When you reflect on the history of the Avoca Football Club it would be said that the Jess family is notorious for kicking goals.
Jack Jess started the tradition on 18 May 1927, when he was one of Avoca`s main goal kickers.
After playing in the 1927 Premiership side, Jack retired, but was elected President of the club in 1930. However, two weeks later he stood down, and G.W. (George) Redpath became President.
In 1933, Jack Jess joined the selection panel which included Jack Sawers and the Captain, Erroll Howell.
Bill Jess, father of Peter and Russell, played with the junior side in 1936.
He was promoted to the seniors in 1939 and played in the forward pocket.
Like many promising footballers in the district, Bill`s football was interrupted by the second world war.
In 1944, Bill`s brother, Noel Jess, played in Avoca`s junior side, and made his debut with the senior`s in 1948.
Sadly the club records are sparse until 1951, but it became obvious that Noel had developed into one of the team`s best young footballers.
On 5th June 1951, Noel booted 6 goals against Moonambel, but played at full back in the First Semi Final against Lexton.
According to the local paper he was an all-round sportsman, and proved it by winning the final of the quoit competition held at the fire brigade hall!
Noel was gaining a reputation as the best centre half back in the league, and played in that position in Avoca`s historic 1953 Premiership side.
He polled 12 umpires votes in the Lexton League Best & Fairest award, just two votes behind the great centre man, Bert Cullen, and was runner up in the club`s best player award.
Because of his employment, Noel was transferred to Boort in 1954, where he won the Club`s Best & Fairest award twice, and played in a Premiership team.
He then transferred to Donald, and won their club Best & Fairest award and played in another Premiership side.
Noel returned to Avoca in 1966 as Post Master and ended his football playing with Avoca.
He then became a committee man, and coached the Under 15`s team in 1968 and 1969.
Meanwhile, Noel`s eldest son, Jimmy, was showing more than a passing interest in football.
The pair would spend hours practising the art of kicking.
Jim`s sister, Maree, was an interested spectator and was soon in on the act.
Often she would surprise, and embarrass her male friends by kicking a football further and straighter than they could.
In 1970 Jim played his first senior game with Avoca at the age of 14, and was just 15 when selected in the Lexton League side.
Aged 16, he played in Avoca`s 1971 Grand Final team, and was one of the best players in the 1972 Grand Final side.
He set a club goal kicking record on 8th July 1972 by kicking 16 goals against Amphitheatre at Elmhurst.
Needless to say, he won the club`s best player award in 1972, aged 17 years.
Jim played four games on permit with Maryborough, but in 1973 was recruited by St Arnaud, and in 1975 won the Feeny Medal, the Best & Fairest award in the North Central League.
He was then recruited to Richmond, where he played 223 games and was selected at Centre Half Back in the tigers 1980 Premiership, but starred at centre half forward.
On five occasions he was selected in the Victorian squad, and received one of football`s greatest accolades when named in the All Australian side in 1980.
Only nine footballers have played more games with the Tigers than Jim Jess, and in 1985 Richmond rewarded him with Life Membership.
At the height of his stunning career the Sun newspaper featured Maree kicking a football on the front page, and a few days later, a photograph of Jim taking a spectacular mark, was on the back page.
It was a very proud week for the Jess family and Avoca.
Now the man known as `The Ghost` has come home.
In 1975 John Jess gave notice that he was following in his big brother`s footsteps when selected in the Lexton League`s Under 16 side.
The following year John and another budding young champion, Wayne Veitch, were both invited to train with St Kilda.
As was the case years previously with Jim, it seemed the Saints still had not learnt how to entice reluctant young country talent to Melbourne.
Both boys remained at Avoca where the outstanding football ability was appreciated, although John played with Maryborough in 1978.
On 8th May 1982, John booted 16 goals to equal the club record set by his brother Jim in 1972.
John was one of Avoca`s best players in Avoca`s `drought-breaking` Premiership sides of 1980 and 1981.
In 1983, he topped the club`s goal kicking with 50 goals.
Like his two brothers, Greg Jess also displayed outstanding ability from a young age.
Unfortunately for Greg, he made his debut with another brilliant Avoca youngster David Edwards.
In the 1978 Lexton League Under 15 Best & Fairest, David Polled 19 votes to win the award from Greg with 18 votes.
Incredibly, another team mate, Wayde Thiele, received 16 votes.
Greg made amends in 1981, when he won the Lexton League Reserves Best & Fairest.
The Jess dynasty continued in 1987 when Jim`s son, Matthew, played with Avoca`s Under 16`s at the age of 12, winning the club award for the Best Under 13.
The following year he played in the Lexton League Under 16`s team, and with Paul Wardlaw earned the distinction of being selected in the Combined Country Under 15 side.
Matt is a dead ringer for his famous Dad – big strong mark, long accurate kick, and loping strides.
Although the Jess boys have moved on, their hearts are entrenched in Avoca, and in 1993 John and Matt are returning each weekend to help Jim as he endeavours to lift the club towards the ultimate goal – a Premiership.
Prior to their first match against arch rivals Natte Bealiba, on Saturday 17th April 1993, an eerie silence engulfed the Avoca dressing rooms.
With the smell of nervous sweat and liniment thick in the air, Noel Jess, wearing a hat to protect his head from the unusually hot autumn sun, quietly shook hands with each of his son`s.
The hair on every back in the room was standing on end, as the great man quietly approached each of his boys.
It was the sort of thing one dreams about and cherishes the memory for a life time.
However, little did anyone realise that a day of high emotion was only just beginning.
After an absence of twenty years Jim Jess was back home, and moments after leading his team onto the ground he booted a goal with his first kick.
He also took the mark of the day in what only cane be described as a screamer.
Playing in the back pocket, John Jess was voted amongst the best players.
But it was Jim`s son Matthew who stole the limelight.
After starring in the first half, the 19 year old was helped from the ground following a nasty collision.
With the side trailing, Matt returned to the field and in the last quarter took several freakish marks which he converted to goals, giving victory to Avoca by 14 points.
The home-coming of Avoca`s favourite son could not have been better orchestrated.
Then just five weeks later, 38 year old Jim was back on the sports pages of the Sunday papers, and featured on Scot Palmer`s `punchlines` segment on television, after kicking 20 goals against Landsborough. Arguably, his overall form that day was the best display by a footballer in the history of the Lexton League.
But the Grand Finale is set for September, and only time will tell if the fairy tale ends appropriately.
The Jess story would not be complete without reference to Peter Jess.
As an accountant, he is now one of the most influential people in Australian Rules Football, managing the affairs of many top AFL players.
But it was as a player on the field that Peter left his mark on Avoca in the early 1970`s.
Although he was born in Melbourne, Peter had a yearning to play with the club where his father, Bill Jess, had started out.
When Peter arrived for the first match of the 1971 season, the town was shocked.
No one was expecting a short, super-confident upstart with a funny squeaky voice.
Furthermore his shoulder length hair did nothing to endear him to the suspicious locals.
But looks can be deceptive.
Although this 19 year old stood just 5 feet 8 inches, he was not unlike Lethal Leigh Matthews. He walked, talked and above all, played football like Matthews.
Encouraged by coach Terry Long, Peter`s influence on the team was absolutely amazing.
Young country footballers are notoriously quite, and Avoca was no exception. But `The Hot Gospellor` from Melbourne soon changed all that.
In no time he had all the players pepped up and talking like never before.
Almost instantly an air of confidence emerged.
Peter was also quite a character.
In his first game, played against Moonambel at Avoca on 17 April 1971, he kicked four goals and had an incredible 42 possessions.
Late in the final quarter, one of Avoca`s trainers Noel Jess, saw Peter laying spreadeagled on the ground.
Within moments Noel had sprinted to his nephew`s side.
As he knelt down, the 19 year old opened his eyes, grinned and said, `I`m OK Unk…I`m just having a rest`.
Pranks aside, Peter`s performance on the field speaks for itself.
He was defeated in the Lexton League Best & Fairest award by just one vote, beaten by Howard `Plugger` Lockett, regarded as on of the best country footballers ever.
Peter kicked an incredible 54 goals for the season, and provided many opportunities for the team`s full forward, Rob Astbury, who booted 84 goals to win the League, and Club award.
Peter Jess was the life blood of the team, but his career on the field suffered a tragic blow at the end of the 1971 season.
After losing twice during the year to arch rivals Lexton, Avoca was revved up for their Second Semi final clash.
The match ended in a thrilling draw, and Avoca were jubilant with the knowledge that they could match it with Lexton.
Camaraderie had been high throughout the year, and the players celebrated together that the night at the home of their President, John Field.
Although he enjoyed a drink, Peter realised the importance of the match the following week and was the first to leave.
Taking the hint, his team mates followed closely behind the Jess car, which contained Peter, his brother Russell, cousin Jimmy and Dale Gothard.
No one could have imagined what a horrific nightmare that 10 kilometre trip would be, with the car crashing into a creek.
Both Peter and Russell received severe lacerations to the face, neck, and body. Dale escaped unhurt, whilst Jim suffered a broken finger.
Peter had taken the full impact of the windscreen on his face, and was in a horrible mess.
As he lay in a pool of blood waiting for the ambulance, he must have been in excruciating pain, but, typically, he could not resist making a sarcastic remark.
`Listen you blokes` he said. `You haven`t got a bloody hope of beating Lexton without me, so you better get me to hospital quick smart.`
Peter lost the sight of an eye, and his prediction proved to be right, and wrong.
Although Avoca defeated Lexton in the replay of the Second Semi final, they lost the Grand Final by 12 points.
Peter persevered, but the trauma of losing an eye was a big handicap.
However, the incredible spirit and enthusiasm of Peter Jess, and the Jess family, will always remain an integral part of the history of the Avoca Football Club.
Ghostly But True
