From the files of the late Jack Lee.
Those who saw the
legendary " Bub " Jarvis play in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s were
so enamoured of his unique brilliance in the centre half - back
position that they said no-one in football would ever be his equal.
Perhaps it is true, but when Doug Green came along in 1970 there were
some doubts.
Superb ball - handling and his ability to burst out
of a pack were unique features of Jarvis’s performances, but Green,
because of his height and high marking achievements, was able to issue
a serious challenge to his predecessor’s right to top place.
Like
Jarvis, Green was a unanimous choice for a place on the half-back line
in our Team of the Century but the selectors probably thought that the
explosive nature of Jarvis’s dashes from defence to attack made him
best suited to the central position on the line.
Green came to
East Fremantle in 1970 and he grew in stature so quickly that in 1973
he won the Lynn Medal, closely followed in the voting by David Hollins,
Graham Melrose and Brian Peake, all of whom became Sandover Medallists
in the years ahead.
Like Jarvis, who has always been regarded as
the unluckiest champion never to win the prestigious award, Green also
missed out but he finished third in 1974 behind Melrose and Swan
Districts player Stan Nowotny.
He was always one of the first picked in State sides and was a consistent performer at the highest level.
Between 1970 and 1981 he played 180 games for East Fremantle.
In
an era of great half-backs he was confirmed among the greatest when he
was chosen in the W.A. All-Stars side selected by the State’s most
prominent football writer, Geoff Christian, from all players between
1954 and 1984.
"For his club, he usually played at centre
half-back," Christian said, " but on a flank, where he was usually
placed in State sides, his play was simply superb."
High praise, fully justified !
FACT FILE
Date of Birth 28 /10 / 1951
EFFC Player : 1970 – 1981 Played 180 games.
Played 7 games for South Melbourne 1980
Premierships: 1974, 1979.
Sandover Medal: 3rd 1974
Lynn Medal: 1973. Runner Up; 1976, 1977.
W.A. State Player: 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1980
14 State games.
W.A. Captain: 1975, 1976,1977.
EFFC Club Captain: 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978.
Vice Captain: 1973. 1974.
Life Membership Awarded: 1980.
Selected in the East Fremantle Football Club Team of the Century 1997
Doug’s
picture will also appear on East Fremantle Match Day footballs and he
has been chosen as East Fremantle’s representative for the Year of the
Outback.
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