Box Hill Launch Hall of Fame
Founded in 1936 and boasting a storied and proud history, the Box Hill Football Club is delighted to formally unveil its Hall of Fame and, with it, a first class of inductees.
A minimum qualification for admission to the Hall of Fame was established as life membership of the Club or 75 games as a player or coach.
Further, the selection committee determined it would attempt to best represent all aspects of the Club, equally recognising players, coaches, committee members and administrators wherever possible.
2022’s inaugural class of inductees will number 21, with a further nine to be elevated come 2023.
The Box Hill Hawks are delighted to recognise the outstanding contributions of the following names, each of whom have left their own indelible mark on the football club.
John Baker
Player 1966-1976
(Games 155, Goals 87)
Club Champion 1970, Life Member 1974, Team of the Century
Club Champion in the year Box Hill made its first VFA Grand Final, a member of the Mustangs’ Team of the Century and unquestionably the Club’s finest ruckman of the 20th century.
Known for his deft palming to his rovers below and an ability to impact the game as a target forward or strong mark behind the ball, “Ox” Baker tirelessly served the Club for a decade.
Cr. W.L. “Lang” Bassett J.P.
Club President 1947-1952; Management Committee 1945-1953
Life Member 1953
A one-time Mayor of the City of Box Hill, “Lang” Bassett is regarded as the father of and driving force behind the Club joining the VFA, with his presidency spanning the period immediately before and after Box Hill’s admission to the competition.
Crucially, Bassett worked closely with the Council to carry out works on Box Hill City Oval necessary to meet VFA standards at the time.
Ian Bates
Player 1959-1969
(165, 153)
Club Champion 1966; Life Member 1968; Team of the Century
Third among all Box Hill players for games played, the under-sized, slender, yet lionhearted key-forward starred in the brown and gold for a decade.
Known for his strong marking ability and deadly left foot, Bates is a Club Champion, Life Member and features in our Team of the Century.
Geoff Bryant
Player 1964-1968; 1972-1976
(147, 194)
Coach 1975
Club Champion 1968, 1973, 1975; Leading Goalkicker 1966, 1968; Club Captain 1974-1976; F. Gomez Medallist 1964; J. Field Medallist 1973, 1975; Life Member 1974, Team of the Century
There are few things “Joffa” Bryant didn’t accomplish in a Box Hill Guernsey.
Either side of a three year stint at North Melbourne, Bryant’s achievements and accolades in brown and gold speak for themselves: former captain, one-time coach, a three-time Club Champion and twice named the competition’s best player.
He is, by almost unanimous acclaim, Box Hill’s finest ever player.
Brian Coghlan
Player 1951-1957
(42, 45)
Coach 1968
Club President 1972-1974
Leading Goalkicker 1952; Life Member 1960
Brian Coghlan’s Box Hill story is distinct.
During his near three decades at City Oval Coghlan roved to Brownlow Medallist Bill Morris, topped the Club’s goal kicking, acted as playing-coach of the reserves and, while coaching the seniors, inspired the brown and gold’s most enduring moniker, when he implored his charges to “play like wild horses – like fiery mustangs.”
He also claims a singularly unique trifecta, being the only person to have played a senior game, coached the senior side and been President.
While President his tireless efforts in the early 1970s almost certainly ensured the Club avoided collapse.
Bruce Craig
Player 1956-1963
(146, 36)
Club Champion 1957, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963; Team of the Century
In his eight seasons at Box Hill “The Buzzard” claimed a remarkable five Club Champion awards – a record to this day.
A strong marking, long kicking centre half back, Craig plied his trade during the Club’s earliest forays in the VFA, playing a key role in the Club’s first two finals appearances in 1956 and 1958.
Stewart Fraser
Club Secretary 1948-1962
Assistant Secretary 1947; 1963-1965
Social Committee 1958-1967
Life Member
Undoubtably the doyen of Box Hill administrators, Stewart Fraser’s active involvement with the Club spanned four decades, including a record 15-years as Club Secretary.
Renowned for his efficiency and shrewdness in recruiting, he was a key figure in the Club’s rise through the VFA ranks.
His wife Martha and Son Malcolm are also Life Members.
Martha Fraser
President Ladies Committee 1949-1950
Secretary Social Committee 1951-1963
Social Committee 1964-1966
President Social Committee 1967-1968
Life Member
Martha Fraser founded the Ladies Committee in 1949, which two years later evolved into the Social Committee – entities she served on or lead for two decades.
During the 1950s the activities of the Social Committee accounted for as much as half of the Club’s total annual income – lead in large part by the success of the Saturday night dance the Club hosted at the Town Hall.
In 1952 Martha became the first woman to receive Life Member status, before continuing her significant contributions to the Club for a further 16-years.
J.R “Ron” Gibbs
General Committee 1936-2002
Life Member; Life Member VFA Thirds; Life Member VFA
A Founding member of the Club’s first committee in 1936, Ron Gibbs served the Box Hill Football Club until his passing in 2002.
While the Club never formed a committee he wasn’t a part of, there was no role too big or too small for Ron. At various stages he was the Vice-President, Ground Manager, Membership Secretary and Timekeeper; all while serving as a member of the Social, Bingo and General Committees.
Barbara Gibbs
General Committee 1951-2006
Life Member; Life Member VFA Thirds; Life Member VFA
Barbara Gibbs joined the Social Committee when Box Hill joined the VFA in 1951 and continued to serve the Club until 2006.
A member of the Social, Bingo and General Committees alongside her husband, Barbara and Ron’s combined service to the football club tallies 122 years.
In 1993 Barbara and Ron were awarded “Lifetime Committee Privileges” in recognition of reaching 100 years of combined service; in 2007 the new admission gates on Whitehorse Road were named in their honour.
Bob Green
Player 1947-1950 (Eastern Suburban Football League), 1951-1957 (VFA)
(73 ESFL games, 116 VFA Games; 61 VFA Goals)
Club Champion 1948, 1951; Life Member
A small in stature but lionhearted centreman, Bob Green was the first in a long line of brilliant on-ballers to represent Box Hill.
Our first-ever VFA Club Champion and the first man to reach 100 senior VFA games, Green’s excellence and longevity across two eras of the football club marks him as a worthy hall of famer.
Fred Linden
Player 1936-1940; 1945-1946
(115 games)
Club Champion 1938; Premiership Player 1939, 1945, 1946; Life Member
One of Box Hill’s very best players from the ESFL era, Fred Linden was the first man to reach 100 games for Box Hill, the only man to play in all three of our premierships in that era and the first person to be awarded Life Membership of the football club.
A skilful on-baller who could also drift forward to dangerous effect, Linden is credited with one Club Champion award – though, with records from this era incomplete it’s likely he won more.
David Mirra
Player 2010-2019
(155, 17)
Club Champion 2016, 2019; Club Captain 2014-2017; Premiership Player 2013, 2018; Life Member; Norm Goss Medallist 2018; Box Hill Hawks “All Stars” Captain 2019
Undoubtably the Club’s champion player of the 21st century, “Miz” was a star of the Box Hill’s most successful VFA/VFL era.
A two-time premiership player, 2013 Premiership Captain, four-time Team of the Year selection and three time VFL representative player, in 2019 Mirra became the first man in 35 years to play 150 games for Box Hill. More, no man has lead Box Hill into battle as captain more often than “Miz.”
Defined by his peerless leadership and outstanding contributions on and off-field, Mirra is universally admired and acclaimed by both VFL and AFL sides of the Hawks alignment.
After being drafted to Hawthorn in 2017 Mirra played 11 games at AFL level, before being named as Captain of the Box Hill Hawks “All-Stars” team in 2019.
Peter Nicholson
Player 1983-1990
(142, 279)
Club Champion 1983, 1984, 1987; Leading Goalkicker 1985; Premiership Player 1984, 1986; J. Field Medallist 1984, Life Member; Team of the Century
A dual premiership player and triple Club Champion, no one better exemplified the brash confidence of the previously success starved but up-and-running Mustangs of the mid-80s.
Nicholson’s hard-running and appetite for goal typified the 16-a-side spectacle that was the VFA of the era and his durability was underscored by a record 95 consecutive games for the Club.
His 1984 season, in which he kicked 78 goals, was named Club Champion, played in a premiership and was awarded best afield on Grand Final day stands as arguably the single greatest season by a Box Hill player.
Tony Pinwill
Club President 2000-2002; 2011-2018
Life Member; Life Member VFL
Box Hill’s “Premiership President,” Pinwill is the only man to have been in the post to see the Hawks salute in September.
The first President of the Box Hill Hawks, he lead the Club for two terms and is one of only two Presidents to have served over a decade in the role.
He was a key figure in the establishment of the Hawthorn-Box Hill alignment and a principle figure in that partnership becoming as strong and successful as it remains.
Reg Shineberg
President 1963-1969
General Committee 1951-1952
Management Committee 1953-1969
Match Committee 1952-1961
VFA Delegate 1956-1969
Life Member; Life Member VFA
Remembered affectionately as a passionate and outspoken President of the Club, Shineberg’s active involvement with Box Hill spanned two decades.
He joined the committee in 1951, the same year the Club won admission to the VFA, and was Chairman of the Match Committee and a selector for a decade.
An enthusiastic supporter of the Club’s on-field endeavours, he also served as Team Manager of the Reserves and Thirds in the early 1970s, before going on to receive Life Membership of the VFA for his contributions to the competition as a delegate and Club President.
Keith Ralph
Player 1966-1975, 1977-1980
(149, 81)
Club Champion 1972; Leading Goalkicker 1978; Club Captain 1973, 1978-1979; General Manager 1981-1985; Life Member
A product of the Box Hill development pathway, Keith Ralph represented the Mustangs across a Club-record 14 seasons.
His early days in the senior set-up saw him ply his trade on a back flank, where his strong marking ability was complemented by his booming right boot.
Later on he would move forward, where despite standing just 5’11” his grit and determination defined the Box Hill spirit during lean times on-field.
He became the Club’s first full-time General Manager upon his retirement, spearheading several crucial initiatives that both balanced the books and laid the foundation from which Box Hill claimed premierships in 1984 and, ultimately, 1986.
Keith’s parents, Keith Snr and Grace, and Brother Jim are also Life Members.
John Ure
Club President 2003-2010
Treasurer 1989-1994; 1996-2002
Director 1989-2011; 2018-
Life Member; A.G Dillon Award for Outstanding Service to Victorian Football; Life Member VFL; Life Member Hawthorn Football Club
John Ure saw his first Box Hill game as an eleven-year-old back in 1976.
His service to the football club covers five decades and a number of crucial off-field roles; from an eight-year stint as President to a record 12-years as Club Treasurer.
He was a founding Director of the Box Hill Hawks and an integral part of the process that brought that alignment to life.
As Club Historian, he has published several works on the history of the Box Hill Football Club.
Keith White
Player 1956-1967
(171, 114)
Life Member; Team of the Century
Recruited from Hawthorn, Keith White was an instant success on the Box Hill City Oval wing.
He was a key figure in the Club’s earliest September forays in the VFL and finished second in the J.J. Liston Trophy win 1957.
His attributes were further enhanced when the VFA moved to 16-a-side in 1959, where his pace, clean ball use and clever movement were deployed on ball and across half-forward.
He retired at the conclusion of the 1967 season, just nine games shy of the Club’s games record.
Jack Wright
Player 1951-1960
(180, 33)
Life Member; Team of the Century
Wright made his debut for Box Hill in round nine of 1951. He would go on to play 180 of the Club’s next 191 games, a games record that stands unmatched to this day.
He initially played as a rover, before establishing himself as a stoic and reliable back pocket in a defensive unit which included fellow Team of the Century players Bruce Craig, Ron Irvine and Colin Love.
John Zigouras
President 1975-1979; 1981-1985; 1988-1994
Life Member; Life Member VFA
John Zigouras served as Box Hill’s President on three occasions, totalling a Club-record 17 years in the post.
A beacon of hope and tireless advocate for the Club during years of struggle, his second stint began in extraordinary circumstances: at a General Meeting where a vote to disband the Club had been put to the members.
Re-instated, Zigouras immediately implemented several administrative reforms and forged the plan which saw the Club claim its first-ever VFA Premiership in 1984.
The board, staff, players and volunteers of the Box Hill Hawks congratulate the Club’s inaugural 21 inductees.
