Whilst the Avoca players enjoyed the long hot summer, club officials were taking stock and carefully analyzing the talent available.
The Office Bearers were elected:
President: Leo McColm
Secretary: Bill Simpson
Treasurer: Leo Quirk
Committee: Keith Astbury, Murray Proctor, Jack Coghlan, Eric Hedge, Les Williams, Bill Stewart, Bill Barker.
The committee believed that they had the foundations of a premiership team, but it lacked a couple of top players.
Their sights were set on a coach named Jock McDougall, but the dilemma facing the committee was how to avoid offending the incumbent coach and champion footballer, Ken Boots.
To his enormous credit, Boots not only accepted the demotion but continued to play brilliant football.
John Bowen, John Coghlan, Brian Lindsay, Noel Jess, Jack Lind, Reg Harrison, Bert Cullen, Kevin Harrison, Trevor Wren, Ken Boots, Jim McKenzie, John Jolly, Ian Grant, Kevin Lindsay, Bill Gollop, Vic Kuchell, Ern Streeter, M Shiers, Bob Jolly, Ivan Redpath, John Schmidt, and Jack Hutchison.
Ian Grant was renowned as a gun Full Forward.
Standing just 5 feet 10 inches, and weighing only 12 stone, seven pounds, this remarkable 23 year old immediately set about rewriting the record books, kicking a club record for the season of 89 goals.
His amazing career is covered more by clicking on the following link.
Ian Grant
Avoca suffered only two defeats for the season and, when they crushed Navarre in the second semi final by 38 points, the premiership pennant was all but hanging from the flag pole in high street.
SECOND SEMI FINAL
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Avoca
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3.1
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3.5
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9.5
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16.10.106
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Navarre
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2.3
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6.7
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8.11
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9.14.68
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Avoca Goals: Bill Gollop 5, Jock McDougal 4, Jim McKenzie 3, Ian Grant 2, Bob Jolly 1, Ken Boots 1.
Avoca Best: Jock McDougall, Bill Gollop, Ken Boots, Bert Cullen, Kevin Lindsay. Trevor Wren.
For the two weeks leading up to the Grand final, Avoca was buzzing like never before. It had been more than a quarter of a century since they had seen a premiership pennant.
A large crown arrived at Lexton for the ultimate showdown.
With Ian Grant performing sheer magic in front of the big sticks, Avoca held a handy five goal lead at half time. Typically, Navarre staged a gutsy comeback in the third term.
With the margin just 19 points, it was still anyone’s game as they started the last quarter.
Gradually Navarre pegged back the lead, but the Avoca boys were playing like men possessed.
When the final bell pealed out above the roar of the crowd, the scoreboard showed Avoca was victorious by eight points.
GRAND FINAL
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Avoca
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5.3
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10.8
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13.9
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15.10.100
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Navarre
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2.4
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5.8
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9.14
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12.20.92
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Avoca Goals: Ian Grant 8 (record), Jock McDougall 5, Bob Jolly 1, Ken Boots 1.
Avoca Best: Ian Grant, Ken Boots, Don Wilson, Vic Kuchell, Bill Gollop, Brian Lindsay, Jock McDougall.
The celebrations that followed are legendary. But just as remarkable was the sportsmanship displayed by Navarre, who cancelled their after-match plans, so they could join the Avoca players at the Avoca Shire Hall.
Avoca’s Premiership team:
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B:
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Don Wilson
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John Bowen
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Kevin Lindsay
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HB:
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Brian Lindsay
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Noel Jess
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Kevin Harrison (VC)
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C:
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Trevor Wren
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Bert Cullen
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Reg Harrison
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HF:
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Bob Jolly
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Ken Boots
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Vic Kuchell
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F:
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John Jolly
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Ian Grant
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Jim McKenzie
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R/R:
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Bill Gollop
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Jack Lind
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Jock McDougall (CC)
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19th:
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John Coghlan
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Ivan Redpath
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Emg:
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John Schmidt
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Jack Hutchison
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With 15 votes, Bert Cullen won the Best & Fairest award from Noel Jess and Jock McDougall with 12 votes and Bill Gollop polled 9 votes.
go to 1954
