Barramundis in Brisbane
Brad Murphy | April 24, 2023
Pre-season practice at Souths in August 1981 down at Fehlberg Park was the usual gathering of players keen to prepare for the season ahead. One new player stood out though as he was kitted out in complete whites.
After the Souths off-season trip to Port Moresby in April 1980, it was arranged for leading young Papua New Guinean all-rounder Tau Ao (pronounced Tow Ow) to come out to Australia to gain experience and improve his game in Brisbane grade cricket.
Now I am telling this story relying on my memory and it was nearly 40 years ago so hopefully, I can get it close to the mark.
Unfortunately in 1980 when Souths went to Moresby I was only seventeen and my parents did not allow me to join the trip just in case an errant spear headed in my direction. Nevertheless, I believe the Souths lads had an excellent experience in PNG.
By the time Tau and his wife Margaret and baby son Thomas arrived at Fehlberg, I had just gained my driver’s license and was given the duty of driving them to all things linked to Souths in my green XW Falcon around Brisbane.
At that time I was keeping wicket in the 2nds and Tau mainly played 3rd Grade but he made the odd appearance in 2nds. He was mainly a batsman whose game plan was to attack at all costs BUT he could also bowl and he was deceptively rapid.
My first distant memories were that he always wore a pair of cream lawn bowls trousers with a thick cream belt and secondly that he was bloody quick at training.
I am just looking at an old Souths annual report and see that he averaged 32 with the bat and 15 with the ball so he could indeed play.
This was in a great era where Souths had players like Glenn Trimble, Greg Ellis and Greg “Whiskers “ Wright playing 2nds so it was a very strong club. Greg Chappell played one game for Souths that season and scored 220!
Tau was a great fellow and loved everything to do with playing for Souths and I used to drop him and/or Margaret and Thomas off after cricket at Griffith University residential accommodation (where they stayed) on most occasions.
One particular evening with the Au’s onboard I remember very well. Driving down Kessels Road at Mt Gravatt in the green Falcon the constabulary decided to flag me to the side of the road. Thinking quickly I suggested that my speedometer was on the blink therefore I was unable to decipher the correct speed. No problem said the officer – he would drive my vehicle for a time and decide if, in fact, it was the case. As I retreated to the back seat with Margaret and Thomas and the officer began driving, after a couple of miles Tau tapped him on the shoulder and advised him that he needed to turn left to drop them off. Didn’t help me Tau – speeding ticket!
I think the credit for our connections with Papua New Guinea was though Ronny Thompson who played 3rds and 4ths and had spent a lot of time in PNG and married a local girl.
Tau was a beauty – good cricketer, good bloke. Not sure what happened to him after that though?
The years flew by and I eventually went back to Souths as coach in season 2007-08 for three seasons and during this time we hosted some more PNG players.
The first was a medium pace bowler named Hitolo “Hitman” Areni. He was a bloody good bowler. At the time Andy Bichel was captain of Souths and after Hitolo’s continued solid bowling performances in 2nds we selected him to debut in a one-day fixture which was against a full-strength University team including Martin Love and Wade Seccombe plus a few others. They were indeed a very solid outfit.
Hitolo Areni
Now, we (Souths) were not going all that well so I decided that we should attempt to make an effort to turn up to each game at least dressed professionally, black trousers, decent shoes and sponsored green shirt.
Before I continue I should point out that Hitolo used to arrive on a pushbike to all home game as he lived in nearby Fairfield and left his kit at the club during the week.
Anyway, as we begin our warm-up there is no sign of the Hitman. It’s time to toss the coin, still no sign of him at which point we had to bring in the 12th man as a swap.
As the coin heads towards the sky we see Hitolo coming down Turner Avenue at a rate of knots – the Hitman – riding his Malvern Star in black trousers and black Windsor Smiths with his green Souths shirt tied around his waist. Classic stuff. Straight across Norman Gray Oval.
Captain of University Martin Love was more than happy for us to swap Hitolo back into our team list and even happier when he went the long journey with the ball in University’s innings.
The following summer we hosted two lads from PNG. A young left-hand top-order batsman Assad Vala and a skiddy right arm quick Willie Gavera. At the time Andy Bichel had started coaching the PNG side and linked the lads up with Souths.
Assad Vala batting
They both played the summer in 3rd Grade and performed solidly for Souths as well as playing regularly in midweek fixtures for the Wanderers Club against the local secondary school teams every Wednesday. Vala has gone on to be the captain of the PNG Barramundis team. He’s had a fine career since then.
Willie Gavera
Looking back it is fantastic to see how much improvement the PNG boys have made in recent years and given that they have had such excellent coaches such as Andy Bichel, Peter Anderson and Joe Dawes it is little wonder.
