For every Michael Braun, there is seemingly a bevy of locals who made a brief appearance in the big smoke, before fading into footballing obscurity.
These players, in many cases, have become lost to the sands of time, with their original VFL/AFL clubs having nothing more than a name on their books.
But a former powerhouse of the VFL is trying to rectify that.
The Fitzroy–Brisbane Lions Historical Society is searching for the photographs of every player to wear the Maroon and Blue in their 100 years at the top level.
Between the formation of the VFL in 1897 and the club’s merger with the Brisbane Bears in 1996, 1156 men ran out with the boys from old Fitzroy.
And of the 193 players the club does not have a photo of, six are known to have started their footballing careers in the Goulburn Valley.
The historical society, that runs a museum of the club’s history at Marvel Stadium, is looking for photos of the following players.
BENALLA – Fred Beeson (FFC 1924-25, two games)
ECHUCA – Bill Hicks (FFC 1921-22, four games)
EUROA – George Pattison (FFC 1914-15, 1917, eight games)
TONGALA – Tom Laurenson (FFC 1929, two games)
YARRAWONGA – Tom Ledwidge (FFC 1936, 1938, six games)
YARRAWONGA OR NUMURKAH – Alby McDonald (1902-03, seven games)
If you have a photo of one of these players, please contact The News, which will be able to pass the photo on to the Fitzroy–Brisbane Lions Historical Society to help complete its collection and honour all former players.
The photos will be added to the collection of 963 photos on display in the museum.
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