PAFC Newsletter 16, 2022
VALE CLIFF PEEL
PRAHRAN Assumption Football Club lost a much loved and respected life member this week when Cliff Peel passed away after a battle with cancer.
Cliff, 86, was a tireless contributor to our club over several decades filling many and varied roles including team manager, timekeeper, goal umpire and press correspondent.
Cliff was seniors team manager when Brian Taylor coached from 1991-93 and was seniors team manager in Prahran’s final VFA season 1994.
He then moved with several Prahran people to Southbank before returning to Toorak Park when the clubs merged in 1999.
Always obliging, any request was met with no fuss and a cheerful response, he was happy to chip in and support.
Awarded Best Clubman in 2000, Cliff retired from active duty at the club in 2006 but continued to generously support the club as a player sponsor and rarely missed a home game cheering on the Two Blues with his partner Rob Young.
Cliff is pictured here proudly holding the 2017 premiership Cup.
In recent years the PFC family has lost two wonderful contributors to the club in Steve Powell and Basil Cleary.
Now, sadly, we must include Cliff.
Players will wear black armbands on Saturday as a mark of respect.
Raised on a farm at Gnarwaree near Geelong, Cliff attended Geelong College as a boarder.
After leaving Geelong College at age 17 Cliff returned to his father’s farm for a short time and was quick to embrace local footy and officiated as a boundary umpire in the Geelong District Football League.
But his work passion was in the media and so Cliff decided to attend The Vincent School of Broadcasting with the goal of working in radio.
That was the beginning of a distinguished career as a broadcaster and journalist.
He began at radio 2NQ Deniliquin, then 4VL Charleville and his big break came in 1963 when appointed assistant journalist at ABC’s Rockhampton newsroom.
He soon graduated to the ABC newsroom in Melbourne in 1964 and began to work in television scripting news services.
In 1971 he moved to Channel 0 (now Channel 10) as chief of staff.
He later rejoined the ABC and became the inaugural Tapes Editor at ABC Radio News in Melbourne, where he oversaw the training of journalists such as Ian Henderson, Barry Cassidy and Heather Ewart.
Cliff had several hobbies such as surf lifesaving, amateur theatre, wine, cheese and railway appreciation and, of course, volunteer and charity work.
In retirement, Cliff remained actively involved in the ABC Reunion Club and various red wine and dining clubs and was an avid traveller, visiting 68 countries, either for work or recreation.
Cliff was a twice published author: My Life in Broadcasting – It’s been a lot of fun (2016) and Yarns of a Traveller (2020).
A true gentleman, in every sense of the word.
He is survived by his partner of 51 years, Rob Young.
EIGHT POINT GAME FOR TWO BLUES
WE believe it was former Western Bulldogs and Richmond coach Terry Wallace who first coined the footy catch phrase ‘an eight point game.’
As the VAFA Division 1 ladder below shows, the Two Blues on 30 points trail Saturday’s opponent Glen Eira on 36 points.
|
3 |
12 |
8 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
916 |
544 |
36 |
168.38 |
|
|
4 |
12 |
8 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
972 |
871 |
32 |
111.60 |
|
|
5 |
12 |
7 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1014 |
768 |
30 |
132.03 |
So regardless of its origins, this is the definitive eight point game.
Win and the gap is two points, lose and the differential balloons to 10 points.
So this is the first of a series of ‘elimination finals’ the Two Blues simply must win.
In round 1 at Toorak Park Glen Eira prevailed 9-5 to 6-9 in a scrappy, low scoring contest.
Glen Eira has the second best points against in the competition so on their home deck expect goals to again be hard to come by.
With some significant inclusions from the line-up that came from behind to defeat Peninsula before the bye round the Two Blues will go into the crucial clash with some confidence.
SOCIAL CALENDAR
Rd 13 16 Jul 16: Glen Eira, away
Rd 14 23 Jul: Oakleigh at Toorak Park, Basil Cleary Day
Rd 15 30 Jul: St Mary's Salesian at Toorak Park
Rd 16 06 Aug: PEGS, away
Rd 17 13 Aug Kew, at Toorak Park, HOME game luncheon, LADIES Luncheon, Post game Club major raffle draw. Players after match function at Toorak Park.
Rd 18 20 Aug: Whitefriars , away
PRESENTATION NIGHT tba
JACK MORGANS LUNCHEON SEPTEMBER 9
