Sport
11 July, 2024
Primrose part two — the fall in the club’s final decade
Tomorrow, Primrose figures from the club’s last great period — the 1984 premiership — will gather to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their final premiership. In today’s edition, we look at the club’s final 10 years which led to their...
Tomorrow, Primrose figures from the club’s last great period — the 1984 premiership — will gather to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their final premiership. In today’s edition, we look at the club’s final 10 years which led to their demise.
Immediately after the 1984 premiership, there was change afoot at Primrose.
Key figures from the premiership would depart, with Gerard Darcy taking over what would become a youthful team in 1985.
As a result of all the change, the Roses would drop to eighth on the senior ladder, winning five games.
However, the depth of the club was still around that season, with the reserves team winning one final flag that season.
A tougher season was had in 1986.
That year, another club who would soon fold — Chewton, would dominate the league, and win the premiership, and their path to the flag would include what was then a bit of a low point, with a 198-point win.
Little did anyone know, worse was to eventually come.
Another low point for the Roses that season would see Greg Pryor kick 26 goals — a new individual record for the league — in a win for Talbot against the Roses.
Perhaps surprisingly on those kinds of numbers, the Roses didn’t finish last in 1986.
In fact, the Roses scored four wins for the season to finish above Campbells Creek on the ladder.
There was one more high point for the Roses, however.
In 1987, the Roses were able to rebound, and in fact made the finals.
This was the last time the Roses would do so, finishing fourth on the ladder with 11 wins, and would eventually embark on a brave finals campaign.
A win over Carisbrook in the first week in the elimination final would be followed by what would prove to be their last win in a final the following week, playing Rovers.
Primrose would win 15.18 (108) to 13.9 (87) to reach the preliminary final.
There, they would face the reigning premier in Chewton, but the Tigers put them to the sword, winning by 112 points, and eliminating the Roses.
That was the last time we would see Primrose in a final.
In 1988, the Roses declined, winning seven games. They would finish in seventh, but they were also five games away from the sixth-placed Chewton, and missed the final five.
However, things would sharpen in 1989.
It was a season which included what was believed to be the first walk-off, with Primrose, reduced to 12 players in the final term after six players would be sent off, didn’t play out the remainder of a clash with Newstead.
The Roses would finish last, with just one win for the season, and a percentage of 21.
In 1990, things would be even worse.
Mind you, they were able to take a victory early on, defeating Chewton by 10 points, 14.6 (90) to 10.20 (80) in the early stages of the season.
By mid-year, there would be the most famous of results, but not in a good way for Primrose.
They ventured to Campbells Creek on June 23, and in a game that is still celebrated by the Creek faithful, they were able to kick 100 goals for the only time in a senior football game in the sport’s history, kicking 100.34 (634) to 3.0 (18) to record a 616-point win.
The front page of the June 26 edition of The Addy read:
“Campbells Creek kicked 100 goals in 100 minutes of football to create a new district league record, and stunned footy fans are still trying to work out how on a big ground, a team can score a goal a minute, plus kicked more than 30 behinds.”
Some reports suggest the last quarter went for well over an hour, with the game lasting for three hours, and the finish played in total darkness.
Either way, the Roses finished last again, percentage away from Chewton, who would fold at the end of the year.
In 1991, Primrose would improve slightly — indeed, in the first round against Creek, they would lose by 17 points, a 599-point improvement on the result the previous season.
However, despite winning two games, they would still finish last, with Harcourt avoiding the wooden spoon thanks to a late win in the season.
Nevertheless, the Roses did have a highlight, and their win over the Lions that season would see them kick 11 goals in the third quarter én route to a 24.9 (153) to 13.18 (96) win.
The next season, 1992, would be a similar struggle. The Roses don’t go winless, however, and they do claim a victory, again a win over the Lions in round nine.
The final score read Primrose 11.5 (71) to Harcourt 8.7 (55).
This would be the final win for the Roses.
The 1993 season would be Primrose’s last in the then-named Maryborough Castlemaine District Football League (MCDFL).
There would be some great controversy for the club throughout the season, with the Victorian Country Football League proposing that the Roses merge with Maryborough Rovers.
On the field, the Roses were unable to win a game, finished with a percentage of six, and took a fifth consecutive wooden spoon.
The last game for the club — not that they knew at the time — would see the Roses lose to Campbells Creek, 76.43 (499) to 3.0 (18).
As far as late September, there were murmurings that Primrose could yet survive.
An excerpt from The Advertiser that month read:
“The Victorian Country Football League investigation committee has acknowledged that the amalgamation of the Primrose Football Club with any other team may not be in the best interests of football or clubs throughout the district,” it said.
“If the Primrose Football Club is to survive, then it must begin an immediate and intensive committee restructure, recruiting campaign as well as a vigorous financial management program.
“Even the most ardent supporters of the club realise that the ‘Roses’ cannot continue playing football and losing by big scores every week.”
Unfortunately, the club’s centenary year, which would have happened in 1994, did not eventuate, as interest fell by the wayside.
On January 27, the club informed the MCDFL that it would go into recess.
A report in the January 28 edition of The Maryborough District Advertiser read that:
“League president, Jock Sellars, announced the decision late yesterday, and said Primrose had advised the league it was unable to meet the league’s affiliation requirements,” it said.
“He said he had been told that a meeting had been held to decide the fate of the club, and because only four people turned up, it was felt there was no point continuing the season.”
It was a sad end for a once-mighty football club that only four people could attend for a meeting to decide its fate.
However, the spirit of the Roses lives on, and it will no doubt be celebrated in the right way tomorrow afternoon when the heroes of the 1984 premiership — their last flag — gather again to mark the Roses’ finest hour.