Footy with Phil

Jimmy Gillespie has thoughtfully drawn my attention to our Class of '67 website. It brought back many memories. Its photo of our rugby union 1st grade side reminded me in particular of Phil McAppion, our phenomenal five-eighth.

Off the field Phil was laidback. On the field, though, he underwent some kind of Jekyll-and Hyde transformation. Our game plan was simple: get the ball to Phil. Once Phil had the pill it was as if a film had been revved up to twice normal speed. He had a dazzling repertoire of feints, dummies and sidesteps. His chip kicks over the opposition invariably bounced just right for a lightening-fast regather and sprint to the line.

Phil McAppion 1967

Geoff Kingston 2007

Our opponents would get desperate. They resorted to vicious gang tackles. They became increasingly less fastidious about niceties such as whether Phil was actually in possession of the ball. He would end up being knocked out cold for minutes at a time.

Nowadays Phil would have been sent to hospital for a compulsory brain scan. Back then, though, we'd merely gather around his prostrate form. Players from both sides would clap respectfully as he rose groggily from the turf. Fortunately, Phil had remarkable powers of recuperation. He would resume piling on the tries, conversions and field goals.

In 1967 we won a lot more games than we lost. Phil, where are you now?

Geoff Kingston

Footnote Tom Stankovich also used to remark on Phil's playing ability calling him the best player he'd ever played with. Phil was equally as good playing Australian Rules football and how I wished he'd been a soccer player! Phil still lives in Canberra, in Chifley, and recently hung up the keys to the taxi he drove for many years. He is still as laidback as Geoff describes. Jim Gillespie

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