Pat Coonerty Funeral March 24

VALE PAT COONERTY

PAT, 78, made Prahran his 'sporting home' when he arrived in Melbourne from Numurkah more than 35 years ago.

Prahran Football and Cricket clubs lost one of their most loyal supporters with the passing of Pat on March 12, 2023.

Pat was a convivial man, happy to chat about life and loved spending Saturday afternoons on the terraces at Toorak Park watching the Two Blues in winter and True Blues in the summer. (Pat is pictured right with Greg Sleight and Rob Wetherall holding the 2017 VAFA premiership cup)

Prahran Cricket Club thirds and fourths players wore black armbands in their finals as a mark of respect.

He passed away on March 12 in palliative care after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Pat was proud of his upbringing in Numurkah in the Goulburn Valley and adopted Prahran as his club when he moved to Melbourne in middle age.

He lived in a unit at 39 Wrexham Road Prahran for the next 35 years before he was forced to move last month when the property was sold.

A long time employee at Woolworths, Pat was a man of simple tastes.

He was always a cash man and only in very recent years did he relent to use a mobile phone.

Pat was a keen lawn bowler at Toorak Bowling Club and an active and successful member of Punters Clubs at the Bush Inn (now Toorak Hotel) and Spectrum.

He was also a member of the Two Blues syndicate of past players and officials which raced several horses.

Pat was rarely one to get too excited but it is fair to say he enjoyed being at the track watching the wins of Ecology and Nine Clouds celebrating pre and post race.!

Prahran Football Club president Fab Maya described Pat as a “gentleman and we will miss him wheel in his shopping trolley at Toorak Park.’’

The area under the new scoreboard at Toorak Park was traditionally known as ‘can hill’ in the VFA days when a temporary bar served thirsty football fans.

Thanks to Pat and his trusty trolley he steadfastly maintained the tradition in recent times, responsibly, of course!