GembrookCockatoo senior team take to the field in their heritage strips during Saturday’s centenary game. By Marc McGowan
GEMBROOKCockatoo Football Club has celebrated its centenary year by announcing legendary former player Len Ure as the Brooker of the Century on Saturday night.
Ure, 77, played a record 416 games for the club between 1946 and 1978. He was there to accept the honour at the centenary dinner in Pakenham and clearly enjoyed the proceedings.
“I left at 1am and he was still there partying on,” publicity officer Ellisa Bourne laughed.
Ure’s reputation around the club continued to rise after his playing career, culminating in his winning the 1983 Jeff Frith Memorial Trophy for best clubman. He has held all committee positions and has been a life member with the club since 1956. Ure is also a life member of the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League.
Ure did not feature in Gembrook’s Team of the Century, though.
“Lenny was a reserves player, more of an identify offfield,” vicechairman of the centenary Leo Groenewegen said.
Groenewegen said that the criteria for the Team of the Century was the number of games played, awards won, premierships and generally “how good they were”.
The Ures have a long association with the Gembrook and have had four generations of the family play at the club. Bob Ure stumbled across his father’s 1920s jerkinstyle uniform recently and it was the model for the heritage jumpers the club played in last weekend.
The Ure link continued in the centenary match when Steve Pantorno, (whose mother was a Ure) vicepresident of Gembrook and a life member, played his 300th match in the historic battle. Pantorno’s mother was Len Ure’s first cousin.
Champion player Dave Donaldson was named as captain and coach of the Team of the Century. Presentday stars Andrew Shipp, who played 19 games for the Fremantle Dockers, and Craig Clarke, who is widely regarded as the best ruckman in country football, were both named in the side.
But the Brookers went down to Monbulk by 41 points on Saturday despite showing tremendous spirit to be within five points of the ladder leader at threequarter time.
“There was a huge turnout; it looked like we were holding a final. We had former players come down from Queensland. It was fantastic,” Bourne said.
The club’s first premiership came in 1962 and a further five have followed, its most recent in 2004. The Brookers doubled up in 2000, winning the seconddivision seniors and reserves.
