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SKAAC History Index
Authors' Preface to 1994 and 2004 Editions
Formation of the Club
The Forties - Rise and Fall
The Fifties - Glory Days
The Early Sixties - Decline and Drift
The Late Sixties and Early Seventies - J D Noonan and Marathons
The Mid to Late Seventies - The Times They are a Change'n
The Forties - Rise and Fall
The Club's initiation into V.A.A Track and Field could not have been more successful as it won the 1944-45 C Grade interclub premiership. Notable performers in that first season were Laurie Kerr (who won the U-17 100 yards title in 10.3 and was 4th in the 220 yards), Camilus Hayes and Geoff Griffiths. The Club's 4x110 yards relay team finished 3rd in the curtailed Victorian Senior Championships of that season.
With the Success of its first season under its belt the Club moved into B Grade after its 1944-45 premiership and introduced a second team. Clearances had by season 1945-46 been gained for Len Drummond, Tom O'Donnell and John Stoney. The return of ex-servicemen to athletic competitions with the end of the war bolstered the standards of the initial season and B Grade proved tough going with the team finishing 8th. The second team was more successful and lost its semi-final 56 to 27 points to finish 4th. Good and consistent performers were Tom O'Donnell (1 mile), Geoff and Basil Higham (all rounders), Camilus Hayes (880 yards, 1 mile), Ken Jolly (sprints & Hurdles) and John Hutton (sprints).
From the end of World War II until the early 1960's, all interclub competition was held at Olympic Park with Club's sorted into Grades from A to H. Competition was staged on both the number one ground and the number two ground, which is now the Greyhound track. Lower graded teams competed on the number two ground while higher graded teams competed on the number one ground. The Grades were restricted to twelve teams and the top four teams contested two semi-finals with the winning semi-finalists contesting a Grand Final. The bottom two teams relegated and the two Grand Finalists promoted.
By the Club's third season, 1946-47, interest had begun to wane and the ranks of the Club had steadily decreased. Study and family commitments had gradually led to many of the early foundation members to retire from the sport. The Club finished last in B Grade with the only highlight being John Douglas' performances in the Victorian titles where he finished 2nd in the U-19 880 yards in 2:02.3 and 4th in the mile.
The good sprint team, on which the Club's foundation and strength had initially been based, had gone and the field games relied too heavily upon Reg Carr who was in his first year of athletics.
Although back in C Grade for seasons 1947-48, the Club had regained some of the keenness of earlier years. Good performances were rendered by Reg Carr (field games), John Douglas (880 yards and Mile), Jack Baker and Len Drummond (Sprints), and Basil Higham (High Jump). Despite this enthusiasm, the Club finished 12th and last in its Grade and was relegated for the second consecutive year. John Douglas again provided the season's highlight with his performances in the Victorian U-19 Championships. He was 2nd in the Mile and 3rd in the 880 yards. Although 3rd in the 880 yards, he was the first Victorian to finish and therefore the Club's first ever Victorian Champion.
The 1948-49 season saw an influx of newer members from the College in Hilary Jolly, Keith Lodge and Leo FitzGerald, while Bernard Tilley had taken over as Treasurer. Although the Club finished a respectable 6th in D Grade, at season's end a reorganisation of teams found St Kevin's regraded in E Grade for 1949-50. Although it would appear the Club had been on a progressive nose dive during the preceding three seasons, there had been a gradual recruitment of talented athletes and enthusiastic members during these seasons. Many of the Club's famous names of the 1950's were to have their start with St Kevin's during these seemingly disappointing years.