IT's usually the players and coaches who attract most of the plaudits and congratulations handed out in regional and rural footy leagues throughout Australia.

But let's take some time this week to have a look at the careers of some of the storied administrative people who keep clubs, big and small, ticking over.

One such person was Kyneton's long-serving secretary Stan Plowman. He was inducted into the BFNL Hall of Fame last October.

Stan joined Kyneton in 1940 after a short career with Richmond and played with the BFL Tigers until 1954, including nine seasons in the senior side.

He enjoyed concurrent roles as a player, coach and club secretary during his on-field time.

Stan holds the unique honour of being the inaugural winner in 1952 of the BFL Reserves Medal, nowadays known as the Alan McDonald Medal. Before the early Fifties there'd been no official league medal for the league's reserves competition.

Back in Stan Plowman's day it was just known as the Reserves best and fairest award.

And he was also coach of the Kyneton reserves in 1952-53.
But what Stan is best known for is his amazing period as the club secretary at Tigerland.

He served for 29 years as Kyneton Football Club secretary. During this period he was club secretary for 20 consecutive years (1951-1970) and served again from 1973-1976, 1979, 1982-83 and 1987-88.

Stan acted as Kyneton club delegate to the BFL for six years and among his many accolades he deservedly received BFL life membership in 1957 and then in 1971 was recognized with the Victorian Country Football League's Outstanding Service award.
The family genes were passed down to his and wife Pat's eight children and then in 2013 Stan's grandson, Lachie Plowman, was drafted by the Greater Western Sydney Giants at No. 3 in the national draft.

As former VFL and Kyneton great Greg Sewell once said: "Stan Plowman will be remembered as a man of few words ---- but what he said, he meant."

Stan's son Chris has followed in his father's footsteps to serve as the Tigers' club secretary.

GEORGE Edwards has played a very similar role at Kangaroo Flat. Born in White Hills in 1932, George moved to the Flat with his family as a 14-year-old.

He soon became involved in his local footy club, playing reserve grade and later taking on the role as captain of the Twos.
His lifelong work on the administration side of football began when George was 20. In 1952 he was appointed Kangaroo Flat club secretary and held the position for two years.

He was also club treasurer in 1955 and 1956 and from 1996 to 2006, inclusive. An amazing fact --- George was treasurer in the mid-50s and then 40 years later (1996), and also 50 years on (2006), he was still in charge of the club's finances.
He served as the Roos' club president from 1964 to 1973 and again from 1984—1986.

Not surprisingly, George Edwards was presented with life membership of the Kangaroo Flat Football Club in 1962 and was also installed as a life member of the Golden City Football League, the body with which Kangaroo Flat was then a part of.
He was also the recipient of an award from his local Rotary Club for 50 years of service to football.

And he is, of course, a life member of the Bendigo Football and Netball League and also the Victorian Country Football League --- now known as AFL Victoria.

ON A personal note, I've occasionally delved into George's memory of past Flat footy facts and his recall of well-known --- and not so well-known --- players and officials.

At one stage I held some old school exercise books where George had entered a multitude of figures: player payments for each week, club expenses for footy paraphernalia such as medical items and socks, and even payments for goods and services delivered to the club.

All these Fifties entries, when George was treasurer for the first time, were meticulous and neat and 60 years on were easily read.

I handed the old school exercise books back to current Flat office-holders some two or three seasons ago as they form part of the Roos' history. I'd only borrowed them, temporarily.
George served on the club committee during all the years he wasn't a major office holder and for nearly 60 years was Kangaroo Flat's club delegate to the Dower Park committee of management.

Quite correctly, he was inducted into the inaugural Kangaroo Flat Hall of Fame late last season.

SANDHURST has produced many sterling behind-the-scenes people as well, but the story I love the most is the one concerning Dragons' Hall of Famer, Jean Comte.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame at the 2012 Sandhurst 150th dinner attended by no less than 720 people, if you don't mind, Jean didn't miss a game for 27 years.

She was talked into attending her very first game by her Dad and more than a quarter of a century later was still going.
More than just a match-day spectator, Jean went along to Thursday evening training sessions as well.

And listening to 3BO team selections on a Friday night was a 'must' in her household, too. Quiet please, while the radio's on!
Jean was the key member of the Maroons' women's committee and for many years she managed the QEO kiosk.

She was the first woman to receive life membership of the Sandhurst Football Club in 1965, an honour she revered.
Apart from running the QEO kiosk on Saturdays, Jean would also cook meals for the Hurst players who were Teachers' College students and she was also in charge of laundering the footy jumpers after the weekend's games.

Win, lose or draw Jean would have a sumptuous meal prepared for when her "boys" visited the Comte family home after their matches on Saturday nights.

I know many people have given selfless service to footy clubs over all the decades since the birth of Aussie Rules in the 1850s, but reading Jean Comte's resume still brings a lump to my throat.

THERE'S a couple of other Sandhurst FNC Hall of Famers still toiling away at the QEO clubrooms.

Property steward Don Armstrong has filled his role --- plus any other needed match-day task ---since the early 1980s.
And trainer Max Healey's tenure also dates back to an early Eighties start: in his case, 1984.

Don had great mentors in Joe Taggert and another member of Sandhurst's Hall of Fame, Charlie Runnalls.

He'd been a coach of a number of junior footy teams before taking on the property steward job.

Woe betide any current Dragon who thinks he can slip out the door after a game without returning his jumper.

The guernseys these days have the 2012 heritage design emblazoned on them so Don's eagle eye is always focused on getting them all packed away together, not long after 5 pm on matchdays.

Max Healey started out as a trainer when his son Mal ran out with the Hurst under-18s in 1984.

These days he works closely with Dr. Rohan Molenaar on match-days, but just as importantly Max's presence on weeknights in mid-winter is reassuring for all those Dragons who have come through the training rooms.

Max doesn't seek the limelight yet there's no doubt he's kept many a Sandhurst footballer out on the park when the player has been most needed.

Richard's tips for Round 3: Storm by 26 (at MyJet Oval), Eaglehawk by 9 (vs. Kyneton), Flat by 30 (at Princes Park), Sandhurst by 59 (at QEO, v South) and Gisborne by 38 (at Camp Reserve).
2015 season total: 8.

By Richard Jones