By JARROD POTTER
LYNBROOK Park’s newest resident has quite an amazing story.
Moving into the facility only last month, Ken Feltscheer recently turned 100 and is currently the oldest, living AFL/VFL footballer, after playing for Hawthorn and Melbourne in the ninteen-thirties and forties.
While he wore 22, 18 and 5 as a player, there was a different number emblazoned on the back of a personalised “100” Hawthorn football jumper presented to him by Peter Knights and the club last Tuesday.
“I’ve been amazed really, I thought ’I’ve reached the 100 but I’ll be OK with my friends’ but it’s proved more than that,” Mr Feltscheer said.
“The main person who came down amongst others was Peter Knights and he was one of the greats.
“I always had the thought that I might make it (to 100) because my mother – who had nine children and lived through the Depression years – she made 94 and my older brother Ron made it to 98.”
After making a big impact for Moe – kicking 10 goals on debut – Mr Feltscheer, born 9 June 1915, was scouted by Melbourne Football Club but couldn’t break in to the line-up full of the likes of Ron Baggott and a name most people would recognise, Norm Smith.
“Half way through the fourth year I was playing with the reserves and had the misfortune to dislocate my ankle,” Mr Feltscheer said.
“Melbourne didn’t show me very much interest – I wasn’t one of their star players – but I had an approach from Hawthorn and I really enjoyed my time even more there.”
He played 43 games for Hawthorn between 1937 and 1943 and booted 15 goals in a short but extremely vibrant career, playing alongside champions of the day Bert Mills, Viv Randall, Stan Spinks and one of his personal favourites, Andy Angwin.
But like all good things, the game eventually had to take a backseat.
Supporting his wife Elaine and his four children – Barbara, Kevin, Debbie and Stephen – became more important for him and he farewelled the game in 1943 with his last match a rousing 10-point win for the Mayblooms (the Hawks’ previous moniker) against South Melbourne.
“I got to about 28 or 29 and football didn’t give me all that much financially,” he said.
“I had a position in the railways that meant I should be on hand at all times so I had no alternative – I had to become sensible and become a supporter rather than a player.
“It was a great position in life, for life, because I worked for the Victorian Railways for 47 years and I started off as a junior clerk and ended as the head of the refreshment services branch.”
With half a century on the rail taking him to all points of the train network – that he can still rattle off like clockwork even as he’s “been out of work for 35 years” as Mr Feltscheer puts his retirement – his mind remains crystal clear and vivid memories of sport, work and, above all, his beloved family have never departed him.
“I was part of a wonderful family,” he said.
“There were nine of us children – and I was number four but the older ones looked after the younger ones.
“It’s been a good life and I suppose the outstanding thing – apart from the football – was I had a good position in life and with good wages and we took care of each other.”
Making this milestone is an impressive achievement – with only about 5000 Australians currently reaching their centenary – and Mr Feltscheer puts it down to something simple.
“There’s only one word and that’s moderation – moderation in all things and that’s what I’ve practised.
“One hundred never really became an option until I got to the ninties and it was on the horizon and lo and behold, I’ve arrived.”
