Holbrook's James Plunkett on recruiting 73 players and the Culcairn brawl

He's been a player, coach, central umpire, boundary umpire and timekeeper as well as serving on the Brookers' committee for many years.

Plunkett, 54, spoke to The Border Mail earlier this week about his journey which started 43 years ago when his late mother, Margery, reluctantly let him play as a diminutive youngster.

BRETT KOHLHAGEN: It's fair to say you had a torrid introduction to senior football at Holbrook as a 20-year-old in 1986?

JAMES PLUNKETT: My third game was the infamous brawl against Culcairn at Holbrook. When it erupted I was on the bench next to John Whitley. Just when I was thinking how good it was not to be on the ground, Johnny and I were ordered out there. As I ran out I noticed two spectators jumping the fence and I thought this is getting serious. I was out there only 10 seconds when I got king hit. I threw one back at the bloke who hit me and immediately a woman in the crowd started yelling out repeatedly: 'Cul boys get that No.33, Cul boys get that No.33'.

BK: I imagine it was the biggest brawl you've been involved in?

JP: Definitely. It got right out of control.

BK: You learnt a valuable lesson that day too?

JP: It was the first and last time I ever played footy with a hangover. The day before I had an Ag College presentation day at Yanco. A heap of us went to the Yanco Hotel after it and had a huge night. I was supposed to start on the bench but when I arrived at the ground the coach Mick Maddox told me I was tagging 'Boogie' (David) Moore. He could run like a hare and all day. I couldn't keep up and Mick hunted me off the ground and that's about when the brawl started so I had to go out there again.

BK: I take it your nickname 'Slash' never had anything to do with the fight?

JP: I played cricket at Woomargama for a long time and we were all absolute cowboys at the crease. We had a shot out there called the 'Woomargama Slash' which was just a wild swing outside off stump. Anyway, I tried to lure Ross Hillary to the cricket club when he was coaching Holbrook in 1988. I made a bizarre attempt to teach him the 'Woomargama Slash' at a footy club disco one night and it didn't work. He started calling me 'Slash' at footy training and it just went from there.

BK: Holbrook footy club is good for nicknames isn't it?

JP: It's unbelievable (laughs). At Holbrook we have Pizzle, Pecker, Scrot, Big Dog, Smurf, Toad and Axel just to name a few.

BK: How many matches did you play for the Brookers?

JP: I think about 190. I played 40-odd in the seniors before I ruptured my ACL and then 150 in the twos.

BK: You didn't have a lot of luck with injuries?

JP: Until I was 27 I didn't have an injury. Then I pulled a hamstring at Tallangatta and about six weeks later I ruptured my ACL. I was always injured after that.

BK: When did you retire?

JP: When I was 36. I made a comeback when I was 49 against the Murray Magpies. My legs were fit from boundary umpiring but it didn't help me. I played three games the following year which was the worst thing I ever did.

BK: Tell us about your coaching career?

JP: I coached the reserves in 1993 and 1994 and 1998 and 1999. I was thrown into the role in 1993 in round seven after the incumbent coach Charlie Rigg shifted to Benalla. Berty Haynes just told me to do it each year.

BK: You had a few tough seasons on the field?

JP: My first three seasons were very hard. I coached 42 times and lost 37 of them.

BK: Not a great record but I'm told you did exceptionally well to put a team on the paddock each week?

JP: I used to make a lot of phone calls put it that way. In 1998 I went through 73 players.

BK: Where did you find them all?

JP: I used to drag a few out of the pubs on Thursday and Friday nights and just through mates of mates. I had a real mixed lot of players that year. I got a few games out of Henry Playfair when he was back from boarding school and at the other end of the scale I had a 34-year-old bloke from Albury who would buy a box of beer on a Saturday morning and he would start downing cans on the way to the footy. He was always nice and relaxed before the game.

BK: Did you enjoying coaching?

JP: I wouldn't say I was a natural coach but after a few seasons I got the hang of it. We only won one game in 1998 at Bethanga and the boys chaired me off the ground that day. They were pretty happy to get a win. It was pretty emotional in the rooms after the game. I think I ended up with 17 wins and 45 losses as coach.

BK: Did a coach ever get stuck into you?

JP: I did have an embarrassing moment when I was playing for Leeton under-19s while at Ag College. I had a poor first-half at Ganmain and the coach Charlie Corbett decided to give me a half-time spray but not in the huddle. He dragged me over to the boundary fence in front of the Ganmain crowd and let rip. It did the trick as I kicked three goals in the third quarter. It was very embarrassing though.

BK: Holbrook has had a few coaches who could deliver an old-fashioned spray too?

JP: Adrian Whitehead was probably the best. Our older supporters used to take out their hearing aids when 'Whitey' was in full flight. He was a very good coach though.

BK: What about teammates. I'm sure you have seen some interesting things over the years?

IN OTHER NEWS:

JP: I remember a real character in Tony Body in the 1980s. One day at Barnawartha he took a mark in the first quarter and was so fired up he tried to bite a chunk out of the ball. It wouldn't pass the COVID rules these days.

BK: That's a strange thing to do?

JP: Yes it is. He was just that type of bloke (laughs).

BK: I'm sure you saw some funny things during your many years as a boundary and field umpire?

JP: I was doing the boundary one day and the late Bruce Mackinlay was goal umpiring. We both used to like a punt and 'Bruiser' would listen to the races while he was goal umpiring. Anyway, CDHBU kicked a goal and 'Bruiser' yelled out a roar of delight. It had nothing to do with the goal. He'd just backed Sniper's Bullet in the Stradbroke Handicap. The crowd thought he was cheering the goal but he was cheering home the horse.

BK: You've spent a lot of years umpiring and time-keeping for Holbrook

JP: Back in 2001 I was asked to fill in as a boundary umpire for three or four games and ended up doing 16 seasons. The club has been very good to me. I never wanted to be a player who stopped playing and just walked away. I wanted to put something back.

BK: You've certainly done that.