Manning Rippers Junior History - Story by Kevin Davies

The first team formed was an U/16 team.  When we first met at least half of the new team had never played football, So the coach had to start from scratch to teach the team how to kick, handball and mark a football.  Needless to say, that in the first year we were far from being competitive but our coach, Ernie Graham, an ex South Fremantle footballer, persevered.  At that time James Miller Oval was still under development so we played our games at Como Reserve, Comer Street, Como.

Two games I remember were against Victoria Park and East Victoria Park which even as juniors were very competent players. One score in those games was 29 goals to one solitary point and the other was 32 goals but we did score one goal in that game.

Another game that comes to mind was against Clontarf Boys Home. The reason I remember these games is in the first instance the Brothers drove two busloads of kids to play and watch the game. I was playing fullback at the time and the Clontarf kids stood behind the goals so when I was kicking out from a point score they were screaming so loudly it was almost deafening and very hard to concentrate on the kickout.

The other Clontarf game was at the Boys Home. The oval was on the river flats and was soggy wet on the day we played. But not only that they used to graze their cattle on the oval during the week and right up to the game. You can imagine how sloppy cow droppings littered the ground and how it affected our play. But the Clontarf boys were not allowed to slacken off because of the conditions and needless to say easily beat us.

After two years the club started an U/18 team and this was the first year we won a game. Not only that we beat the team that became premiers that year, South Perth.  About this time the Club started a pee wee competition for kids under 12 years old, (I think). Anyway, there was enough kids that enrolled that at least four teams were formed within the club. Hence the success that the club was able to enjoy for a large number of years following.

Some of the kids that I can remember being in the inaugural team are as follows

Mick Bartels
Wayne Courtney  
Peter Watkinson  
Brian Fitzgerald  
Alan East
Peter Bush
Ray Mills
Mike Healy
Ted Gettinby
Trevor Rowe
Brian Thompson
Jerry Murton
George Pickering
Kevin Davies

Ray Mills went on to play for Perth Football Club and was also selected in the State WAFL team for an interstate carnival