Weekly Times | PHYLLIS Munro has been a passionate follower of the Ouyen football sides for decades.
Her eyesight and hearing are not what they once were — hardly surprising at 100 years of age — but regardless, she is a regular feature on Ouyen United’s boundary line at home games in the Mallee league.
Nowadays she is more likely to be watching the action unfold with her son Walter and his wife, Cheryl, from the comfort of a car, but as one family story goes, she once liked to be close to the action.
Maybe a little too close.
The story dates back to when Phyllis’ husband, Allen, played for Tiega — one of the many clubs that have merged over the years to eventually form Ouyen United in 1997.
“Apparently she was a pretty vocal supporter when she used to barrack for Tiega. We’ve heard that a few times, but she looks down her nose a little bit,” Walter said.
“She did say once that she got a tap on the shoulder at football … the policeman came up and said, ‘the boundary’s back there, lady’.”
Phyllis, Ouyen United’s current No. 1 ticketholder, turned 100 in March and celebrated with a party surrounded by friends and generations of her family.
“It was marvellous. We had a wonderful day,” she said.
Phyllis met her future husband at a dance at the Galah Hall one night after Allen played football, and they were married from 1940 until Allen died in 1991.
She remembers a time when a horse and gig would get supporters to nearby games, matches at Lascelles could be reached by train, and grounds without change rooms where players changed behind trees and “showered” in the nearest channel — a daunting task in winter.
Her favourite football memories are simple. “Whenever they had a good win,” she said.
Her grandson, Jarrod, is Ouyen United’s president, a role that has also been occupied by Jarrod’s older brother, Deane.
Between the three generation of Munro men, they have done it all: premierships, captains, best-and-fairests, presidents and coaches.
Phyllis’ great-grandchildren are too young to be among the senior football ranks, but Deane’s children Amber and Ethan, and Jarrod’s trio of Liam, Hollie and Mia play junior football and netball in the navy blue and red.
“We pride ourselves on being active in the community and especially in the footy club,” Jarrod said.
“Having Grandma there to watch, as well as Deane and I having involvement in club level, and watching our kids play is pretty special.”
Allen Munro played most of his football at Kiamal — another precursor to Ouyen United — because the club was close to the family farm.
That property has now been in the family for four generations, and the partnership incorporates about 10,000ha of wheat, barley, vetch and lupin crops.
Walter said Allen never played in a premiership team, but Walter was a member of the drought-breaking 1971 senior flag at Kiamal, and his sons Deane, Jarrod and Grant all played in the 1998 Ouyen United premiership team.
Jarrod, who became club president following the sudden death of Tony Cua in 2013, said he played in the 2006 premiership, but he missed the 2011 grand final win due to an ankle injury.
Walter played in the No. 24 guernsey, which was inherited by Deane, then snapped up by Jarrod when Deane spent a year overseas.
“I went to 24, and when he came back because I was the favourite one I got to keep 24,” Jarrod joked.
Liam, 13, has elected to play in No. 7 — “he wanted to go a different number, make his own name in his own number,” Jarrod said — and Ethan, 10, has gone with Deane’s No. 10.
Walter said Phyllis would “get a kick out of” seeing Liam and Ethan play senior football in coming years.
“She can’t see a lot, but that’s what she wants to do. She wants to go on a little bit longer to see Liam and Ethan … play senior footy,” he said.
