The Hawks Museum recently received a guernsey worn by the late Roy Simmonds, donated by his life-long friend Max Thomson.
This wonderful donation to the Club collection by Max will gladden the hearts of so many Hawks supporters when it is placed on display in recognizing Roy’s outstanding achievements for his beloved Hawks.
In 1950, two young players from Koondrook decided to have a go at playing VFL football with Hawthorn their destination. Roy decided to stay and try his luck, his mate, Max preferred the quieter country life and returned home.
Max played local football for many years and forged a career as a successful window designer gaining an outstanding reputation as an artist painting exquisite hand painted neckties.
On a trip back home to meet old friends in 1958, Roy gave one of his guernseys to Max who hung it in the laundry with his son, Gavan wearing it in later years as a training guernsey.
During the recent school holidays Gavan Thomson with his daughter visited the Hawks Museum and asked about any displays of Roy Simmonds.
He then went on to divulge that his dad had a Simmonds guernsey and if his dad was agreeable he would donate it to the Club.
Come August, the Hawks Museum welcomed Gavan, his parents Max and Thelma Thomson who in-turn were introduced to Roy Simmonds’ wife Lesley and daughter Kerry.
Simmo’s great mates John and Dulcie Kennedy and John and Noel O’Mahony were on-hand to assist with the presentation of the guernsey and to meet again Simmo’s mates from Cohuna days, Max and Thelma.
Roy Simmonds 1950 - 1961 games 192, goals 78, played with equal effectiveness as a centre-man, rover or in the back pocket. He was fast and strong and came through hard with inspiring dashes that lifted the team. His record in the Club’s Best and Fairest awards underlines how good a player he was, from 1951 to 1957 he gained a top three place each year, he won in 1956 came second 1952, 1954 and third 1953, 1955 and 1957.
Only Leigh Matthews and Michael Tuck have a better record for consistency at this level. Injury robbed him a place in the Club’s first Premiership in 1961. He coached the Reserve 18 to a Premiership in 1972 and was Chairman of the Match Committee for the senior 1971 Premiership.
One of the Club’s greatest men, he was renowned for leading the singing of many renditions of the Club song on banjo. He was named in the HFC Team of the Century in 2001 and for many years was observed at training every week along side his two mates Bones and Kanga.
Peter Haby
Hawks Museum
The hand-painted Roy Simmonds tie from 1951.
