machines are buzzing with patrons.

 

As the 2007 Hampden Football League season kicked off yesterday, there's no mistaking Warrnambool as the tall poppy of the competition.

 

Established in 1861, Warrnambool is believed to be one of Australia's oldest football clubs - perhaps one of the first five. On the field, the Blues have won 22 premierships in the Hampden League's 76 years.

 

One of the Blues' most successful formulae in the past has been to lure ex-VFL and AFL regulars as playing coaches. One-time St Kilda defender Grant Thomas - and later Saints coach for more than five years - led the club to four consecutive flags in the late 1980s. Melbourne centre half-forward Peter Cook was appointed coach in 1959 and guided the Blues to three premierships, while former Collingwood defender Daryl Salmon claimed a hat-trick of flags from 1976 to '78.

 

Most recently, Richmond full-back Scott Turner made the move 260 kilometres west of Punt Road and coached the side to back-to-back premierships in 2001 and 2002.

Warrnambool has that Collingwood-type aura - everyone loves to beat it. Of its seven opponents in the Hampden League, most would consider the Blues their fiercest rivals and sometimes refer to them as "the Bluebloods" (a moniker they detest) because they think Warrnambool is made of money. The perception strengthened when the Blues abolished entry fees to matches last year.

 

General manager Andrew Robb, referring to the club's gaming facilities, said: "There are probably people out there who are pretty sceptical, you know, who say, 'Well, it's all right for Warrnambool footy club to do this because they've got other avenues in revenue'.

"We were finding that a lot of people were arriving at half-time when the gates were thrown open anyway. Now, we're trying to get those people here at midday.

"If you're going to survive on your gate-takings, whether it's us or any other club around, you're not going to get too far."

 

Bluebloods perhaps, but soft they are not, with the club's attitude exemplified by Warrnambool's favourite son, the late Bill Couch.

While he never played VFL football, Couch is the most respected man ever to pull on the navy blue Warrnambool guernsey.

 

A fearless leader who never took a backwards step, his legend only grew stronger when he persevered with football after a most unusual injury: blowing off part of his hand with a shotgun in November 1958. "He was duck shooting one day," explains club historian Ron Cole. "He borrowed a cartridge off one of his mates that misfired. But what he didn't realise was the wad stuck halfway up the barrel.

"So he put another cartridge in and fired it and, of course, the gun blew up. He lost part of his left hand and was missing two fingers."

 

His son, Bill Couch jnr, recalls that despite the injury (to his favoured left hand), his father never contemplated hanging up the boots. In fact, he was back at training within five months.

 

Couch jnr describes a test that his father put himself through to decide when he could return to the paddock. "He got his teammates to kick the football up high, and (when it came down), he whacked his hand on the footy as hard as he could."

This extraordinary exercise, done to ensure he could not only withstand the pain but also still use his damaged hand on the field, made even his toughest teammates squirm. "He was just so mentally strong," Couch jnr said.

 

Cole recalls a typical pre-match speech that the no-nonsense Couch would deliver to his troops.

 

Pointing decisively into the chest of the full-back, Couch would demand: "All right, now you, get down that end (pointing to the defensive goal square). And you (pointing to the full-forward), you get down the other end. The rest of you bastards, just follow me."

Bill's children also made their mark in football. Paul Couch played 13 seasons for Geelong and won the 1989 Brownlow Medal. Bill Couch jnr played in six premierships with Warrnambool.

 

Couch snr's death in 2000 was met with an unprecedented sadness at the club.

While it has such a rich history, Warrnambool goes into 2007 with a youthful new attitude.

 

After recently parting ways with another ex-AFL footballer, former Melbourne and Geelong player Nigel Kol following a disappointing 2006, the Blues have put their faith in 26-year-old playing coach Dustin McCorkell.

 

A former North Ballarat Rooster, he is a third-generation Blue, whose father, uncle and grandfather won a dozen premierships for Warrnambool between them.

 

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WHEN St Kilda centre half-back Grant Thomas arrived at Warrnambool as playing coach in 1986, he brought with him tactics and training methods that were revolutionary in country leagues.

 

"He brought a different type of training, and a different attitude," said Bill Couch jnr, six-time Blues premiership hero.

"His training methods were radical at the time. We'd been used to training for an hour on Tuesday and just three-quarters of an hour on a Thursday."

 

While Thomas' methods were unfamiliar, they were also successful. From 1986 to 1989, Thomas achieved an unprecedented four consecutive premierships - a first in the Hampden League.

 

"He altered football in the district completely," says Ron McCorkell, former coach and club best-and-fairest. "Blokes didn't know what he was doing originally; he was handballing in the back line, kicking backwards and had people kicking goals from the back pocket. This was unheard of in the bush!"

 

Thomas rates the final flag of the four, 1989 - against arch-rival South Warrnambool - as his most satisfying because the Blues were underdogs. He remembers how South had dominated the Blues throughout the season and also in the first week of the finals.

 

"I think South Warrnambool was next door (in the changing rooms) and they had the tune from Rocky going," Thomas says. "They were jumping around and everything else. I remember distinctly, to this day, saying to the team, 'Just relax guys, everything's going to be OK. You're going to be in for the easiest day of your life'.

 

"Initially, they sort of looked at me as if I had two heads. (But all of a sudden), we all knew prior to the match that we were going to win. We had a very strange cloud of confidence come over the whole playing group. It was an unbelievable feeling to have. We went out and won by about 10 goals. It was a tremendous feeling . . . that was a very proud and special moment."

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WARRNAMBOOL FOOTBALL CLUB

Founded: 1861

Competition: Hampden Football League

Guernsey: Navy blue with white WFC monogram

Nickname: The Blues

Home ground: Reid Oval

Premierships: 22 in Hampden League - 1935, 1937, 1939, 1946-47, 1957, 1959-60, 1962-63, 1966, 1976-8, 1984, 1986-89, 1992, 2001-02

 

HAMPDEN FOOTBALL LEAGUE TEAMS IN 2007	RECENT HAMPDEN PREMIERS
Camperdown Cobden Koroit North Warrnambool Port Fairy South Warrnambool Terang Mortlake Warrnambool	1997 Cobden 1998 Cobden 1999 Camperdown 2000 Camperdown 2001 Warrnambool 2002 Warrnambool 2003 Koroit 2004 Terang Mortlake 2005 Terang Mortlake 2006 South Warrnambool

 

FAMOUS WARRNAMBOOL EXPORTS

 

Paul Couch

Geelong (1985-97)

Games 259 Goals 203

A superb reader of the play, Couch was a fixture of Geelong’s centre square for 13 seasons. While he religiously favoured his left side, his ability to evade opponents with thrilling agility would usually see him out of trouble. His larrikin character and cheeky smile ensured he was a favourite son at Kardinia Park, as did his regular pin-point passes to the leads of Gary Ablett. Couch won the 1989 Brownlow Medal, finishing two votes ahead of Hawthorn rover and 1987 winner John Platten. Other notes on his immaculate CV include winning three club Best and Fairests, three All-Australian honours, representing Victoria five times and being named as interchange in Geelong’s Team of the Century.

Honours Brownlow Medal (1989); club best and fairest (1986, 1989, 1995); All-Australian (1989, 1991, 1995); Victorian representative (1989, 1990-1992, 1995); Australian representative (1990); interchange in Geelong's Team of the Century

 

Richard "Dickie" Harris

Richmond (1934-44)

Games 196 Goals 548

Before Kevin Bartlett, ‘Dickie’ Harris was the original ‘Hungry’ at Tigerland who loved a goal like no other. Despite his lack of size (5 foot 8 inches and 70 kilos), the versatile Harris was one of Richmond’s most damaging players, playing forward pocket in Richmond’s 1934 Premiership. In an incredible 1943 season, Harris not only became the first rover to win the VFL goal-kicking (finishing level with Melbourne’s Fred Fanning on 62), but also booted a match-winning seven goals in a thrilling five-point Premiership win over Essendon.

Honours premiership player (1934, 1943); leading VFL goalkicker (1943 - 63 goals); leading club goalkicker (1937 - 65, 1943 - 63, 1944 - 63); Victorian representative (1936-37, 1939, 1941); Richmond coach 1964

 

Jordan Lewis

Hawthorn (2005-)

Games 41 Goals 7

Taken with pick 7 in the 2004 National Draft, Lewis looms as a future midfield gun after playing 39 of a possible 44 games with the Hawks. While his skills are impressive, it is his aggression and fearless bravado that sets him apart from other 20-year-olds, making him an ideal addition at post ‘line-in-the-sand’ Hawthorn. Named Hawthorn’s best first-year player in 2005, this year shapes as a breakthrough season alongside fellow prized 2004 draftees Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead.

Honours best first-year player (2005)