THROUGH THE PAST DARKLY

Funny how things work out.

Looking through footy clippings to post on the AGB, I came across this photo of the 1986 Upper Great Southern Football League premiers, Narrogin Towns. The captain/coach in the front row with his left hand on the cup is John McGuire who played footy for East Perth, including the 1978 WAFL premiership. (Somewhere I have a Sunday Times photo of him taking a hanger in a match against Claremont. Coincidentally, his step-ladder in that photo is Rob Houwen, the coach of the GNFL side that won Westfarmers the following year. Rob's in the glasses at left.) John also played cricket for Mount Lawley (as did David Virgo, who is also in the Towns photo), and is the second highest all-time run scorer in Perth District cricket.

In 1988, John captained an Australian Aboriginal side to England that was part of the Bi-Centenary, and which sought to celebrate the famous 1868 Aboriginal tour of England.

He was a top bloke and while wondering what he might be up to these days I recalled that the coach of that 1988 aboriginal side was an ex-Shield speed merchant from Queensland called Ian "Rainbow" King. Several years earlier, 1981/82 to be precise, Rainbow had been terrorising batsmen when he played for Dampier Salt in the Pilbara Cricket Association. He gave me a couple of blacker-than-blue corkies that lasted at least a month. I then started wondering what might have happened to Rainbow when, almost on cue, I received an email from my brother:

Ian King. Played cricket against him. He played for Karratha I think. Nearly knocked by head off once but afterwards apologised.

Cricketer on indecency charge

A former first class cricketer has been remanded in custody after being charged with an act of indecency against a young person.

Ian Harold King, 65, appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court this morning, after being extradited from South Australia at the weekend.

Police allege King committed the offence in Canberra in the early 1990s while he was a junior cricket coach.

The victim is now 30 and lives interstate.

King played Sheffield Shield and one-day matches for Queensland in the 1969/70 season.

He did not apply for bail, and will reappear back in the same court on July 23.

Comments

[Nabakov]

It may be advisable in light of recent information about Mr King's off field sctivities, that you explain for the benefit of both your non-cricket following readers what "gave me a couple of blacker-than-blue corkies" actually means.

[Tony]

Indeed.

A couple of contusions on my silly le... right leg.

[Francis Xavier Holden]

ok is it you or me who is going to add this little news snippet to his wiki entry?

[Tony T]

I was hoping you'd spot that, FX. Go do your worst.

[os]

John Maguire and Larry Kickett both ran the 100m for Guildforg GS at the interschool sports around 1969-70. I would say it's easily the first time two aboriginal boys represented a toff's school in the blue ribband event of the meet.

[os]

Guildford

[The Worst of Perth]

Macguire? Interesting. A friend was a Narrogin journo at that time. Towns' games were often brutal affairs and after one match he reported "Blood and guts were the order of the day..." At the next match Macguire called him a weak cunt.

[Tony T]

Did Oral McGuire go to Guildford, too? He was a top bloke.

Johnny Mac certainly had a fiery temper. He had a big go at me once at half-time against Wickepin.

And instead of yelling "FUCK!" he would yell "ROOT!" which gave us no end of giggles.

There was a huge blue in the grand final and the only blokes not in it were the Williams full-back and me.

Is it a case of "Any friend of yours is a friend of mine"? It is if he wrote this. (Peter Matera played in that game.)

Mind you, if it IS him, a good clip around the ears is 22 years overdue. Had he bothered to ask, he would have discovered my name is Antony, not Anthony; although, maybe not in shorthand with a stubby pencil.

[The Worst of Perth]

I'll find out. mark fraser was his name.

[Tony T]

Alas, I've only got the clipping without the byline.