Towns Football Club announce their 70th anniversary all-star team

Towns Football Club unveiled their 70 year anniversary all-star team on Saturday night, celebrating the club’s founding in 1952.

Current Towns coach Dale Baynes was selected as the captain of the 22-man squad, with the vice captaincy going to Jim Gray.

Reg Hall was named coach of the side, while Barry Kimberley was picked as the assistant coach.

Baynes said “the team was picked by an independent panel of towns people plus an unbiased media personality.”

Each player had to have played a minimum of 50 games for Towns to be selected.

“Then it was judged on fairest and bests, just Clune medals, best players votes and goals kicked etc,” Baynes said.

“It was extremely difficult to only pick 22 players and in fact the next-best 22 would put up a great challenge if they ever played a game against each other,” he said.

The club’s commemorative black and gold jumpers — the colour worn in the club’s inaugural year — were also auctioned off on the night.

Commenting on the 70 year all-star team, Victor Tanti said “it’s a great side, the only selection that could be regarded contentious is Reg Hall as coach ahead of Barry Kimberley but Hall did lead the Bulldogs to three flags as did Kimberley so fair enough.”

“There’s always going to be great players who miss out in such a team – old timers would plump for Ross Thompson and Dennis Wellman but there’s Pat and Jim Sewell, Trevor Monger, Neil Crawford and Don Patten so the club’s past greats haven’t been forgotten.”

“It’s a team any club would be proud of and Towns have known some very hard times as well as highly successful ones and what’s really important is they have endured.”

TOWNS’ 70TH ANNIVERSARY ALL-STAR TEAM

BACK: Steve Carlyon, Leon Chapman, Trevor Monger

HALF BACK: Garry Meginess, Rohan Fariss, Ross Browne

CENTRE: Ron Hayward, Jim Gray (vc), Marcus Harrold

HALF FORWARD: Pat Sewell, Jim Sewell, Don Patten

FORWARD: Rick Marianna, Dale Baynes (c), Leon Jones

RUCK: Don Woodcock, Liam Carlyon, Michael Page

INTERCHANGE: Brad Carlyon, Ron Cross, Neil Crawford, Jason Graham

COACH: Reg Hall

ASST COACH: Barry Kimberley

TEAM MANAGER: Ron Reynolds

TRAINERS: Nobby Clarke, Jim Dryden, Phil Collins