Doves fly to 50
DOVETON Football Club will highlight its rich history when it marks it’s 50th year on Saturday 13 June with the 50th Anniversary Hall of Fame dinner at the Grand Ballroom at the Grand International in Dandenong.
The Doves have been a member of the MPNFL since they transferred with seven other clubs from the old South West Gippsland Football League after it folded at the end of 1994.
In that time it has been among the power clubs in every division if was graded including the Northern Division, Peninsula Division and finally the Casey Cardinia league.
Over its half century the Doves won senior premierships in 1969, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1988 and 2005, while the reserves triumphed 14 times and the thirds won 17 pennants.
Tradition has galvanized Doveton Football Club and highlights of the night will be many but one feature will be the announcement of a Doveton aboriginal side of the half century.
Foundation member and one of the selectors of the side, Herb Batten, was a major driving force behind the concept and said that there would be very few, if any, local clubs in Victoria that could produce such a side over its history.
“I’ve never heard of any and it’s something I think is pretty unique,” he said.
“Doveton always welcomed everyone into the club and quite a few aboriginal families settled in the area and made our club their home. We were lucky they did because you only have to look at some of the names in the side to see how good they were.”
Batten joined the club in its second season and played from 1960 to 1968 when coaching became his priority.
He coached the Doveton Youth Club in 1964/65 and then took the youngsters to the senior club and won the 1966, ’67, ’68 and ’69 premierships, became president in 1971 for two years and then went on to coach the reserves.
Batten said that there had been many good players and good people pass through the club.
He named Ronnie O’Brien, Frank ‘Rocky’ Clifford, Alan Osborne, Stephen Henwood and Steven Charles among the best he had seen and added that the toughest included John Edwards, Tom Cantwell and Mark Mitchell.
He also made special mention of several indigenous families who joined the club at its beginning and whose relatives remain a big part of Doveton.
“The Charles family, Jack and Nancy Charles brought their family down from Deniliquin in NSW. Jack became a trainer and (son) Steven played and coached and became a Doveton legend,” he said.
“The Walker family also came down. Ray and Barbara Walker brought their sons ‘Brickie’, Daryl, Ray and Gary, and they all played together in the sides of the 1960s.”
Doveton is holding a season-long series of events to mark the 50th anniversary. That will culminate in a 50th Anniversary Hall of Fame dinner and tickets include a three-course meal, beer, wine and soft drink and are available from the club at $75 each. Contact Andrew Simpson for more information on 0438 800 202.