By Ian Beeck | posted on August 15, 2019
THE North Albany Football and Sporting Club will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the team’s 1969 premiership this weekend.
Events kick off on Friday at the football club at 5pm with a pre-celebration get together.
The next day, North Albany take on Mt Barker and from 11am the group will meet, followed by a sit-down lunch from 12- 1.30pm.
There will be many other events throughout the day including a premiership photo auction and game day presentations.
The team had many famous names that will be in attendance.
Gordon Collis, who coached the club on the day, won football’s highest individual accolade in the nation when he was awarded the Brownlow Medal in 1964 with 27 votes.
Collis played 95 games for Carlton between 1961-67 kicking 40 goals.
He will be travelling to the event from Geelong.
Other players in the successful team that went on to forge renowned careers included Graham Wellington (East Perth), Darryl Adams (Perth), Ron Boucher, Paul Fyfe and Lenny Edwards (all Swan Districts) and Les Coyne who played in several premierships for the Kangas.
Boucher played 193 games for Swans, was a premiership player in 1982 and 1983, made the state team in 1980 and 1982, won the Fairest and Best in 1982 and was selected in the Swan Districts Team of the Century.
On the day in 1969, North Albany dominated play but in one of the lowest scoring grand finals on record, only ran out winners 5.7 (37) to North Barker 3.5 (23).
The mercurially-talented Stan Loo was best-on-ground and chaired off.
