General News
16 December, 2025
Good things do come in small packages with Brian Lennen
Maryborough local Brian Lennen recalls the sporting career of a past player.
Greg Williams (the boy from Bendigo) was a dual Brownlow Medallist and also a tough and physical player.
A young Jamie Elliott was put on Williams and successfully negated his play.
On a rare occasion he was frustrated.
Those of us who had seen Jamie as a schoolboy at the highest level in Little Athletics weren’t surprised.
He gave hope to the “success starved” Fitzroy supporters.
Apart from being at the contest, he negated Williams by blocking his left arm.
Jamie was a great contributor to the team and I believe would have been a future captain if he had remained.
Jamie had inherited the skills passed on from his father, Colin (Snowy) Elliott, and his mother Shirley.
In short stints at Richmond and St Kilda, injury curtailed his playing days. I shall detail his coaching achievements later.
Colin Elliott had a long and distinguished sporting career.
Despite being only five feet two, he was solidly built and although not being blisteringly fast he was beautifully balanced, rarely fumbled and was tough. He was never beaten.
His first coach at Rovers was Norm Sing who left a lasting impression on the young Snowy.
He stood out with his brilliant play over 251 games at Rovers, winning multiple best and fairest and goal kicking.
In 1978 under Dick Zimmer he starred in their premiership. He praised the efforts of Pat Kirk and Max (Harpo) Thomas who kept the club alive.
In an amazing taste of major league country football, he played 16 games only with Maryborough and won the league best and fairest (the Henderson Medal).
He represented the district league in inter-town matches.
The legendary Bob Allison advised Snowy not to back into a pack.
A measure of his regard among his opponents was that he won the Maffescioni Award three times. The votes were awarded after each match by the opposition.
Shane (Wacko) Weekes and Peter Doble can attest to his toughness having been “ironed out” by him.
Snowy worked for 23 years at the Knitting Mill and 20 years at Ricky Dawson’s Centre State Printing.
Snowy had an equally distinguished career as a cricketer.
As a 16-year-old he scored a senior grade century at Bealiba.
He was a key player in MKM’s era of dominance where they won nine premierships.
He had a batting average of above 30, took over 200 wickets, held more than 200 catches and twice won the batting and bowling averages. His highest score was 168.
A highlight was selection in the regional representative side led by Graeme Hannan which played Sri Lanka at Princes Park.
He was also selected to play against Victoria but unfortunately the game was washed out.
Jamie, an accomplished cricketer, scored centuries in his last two innings with MKM.
Shirley was a distinguished athlete in her own right. She, like her daughter Raquel, excelled at netball, basketball and softball.
At the Little Athletics she dominated the mothers’ sprint spread-eagling the field.
Jamie, like another former VFL/AFL footballer Brendon Tranter, was an outstanding middle distance athlete.
Jamie was forced to retire due to injury from the AFL where he played only 58 games. At the age of 23 he retired in 1996.
A measure of his quality was that he finished fourth to Alistair Lynch in Fitzroy’s best and fairest, playing only 14 games.
In his two years coaching Castlemaine, he had a juvenile Dustin Martin under his wing.
Four years at Darley Football Club saw them playing in three preliminary finals.
Sadly Maryborough Football Netball Club is in recess, let’s hope it can resurge.