Richard Geary was the best aerobic athlete in my time at Werribee. A trained schoolteacher, “Gears” spent time at Fitzroy, Richmond and South Fremantle before arriving at WFC in 1990. He now owns a Bakers Delight in South Morang with his long-suffering wife Kris. Greg and I nicknamed him “The Eel” due to a couple of characteristics. Firstly he was a slippery player to catch on the field and off the field he would often disappear when it was his shout for a drink. To say the Eel was tight would be an understatement.
I’ve never mentioned this before but the Eel’s running ability used to shit me. He ran like a proper trained athlete and his hero was Emil Zatopek which I liked (Google him young people). I had one personal goal at the end of 1992 and that was to beat the Eel in a run at pre-season camp 1993. I went home to Perth that Xmas and caught up an old mate Simon Beaumont who had finished 15th in the Hawaiian Ironman a couple of years prior. I put myself through hell over those few weeks, and with each run or swim I had the Eel’s face etched in my brain!
Fast forward to the first morning of the camp at Point Lonsdale and it’s the annual 5km run at 7am to start the camp. Most players are half asleep and there is a slight distraction when the new Coach Macca sleeps in but I’m seriously focused. Incredibly I lead all the way with the Eel at my heels but with 500m to go he can’t keep up! I finish 100m clear to no fanfare but I knew deep down that having beaten the Eel I was on track for a good year.
The Eels’ cunning meant he kept a lot close to his chest. He would have been a good poker player but for one fatal mistake he made. In a nasty incident in 1992, he hurt his big toe and feared he would be out of action for a few weeks. Accustomed to a comfortable income and lifestyle, the Eel found himself potentially losing income at a time when Kris had just given birth to twins. In a state of panic, perhaps concerned at copping the wrath of Kris, he foolishly asked Leon Harris if the players could chip in $10 each to help him through this “toe crisis”. I’m not sure who leaked it but it was gold! For a man of such untouchable and impeccable standards to drop his guard in such a manner was songwriting heaven!
Enter “The Ballad of Richard Geary” sung to “Moonshadow” by Cat Stevens
Chorus
I’ve been playing with a sore toe, sore toe, sore toe
Leaping and hopping with a sore toe, sore toe, sore toe
And if I ever miss a game
I’ll miss the money, I’ll miss the fame
Oh I don’t want to miss a game
Ohh Ohhh Ohhh Oh yes I must play
And if I ever lose my pace
I know I’ll always have my face
Oh I don’t want to lose my pace
Ohh Ohhh Ohhh but I still have my face
Chorus
And if I ever mess my hair
I won’t moan I won’t despair
God help me if I mess my hair
Ohh Ohhh Ohhh but I’ll try not to care
And if I ever want to cheat
I am the Eel I can’t be beat
Oh how I dearly love to cheat
Ohh Ohhh Ohhh you know I can’t be beat
I’m not gonna play this week
Because of my sore toe
So won’t you give me 10 bucks each
And I’ll be happy to go
Chorus
He may be the Eel but Gears gave great service to the club. His 3 goals in the 1993 GF were superb and gave the team a huge sense of relief and confidence. As usual with “Gears” he always liked to get the last word. He’s been reading these stories and he emailed me recently saying, “pop into the bakery soon and I’ll give you 10% off a coffee scroll.”
Thanks for the memories Richard.
