Jetty Road Blog 5/10/25

Image: Bob Cheek City FC 1976 (Gravel&Mud)

Whither the Bounce?

A Day in the Ruck with Bob and Basil

As an occasional ruckman I claim some limited authority on the demise of the bounce. First of all I need to stress I played most of my footy on wet grounds. Not even the great Darrell Baldock could have got the footy to bounce on the Rosebery mud. Queenstown was a little different but gravel was an extremely temperamental surface for a zeppelin shaped Sherrin. West Park playing under 19’s on a sticky turf wicket in the centre, at 10 in the morning in July? Forget it. What I will never forget is the visceral terror of charging at your opposite number lifting your knee for protection on contact and somehow getting a punch or a palm on the ball. The centre bounce before the modern era was Neanderthal in its execution. You went hard or you went down.

Back in 1976 however change was in the wind. For just that season only - the rules were amended so you could run in with your ruck opponent for the centre bounce - just the same as for a boundary throw in. This was to prove fortuitous for one under-sized occasional ruckman. Bob Cheek had been dubbed the ‘Six Million Dollar Man’ after transferring as a journalist to Queenstown and signing with City for a reputed $1000 a game. Bob was way out of my league. Five inches taller and having played representative football for the TFL, NTFA and the NWFU. He was to suffer a serious injury during his one season on the west coast and only played six games. One of which was against Rosebery at Queenstown and I was the muggins selected as the occasional ruckman to oppose him.

Things did not go well for Bob from the start. One of the consequences of playing and training in mud was a build-up of bulk and muscle in one’s thighs and backside. I could never out jump or out-reach Bob so I ran in with him, wrested front position and stuck out my ample bum. Bob was not impressed and gave me a shove. Free to me and Bob let out a curse. Bad mistake. Only one central umpire in those days and it happened to be one Basil  Byrne. The Queenstown players were fond of calling him Reverend. At the time I actually thought he was a priest.

Basil was in fact a respected layman with a deep religious conviction and a regular role at the local Catholic Church. You did not curse in front of Basil. Ever.  So the scene was set. Bob marked at will around the ground but at centre ball ups and throw ins Basil punished him for any back chat and for both imagined and wilful infringements.  It was fun while it lasted. I was judged to have done well - for an occasional ruckman. Next week? Our number one ruckman China Weaver was back in the saddle and I was returned to the back line - where I belonged.

I do hold out some hope for the centre bounce. If we can call a square boxing arena a ring then maybe we can still refer to the ball up to start the game as the first bounce. At the very least may it never be called a tip off. This would almost certainly have drawn a curse from the most reverent Basil Byrne.

Song: Leaps and Bounds – Paul Kelly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtzYqgiuSDo