SPORT
HARPO’ s MARKS
Caught up for a few drinks with a few old schoolmates, and during our rambling reminisces, it was revealed that I was the only one who had his number come up in the National Service Lottery.
‘ Twas back in June, 1972 when I began my stellar career as a national serviceman.
Previously, the only thing I had won in a raffle was a dish drainer, which I proudly presented to my mum.
The fellas, a couple of whom I hadn’ t seen for many years, asked me about my time in the army.
Which I did... and in doing so, it gave me the idea for this column!
As many of you are aware, the second National Service scheme ran between 1964-72 – it required 20-year-old males, if selected by birthday ballot, to serve two years in the army, followed by three years in the Army Reserve.
As I was in the middle of my journalism cadetship at the Daily Mirror, I was exempted until I completed my three-year term.
However, in June, 1972, out of the( not-so) lucky barrel comes July 13 and I’ m off to the army.
Prior to being inducted into the army,
I had to undergo a doctor’ s physical in his surgery somewhere in Kings Cross. For an hour or so before my appointment, a few colleagues and I downed a couple of schooners at The Clock Hotel in Surry Hills.
So, the doctor asks many questions, checks all my joints and then hands me a little vial and tells me to produce a urine sample.
I asked him to point me in the direction of the toilet, but he told me to go into a corner and produce the goods.
Produce the goods! Well, I did, quickly filling the vial but there was no“ stop” button with all those schooners aboard so operating on the premise that out of sight is out of mind, I tucked myself back into my undies and trousers.
I handed in the vial, bid farewell, and with hands covering my groin, I raced back to my car and headed home for a shower.
Fast forward four weeks later, I board one of several buses with my fellow recruits and we’ re off to Singleton Army Barracks for three months’ basic training.
Now, a week or so before that, I had a drink( with a toilet nearby!) with Phil Davis, a former hot-shot Daily Mirror
Barrier with RiseTONY BRASSEL
GOLDEN MILE continues to thrive this campaign and there was a lot to like about his slashing second in W’ Farm 1175m trial on May 22.
NIGHT SKY and SOUTH OF INDIA finished second and third respectively in 740m trial at W’ Farm on May 22. Both were under a stranglehold down the running.
ANGEL CAPITAL should be heading up to Brisbane for a winter campaign and will be one to watch. Was never put under any pressure in winning 740m trial at W’ Farm on May 22.
GATEKEEPER has sported silks for to get the bikkies at Canterbury in January. Had second trial this time in
and was never pressured at any stage when strong finishing 5 th in 740m trial at W’ Farm May 22.
JUST AWESOME is an unraced Written Tycoon 2YO colt out of the Blake Ryan yard. Not knocked about but still finished powerfully to win 740m W’ Farm trial on May 22. reporter who was up from Canberra where he was press secretary to Phillip Lynch, the Minister for the Army.
“ Harpo, make sure you get into the football platoon – you will do minimal drills because, lemme tell ya, there’ ll be plenty of it and it’ ll send you batty,” Phil warned.
Well, the buses arrived at Singleton Army Barracks – the army timed it so that buses from all over NSW and as far north as Townsville arrived at the same time. The first order any of us received on exiting the buses was shouted by a sergeant:“ Those of you who have played rugby league or rugby union go into that Nissen hut”.
There were about 600 exiting the buses and half of those jammed into the hut where we were given a pencil and a piece of paper and told to write out our playing position( s) and careers in footy. I was confident that I would be among the 45 recruits selected for the footy platoon.
On my scrap of paper, I reported that I was a member of Penrith’ s first Under 17 Jersey Flegg representative team in 1966, played A Grade with Riverstone in 1969 and I ran on in four Third Grade matches for the Panthers in early 1970.
My career with the Panthers could have continued, but because I was playing on weekends, my sports editor, the great“ Sitting” Pat Farrell, reminded me I was a sports reporter, and sports had to be covered on weekends.
“ What’ s it to be, you wanna be a reporter or a football player,” Pat said. I took the hint! Anyway, back to Singleton. Well, the following morning before the Football Platoon was announced the 600 Nashos went through a tedious twohour drill session – marching this way, that way, standing still, about facing, blah blah blah.
So, you can imagine I was overjoyed later that morning when my name was read out as a member of the Football Platoon.
The army could stick drills where the sun don’ t shine.
Over the following two days we visited the barber for a short-back-andsides, were measured for our uniforms and underwent a further medical examination – much more stringent than that delivered by the doctor back at the Cross!
Which brings us to Saturday when trial matches were arranged on base between the Nashos and Singleton Rugby Club.
Our coach, a regular army captain, explained that he had selected first and second grade teams going by what we players had written on those pieces of paper.
Well, you can imagine I was surprised when I was named fullback in the seconds!
I had written that I could play any position in the backline, so methinks“ crikey, I could’ ve been slotted in anywhere so there must be plenty of talent ahead of me”.
Not urinating in my own pocket( aaah, memories of the Cross again), I went out and over the ensuing 80 minutes played strongly – nah, I was the best player on the paddock!
Our coach was impressed and asked me to sit on the reserves bench for the first-grade match.
Where I watched seven of the Nashos put in performances which not just got them demoted to reserves but sent packing from the Footy Platoon.
Our coach whispered to me at game’ s end,“ well, we just had to trust that everyone would be honest in their assessment of their playing ability”.
Still, you gotta admire those poor desperates for having a real dig!
My career as a national serviceman ended when Gough Whitlam’ s Labor Party won the following December’ s Federal election and he abolished the National Service scheme. God bless you, oh great man!
LOW MARKS: I cannot stop sniggling whenever a rugby league commentator, goes bananas when a defender makes a scything tackle around the ball carrier’ s legs. Now what was the first rule we were told when we began playing the game?“ They can’ t run without legs”. Bah humbug!
THE HILLS INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine. com. au ISSUE 120 // JUNE 2025 25