By KATH GANNAWAY
THERE’S no doubting Rob Nolan’s passion for Healesville Football Club.
His face literally beams when he speaks of the club he has had an association with for decades.
Rob, who has been a Bloods’ player, including playing in an under-17 and two seconds premiership teams over the years, has by a process of elimination become the keeper of the club’s more than 100-year history,
“I used to be the club’s unofficial historian, and I suppose you could say I’m now the official historian,” he said by way of explanation of how he came to be the history keeper.
“In 1988 when the club had its centenary I sort of steered those celebrations and it’s something that has just evolved because no-one else was really interested in that aspect of the club.”
A display Rob mounted at Healesville Library earlier this month is a launching pad for the hundreds of facts, figures and anecdotes he has gathered as he’s delved into the records, and into the memories of past players.
He’s picked the brains of the men, and women, who he regards as the club’s elders, and says it only takes a photo on the wall to get the anecdotes and memories pouring out.
The collection which is on display until the end of this month is grass-roots football magic.
The photographs dating back to the good times, and through the droughts, are in a way a mirror of the town.
The names and faces, from the Badger Creek Football Club made up predominately of Aboriginal players, through to the numerous premiership photos taken at Queen’s Park, almost invariably with the iconic Mount Riddell as the backdrop, reflect the names that crop up in almost every aspect of the town’s development over the years.
Trophies, banners, record books, the Ladies’ Membership tickets, guernseys and other memorabilia track from the earliest days through to the current time, including the jumpers from Healesville’s 150th commemoration match.
And, of course, now including netball – all part of what Rob says is history in real time.
Every aspect of the club is fodder for the history books.
There’s no such thing as past history for Rob.
Of the ‘good old days’ he says it’s hard to compare eras.
“Obviously the game has changed,” he says.
“But, I have a lot of respect for the boys who played the game way back then.
“The theme is the same, it’s about blokes coming together to do something that they enjoy doing, but back then they played in conditions that were just horrible a lot of the time.
“When you got out there in the wind, and the rain, and the mud, it was hard going; we have them to thank for persevering through the decades to the point now where our boys never see any mud.”
Turning up for the game wasn’t the issue, but fronting up every Tuesday and Thursday for training, didn’t have the adrenalin push of running out against another club.
“You had to psyche yourself up in the rain, with mud up to your ankles.
“To play on Saturday, you had to train.
“The motivation remains the same.
“That’s why even today, you have to believe in the team, and what it is you’re trying to achieve as a team,” he says, citing Luke Barclay who is coming up for his 200th game this season.
He’s missed only one game since 2005.
“It’s things like that, things that are happening right now, that I really love,” Rob says.
“I’m here to witness it, and it’s terrific; it’s a privilege.”
The library display is part of a campaign to get the town behind the club.
“Every club needs that local community support, and 2015, he says, has all the hallmarks of being a good time to be a Bloods supporter.
“We’re looking forward to this year with a couple of good recruits, a good coach, a good president and a good committee, and we want to get people involved.”
If the historic saying “you need to know where you came from, to know where you’re going”, is anything to go by, Healesville Library is a great place to garner inspiration.
