STEP BACK IN TIME
Champions and Players of Distinction
Peter Box was publicity shy and photos of him were hard
to come by. This one of him was taken in 1955 (the season
before he won the Brownlow Medal) with the legendary Ted
Whitten (left) and Lionel Ryan.
Author of the NIFC History 1910-1996 Dick Goss highlighted
the careers of the footballers who were considered to be the
most outstanding players in the history of Australian football
in Narrandera.
Anyone who has any knowledge of the history of the Imperials
will realise how difficult a task it was in choosing the players who
deserved to be included in the champions list.
In the first place the selection was made from the straw poll
taken from ex-players, officials and supporters the author
interviewed for his book.
Over 30 players received votes and those who received eight
votes or more gained selection in the Champions list.
Players who played 200 first grade games or more were
included on the basis of their loyalty and dedication to the Club and
of course they had to be good to have played that many games.
The third category was those players who originated from
Narrandera and went on to play VFL football which was the
pinnacle of success in Australian Football.
Champions were:
PETER BOX
In poll for the best players ever for Narrandera Peter Box
received the most votes, not only on his VFL record but more what
they saw and experienced on the field of play in the South West
games.
His admirers stressed his physical talents, his will to win, his no
nonsense vigorous play and his stamina.
Peter was recruited from Cheltenham and started his VFL
career with Footscray in 1951 but had to stand over in 1952 after
he sustained injuries in a car accident.
After that he played with Footscray from 1953 to 1957. He was
a member of the Footscray premiership side in 1954 playing in the
centre or centre half forward. Peter won the prestigious Brownlow
Medal in 1956.
He played a total of 107games for Footscray and kicked 43
goals. After leaving Footscray he was appointed the Captain/
Coach of the Camberwell Football Club in the VFA.
Peter played for Grong Grong/Matong from 1959 to 1961 and
won the 1959 Gammage Medal.
His career with the Imperials commenced in 1962 and he
coached them for three years.
He coached as he played - straight up and down with one object
in mind - the ball - and he was uncompromising in his attitude to
players like his mentor at Footscray Charlie Sutton.
As a player Peter didn’t possess the finesse of a James Hird but
had all the attributes of a great footballer - he was a very reliable
mark, a sure penetrating kick, tough and tenacious and was
invariably in the right position to dictate play.
The guys who played with him recalled how confident they felt
when Peter was in the team. There isn’t much doubt that Peter Box
was one of the greatest, if not the greatest player, who pulled on
a Blue and Gold guernsey.
Those who knew and played with Peter also attest that he
wasn’t well known for his socialising.
Once the game was over that was it - you didn’t see him until
the next training night.
In fact when he took on the coaching job he told ‘Pato’ (the late
Lance Paterson senior) that it was on condition that he didn’t have
to attend parties or ‘have a drink’.
And he didn’t trust too many people but he did trust ‘Pato’ -it was
probably a case of one fair dinkum bloke dealing with another fair
dinkum bloke.
On one occasion he did actually attend a Club Cabaret but only
because ‘Pato’ wanted him to!
JEFF HEMPHILL
Jeff Hemphill, who visited Narrandera for the recent 1974 NIFC
re-union, must be ranked amongst the great personalities of the
Narrandera Imperials because of his coaching record, his player
status and his contributions to the Club and to the town.
Narrandera Argus
Jeff came to Narrandera in 1971 as Assistant Coach to Warren
Roper. Previously he had played for the Wangaratta Magpies for
10 years and in that time took part in four grand finals.
In 1969 despite missing about seven games he won the prestigious
Morris Medal – the Ovens and Murray most coveted best and fairest
award.
Jeff was appointed Captain-Coach of the Imperials in 1972 the
year that Narrandera won the three flags. He coached the firsts and
the thirds.
He coached Narrandera in1973 when they reached the finals
but missed out on the flag.
He had a rest from football in 1974 and had a coaching stint with
Boree Creek in 1977 and 1978 and returned to the Imperials in 1979
when they again won three flags.
Jeff helped the Firsts to reach the grand final but didn’t play in
the grand final team because of a leg injury.
However, he coached the seconds to victory and starred as a
player in their upset win against Griffith.
Jeff also played representative football both with the Ovens and
Murray and the South West League.
He coached the under 18’s in 1993 and played a part in 1994 in
running the boundary.
Jeff took on the position of President of the Club in 1995.
Jeff would be one of the few coaches who did the lot at one stage
or another for he not only coached the seniors and the reserves he
also coached the U16’s and the U19’s during his career.
And would you believe he was still running boundary in 1995 at
the age of 51 and on one day he did two games.
WAYNE EVANS
Wayne ‘Nugget’ Evans must rank as one of the greatest
competitors and best ball getters to come out of the Riverina.
Like most great footballers Wayne was always keen on the
game and he distinguished himself as a youngster when he played
for the Riverina against South Australia in the Under 12 team in 1970
and five years later he captained the NSW Teal Cup team which
defeated Victoria by 110 points.
Wayne considered that game and win as one of his proudest
memories. It must have been a great achievement to have beaten
the champion state at their own game by such a huge margin.
His chief mentor and coach was Doug Ferguson and Wayne
speaks highly of Doug’s dedication and football knowledge.
Wayne was somewhat precocious as a footballer. He played his
initial first grade game at the age of 14 when he played the last four
games of the season with Grong Grong.
During the same year he played in the under 15’s and the
reserves at various times and actually won the best and fairest club
awards in both those teams.
He played his first representative game with the South West at
the age of l6. He was only 18 years of age when he won his
Gammage Medal in 1976.
In 1977 Wayne tried his hand with South Melbourne at the age
of 18. He was promised some games in the Under 19’s and the
reserves but so hard did he train and impressed coach Ian Stewart
that he was picked in the first game of the season in the firsts and
in all he played 11 games with them and 11 in the reserves.
He dominated in the reserves and with only 11 games he still
finished fourth in the best and fairest.
In playing first grade football in Melbourne Wayne reckoned he
fulfilled his most cherished hope and dream.
He didn’t return to play with South in 1978 because like many
boys from the bush he found life difficult in the city and although
Wayne didn’t say as much he missed his wife Linda whom he was
courting at the time.
Thereafter Wayne’s football career read as follows:
• 1978 and 1979 - played with Grong Grong Matong
• 1980, 1981, 1982 coached and played with the Imperials
• 1983 - Assistant Coach to Rod Page and player
• Won the Jim Quinn medal 1984 - coached Ganmain Grong
Grong to a premiership and won Jim Quinn medal for the second
time.
The highlight of his career with the Imperials was the 1981
premiership win. In his reminiscences of his successful coaching
stint that year he recalls that the other three teams in the four,
namely Ariah Park Mirrool, Turvey Park and Griffith had all beaten
Narrandera at home during the year but despite that he and the
team really believed that they could win the flag.
Man for man it wasn’t a great side but such was the power of
positive thinking the team had that great will to win and that was
their greatest asset.
During his career with the Imperials Wayne was greatly impressed
by the number of players who had a great passion and love for the
club.
There were guys playing who had great dedication and spirit
and were the inspiration to him and other players.
Wayne also recalled some other special memories such as:
• The time when Kevin Sheedy spent some time with him after
a Richmond/South Melbourne game, advising and encouraging him.
Wayne was minding Kevin that day and Sheedy got best on the
ground! It says something for Sheedy’s attitude.
• Shane Longmore’s 70 metre goal during the 1981 grand final
when his normal distance was about 35 metres.
• As a kid seeing Peter Box in the dressing shed at Grong Grong
and describing his stomach as looking like corrugated iron -muscle
upon muscle.
• Being criticised for his kicking. The truth of the matter is that
Wayne was a great kick. In a book on Australian Football (Murrays
Sports Series) there is a photo of him kicking a ball and the
inscription reads “Perfect kicking style by young South Melbourne
Rover Wayne Evans - note the straight leg, the taut instep and the
left hand thrown out for balance”.
He was often misjudged for his kicking because he used to get
the hard ball and kick under such great pressure that the ball didn’t
go in the desired direction.
Narrandera Imperial Football Club, Premiers 1st Grade
1972 – Back row (from left): Tom Davis (trainer), Peter
Sheather, Victor Hugo, Laurie Gibson, Graeme Ward, Kevin
Male, Bob Williams (almost obscured), Bill Robbins, Murray
Townsend, Garry Hoskin, Gil Botton. Middle row: Robert
Brett, Tom Powell, Jeff Hemphill (Captain-coach), Steve
Margosis, Bill Jones, Gary Powell, Rodney McCallum.
Front row: Robert Foster, Ron Brown, Garry Hyland, Bob
Murrell, Ted Clarke.
Riverina vs South Australia 1970 - “Nugget” Evans was captain. Some of these boys went on to become household names
in Riverina football. Back row (from left): Anthony Kelly, Mark Coleman, Wayne Evans, Wayne Carroll, Greg Johnson,
Ray Outram, Gerald Pieper. Middle: Team manager, Terry Trickett, Glen O’Brien, Tim Finemore, Graeme Shoddle, Kim
Kershaw, Warwick Eather. Front: Peter Taylor, ___ Moore, ___ Chamberlain, Kim Johnson, Mark Fraser, Billy Morris, Greg
Franks.
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