True champions of the game excel when the heat is at its most extreme, in crucial home and away clashes and in finals, especially Grand Finals. In assessing my favorite footballers from the Yarra Valley Mountain District area, one player ticks every box. Wandin's Wayne Johnston who had one of the great careers of them all after initially being rejected by one VFA club before having to leap frog into League ranks via another.
Known as ‘The Dominator' - he dominated on and off the field - Johnston became a 200-gamer at Carlton, won two best and fairests amid a team of stars and played in four Carlton flags.
He was just about best afield in the '79 Grand Final in his very first year, having started the season thinking of trying out at Melbourne.
For one of my books, The Complete Guide to Australian Football, coaching colossus David Parkin told me: "If it was a non-event game with nothing hanging on it, He (Johnston) was rarely sighted, but put him in a big game with a personal opponent he respected and he'd be one of your best players every time. He had an enormous capacity to pump himself up and get the best out of himself when it mattered."
Parkin coached the who's who of the League's best and said few possessed the sheer fire in the belly of Johnston.
Few had his cheek, too, and when Parkin shifted from Carlton to Fitzroy, he'd invariably be forced to play two and three taggers per match on the matchwinning Johnston, the message invariably coming back via Fitzroy's runner: "You'll have to do better than that Parkin!"
The Yarra Valley Mountain District League has always been one of my favorites and ‘Mountain men' are proud to have two old boys now coaching at AFL clubs in Carlton's Brett Ratten (ex-Yarra Glen) and Richmond's Damien Hardwick (Upwey-Tecoma), Graham "Bluey" O'Donnell, the father of former Essendon captain Gary O'Donnell, played a handful of games for Geelong and North Melbourne before finishing his career at Olinda-Ferny Creek. In 1978, aged 40, Bluey was a member of the Bloods' premiership team in his final game.
During the mid-1980s, Olinda-Ferny Creek also featured the Cooke brothers, Michael and Robert, in the key forward positions. Both had been down at Hawthorn, Michael's first two senior games being finals, in 1975.
More currently Damian Monkhorst has been a powerhouse at Woori Yallock, having coached the club since 2002.
He is the best known and biggest contributor among a host of ex-VFL and AFL lads to play their final seasons in the League, others having also included Phil Krakouer (at Yarra Glen) and Nicky Winmar (Warburton). Ross ‘Twiggy' Dunne was another to come back and play Mountain footy for a year or two after his illustrious Collingwood career finished.
Warburton-Millgrove's Wayne Morris won three Division I Ramage Medals in the mid to late ‘70s. He must have been a gun country player. John Purdy and Neville Roberts were also star Mountain men of the 70s and early 80s.
So.... to my favorite top 10 Yarra region players... they aren't necessarily the best, but they all have something about them which has appealed to me! In alphabetical order they are:
Andy Goodwin: Won a competition b & f way back in 1986 at Wandin and is still involved. That's remarkable service and mentoring!
Damian Hardwick: Often the best coaches are self-made men and Damien, having dipped out at North Melbourne, became a star premiership player at Essendon before assisting at Hawthorn and now being the No.1 man at Richmond. Has enormous respect in the footy world. His Dad, Noel, coached the Under 18s at Upwey for 10 years.
Wayne Johnston: From the time he kicked five goals in Carlton's final trial game of 1979, he was destined for great things. What a star!
John ‘Bones' Logan: Another ex-Upwey boy, John became one of the best centre half forwards in the entire VFA at Caulfield when Association football was big. He was recently named among the club's 20 favorite sons at the release of a book about the club The Bears Uncensored in May.
Bryce ‘Magoo' McGain: The best cricketer among this lot... and a very handy footballer, too, at Silvan where he won a comp B & F when the club was in second division (in 2000). Is currently in England playing county cricket, at Essex.
Damian Monkhorst: Remember Collingwood's 1990 premiership? Of course you do! ‘Monkey' was Collingwood's No.1 ruckman who subdued Essendon's champion veteran Simon Madden and even kicked the sealing goal during the last quarter. Has been a great servant to footy and is still running out with the Woori boys.
Mick & Tim Scott: Played more than 600 senior games between them and won a combined 13 best and fairest awards, all at Olinda-Ferny Creek
Andrew Shipp: Having played 50 or so games at Fremantle, ‘Shippy' has been reveling in his role of responsibility at Gembrook. He even kicked eight goals in one quarter and 11 for the game a few weeks back.
Jason Snell: Another ex-Upwey boy who had some great seasons at Geelong before having to have his ankle fused. Still takes club training occasionally.
Terry Wheeler: Many still wonder how Terry, one of the toughnuts at Footscray was able to get to the Western Oval. But he lived in Yarra Junction which was in Footscray's zone. He played his formative years at Warburton before playing 150-plus games with the Dogs. He also coached Williamstown and Footscray, being one of those most responsible for the recruiting of Brownlow Medallist-to-be Tony Liberatore.
By Ken Piesse
Article first appeared vcfl.com.au August 4th