PETER Chisnall will forever be remembered as one of North Melbourne's first-ever premiership team in 1975.

But just as vivid in his own memory is Corowa's 1968 Ovens and Murray league flag.

"We weren't supposed to beat Wodonga," Chisnall said.

"Micky Bone from Collingwood was their (playing) coach. But we got 'em on the day."

It was the club's first flag in 35 years so celebrations were on.

Don Jolley, a VFL umpire, officiated the game, and afterwards Corowa's boys wheeled him up and down the main street in a wheelbarrow.

Chisnall had played his first games of league football with North Melbourne as a 19-year-old in 1968, before returning home and playing in the centre for Corowa in its upset seven-point win at the Wangaratta Showgrounds.

"They had some good players, but so did we," he said.

"Freddy Swift was our coach.

"Johnny Clancy was playing and John Hoiles, too - he was sensational for us at centre-half back. He'd been our coach before Swifty and the young blokes loved him."

Now host at the Tungamah Hotel and still involved in mentoring roles with Ovens and Murray and Goulburn Valley clubs, Chisnall was a Corowa boy born and bred.

His first job was at Livingstone's butcher shop from the age of 14 years and nine months.

"That was the (legal) age when you were first allowed to work," he said.

His people skills and love of life were always on show and having played both VFL and VFA (with Sandringham), Chisnall said the opportunity to return full-time to North and be a part of halcyon mid-70s was heaven-sent.

"Barass (coach Ron Barassi) was fantastic. I love him as a person," Chisnall said.

"He was hard and always very fair. I loved it when he used to fire up on us.

"The way he handled all the different players was really something, from Keith Greig who was a superstar, through to battlers who had a crack like myself."

The Ovens and Murray region was well-represented in North's 1975 side, with Chisnall, Sam Kekovich, Ross Henshaw, Gary Cowton, Mick Nolan and Frank Gumbleton all hailing from the area.

"For a kid from Corowa like me to be involved at such a special time in the club's history was just amazing," he said.

"Our captain, Barry Davis, was a special footballer and a person.

"You'd also be rubbing shoulders with people like (administrators) Allen Aylett, Ron Joseph and Barry Cheatley. They were the tops in their field.

"And after playing a game back then, you'd go into the after-match (function) and find yourself sitting with someone like Bruce Doull.

"The umpires would be in there too and you'd develop a real rapport.

"They were good days all right."

Chisnall's last VFL association was in 1984-85 as skills coach at Essendon under Kevin Sheedy.

He last played in the mid-90s with now-defunct Devenish, who he coached to a Benalla and District league grand final.

Now he likes assisting, taking club training here-and-there when asked, and sharing his experiences and passion for the game.

He said some of the best players from his Ovens and Murray days were walk-up starts to League football: Myrtleford's Teddy Lovett, Neville Hogan from Wangaratta Rovers and Bluey Ryan, who remains one of the best kicks he ever saw, from Wodonga and Yarrawonga.

"Being a centreman you'd play against some good ones," Chisnall said.

"Bobby Spargo was a terrific player as was Marty Cross."

He said while Corowa-Rutherglen was struggling a little right now, they would come again.

"It just takes one, maybe two to help turn things around.

"And if you surround them with good, keen kids, you have the nucleus of something special," he said.

  • Ken Piesse's new book, Great Australian Cricket Stories, will be published next month and be available from cricketbooks.com.au