1988 Senior Boys Football

One of two of our teams to finish Runner-up in the Herald Sun Country Shield (1997 being the other).

A win would have made it back-to-back for 7 of the boys who were in the 1987 team – Scott Clayton, Dane Hochfield, Chris McIlroy, Craig Patrick, Brad Shultz, Scott Williamson and Paul White. It would have also made it 3 Heralds in 4 years. However, it would be another 11 years before we won another, in 1999.

The 1988 team won 3 matches on their way to the Final, defeating Wodonga High School (79 points), Galen College (65 points) and Wodonga Tech (16 points). They however were jumped early in the Final by Warrnambool Tech, who beat us by 24 points. 

The boys sadly didn’t get the chance to play their Final at VFL Park (Waverley) like the 1985 and 1987 teams had (and which the 1997 and 1999 teams did a decade later). It had been put out of action by heavy rainfall, and the game was moved to at Princes Park Oval #1, the ground adjacent to Carlton’s stadium.

The team boasted likely the best pair of “bookend” key position players we’ve ever fielded in the one team – Captain and Centre Half Back, Scott Williamson, plus key forward Craig Patrick. Both were drafted to the AFL just months after this game.

Williamson had already played 2 years of Thirds in Year 10 and 11 (including one as Captain), and was playing Seniors in 1988 at this stage, starring in the 1988 Senior Premiership for Rovers while in Year 12. He went to the West Coast Eagles at Pick 40 of the 1988 Draft. He was drafted again in the 1990 Pre-Season Draft by Melbourne, and was offered a 2nd year on their list in 1991, but “Willo” walked away. He later played in a 2nd Rovers flag (1993), 2 in East Gippsland (Lakes Entrance), and another in the O&K (North Wangaratta, 1997). He played Interleague for both the Ovens & Murray and Bendigo leagues.

Patrick had the year prior played in the 1987 Victorian U17 Teal Cup team, and was drafted as a 17-year old by North Melbourne at Pick 35 in the 1987 Draft (incredibly, with Scott Christie, father of Will who would Captain our Senior team in 2017, 30 years later).

We sadly don’t have a Team Photo of this team, but looking at the 1987 photo, you can imagine how big these boys were in 1988. Have a look at the physique on Patrick especially in that 1987 pic, and the one of him running through the banner on to Waverley in the ’87 Final. No wonder he was given the nickname “Drago” (which has still stuck all these decades later) – named after the boxer Ivan Drago in the film Rocky IV, released in 1985. Patrick kicked 5 in the Grand Final, and another 6 against Galen, when positioned at Full Forward.

Footage of the 1988 O&M Senior Grand Final, showing Williamson dashing off the half back line as an 18-year old, gives a good image of how dominant he must have been in these school games against boys his age. He is credited in this school campaign as kicking multiple goals from Centre Half Back.

The other name of note is that of Andrew Wilson in the midfield. “Waldo” was one of the 3 famous Wilson Brothers (Mick and Joe the others) who became legends of the Wangaratta Rovers. Waldo played in 3 Premierships (1991, 1993, 1994) and played 258 games and kicked 206 goals, and represented the O&M Interleague team 3 times.

Four of the team were in that year’s 1988 Ovens & Murray Thirds Premiership for the Rovers – John Allen, Scott Clayton, Daine Hochfield and Brad Shultz, alongside 4 others WHS boys. Hochfield was good enough to pollute most votes in the Leo Dean Medal (O&M Thirds League Bast & Fairest) that year, but was ineligible due to being suspended.