Chadstone Lacrosse Club Inc. Melbourne, Victoria

Chadstone – a new suburb

 In the post-war years, the suburb of Chadstone was growing. All the subdivided land was developed with new housing, and families were moving in. The primary school was full and a high school was under construction.

By the 1950’s, Bill Gray Snr and his family moved to Chadstone and built a house in Durward Road. David Cohen was a fledgling teacher, newly appointed to Caulfield Tech. and then Oakleigh Tech.

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  David and Bill Snr had been active members of the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) Lacrosse Division and saw the possibility of starting a new lacrosse club in the burgeoning suburb of Chadstone.  They both recognised that the youth in the developing area needed something to do out of school hours. They possibly also hoped to form a “feeder” group for their home club of MCC.

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Bill knew that there was a playing field fronting Chadstone Road big enough for a football field and a lacrosse field. There was an active tennis club adjacent to the field with five courts. More importantly, a community group called the Chadstone Recreation and Civic Club (CR&CC) had been formed and was looking to expand its influence and promote new sports. CR&CC had taken under its wing a football club and a cricket club. Within a short time, a bowling club had also been created under their auspices.  Work had commenced on new rinks and a clubhouse.  A lot of this was done by volunteer labour and finance from members. The Chadstone Football Club was operating as a Section of the CR&CC for several years.  They used the change rooms and facilities in the playing field owned by the Malvern City Council. Bill Snr saw the possibilities in this ground, Chadstone Park.

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Forming a new club

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The Chadstone Cardinals Lacrosse Club was formed at its first official meeting on 10th March 1960.   David Cohen and Bill Gray presided, others present were Philip Shappere Victorian Lacrosse Association (VLA), Gordon Zanuck (CC&CR), Frank Landsbury (VLA). N. Jeffrey, K. O’Hagan, and Alan Everest.

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It was apparently a cold and miserable evening and only one family turned up. David Cohen takes up the story in his Recollections :

         “The reaction of the VLA Representatives was: You’re wasting your time David. You may as well forget about it. These words were like a red rag to a bull to me and the challenge was down!”

 

After that disastrous first meeting, Bill and David decided to hold an exhibition game played by Caulfield and Malvern Men on the Chadstone ground.

This game changing event was on 19th March 1960, in conjunction with a CR&CC fete.

By the end of the afternoon there were enough boys to enter two Under 14 teams in the Saturday morning competition run by the Victorian Amateur Lacrosse Association (VALA). Later in June, a third team was entered. Many of the club’s adult stalwarts began their association with lacrosse at this function, including Dick Morgan, Ken Mathews, Lyle Chynoweth, Alf Cugley, Frank Milne, and Roy Freeman. Many of these original players and parents are still closely associated with the club.

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The first teams

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The Redcoats

Team number one were called Redcoats. They had a very successful season, reaching the semi-finals.  Bill Gray Jnr. and Ian Minter were captain and vice-captain. Neil Clough was a very steady goalkeeper, Robert Wilson, and brothers Michael and Peter Gould were recognised as key players. The rest of the team comprised Bernard Hutchins, Ken Wilson, Ken Bracken, David Pearce, Doug Markham, Wayne Ledwidge, and Robert Mathews.

 

The Giants

It was said that “Jimmy’s Giants” were the smallest boys in the competition. This team won several games, and was under the leadership of nine-year-old Jimmy Bridges and his brother Alan on the forward line. Other players were Peter Everest, Dennis Seears, Bruce Bishop, John Potter, Derek Bardsley, Ross Greenfield, Ian Swinton, Chris Milne and Peter Hinde.

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The Bears

This was the third team entered in that first year of play. They played their first game on June 25, 1960.  Peter Rushan was captain and Robert Wood was in goal. Defenders were Peter Quinn, Warren McGillivray and brothers Robert and Brian Beswick. Others were Alan Wilson, Graham Duncan, Graeme Summers, Wayne Chynoweth, Angus Baird and John Harris.

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The first set of sticks (then called racquets) were given to the club by the ALA, on the condition that the club was still around in three years time. Other sticks were either donated or purchased at a total cost of £40.

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Goals, nets and frames cost £23. The red and yellow woollen playing tops (guernseys) cost a total of £78.

 

Two of the early players reminisce:

Matt Gleeson “Pure wool scratchy jumpers. But they came in pretty handy down at Willy on their old ground on the water during a blowy winter’s day…” 

 Phil Skiller “They were a great jumper just a bit prickly”

Facebook entry on Chadstone Lacrosse Past Players  August 2018 

 

 

Bill Gray Snr had originally proposed MCC colours, anticipating that the boys would move on to MCC when they became seniors. This idea was abandoned when the Club came under CR&CC whose colours were red, yellow and blue.

The name “Cardinals” was taken from the St Louis Cardinals, a baseball team who have the North American Cardinal bird as their emblem, predominantly red, with some yellow.

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 Money must have been a problem in that first year when they had the glorious problem of three teams to equip, instead of only the one, hoped for team.  It is noted in the annual report that Mr F. Maggs at the local sport store “Palmers” extended credit so that the equipment could be purchased. Small fees were imposed on the players – 5/- (five shillings) annual subscription and 5/- equipment hire.

  

 Bill Snr was savvy enough to know that a new club was unlikely to prosper and grow without the help of a strong kindred organisation prepared to support a new sporting club. He therefore approached the CR&CC with the aim of establishing the fledgling junior lacrosse club under the umbrella of the CR&CC--not as a full section of the composite club, but rather as a part of the Civic Section. This allowed time to establish the club, raise funds, recruit members and convince the VALA that the new club was a worthy member of the VALA Saturday competitions. 

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The 1970’s – “Nothing breeds success like success”

 

This quote from Ken V. Wilson, who was the Honorary Secretary who wrote the report for the 1970 Annual Report, seems to sum up most of the 70’s for Chadstone Cardinals Lacrosse Club. Ken (Grassie) Wilson and his brothers, Alan and Robert were part of the original cohort of players in 1960. Ken played for many years, making the Victorian State Team in 1972.

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The decade opened with the winning A3 men’s team promoted to A2 and they won the premiership that very first year! Most of the young men named in the Annual Report were boys who had been recruited in the early 60’s. 

Although there were probably more, Rick Cugley, Bill Gray, Wayne Ledwidge, Chris Milne and Rob Wilson had all come up through the ranks, coached, supported and encouraged by parents who, in the main, had very little previous knowledge of lacrosse.

Not only did the seniors win in 1970, but also the most junior team the G Grade or under 12’s under the guidance of Roy Freeman.  Some of our future greats started in this team – Mark Frankland, Phil Skiller, Ross Freeman, Phil Shaw, and Athol Freeman. Other familiar names appear in this teams’ playlist – Raines, Crowe, Bishop, and Cayzer.

 

 

Roy Freeman is often spoken about as a tireless worker around the lacrosse club. His photo is regularly seen in team photos, especially when one of his four sons was playing. Many consider that his enthusiastic recruiting in the early years was one of the key factors in Chadstone’s achievements in the following decades.

Before his first son, Bruce, was recruited from Chadstone Park State School in 1966, Roy was already active in the local scouts group. The day that Bill Gray Snr asked him to coach his son’s U12 team in 1967, was a momentous day for Chadstone. We’ve heard before how canny Bill Snr was when deciding to affiliate with CR&CC, but he must have had great insight into Roy’s character when he asked Roy, a non-player, to become involved with the team. Roy went on to spend 20 years promoting the sport amongst youngsters in general, recruiting in all the local schools, fundraising and building his boys into young men of whom he was so proud. He was especially proud of the prowess of his sons. Roy’s wife Heather is also remembered fondly. Her support for Roy, her boys, and the other juniors was much appreciated in the Annual Reports.

Roy went on to Committee jobs in Chadstone Lacrosse. He was president from 1978 – 1981 and made a Life Member in 1990.  He also was on the committee of CR&CC and was delegate on the Victorian Amateur Lacrosse Association (VALA) and was one of the key organizers of the VALA final series and National Championships.

Roy’s enthusiasm for, and commitment to, lacrosse and to the Club was outstanding.

 

 

 

 

Successful years

 

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Chadstone Cardinals continued to grow in numbers and expertise. Premiership wins came in thick and fast:

1970- A2 coached by Larry Whiting,

1971- B3 coached by Peter Gould,

1973- B coached by Brent Matthews,

1974- U16 coached by Vic Arthur,

1975- U19 coached by Larry Whiting,

1976- U19 coached by Larry Whiting,

1978- U14 coached by Phil Shaw.

Chadstone continued to have its’ players chosen for State underage and senior teams across the board, and, as well Liz Cheevers, two men were chosen to represent Australia. In 1978 Steve Ellis was chosen for the field team and John Nolan in Box Lacrosse.  The senior numbers dwindled a little in the middle of the 70’s, but were soon bolstered again as the successful under 19’s came of age. Meanwhile, juniors were still being successfully recruited by Roy Freeman who luckily had a flexible work environment, and could regularly visit schools.

 

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Chadstone Ladies Lacrosse Club

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Before incorporation in 1986, Chadstone Cardinals Lacrosse Club was a men only section of the parent body CR&CC. Men and Women were under the auspices of two totally separate governing bodies – the VALA and the Victorian Women’s Lacrosse Association (VWLA). It has been difficult to find information about the Women’s Section, but we know it existed via some comments about supplying  “amenities for our girls team” in the 1968 Annual Report, and the various entries in Malvern News Sheets in the 70’s  that lists all sporting clubs in Malvern.

Marg Faulkner was named as out first female committee member in 1976 and we have one team photo of the women in 1975 where her daughters, Janine and Sharon Faulkner are named. Also named are Penny Cook, Sue Paterson, Sue McDonogh, Sue Lowe, Felicity Cook and Liz Cheevers. We have also team photos of State teams where Liz and/or Barbara Cheevers were team members. Barbara was selected in the Australian team in 1972 along with Kay Ferguson and Dr Kath Taylor, our first Australian representatives. The girls participated in social events so we can assume they were an active, but at this stage, largely undocumented part of our history.

 

 

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Burnside

“The annual Chadstone – Burnside Lacrosse Clubs annual interchange was an instigation of a Canadian Lacrosse player, Larry Whiting who immigrated to Australia and played lacrosse for Williamstown Lacrosse Club in Victoria.

Whiting transferred to Chadstone Cardinals Lacrosse Club in 1969 as player coach.

During his playing time at Williamstown he experienced the interchange between Williamstown and South Australian Lacrosse Club Brighton & felt that this was the ideal social ending to any gruelling Lacrosse season with a weekend of “what we do best & worst”. Playing Lacrosse & having “fun”.

Whitings' idea came to fruition during the 1970 ALC National Championships at Wayville Stadium in Adelaide. Members of the Brighton Lacrosse Club recommended Burnside as a likely club for the interchange as the two clubs had similar cultural backgrounds, the players were of similar ages and socio-economically the suburban areas were similar. During the Championships Whiting was introduced to Mal Fradd, the President of Burnside Lacrosse Club. After putting forward his proposal, Whiting then asked that Burnside invite Chadstone to visit in the first year to eliminate travelling at the same time as the other Victorian clubs to avoid any possible, unruly behaviour or conflict between clubs as the mode of transport then was by overnight train. At a subsequent meeting of the Burnside committee, this proposal was accepted and the interchange began at the end of the 1970 season. Whiting commented at the Chadstone Lacrosse Clubs 50th Birthday reunion that the success of the interchange was one of four highlights in his 40 years at Chadstone Lacrosse Club.”

Larry Whiting writing for a Press Release to commemorate the Clubs 50th birthday reunion in 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Decades’ end

By the end of the decade, Roy Freeman, in the Annual Report said that he was “pleased to see the end of 1978 lacrosse season – a year in which Chadstone marked time with only five teams being fielded.” He was disappointed in “turnover of players which has occurred.” 

 

Although the senior teams were still strong, player numbers were down and perhaps the success bubble was deflating.