South Fremantle Forevermore episode 5 - Tom Grljusich

[Music] [Music] Tom guerrilla siege I applied for surf Romano for most of my career played at that time was a record of 258 games [Music] I went to South Australia a for club Central Districts and then I come back to Perth and played with South mantle for another I think it was about another 10 years actually he had played I was 36 years of age grellus action well the record came in 1976 when I finished playing football Gary's got the previous record and then I broke his record in 1976 played through titled together 258 game force F mantle but 49 with central district which made at 307 games and picks two like a half [Applause] realistic speak Peter Stewart out in the first half but back in that corner he cut that mark but they are taking his tickets and a half for he's kicked two girls there's a short pass if I didn't get out late I probably would have played it exist 328 so the record now is held by Marquis Edmonds who broke my record my upbringing was absolutely different to most footballers met Gorillaz it was my father he had a market garden around spirit area and of course George my brother and I used to work in the market garden and my dad used to keep me away from school and all that to work in the garden while George was gone to school all that and everything so I'd never had a chance and then one day Hamilton Hill licks scholars the chief came out there and wanted me to one of George to play football for them they couldn't find George so they asked me to come training and my dad wouldn't let me but I snuck out on my push bike and went down there and I didn't have any boots on I think so Hamilton Hill mexico-us they got me a pair of boots and then the next year I trained out that summer wanted to be something I thought football was great so I decided to do everything I can to play football after the ball goes Tom dribble switch gorilla fetch tackled strongly well I've got the strength from working market gardening digging potatoes planting onions and then working at angry butchers lifting four quarters and hind quarters and I was only 15 16 17 up until I was about 19 doing all that hard work with a truck driver driving around picking up all the market garden stuff and they've been taken into the markets and all that type of thing Derek Chadwicks kick over the half board line and I've got Mark out I begged Tom grellus H played well at Santa half R that's why I played my first game with my brother George you who played also for sale for mantle played 12 games and we played our first games together and then George up and give away football for commentating and I think he would have been a better player than I was if he didn't give it away but naturally you can't do commentating and you can't do playing football at the same time so he had to give away football and I continued on [Music] my dad was was very angry because you know who's gonna do all the work and he thought if I play football I'm gonna get injured and then you know I'm down to work and that was a major situation after playing five years were safe from mental which I did can you use this who the coach of the central district football club we were cuttin onions me and my dad in the market garden this bloke comes down the garden and he's looking at us and my dad said what can I do for you and coz he introduced himself as Ken useless the Central District football club so he said so what do you want he said we've come here for Tommy to play football for Central Districts and that's it you've got to be joking he said no why he said he's staying here I mean we took him up the house for a cup of coffee and biscuits and one thing and another and talking to dad and dad's talking him and I'm just sitting there listening and all that and dad said know why he know why so Ken said okay crank Rachel aided us to thank this for the dinner and quite the coffee and all that and then he went away and I thought that myself you know during the next week I thought gee that would be good to go away you know can he use this what can I do I got to improve my employment that's the reason I one of the guy want to get a good job and because of that I ran Kenny about a week later and I says Kenny I'm coming over he said they are really I said yes I'm coming over in the next flight I can get but then I had to get a clearance from South from men'll you think I could get a clearance no way ten weeks a 10-game say kept me out of football which was fair enough because they didn't want me to go [Music] to Ferris and bests I've played for self metal to feresten best I won the first year they recruited the year given out by Jack Shetty and Austin Robertson that's what we've got a grand final medal playing for South member 1970 Grand Final and playing in Adelaide when I was playing in Adelaide I got the in 1966 I won the South Australian football or a year when the motor car for that the next year my last year at Central I run second in a motor car again and yeah there was many great achievements most of the achievement highlights of my career was probably playing playing centre forward on a great guy for Victoria which is Teddy Witten who was one of the greatest players ever to play and kicking four goals on him in that particular game in Hobart Championships mr. field for South Australia was with a great highlight for me and when I came back to South for mantle running third in the sand over middle was another holiday after missing six games and cable and Walker beat me and they played every game for the year so that was very exciting yeah [Music] this is the fairest and best award from self Emmanuel in 1968 very proud to win the club's fearsome s is very important because it's a team game and you're judged on team performance I've got two of those actually this is the middle I got from the inaugural Safra medal all of Fame that they did and it was a great honor for me to have been selected in the inaudible side yeah I've also selected in 215 and the West Australian Football Hall of Fame sporting all the fame yeah it was known at 2015 and I was very proud of that because my brother George was selected in 2007 and to be in the same place as my brother George gave me great satisfaction this is a West Australian jumper that when I was selected for sale for mantle when I came back from Adelaide in 1968 and I was selected to play at centre forward for Western Australia particularly game I kicked three goals I got my second best player on the ground particularly that day has a man got the best of Victoria so it made me proud to wear this jumper that time you know the the place was buzzing with supporters you know you come to South from antal here Fremantle able to play football and was is incredible see the big crowds you know and make your lift to play football with big crowds playing initially with a Sacramento Football Club to play with players like John jaribg and Johnny Todd you know two great players and for me to come down to South mantle and be playing with them and Johnny Coggan and Tony parentage and and it's granade most grano jenkins was one of my idols but he didn't say then he was finished but playing with Bob Cassidy you know Bob Cassidy Freddie senior Barry White Colin boot Graeme Riley the Riley brothers and in planning the grand final with bikes like Blake's like Clark from Victoria lynnie Clark as a man was a beauty what a great man he was took us to a premiership in 1970 was absolutely tremendous I mean we finished last a year before 1969 and then to take us up and get us into the finals and win a premiership in 1970 was testament to him what a great coach he was and how the players played and the players got behind him and name everything they could to win that Premiership and that was one of the highlights [Music] football cut cannot just rely on community community spirit okay they've got to have the supporters that I've got to have the full support of sponsors to run the club to make it successful because if they haven't got the sponsors you just can't run the football club so i entice everybody out there supporters members whoever they are to support this hour for mental football club as much as they can because since the AFL has taken the two leagues into the AFL clubs the west coast and Fremantle it's become increasingly hard for the for the waffle clubs to keep going so this is where they gotta write on all the support that they can get from everybody concerned mr. idolized Grenaa Jenkins you know Bernie Naylor Harry carbon you know Steve Marsh Bernie Naylor was fantastic play I was here when he took 23 goals against Subiaco and Fremantle Oval what a great player he was you know and you Laurie green Dave Ingram when he was playing I was only a little toddlers to come down here with me brother George and I wished that initially when we came down from Calgary we were living on Hampton Road opposite to prison and we used to go down by the wall there bill on behind the wall near meesa get on jumping both people's shoulders to get up on top of the wall and what's the self romantic football I play but we used to always come to training the under club and watch these great players train and there was fantastic talent here [Music] we termination because of the game [Music] yeah [Applause] forever by the for the fremantle me is there really hot wicked [Music]