Eddie Marriott is one of the longest serving volunteers at both the Werribee Football Club and Werribee Cricket Club. He chats with Alesha Capone.
How did you become involved with the cricket and football clubs?
I came from Bendigo originally. I left when I was 17, in 1963, to work for the Public Trustees, which is now the State Trustees. I worked there for 40 years and in those days we retired at 55. I used to live in a couple of Melbourne addresses and in 1969, I used to get the train to come home to Werribee. I was walking home past the state school in Pyke Street and I saw a group of people playing cricket. I started talking to them, because I had played football and cricket before including in Golden Square, and I came back the next week. Most of the men were involved in the football club too, so I became involved with that the next year.
You have been involved in most aspects of the clubs?
In 1970, I played with Werribee Football Club in my first year. In that first year, I was the player’s representative on the committee and used to organise all sorts of things. In 1975 I finished as a player and became a selector. I have held most of the positions on the committee and fundraising committee, which organised annual fundraising events like raffles and discos. We would charge people $12 to get in. I used to sell raffle tickets at the Racecourse Hotel, The Bridge Hotel and The Little River Hotel. I still do those kinds of things now. I was made a life member in 1980, then joined the Hall of Fame and then became a Legend. There are only nine legends, so that was pretty exciting. In 1990, I started as a coach’s assistant for eight or 10 years. I also spent some time doing stats, I would sit up in the stands and move the numbers on the board, and all that. As a selector, I would be in the coach’s box and run messages on a walkie-talkie. I also helped set up the Chirnside Cup Coterie Group, with members of sponsors and business owners. We have lunches and raise money for the club, they donate prizes for raffles and events. And with the past players’ group, which is still running now, we would have days out where we would get 100 people or more. With the Werribee Cricket Club, we played two years in a local competition and then joined the Victorian Sub District Cricket Association in 1973-74. I was the first player to play 100 First XI games with the club and was made a life member in 1981. I have been president, vice-president, secretary, everything like that. I am still involved and go to watch the footy and cricket games every week, at least when we can outside of COVID. I was a Sub District delegate for 15-odd years, I would go to the meeting held for representatives every month.
You’re involved with other local organisations too?
I am a trustee of the Werribee Racecourse and Recreation Reserve Committee of Management, that has been for over 20 years now. It was Crown land and the idea came about to help with protection and management of the racecourse. I used to be a board member of the Werribee Plaza Bingo Centre. The football club would run events at Centenary Hall with bingo in the supper-room, it got to 100 people and became too big, so it moved to the Plaza. It went from one or two days a week to running almost every day. I was also a delegate for the Red Cross.
What do enjoy most about your involvement with the football and cricket clubs?
I love being there, I just loved sport. I played basketball too, table tennis at Albert Park and a bit of tennis. I just loved being involved. Werribee Football Club and the Werribee Cricket Club use the same ground, the alignment is terrific. It is a fantastic arrangement, and both clubs do very well out of it. Wyndham council does a great job for both clubs and maintaining the grounds down there.
Has Werribee changed a lot across the years?
When I first came to Werribee, there were only 8000 or 10,000 people, when you went down the street everyone knew everyone. If I went out, I wouldn’t get home for four hours because everyone would stop to say hello. It’s not really like that now, unless I go to the pub or the footy club.
And you also found the love of your life in Werribee?
I married a local girl, Sheryl, in 1976. We have a daughter, Rebecca, she married our son-in-law Brad. Our grandchildren are Harvey, 12, and Ella, seven. I get great enjoyment out of watching them play sport, Harvey is very much into sport. Ella is a good swimmer and gymnast too.
