AFTER almost 50 years, the mystery identity of the Glen Innes Under 19 rugby league player who hot-wired a car, drove to Inverell to visit his girlfriend and returned the vehicle in time for its owner to drive home completely unawares when the movies finished, was revealed.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
For all that time, most had believed that the culprit was hard-running second-rower, Rick “Red Cloud” Rolff, who had always vigorously protested his innocence.
When the matter was raised at the weekend’s reunion of Magpie players from the ’60s and ’70s, he again denied any involvement, but this time David Henderson (aka “Noddy”) immediately backed Rolff.
“I know it wasn’t him,” said Henderson. “It was him!” pointing to another player of the time.
The accused player happily admitted he was in fact, the “phantom hot-wirer”.
“Just doing a community service for the owner,” he laughed.
“You blokes remember that car heaters took 10 or 15 minutes to heat up in those days.
“At least the owner got to drive home in a nice warm car when the movies were over!”
More than 100 players, wives and supporters gathered at the New England Club on Saturday night to celebrate (about half that number also got together on the Friday evening) and remember days when they were more fleet of foot and talk about those great moments on the field and off it.
The gathering came from a suggestion from former Magpie coach Dick Jeffery, who captain-coached the first grade side in 1971 when he played for NSW Country, NSW against Queensland and won Country player of the year, before joining Balmain for three years in 1972.
The hooker recalled his five years in Glen with great fondness.
“They were the best years (1967-1971) of my life,” he said.
“Our youngest (Paul) was born here.
“I remember all the cars that used to be parked at the ground at 7.30 in the morning on game day.
“People would go home and then come back for the matches.
“We were a big happy family and I remember training in the snow, having rum and bonox nights and a footy get-together at our place.
“Ann and I didn’t have a garage so Harold Goodwin parked his furniture van in the driveway and we used that as the venue!”
Jeffery told former reserve grade player and club secretary, Tony Donelan, that they should get together because too many of their old team-mates were dying and the only time they got together was when someone was being buried.
“So, this is a sort of ‘wake before the wake’,” he said.
Jeffery stayed in the police force until 1986 when he retired and purchased a mower business on the Gold Coast, eventually adding outlets at Nerang and Coomera, before selling up a few years ago and retiring.
Now 70, he looks almost fit enough to go around next season.
Sadly, the years have not been kind to some of the ex-players.
Outstanding second-rower Brent Harris was built like a Greek god, strong and fast, back in the day.
In later years he has fallen victim to illness but was still one of the first to accept an invitation to attend.
Team-mate Bruce Doust, one of the fittest players to ever wear the Magpies’ traditional black and white jumper, these days is battling to walk because of arthritis in the feet and was unable to attend.
Jim Brazel was a paid player from Macksville, arriving in Glen in 1966 but injury forced him out of the game and he left in May, 1967 to join the police force where he eventually was promoted to leader of one of the elite squads.
“As a young bloke, I had the best time of my life here,” he grinned.
“Some of the friendships I made then have endured almost fifty years.
“I have particularly fond memories of captain-coach Greg Notley (deceased). We always wanted to play well for him – a great man!”
He summed up his biggest disappointment of being in Glen in one word: “leaving”.
Big Roger Fletcher was known as “Drover” in his days as a hard-working prop for Glen.
These days he is best known for his extensive sheep industry involvement which has him ranked as one of the richest men in the country, with extensive pastoral holdings and overseas developments.