Your Stories

Add your memories or stories of Maher Cup football and the life and times of the Maher Cup towns and they will be included in this web site.

Email them to Neil Pollock at neiljpollock@yahoo.com or post them as comments here.

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43 thoughts on “Your Stories

  1. one of greatest maher matches of all time was played between Barmedman and Gundagai resulting in 13 all draw – the great man Neville hand was c/c of Gundagai and cant remember who capt barmed but can find out – this match was in 1951 – basrmed won the cup off temora in a major upset when they brought tom kirk out of retiredment to play a magnificient game. can get the full report if need by. source temora independent.

      • re anne moehead (nee towers) – anne your dad was coached by my father in barmed. wally played from barmed then transferred (was pinched) by Gundagai in 1952. I visit one of wallys teammates here in Thirroul about 3 timed a week (George ballard) now 90 years of age. I knew your dad well – I was barmed ballboy, My “uncle” john ryan played 1/2 for Gundagai in 1952 with your dad. cheers ian kirk.

        • Hello Ian
          thank you very much for your post, and it lovely to know that you knew my dad so well. He was very committed to his football and loved the game. Please pass on my very best regards to Mr Ballard. Wally would have been 85years old this year unfortunately he died in 2001.
          However his second wife Nancy is still alive living on the Tweed coast as are my brothers Ray and my 3 half brothers Peter, Michael & David. I am the only girl.
          I have dug up an old photo of Wally and will try and post into the site.
          Regards
          Anne

  2. I have just read your piece in the SMH July 26th. It took my attention as I recall my father Wally Towers (DOB 21/09/29) played in the Maher cup, I guess it may have been for Gundagai. I was born in Gundagai in 1952 and lived their until 1955 and much of my extended family came from Muttama & Cootamundra. I would appreciate if you have any literature on Wally’s career and I will also do some investigating
    Regards
    Anne

    • Thanks Anne. Your father was a key member of the great Gundagai team of the early 1950s. He is mentioned in the article on Nevyl Hand on this site. He is also in the team photo I think. I will gather the info. I can find a send you what I can find. Regards neil

  3. anne, good stuff – have several photos (somewhere of your dad in Barmedman teams with “my old man” -George has photos of wally I’m sure when he played with him a Gundagai – I visit Gundagai often and am great friends with many of the people there – the sullivans who ran the Gundagai independent and a fellow Barry Jones who played centre with wally – one of the famous Jones family & of course I gues you would know of the lindley family – still there – my “uncle” john ryan married nita who was dads sisters daughter.
    You may have heard your dad speak of eric khun (formely 1/2 for barmed now harden) is still going strong and in his eighties. can go on for a long time – will relay your message to George today when I see him, and next when I’m talking to barry jones. stay safe … ian kirk.

  4. Ian
    My name is Maureen Gorham from Barmedman, my father Rusty Gorham & my uncles Col & Roy Quinlan played with Wally Towers and Tom Kirk.
    Barmedman had a small reunion on Sat 27/9/2014 for the 40th Anniversary of Barmedman winning the 2nd Divison Competion in 1974.

    • Thanks for contacting me. Actually I was just 30 mins ago in the barmedman bowling club – currently having a milk shake at the White rose cafe in temora. The lady at the club told me about the renunion. I have been photoing copies of match reports today at Wyalong from the advocate. Did notice quinlans and goreham. Can forward them on to you when I get them downloaded and sorted. Cheers Neil.

  5. Can anyone recall the Stathis Cup. This was played for in Grenfell, Woodstock, Lyndhurst, Cudal, Mandurama and Canowindra during the 1920s and early 30’s. I believe it was sponsored by my grandfather, Peter Stathis who ran the Garden of Roses Café in Canowindra during the 1920s. The following article gives a bit of background.

    http://www.canowindranews.com.au/story/2083038/the-mystery-of-the-stathis-cup/

    I am researching my family history and this mystery has got me puzzled. I’d love to find a picture of a team with the cup, or better still track down the cup if it still exists.

    • Good luck John. There were a lot of cups around, but you would think it is stored away somewhere. Problem is it is likely with the last team to have ever won it and the club may be folded years ago or simply got rid of old cups. From Trove entries I suspect this cup was played for from about 1924 to 1936. This was the period that the Jack Hore Gold Cup was the main cup that came out of Canowindra. That said the Stathis Cup was played for by the top teams from the towns and seemed to be sought after. Regards Neil.

  6. Maureen – how good to hear from you I remember rusty well – a fine 2nd rower – I was ball boy in those days – yes guts les cornwell Kenny macdonald athol McCabe eric khun (till harden pinched him) and the Lawrence boys – I still have great memories of barmed and the boys/girls I went to school with and those great maher cup days. I live in Thirroul these days. I hope to get out that way before I “go”. saw nancy Morton (Clarke) at a school reunion in 94 she never changes. take care … ian

  7. Hi Neil

    Congratulations on the blog, it is tremendous to read of the old games and stories of the Maher Cup. Even though I was a young boy at the time I can still remember the games between Harden and the other towns when my father Bernie was playing.

    The names of Kuhn, Apps, Crowe and Hand to name a few still live in my memory.

    Kind Regards

    Michael Nevin

    • Thanks so much for your interest Michael. One little project on my mind is to write up about the Harden team of the late 1950s and early 1960s which was probably the most exceptional one in Maher Cup history…with a focus on the engine-room behind that success which I feel was dependent upon Bernie Nevin kicking the goals, Roley Negus winning the ball, and Eric Kuhn distributing that ball.

  8. Neil,
    This is a great read. Like so many others i was just a boy when this was played. My father, Terry Turner played for Junee in the 1947/48 sides. Unfortunately Dad passed in 1964. Also my brother in law Terry Freeman played a game for Temora in the 70s as an 18 year old. Even though they lost he still remembers the game well.
    Regards
    Marty

        • Hi Marty. Just looking up ancestry.com and found 33 Turners registered to vote in Junee in 1949 and 30 in 1930 – so likely many of those unrelated. I suspect I’m looking for Ernie and Charlie Turner – they played in the 1920s – so thought one may be your grandfather.

        • Hi Marty My grandfather played with E and C Turner for Junee Rovers about 1920..25 I have a medal of his and a photo of the three of them with my aunty in their footy gear.not to sure if they went to WW1 together but my pop went over in 1915 till 1919.Cheers Neal

          • There was Clive ‘Drummer’ Turner and Ernie ‘Tiger” Turner who were mainstays of Junee in the 1920s. The next generation of players seemed to be Terry, Ray and maybe a D. Turner. Would love a scan of the photo for the web site. Regards Neil P

  9. I am trying to find out if my grandfather played footy in Harden, I think his name was George Ballard

    • Hi Susan

      In my list of over 3000 Maher Cup players I only have an L. Ballard playing for Harden, in 1970. That said the Harden players list is only about 97% complete, which is less than most other towns – largely due to the local paper not producing team line-ups. The name Ballard is in my mind associated with Gundagai and Tumut. George Ballard was a very important player for Gundagai in the late 40s and early 50s – in possibly the best town team ever to play football in country NSW. I am informed that he is still with us, living on the coast and happy to talk about the past. If this is ‘your’ George Ballard I could possibly assist you get in contact.

      • Hi
        I’m sure George Ballard is a relative of mine, a long line of Ballard’s came from Harden so I hope George is a descendant of the Ballard’s.

  10. I am not sure if this is the same Ballard I am asking about. My family came from Harden but I would be interested if this George Ballard came from there or if he was related to my grandfather George Ballard also my grandmother Annie Elizabeth Ballard. , Thankyou for your help and response. Susan

    • Susan – I am great friends with a George ballard
      he is a Gundagai man for many years playing in the Gundagai side that won premiership in 1946
      – he now lives in my suburb Thirroul 2515 – I don’t think he ever played or lived in harden – he is 91 years old and as sharp as a tack – I will ask him if there is an connection when I see him this week.
      1.6.20015

  11. Les Troth. Cowra and West Wyalong 38-39 later coached Wagga Magpies after World War11 then came to Dapto. Worked at Wongawilli mine and coached Dapto reserve grade.

  12. I am 83 years of age. Was born in Murrumburrah and lived and worked there till 1963.
    The early football match on the film is definitely Robert’s Park in Murrumburrah. The only people that I could recognize were “Digger” Moore (one of the match officials) and Bill Kinnane one of the players leaving the field.

  13. Congratulations on a great site.
    I’m interested to know if anyone has come across any players named Geaghan from either around Adelong or Gundagai? I’m also connected to the Ballard family through my great grandmother Ellen (passed away 1958).

    • Hi Lee. I havent. I think I’m right in saying that Tom Geaghan the mailman at Mt Adrah played for that club in the late 1920s. Of course Mt Adrah is between Adelong and Gundagai. There were Geaghans playing rugby union for Gundagai around the turn of the 20th century.

  14. All good mate I will see if I can get that done. My grandfather was George Sutherland and going by some stories in Trove Newspapers he went ok. Was captain when one of the Turners was out.

  15. My name is Shane skidmore i played one maher cup game for Temora when I was 16 against West Wylong when Ron Crow was Captain coach

    • Hi Shane. Which match would it be? I have three that are possible: 13 July 1968 WW 21-5, 26 Aug 1967 WW 10-0, or 29 May 1965 WW 13-5. The teams I have are: 1965: Bill Harpley, Peter Lawler, Brian Sullivan, Peter Fisher, Peter Smith, Robert Granleese, Bill Lewis, John Sutton, Bruce Barrett, Joe Steinke, B. Matthews, Bernie Harmer, Gerry New [Temora Independent]
      1967: Jock Regan, Bruce Barrett, Peter Fisher, Peter Smith, J. Campbell, Ian Weise, Brendan Michael, Alan Barrett, J. Ballard, Joe Steinke, John Sutton, Bernie Harmer, Barry Brabin [WW Advocate]
      1968: Terry Freeman, Jock Regan, Bruce Barrett (Brian Sullivan), Peter Smith, Peter Fisher, Ian Weise, Ross Miles, Doug Ricketson(c), Joe Steinke, Bob Edwards, Barry Brabin, Bernie Harmer, John Sutton…but R. Schultz also played probably Regan didn’t. [West Wyalong Advocate]

  16. Have just heard the news that Bill Batley passed away on the 16/9/2016. He played for Barmedman in 1955,1956 and 1957. Temora 1954 and Boorowa 1953

  17. George “foo” Ballard gundagai icon 92 on 22.2.2017 … sharp as a tack … Just visited barmedman for school reunion oct 2016 … sad to see the “great” ground is such a state … time hasn’t been kind the old warriors battlefield of our maher cup teams ….

  18. So good to see all this info. My mother is Biddy Kirkwood……wife of Bill (Ibby) Kirkwood daughter of George Broad……I have a lot of newspaper clippings, photos and stories about dad and the Broads and all this ties in with the history and stories on here.

  19. The Player listed in the Young side of 20-June-59 as F.Freise was in fact Fred Trees. Young went down to Harden Murrumburrah 14/5 on the day.Fred was a PE Teacher at Young High School and with Barry Saxby took a particular interest in the Kearney Shield Teams at the School. A year later on 7/6 School student Paul Gibson turned out for Young who went down to Harden Murrumburrah 6/5. Young’s team contained such notables as Honeysett,.O’Connor, Cullen , Bomber James John Fisher and another youngster Mike Brennan.Fred Trees played the one Cup game for Young.

    • Thanks Tony. I did find out later that Fred Trees was the name. Apparently he had played first grade rugby union in Sydney with Gordon. Being their first choice five eighth Young were disappointed that he was injured for their second challenge at Harden for the Cup in 1 August. Young lost 13-6 and Harden went on to be undefeated in Maher Cup matches all season (and amazingly backed up well enough on Sundays to make the Group 9 grand final). PS if you have any clippings…I’m searching for the crowd/gate figures for the 1 August match.

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