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Opinion
Among the plethora of stories on Ollie Wines’ win of the 2021 Brownlow Medal, a common theme occurred. Almost all articles pointed out his hero worship of Echuca’s local boy, Andrew Walker.
Walker was the son Rob Walker, a highly regarded player in the GVFL. Andrew was chosen as second pick in the 2003 National draft by Carlton after the Western Bulldogs had chosen Adam Cooney, and Walker lived up to all expectations, debuting in Round 5, 2004 against West Coast and gaining an impressive 26 disposals.
At this time, Ollie Wines was nine and to have a local hero playing in the AFL would have been wonderful. However, Andrew Walker was no doubt inspired by other Echuca players who had preceded him:
In 1911, Albert Cowley arrived at Princes Park from Echuca and played two games for the navy blues. His first game (Round 9) was against Melbourne and he played the next round against Essendon. Both games the Blues won, but “Bert” never played another VFL game.
William “Bill” Kyme who played at Essendon the next year did slightly better, playing in three rounds in a row (Rounds 14-16) and also kicking two goals.
George Ogilvie played 2 games at Richmond in 1920 and looked set to play in the finals until Essendon raised questions about his eligibility, claiming he was bound to them. Ogilvie gave up his League career and chose to play VFA
After that, it was a a steady exodus to the big smoke in the late 1920s that resulted in one team gaining three champions who – even today – appear in the club’s Top 100 game players and goal scorers.
Bert Foster played for Richmond from 1928 until 1936, and was joined in 1930 by Kevin O’Neill who played on at the Tigers until 1941.
Also in 1930, W. Henry.J.”Harry” Comte was recruited by St Kilda, and gave the Saints good service for the next eight years, winning a Best and Fairest before enlisting and being killed in action in World War 2. Another casualty of the war was Wallace Mills who managed one game for the Saints in 1937.
However 1934 ushered in three decades that produced three champions for the Demons who combined played in 13 premierships and who all feature in Melbourne’s Top 100 game players and Top 100 goal kickers of all time. Jack Mueller played for the Echuca Imperials before starting his career at Melbourne.
In his first year he suffered a work accident and lost two fingers above the knuckles. Unperturbed, he returned next year wearing a protective glove and continued on his career for another 16 years, playing 216 games and scoring 378 goals.
Ollie Wines (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Five years after Mueller retired, Frank “Bluey” Adams arrived on the scene. A real speedster, Adams was a national champion professional sprinter. Adams won the 1957 Gift at Cobram then a week later won the Lilydale Gift (130 yds) before running second in the 1957 Bendigo Thousand (130 yds).
After running second in the Maryborough Gift, Adams won the 1958 Ararat Gift . He rounded off the year winning the South Melbourne and Canberra Gifts.
Adams won the 1959 Australian sprint title before retiring from athletics at the age of 25.
He was best known for his sickening collision with Collingwood’s Des Healy in the 1955 Grand Final. The accident fractured Healy’s jaw and ended his VFL career. Adams suffered concussion but returned to play in five more premierships.
The final figure in the trio of Melbourne champions recruited from Echuca was John Lord. Lord was a big man who could play forward or defence and figured in four of the premierships with Adams.
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