CURRIE FOOTBALL CLUB -100 YEARS

       BOB BELL HONOUR BOARD

The Currie Football Club Best and Fairest award is named after Mr Bob Bell and is in recognition of his contribution to the Club.

Bob Bell personified the passion and the commitment that underlined his and his families contribution to this club over more than half a century.

In addition to Bob’s personal contribution, his five sons have also given great service to the club as both players and committee men.

Bob, Max, Ken and Doug are all life members of the club and Doug Bell unveiled the Bob Bell Medal Honour Board for the Currie Football Clubs Best and Fairest at the 100 year centenary celebrations in 2010.

CFNC History

The Currie football Club played its first game in 1904. Three players that are known to have taken part in this game are brothers Mr E W Morrison and Mr W R Morrison along with Mr D Scott who is a distant relative of Mr Geoff Scott who still resides on the Island today.

Mr Ern Morrison was the founding Father of King Island Football and was a benefactor to the Currie Football Club and King Island football in general for almost half a century. Ern played for the Currie Team for a quarter of a century, with the exception of a year with the Rovers in 1915 when he and his brother  Watty switched sides to help provide competition . With the exception of 1915 Watty Morrison also played for Currie from 1904 to 1932, when at the age of 47  he  married . Both the Morrison brothers were consistently among the best players for Currie, as reported in the press of the day. During this period and towards the end of Erns playing days he also took the field with three of his sons, Coad,Don & Len. Other names notable in the early years of The Currie Football Club and in Island history in general were Mr F Woods, Mr G P Huxley, M r R H Hooper, Mr H Denny, Mr E Percy and Mr Perc Sullivan, whose son Mr Jim Sullivan still resides in Currie. During this time Currie won 11 Premierships.

In 1922 while still playing and possibly as coach Ern Morrison also became the Club President, a position he was to hold consecutively for the next 26 years, at which stage he requested to be stood down. This wish was acceded to, but his involvement still continued in an official capacity, as Vice President for the next seven years. Overall, through Ern’s term of involvement the Currie Team won a total of 19 Premierships.Ern Morrison was one of the KIFA’s first Life Members in 1947 and became Currie Football Clubs first Life Member when he was honoured with that award in 1949.

A member of the 1921 Currie team was Mr L Johnstone who was the Association leading goal kicker for that year, and this was to start a long family association with the Club.

In the years after WW2 his son Rignald Johnstone was the preeminent full forward of the competition.In 1946 Rig began his run of goalkicking with a relatively low 27 goals.  In eight of the next ten years Rig was Curries leading goal scorer with a high in 1952 of 92 goals. An Association record in senior competition which stands to this day and is unlikely to be surpassed. Rig kicked 486 goals in ten years of play and what makes this achievement all the more remarkable is the fact that Rig did not always play in the full forward position.

In 1950 Rig tied for the Currie Clubs Best & Fairest with D Butler. Rig’s son Barry also won Currie’s Bob Bell Medal for Best & Fairest, as it was known by then, in 1976 and his Grandsons Alex and Shane also played with the Robins

Rig continued his involvement with the club in an official capacity after his playing days and  the Currie Club’s, senior goal  kicking award is named in his honour .In 2009 the King Island Football Association’s leading goal kicking award was also named The Rig Johnstone Trophy in recognition of his achievements. Rig’s long term service to the Club was also recognised with Life Membership of the Club.

A former Currie Junior player also holds the goal kicking record for the junior competition. In 1969 the Currie juniors went through the season undefeated, lead by an outstanding performance by full forward Stewart Ransley. Stewart managed to kick the first “ton” of goals by a King Island player when he kicked 106 goals for the season. A record which also stands to this day. Stewart also won the Association and Club Best & Fairest awards in this year. The “ton” has only been passed on one other occasion, also by a junior player in 1971 when Glen Summers kicked 101 goals for the North Juniors.

In 1960 Noel Atkins took up a position as headmaster at the High School and The Currie club were fortunate to gain his services as Senior Coach for that year. Noel has been acknowledged to have been one of the finest players to take the field in Tasmania. Noel’s influence and guidance was certainly a factor over the next few years as Currie went on to win four of the next five Premierships. Noel was officially coach in only the 1960 win but two teaching protégés in Peter Hiller and Lance Winter benefited from his experience in the 1962 and 1963 wins. The style of play instigated and encouraged by Noel was also continued in 1964 by Max Ray when he coached the Robins to those years Flag.

Through these years Ern Morrison’s grandson Roger began his senior playing career for the Robins. In 1964 Roger was the Club Best & Fairest in the Flag team coached by Max Ray and containing other notable players for Currie such as T Nicolls W Stellmaker, H Wischnat, K Bell, P Bowling and the smith brothers Geoff and Tony. In 1967 Roger took over the reins as Senior Coach and continued the family tradition of success by leading the team to the next two premierships over the old foe North. Roger continued to play after coaching and was a member of the 1972 side coached by Roger Power which kicked Curries highest winning Grand Final score of 25-29-179 to Norths 15-9-99. Roger continued to serve the Club post playing days and is a past President, Secretary/Treasurer and committee man. Roger’s service has also been recognised with Life Membership of the Club.

Another well known Currie stalwart arrived on King Island in 1971 and was involved as both a player and official over the next 30 years. Ian Styles won The Club Best & Fairest in his second season with Currie in 1972’s flag season, was Runner Up in 1972 and 1973 and was then winner again in the 1975 Premiership season. Ian was again Runner Up in 1976 equal with Shane Williams, whose family also has a long history with the Club. In the dramatic and narrow 3 point victory over North in 1977’s Grand Final Ian was Curries Best on Ground. Currie hadn’t defeated North all season and went into the game with injuries to key players Robert Brown and Craig Thorn. Thorn was considered a big loss as he was an outstanding Best on Ground in the Clubs 1975 Premiership.Those who remember the game recall Styles never say die attitude and determination to win the day. Playing in the Ruck, a position he was considered small for, Ian helped carry the day for Currie in a tense finish.

Ian Styles coached the Currie side in 1979 and 1980, taking a Flag for the side in his second year. Ian continued as a committeeman and served as President from 1986 to 1991 and has also been recognized with Life Membership.

The player that finished in front of Ian for the 1972 Club Best & Fairest was Russell Vokes who that year began a distinguished involvement in King Island Football, coaching all three sides to Premierships over the next 30 years.Firstly with Grassy and North and then back to the Club he began with.

Russell first coached Currie in 1987 and then won a flag in 1988, before taking a break until again taking up the challenge in 1994 1995 and 1996. Russell is Currie’s last successful Premiership coach winning Flags in both 95 and 96. He again took the job in 1998 when a coach could not be found and in that year was made a Life Member of the Club.

The Year 2010 marks slightly more than a century of involvement in King Island Football by the Currie Football Club and these are just some of the outstanding characters and contributors to our rich history over that period of time.

It is hoped that this history will be further added to over the coming months leading to the Celebration weekend on July 31st this year.

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