Looking back: Brian Quirk in his playing days at Girgarre where he was a member of its 1952 history making first premiership side.
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In my teenage years in this town, I was lucky enough to have an enthusiastic sporting tutor.
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Brian Quirk was his name and I sweated on his arrival home from work nearly every night to share a kick of footy with him in the winter and to face or bowl a lot of cricket balls together in the summer on a makeshift turf (clay) wicket on the vacant block on the other side of where Brian and his wife Margaret lived and raised their family.
Brian was a handy and very keen sportsman who was 15 years older than me but willing to give his time and hands-on advice readily to me, experiences I have treasured all my life.
Brian left us late last week and his death has left just four members still living from Girgarre Football Club’s 1952 premiership side, the first Roos team to claim a flag in the Kyabram District Football League.
Passing of a legend: Brian Quirk.
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Frank Casey, who was the youngest member of that side, Kevin Doolan, Eric Todd and Bill Atkins now remain the only living members of that history-making team.
Brian was a tough, straight through defender who took no prisoners.
As a cricketer, he was a medium pace wicket-taking bowler and handy batsman at B-grade level.
In my early days at the Free Press I derived great pleasure in highlighting any of his more notable cricket feats in my reports for this paper, always going that bit extra in on his feats as payment for what he did and meant to me.
Brian’s funeral was held on Monday and his passing has left me with a lot of unforgettable memories of my youth and the times we spent together out on Mitchell St and adjoining blocks of then plentiful vacant land although only a couple good dropkicks away from the town’s central business district.
Remembering Brian: Brian Quirk was a tough, straight through defender who took no prisoners in his playing days for Girgarre.
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Recruit being courted by Bullants
How many games will star recruit Bailey Tome play with the Bombers this season?
Tome and his Queensland Mt Gravatt Football Club teammate Jake Torney both committed to play with the Bombers this season.
Torney has impressed in two practice games but Tome has yet to make his debut.
Tome is being courted by VFL side Northern Bullants and can’t be criticised for that because it was always the intention in his move south was to try and get noticed and eventually get a chance to play at the highest level.
Tome is still training with the Bombers and when not selected by the Bullants will play for Kyabram.
But just how many games that will be is going to be very interesting.
Premiership drought broken
One of district sport‘s longest premiership droughts was broken when Mathoura claimed the division one Campaspe Playing Area bowls flag two weeks ago.
It ended 56 years in the premiership wilderness for the Timbercutters, who deprived Tongala of a hat-trick of flags with its win.
Mathoura won only one rink, but banked enough shots in that win to deliver a 62-55 win after 63 ends.
There was some mixed feelings with the result.
At 87, Timbercutters’ Arthur Murphy has been striving for 45 years to win a flag while his teammate Mick Humphreys ironically cut his teeth learning the game at the Tongala Bowls Club and has developed into a star player in the sport.
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