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In 1968, the WANFL was so concerned about the increasing exodus of star players to the VFL that they imposed a ban on clearances for anyone desiring to further their career  in Victoria. Three players:Syd Jackson(East Perth), Bert Thornley(East Fremantle), and Colin Beard(South Fremantle) defied the decree and signed with VFL clubs, with the end result that they were prohibited from playing anywhere for the whole of the 1968 season.

The ban was lifted after that one year, and the trio resumed their careers in 1969 in the VFL.

For former Western Australian State full back, Colin Beard, it was a particularly harrowing time. “I had to take a year off from football when I was anxious to impress at my new club,” he recalled. Richmond had head hunted the tough defender to fill a vacancy caused by the retirement of their former custodian, and there was considerable pressure on the club and Beard to justify the recruitment.

Things hadn’t exactly fallen into place for the West Australian in his pre season appearances on  arrival.  After copping criticism from the Victorian press on what they perceived as a less than impressive first outing from the “big gun from Perth” in a practice match in Adelaide, Beard was fired up for the following week’s intraclub practice match.  Richmond star full forward Royce Hart got in the way of a Beard bonecrusher and went down with an injury that put the champ out for twelve months.

To further complicate matters, the new recruit was sidelined with a leg injury, and it was halfway through the 1969 season before he could be considered for selection.   

His Victorian debut was an eye opener.  “I had played over 150 games with South over a period of eight years, but it meant nothing.”he said. “The game was much more desperate, with the emphasis on tackling and handball. I had to adjust quickly.”

His first game for the Tigers was against Collingwood in front of ninety thousand screaming spectators. “I managed to clean up a few of the opposition in the first half and took eight or nine marks in the second half, to help get us over the line,” he said. “Tommy Hafey was happy.”

Beard became a permanent back pocket player for Richmond, but when eventually he took over the key full back position, he was an immediate success, receiving a Brownlow vote.  The vagaries of football struck the following week, however, when he conceded eleven goals to Peter McKenna, was reported and ultimately suspended for four weeks for what Beard ruefully described as “nothing”.

Colin Beard went on to play 33 games with Richmond, including a premiership. He also played in the first ever  VFL Sunday game, against Fitzroy, in front of the Queen,  Prince Charles, and Princess Anne.

Colin Beard was recruited to South Fremantle from Armadale Juniors, and made his league debut in 1959 as a ruckman. “ I would catch the train from Armadale to Perth, then the Perth to Fremantle  train on training nights and match days, then do it all again going home afterwards,” he smiled. “Later on they reckoned I was worth a taxi.”

When he partnered the Olympian, Jack Sumich, in his first game and  bagged four goals,  South  coaching staff thought they’d found a ruckman-forward of the future, and for five seasons he was a good player for the Bulldogs in that role.

It was a piece of coaching brilliance from John Todd in 1965 that sent Beard to the other end of the ground, with immediate results. In 1967 he took over the State full back position from Brian Sarre, and so it was that Richmond took a keen interest.

Nicknamed “Polly” because his crew cut hairstyle and  muscular build resembled the great Polly Farmer, Beard was a strong marking player who used his body effectively. He was a good kick, and for a big man was surprisingly agile. He recalled that in those days you played on a top full forward every week. “Robertson, Tierney, Gorman, Johnson, they were all great players,” was his comment.

After returning from Richmond in 1972, Beard played only a handful of games with the Bulldogs before retiring. In 1973 he coached Cuballing to a premiership, and was appointed coach of South Fremantle the following season, a position he held for three years.  Beard subsequently coached the South Fremantle Colts. He is still involved with the club, contributing to the club’s magazine, as well as being a regular at home games.

He ranked Polly Farmer, Austin Robertson, and John Nicholls as his hardest opponents, while giving Todd, Kevin Bartlett, and Royce Hart the nod as the best he played with.

Beard says that he has lost interest in the AFL. “It’s too confusing, with 36 players at one end of the ground,” he said. “ The man on man game is gone, and there are no one on one clashes to look forward to. Although it’s a lot faster, I don’t enjoy it”

Colin did have a Kevin Sheedy story for us.

“Sheeds was a proud conscripted national serviceman, just 20 years of age, when I first played alongside him in 1969,” he related . “And you could sense that he was destined to become a leader, with a professional and desperate win at any cost attitude. One example, I think it was the year we were challenging Hawthorn on Glenferrie mud heap for a place in the final four, Peter Hudson their ace full forward received a free and Sheeds stood the mark.”

 

“The one umpire of that era had moved in position down the ground and Sheedy had his back to him. So he began spitting all over the ball.

Hudson, becoming anxious to get on with play, ran towards him to get the ball moving and when he was within a couple of yards Sheedy threw the ball directly at him. Hudson ducked then retrieved the ball taking some time to wipe the ball on the turf. Then after a final polish on his jumper proceeded with his shot. Just one point resulted and I think it was later year that we beat Hawthorn into fourth place by the barest of percentage margin and went on to win a premiership. Sheeds’ desperation maybe was the catalyst for our moment of glory in ’69.”

These days Colin Beard is enjoying his retirement, improving his handicap at Royal Fremantle Golf Club, and caravanning with his wife, Caroline.   It’s a long way from the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and the serene surroundings  of Royal Fremantle is a far cry from a grand final crowd of 120,000, but there is no doubt that Colin is contented with his life today.  

 

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