Mick Twomey's home coming

[die4pies]

It's a fair drive up from Portland but Mick and his lovely wife have quite a way to attend the Club's 50 year celebrations of the '58 premiership.

Statsically Mick is one of the all time greats. Coming to Collingwood in 1949 and debuting against North in 51 he went to play 157 games and win premierships in '53 and '58.

The Twomey name is held in high esteem and spans over 60 years involvement at Victoria Park. Bill senior played in the 1919 premiership and Brothers Bill junior, Pat and Mick played together for the first and only time for three brothers in a premiership side, on September 26 1953. David Twomey (nephew) is the last Twomey to have played for Collingwood in the early eighties.

Mick wondered into Victoria Park today to have a look around and was delighted to spend some time with us and discuss by-gone days.

I will post a full report on todays interview after the '58 dinner tonight.

[3rd degree]

Great Shot Shane - The man still has got presence!

[nulla]

Great post and great photo Shane

Sockit Twomey.... Go Bill

[die4pies]

Mick Twomey is son of the champion sprinter and 1924 Stawell Gift winner Bill Twomey and with his brothers Bill Jnr and Pat they played for Collingwood during the 'revival' years of the 1950's.

Bill Snr also played 54 games between 1918 and 1922, including the 1919 premiership before retiring from football to pursue his passion for athletics.

Bill Jnr had prolific career amassing 189 games from 1945 to 1958 kicking 154 goals. Jock McHale commented that Bill could be the best player of all time such was the precision and skill he displayed. Sadly Bill missed the 1958 Grand Final due to injuries, which forced him to retire that year.

Pat played 55 games in two stints with the Pies from 1947-49 and 1952-53. In the intervening time Pat moved to Warragul, but returned in time join his brothers in the history making 1953 premiership. Never in the history of the game have three brothers shared the glory of a premiership in the same season.

David Twomey played 63 games and kicked 14 goals in the Hafey and Cahill sides from 1979 to 1983 and was a hard running defender.

Mick Twomey was the youngest of the brothers and was the only one to claim two premierships. Mick came to Collingwood in 1949 and debuted against North Melbourne in 1951. He played 157 games over his 11 seasons and kicked 94 goals. In 1953 Mick played as a tall forward pocket changing in the Ruck with firstly Neil Mann then Graeme Fellowes in 1958. Wearing the number 25, Mick was known for his great leap and spectacular high marks. Mick was a great big game player and invaluable in the two premiership wins kicking a goal in each game. Mick also played in the 1955, 56 and 60 grand final losses, all to Melbourne. Mick, like most of his teammates question Melbourne's dominance at the MCG as it was their exclusive home ground and gave them an unfair advantage. Had a Grand Final been played at Victoria Park or any neutral ground the outcomes would have most certainly been vastly different.

Mick has had a life time of great experiences at the Club and obviously rates his debut game and the two premierships as the best. Mick speaks of a strong sense of honour to be privileged to wear the great Black and White stripes and being part of two teams that brought great success to this mighty football club. He used to love have a quiet (or rowdy) beer with 'the public' in the Social Club bar after a game or training night and he cherished the interaction between players and supporters and is saddened that the current state of player/supporter relations. However there was a brief time when the players were the subject of the type of ridicule and verbal hatred usually directed at opposition players and the umpires’.

After winning in 1958 the mood was extremely buoyant around Victoria Park and the 1959 season was eagerly anticipated. The boys got off to a terrible start and lost the first five games and when they left the field after the fifth loss to Richmond at the Junction Oval the Collingwood fans turned on their own. The next week Footscray came to Victoria Park and the Pies redeemed themselves and all was well again. In fact the Pies staged a storming run of ten straight wins to eventually squeeze into the finals in 4th place. On the way beating Melbourne narrowly at Victoria Park in round 13 by 3 points and smashing Richmond comprehensively in round 16 by 79 points. The team bowed out to Essendon in the Semi Final and finished fourth. Mick had one more crack at a premiership the following season in 1960, but Melbourne proved far too strong annihilating the Magpies 8.14 to 2.2.

Mick relished the chance to return to Victoria Park and talk of his beloved Magpies while sitting on the terraces in front of the old Social Club and memories didn't take long to flood back.

The Twomey family are champions of this great club and Mick is amongst the very best players that have pulled on the famous Black and White stripes.

Floreat Pica!