One Club, One Culture - Eagles icon John Graham

it gives me great pleasure to welcome John gram to the area John is a revered figure in the history of West horrens football club known for his 203 games and his outstanding contributions both on and off the field as a past player John's Legacy is not only defined by his aggressive style of play but also by his deep connection to the club's Rich Heritage his commitment to preserving the history in the values of the West horrens football club has made him a vital link between the past and present Generations over over the years John has witnessed the evolution of the West Woodville West Torrens football club particularly through the formation of the merger of the West torren and Woodville football [Music] clubs John welcome and thank you for agreeing to sit down with us today so that we can gain your understanding and thoughts on how the club is paying tribute to the Past players of the West torren and Woodville football clubs looking forward to a conversation with you David how do you believe the Woodville West isans football club is engaged with and welcome pass players and west horrens back to the club well firstly I think that uh the beginning was something that we had to adjust as people as pass players and officials because it was going to be a new Venture I found the the journey exciting I love the involvement I am most appreciative of the way that we've been accepted within the structure of the Woodville West Orange football club I love the idea of the embrace repacement of yester year into the new club to see history being rearn and and built upon with a new structure it's been exciting and uh I'm just grateful to be part of it the football club has given us something that we thought had been lost and that is that there's an identity as you come into the club with the history of West horen from 1897 to 2000 or to 1990 basically so for 93 years it could have been lost but you've embraced it and on the wall there's the history of every player that represented West torren from that that 93e period very happy you think that also that uh the uh the involvement that you've encouraged us to be part of in in in participation of game days and past players days Etc is something that we have so much appreciated at the start of the Year obviously we played round one against West um we made that our retro round now when we say retro round we mean that was our historical round so we wore the uh the west holl gy and then a halftime flipped it over to the wood G what was your feeling when you saw that occur well first of all I think that the West AR footy jumper from 55 to 19 1970 had been something that people loved to see kids wore it it was the most exciting Jumper in the sful in my opinion in those days and to have it reincar gated and put on again in a league gr game made me very proud and and I think that to see people run out with this and people in awe to think we're still here which is important as a club we we quite often get questioned about do we recognize the the history of West Tans and Woodville and people sometimes say we don't do enough your thoughts on that I think we're always looking for something extra all we all are in life but I mean the fact of the matter is to be recognized is important to be part of is also very important and to know that there's a future is also important and the Woodville West Orange football club has given us a future that could have been lost quite easily by ownership have you received any feedback from the West harand past players about the experiences and interactions they're currently having with the wood West IR footy club and if so what's the general sentiment well first of all I I talk regularly to Lindsay H who I have a great respect for possibly the best player I've ever seen on the footy ground but he and like many of us of yeser year are so grateful to think that we are welcomed we we actually participate regularly with the Gathering of old Eagles and if you're a West torrent supporter then you should be a Woodville West torrent supporter and you should follow the Eagles because that's what we are today we're called Eagles the scoreboard says Eagles and to think that we're still there and doing things as we head into this exciting period is important this year for the first time we we invited at the uh the start of the Season we do our season launch and we invited yourselves and Club Legends and life Governors and all that back and you guys were the last ones to leave on that evening how does how does that react within how what's that like within the group you know when they're starting to be invited back to these season launches and these Club Champion nights and things like that and they're starting to to be acknowledged how's that within the the current past players Group Well we think it's important because the uh the efforts over the years are not being lost now with people attending games people come to pass players shows people come to the Gathering of old Eagles it's we participate with our luncheons here at the club it's our club as we call it uh we're in a football atmosphere which has been accepted and encouraged by the club itself what challenges do you believe the club has has faced in integrating the history of West horand and Woodville into the current one club one culture do you think there's been any challenges that you've seen there's been Lots they you can't walk away from 93 years at De and noal and find out that just it's picked up very easily there's always going to be an angst for people who feel that they're forgotten forever but what the Woodville West horen footy Club has done it's actually B Us Alive Again by bringing us into the environment and encouraging us to to participate in several Avenues of game day past players uh been invited to just recently last year I was invited to present a footy jumper to a first game player I hadn't talked football for a long time I found a moment to think that this is going to be an adventure for this young lad he's going to have friends for the rest of his life and they're going to be Eagle friends for the rest of their life sa I love it you work so hard with the West Torrence past play group you now have lunches here every quarter where you're having over 220 people in attendance it's a real credit to what you've been able to achieve and and the committee that's been working with you to be able to get that together but 93 years of History you've had to make a lot of phone calls to get people engaged what gives you the energy to keep doing that sure well David I'm 80 years of age and uh I want to make sure that when I leave I left the footprint and I'm West torren person first up I'm now a wood West torren person I'm an eagle and I want to make sure that my history and our history is going to be respected and remembered forever and uh it all started off because I got tired of going to funerals or hospitals and visiting my past teammates and I thought let's get them while they're alive now I've got people phoning me and saying I'm a West horren supporter can I participate you certainly can come along because you'll see the heroes of yesterday with the Jeff Kingston's and the Lindsay heads and the above it and all those characters that we respected on the footy ground they're alive and well with us obviously coming back to the club this year you you walk in in January and you see the the brand new facilities over there at the bar jam and grandstand what's your thoughts I mean you come from a yesterday year where there was the the one pole with the eight shower heads and you guys that was just football that's that was what we expected but now you've come in and you've been able to see something new give us your thoughts on that well I saw it for the first time and I thought G WI oh to be young again oh to be young to run out a race where you've got so much atmosphere and and so so uh uh encouraging for young people to think that they can come to a footy club and have these facilities well mind you at torren we had saers and we had a few owns and ends there but I mean uh the visitors never got anything like that but we look at it now we say it's wonderful and I think that the footy Club could be very proud of what they've done de and oval been a Hot Topic over the past couple of years with the crows going there and the the significant bond that you personally and and the West uh West torren players have with the noal your thoughts on the crows moving into the noal um and how it's going to be utilized going forward I'm excited about that too I'm excited to think that de noal was not going to die it's going to be remembered I had 32 years here David uh both as a player coach of Team man of the management committee and then board and I was part of that decision to amalgamate with Woodville I've never regretted that moment because it's a fact of life that we had to face both clubs but what we did is we brought the C we brought the the family back together again and and I think that going to Thon noal now will mean that hopefully that the first original tenants at 7 and0 Will the west H footy Club from 22 1922 90 will be remembered in some fashion and I know that the crows are seems to be interested in what we have is an idea to be remembered so as Lindsay had said it's part of his life and it's part of my life and part of so many other people's lives that it will come again to be a great place for people to go and enjoy football walking in here today John you've walked past the the past plaz walls which were were put up in January this year what does that feel to a past player that hasn't had recognition for the past 30 odd years where there hasn't hasn't been a name on a wall or anything like that you've walked in and now you see that well I'm very proud to think that uh the club has had the initiative to remember all these people that have actually run out the race representing West Torrens and Woodville they're part of this environment and they to be respected and remembered that's important and this club has done that John thank you very much for for sharing your views on the uh on the west horrens inclusion now into the Woodville West horens football club is there anything you'd like to say in closing well there is I think that there're still a part of the journey that's not complete at this stage I would like all the people that followed West Torrens and followed Woodville to realize the best decision that's been made is to make this club one and can come along and enjoy and respect the decision that was made by Bill sand and uh and Rex uh they were the people that made this place beginning and I think that come along sharing the joy of seeing this football club play the game in all grades and I think we can have a lot more success coming forward John gra thanks very much for your time pleas to thank you David for the opportunity thank you