I met Fred in the early 90s when he was experiencing a period of homelessness.
You wouldn’t meet a more likeable bloke, despite some of his behaviour associated with the terrrible addictions he was battling.
1 Like
I heard a story that Sam Newman saved his life by stopping him getting badly assaulted. Sam then arranged for him to have a rehab holiday. Without Sam, Fred would have been dead.
5 Likes
Fred Cook was definitely a celebrity.
Back in the day VFL was Saturday, and your Sunday footy on TV was VFA. Fred Cook was a big name.
8 Likes
I didn’t follow VFA at all, but I still know Fred Cook.
Before my time but could have been a VFL great?
1 Like
So I guess there’s absolutely no chance Gillon would get Meatloaf over for a granny again then ?
They have autotune now and many singers use it apparently . Ah well, too late for Meatloaf Autotune will not help him now.
Someone a person celebrated as meaningful to their life.
So someone that anyone feels was important.
Played for a couple of years at Footscray (Bulldogs) but not quite VFL quality.
He was probably the biggest name in VFA for quite some time.
3 Likes
Along with Frosty Miller.
2 Likes
Bumped into Fred at a facility for the old and infirm in Mornington in 2017. Looked a shadow of his former self but still had a bit of an aura about him. Was chuffed someone recognised him and we had a good chat about the halcyon days of the 1970s VFA. RIP Fred.
8 Likes
Don’t think it was a shortfall of ability. I think he was a pretty good CHB, but had a big blue either with Ted Whitten, or over money.
I think he’d started with Yarraville in the VFA.
According to the ever reliable Wikipedia:
Cook grew up in Yarraville in Melbourne’s inner western suburbs, and supported Footscray in the VFL. He played amateur football as a junior for the Footscray Tech Old Boys,[2] and then joined the Footscray Football Club in 1967 at age 19. In his second season, 1968, Cook played every game, primarily at centre half-back, and was already developing a reputation as one of the strongest marks in the league.[3]
After the sixth round of the 1969 season, Cook was dropped from Footscray senior side to the reserves, along with six other players, as a disciplinary action for attending a family BBQ at former coach Charlie Sutton’s house, which club secretary Jack Collins had thought would be a drunken swill, and had discouraged players from attending.[4]
After two weeks in the reserves, Cook was encouraged to cross over to Yarraville in the VFA. The VFA had recently broken its permit agreement with the VFL,[5] meaning that Cook did not require a clearance from Footscray to make the move; and, because the VFA lacked the restrictive player payments laws that the VFL had, Yarraville could offer Cook more money than he was then making at Footscray.[6] In 1970, his first full season with Yarraville, he won the J. J. Liston Trophy for the VFA’s best and fairest player playing as its first choice ruckman.[7] Despite his efforts, Yarraville won only one game for the season and was relegated to Division 2, and Cook decided to transfer to Port Melbourne in 1971,[8] where he continued as either a centre half-back or a centre half-forward, depending on the opposition line up.
2 Likes
Such a different time. CHB in the VFL? Who cares, Yarraville will give you more money and you don’t need a transfer…
1 Like
Correct me if I’m wrong but my vague memory had him playing captain coach down this way for Crib Point at one point. Could be wrong, of course.
Was a massive Port Melbourne fan at one stage and Fred was awesome. Definitely could have played VFL level in the goal square but he was overlooked. Big frame and sticky pair of hands and kicked goals. For whatever reason never got the chance.
Read a little bit about Fred Cook.
He was a truly great footballer and just exciting to watch. True story that during one game in 1972 he had a heart attack, and kept playing taking something like 16 marks. Spent the next three weeks in hospital but was back playing again. In many ways the VFA back then was better to watch than VFL, some real old fashioned characters playing and Fred Cook was absolutely a celebrity.
5 Likes
Definitely was VFL quality. If he went to Bombers instead of Dogs would have been a VFL star.
Played about 30 games with Footscray, had a big issue when coach Charlie Sutton was sacked and went to Yarraville in VFA for more money, then to Port for even more money. Remember back in 1970s VFL clubs were nearly broke, paid players peanuts and many were lucky to survive.
If anyone remembers the games of Port vs Dandenong with Cook at one end and Frosty Miller at the other slamming goals through, crowds were big and live telecast on Channel 0 !!
9 Likes
The vibe I got was he was good enough, but I had him in the Kyrgios group tbh. It’s always money.
Bit sad.
Different times in 1970s. VFL players got about $600 a season !!! All had to have jobs to survive.
Some VFA clubs paid best players $5000 a season.
1 Like
Sounds like bush footy down here.
He played at Dromana for a while. Loved the party life. Had huge hands.