One major way in which the Australian YCW sought to serve young workers was through its vast Australian football competition, reputed to be the largest in the country.
A 2016 article in The Advertiser states that by 1966 the YCW National Football Association comprised over 140 teams and 3000 players from Victoria, SA, WA and Tasmania.
Many of these footballers went on to fame and fortune in the V/AFL, SANFL and other senior competitors.
The more famous V/AFL footballers from the YCW competition included such stars as Peter McKenna, Des Tuddenham, Paddy Guinane, John Kennedy and Tony Ongarello. Neil Kerley was another in South Australia.
Australian YCW national president, Bill Armstrong, was another who became a VFL footballer with Carlton and also played in the WAFL in Perth:
https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/42687/bill-a-blue-with-a-true-community-spirit
https://www.stbedes.catholic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Hall-of-Fame-Citations-2016.pdf
Other YCW footballers became V/AFL umpires, including Don Jolley and Mike Henry.
A number of V/AFL football administrators had strong YCW connections including Perce Mitchell, a famed adminstrator at Fitzroy, now in the Brisbane AFL Hall of Fame.
Watch the video about Perce here: https://www.lions.com.au/video/427213/hall-of-fame-percy-mitchell
One famous YCW football team was the Indigenous team, the Fitzroy Stars.
Watch this video that tells their story:
Here is a list of V/AFL and SANFL footballers with YCW backgrounds:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1veADvdS0DhhMXWDNZ-TFP1ly7h4YV8VHoCJAbUAdy0s/edit?usp=sharing
Help us add to the lists!
