Hawthorn’s Ken Feltscheer is the oldest living former VFL/AFL player. Ken turned 100 on Tuesday June 9, 2015. A few days later Premiership great Peter Knights and Museum Curator Peter Haby presented Ken with a Hawks guernsey numbered 100 in recognition of his milestone birthday. Also in attendance were Ken’s daughter, Barbara McDougall and Chris Eastman from Leader Newspapers.
As a young boy, Feltcheer initially played football with Neerim South as a full-forward. He used his speed to his advantage, kicking 10 goals in one game. This feat attracted the attention of Moe, a Club who played in a stronger competition. Feltcheer enjoyed this challenge and continued to kick big tallies of goals. His impressive form saw him receive an invitation to try out with the Melbourne Football Club. In 1934 he was recruited to Melbourne where he played four games during the 1935-36 seasons. He played mainly in the Seconds and was a member of the 1934 and 1935 Premierships at that level. He has fond memories of his Seconds coach, ‘Bull’ Adams.
Feltscheer injured his ankle in a Seconds game against Richmond, pre-empting a move to Hawthorn at the start of 1937. He played 43 games for Hawthorn, mainly on the wing or half-forward flank and wore the number 18 guernsey. He stated that he was glad he had moved to Hawthorn despite the lack of success. He emphasized how much he has enjoyed watching the team’s success from 1961.
Feltscheer has a unique record at Hawthorn. He was a Maybloom when he played his second last game in Round 11, 1940 against Collingwood. His next, and last game against South Melbourne in Round 5, 1943, was as a Hawk.
He had a very good job as a clerk with the Victorian Railways. With the advent of World War 2, he found himself deemed to be an essential worker. He was stationed in country Victoria, making a VFL football career virtually impossible.
Until recently, Feltscheer lived at home. He now resides at Lynbrook Park Retirement Home where the various wings are named for Hawthorn Premiership coaches John Kennedy Snr., David Parkin, Allan Jeans, Alan Joyce and Alastair Clarkson. He has remained a staunch Hawk fan and he amazed Knights and Haby with his clear recollections from his early playing days through to when Peter Knights himself played and to the current successes of the back-to-back premierships. He named Stan Spinks, Bert Mills, Andy Angwin, Jack King, Alec Albiston, John Peck, Don Scott, John Platten, Darrin Pritchard, Jordan Lewis and Luke Hodge as some of his favorites.
As we departed, Ken, with a glint in his eye, remarked that he was off to lunch and was looking forward to showing his new friends at the Home his number 100 guernsey.
