1970 Articles

Emanuel Bambacas was appointed President for the fourth successive year.

Trevor Barker, Coach in 1968 and 1969 decided not to re-apply for the position of non-playing Coach.  His decision was made with heavy heart.  He and the Club felt that the S.A.A.F.L. Reinstatement Tribunal had been completely unfair and biased in its refusal to grant Trevor permission to play in the Amateur Football League considering that other former S.A.N.F.L. players had been white washed.

The coaching position went to Max Hewitt but he resigned shortly before the start of the season due to lack of numbers at training.

The Club had been put into turmoil.  Keith Davis who had coached the Club to a Premiership in 1967 accepted an offer to become Playing Coach.

After losing a few early games the A Grade team made a run home for the finals.  The battle for a berth in the finals see sawed throughout the latter half of the year.  With only two games remaining the G.O.F.C. was sitting in 3rd position.

On the 22nd of August 1970 the Greeks met Sacred Heart Old Collegians in a crucial match that would see the victor move into 2nd position.

The game developed into a rough and physical affair because of disagreements with some of the umpiring decisions against the Greeks.  The violence reached its peak when Jerry Paxinos’s nose was broken by the full forward (known as Roughie) in a brutal encounter and melees erupted all over the ground.  Fists were flying!!!!!

At that moment the S.H.O.C. full forward was given a dubious free kick against the Greeks right on the 18 yard line.  

This fueled an already volatile situation.

Now the shot for goal step by step:

Step 1. The S.H.O.C. player lined up and one could see the confident grin on his face as he looked at a certain goal.

Step 2. He started his run up and the very moment he was about to kick the ball, backman Emanuel Politis, standing the mark, did the unexpected and turned around and brown-eyed him. A surprise to all present, he completely missed the goals and boy !! did the Greek players let him know.

Step 3. The Umpire approached Politis and said “if you do that again I’ll book you, I don’t know what for but I’ll book you”.

Emanuel Politis was ordered from the ground for striking an opponent and when he refused to do so the Umpire called the game off and subsequently awarded the game to S.H.O.C. 

The whole team was reported and after a severe reprimand by the S.A.A.F.L. Tribunal, the points scored at that game for the Club were revoked.

Politis received a suspension of 11 weeks.  10 weeks for failing to leave the ground and 1 for biffing an opponent on the chin in the change room at the end of the game. (Only 1 game because the remarks of “Go home Demitrious” weren’t appropriate).

The incident made headlines in the Sunday Mail and Advertiser and cast a slur on the G.F.C.

More over the fracas probably cost the Greek team 2nd position as we had a run on goals in the last quarter and were within striking distance of a possible victory. (16 points down).

With the loss of points in that game, the team slipped into fourth position and to secure a finals berth they had to defeat Pulteney Grammar Old Scholars in the final game of the minor round.  Unfortunately, the team lost and finished the season in 5th position.

The B Grade ended the year a disappointing 7th.

George Christopoulos won the A Grade Best and Fairest and Con Kolokas won the B Grade Best and Fairest.

FOOTNOTE:

In 2020, 50 years to the day a reunion was held between S.H.O.C. and the Greeks at the Mile End Hotel and was attended by some 50 players and supporters – including the Umpire – from the game.

It was a wonderful afternoon where “Foes became Friends”.

One S.H.O.C player mentioned to a Greek player that his wife was in the Pokie Room in case he needed to be rushed to hospital!!

Many photos and snippets of videos were taken on the day and in particular shots of Jerry Paxinos and Roughie Holland shaking hands and having a beer together.

Many thanks to Bill Denny and Jack Holland from S.H.O.C for their spirited support in making this special reunion a resounding success.

Refer to the Reunion and Bill Denny’s very clever poem called “The Day That S.H.O.C’S Beat The Greeks’’ in the photos section of 1970.