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Nicknamed 'Darkie', Alan Ware played with distinction for Manuka and at senior representative level for Canberra during the 1930s. He was the winner of the 1939 Mulrooney Medal. A member of the first ever ACT schoolboys representative team in 1929, Ware made his senior debut for Manuka three years later. Although not especially robust, his tremendous anticipation and superb marking ability made him a redoubtable opponent anywhere in the back lines, but especially in the two key defensive positions. Twice selected as Manuka's best and fairest player, 'Darkie' Ware was also chosen in two Canberra representative teams, against Tasmania in 1938, and against New South Wales the following year. Unfortunately, World War Two then arrived to nip his blossoming career in the bud, although he did return for one final season at Manuka in 1946, taking his final total of senior games to 158. |
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Full Back - Keith Schow (Queanbeyan, Queanbeyan-Acton, Collingwood, St George, Turner) |
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The
oldest of three brothers to play for Queanbeyan,
Keith Schow was a talented defender who, aged 19, featured in a three way
tie for the 1950 Mulrooney
Medal as well as winning his club's best and fairest award. In
1951 he headed to Collingwood where he spent the next couple of seasons
before returning home to play with the recently merged Queanbeyan-Acton
combination. Known popularly as the 'combine', this side enjoyed
considerable success during its brief, five year existence, and Keith
Schow was a prominent contributor to its 1953 and 1954 premiership
successes. A regular Canberra representative player, Keith Schow
participated in the 1950 Australian
interstate championship series in Brisbane, while in 1955 he was
chosen as vice captain of the Canberra team which lost at home against
Tasmania.
Between 1956 and 1958 Schow was captain-coach of St George, steering the Dragons to the finals in two out of the three seasons. He was also selected to represent New South Wales in interstate games. Upon returning to a now autonomous Queanbeyan club in 1959 Keith Schow took on the duties of captain-coach but in 3 seasons at the helm was unable to get the Tigers over the line for a premiership. The closest they came was runners up to Ainslie in 1961. The following season saw Schow on the move yet again, this time to Turner, where he spent the final 3 seasons of a career which had seen him occupy the full back position with as much poise and distinction as any Canberra player before or since. According to Barbara Marshall in her superb chronicle of the history of football in the ACT, The National Game in the National Capital: 60 Years of Achievement, Keith Schow "was a sound positional player and a brilliant high mark (although only 178 centimetres tall). He had great pace and his dashing style of play was an inspiration to his team mates. Perhaps the best known feature of Keith's game was his long driving drop kicks, particularly from the kick outs." (See footnote 1) |
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Left Back Pocket - Alan 'Ginty' Stevens (Ainslie & St Kilda - captain) |
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Ainslie
born and bred, Alan 'Ginty' Stevens won the 1946 Mulrooney
Medal representing his local club, and was a regular member of
Canberra representative teams from 1940 onwards (with a gap for the War),
most notably at the 1947 Hobart
carnival when he was appointed skipper of the side. In 1948 he
joined St Kilda, playing a total of 21
senior games over the next three seasons, as well as representing the VFL;
because of his work as a meteorologist, Stevens was frequently out of town
when he would otherwise have been required to play for the Saints,
otherwise his total of VFL games would undoubtedly have been much greater.
After spending the 1951 season away from football, 'Ginty' Stevens
returned to his home stamping ground in 1952 when he was appointed
captain-coach of the Tricolours, who promptly
rewarded him with an undefeated premiership in what proved to be his last
full season as a player in senior football.
According to Barbara Marshall, Alan Stevens was "probably one of the best footballers produced in Canberra" (see footnote 2). A naturally gifted athlete, he was also an excellent cricketer, representing the ACT and playing 'A' grade cricket with St Kilda while in Melbourne. His time in the VFL taught him to be calm even under the most intense pressure, and he had that rare champions' ability of constantly managing to obtain possession of the ball wherever he was playing. |
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1. The National Game in the National Capital: 60 Years of Achievement by Barbara Marshall, page 72. Return to Main Text
2. Ibid., page 57. Return to Main Text
