RIP Butch Litchfield

[Bornadog]

Re: RIP Butch Litchfield

Butch kicked some big bags in his time. Kicked 20 goals in one game against Mordiallic. Kicked over a ton at least twice, 115, and 136 (approx, can't remember exact)

[ledge]

Re: RIP Butch Litchfield

The biggest waste of/unfulfilled local talent I ever saw John Sharp. He was outrageously talented sportsman I ever saw. He had a temper to match the talent unfourtrtunitely.

He also coached at Totty, I bumped into him at whitten oval VFL games a few times and at a car park at Etihad , good bloke but white line fever in cricket and footy.
Haven't caught up with him this year though.
Hoping to go to the past players at Etihad this weekend see a few of my old mates I haven't seen in years. Will let them know about butch, he was well loved and respected even with the issues he had.

[Twodogs]

Re: RIP Butch Litchfield

He also coached at Totty, I bumped into him at whitten oval VFL games a few times and at a car park at Etihad , good bloke but white line fever in cricket and footy.
Haven't caught up with him this year though.
Hoping to go to the past players at Etihad this weekend see a few of my old mates I haven't seen in years. Will let them know about butch, he was well loved and respected even with the issues he had.

I had a bit to do with John Sharp at Yarraville when he was coaching them. One day I'm standing behind the goals at Yarraville oval watching the game when Sharpie wanders over to where I'm standing. He was captain coach but he'd been suspended for thumping an umpire so he's stood in the crowd (wasn't allowed into the coaches box) watching the game with the rest of us. He says to me, "jump the fence and go and tell Frank Vegona (umpire) that he's a *!*!*!*!" I didn't do it.

I heard a story that Sharpie didn't have a successful first class cricket career due to an incident one night at state training in the early 70s at the MCG. The practice wickets were underprepared so they asked the quicks to keep the ball to the batsmen and not bowl short. He was halfway through his run when he thought "*!*!*!*! this, how often do bowlers have conditions like this?" and hit Bill Lawry with a viscious bouncer. Sharpie was told to collect his gear and not to bother coming back.

[ledge]

Re: RIP Butch Litchfield

I had a bit to do with John Sharp at Yarraville when he was coaching them. One day I'm standing behind the goals at Yarraville oval watching the game when Sharpie wanders over to where I'm standing. He was captain coach but he'd been suspended for thumping an umpire so he's stood in the crowd (wasn't allowed into the coaches box) watching the game with the rest of us. He says to me, "jump the fence and go and tell Frank Vegona (umpire) that he's a *!*!*!*!" I didn't do it.

I heard a story that Sharpie didn't have a successful first class cricket career due to an incident one night at state training in the early 70s at the MCG. The practice wickets were underprepared so they asked the quicks to keep the ball to the batsmen and not bowl short. He was halfway through his run when he thought "*!*!*!*! this, how often do bowlers have conditions like this?" and hit Bill Lawry with a viscious bouncer. Sharpie was told to collect his gear and not to bother coming back.

I have a few stories on sharpie he definitely is a character and hot head , I think he has mellowed a little nowadays though.

[Twodogs]

Re: RIP Butch Litchfield

I have a few stories on sharpie he definitely is a character and hot head , I think he has mellowed a little nowadays though.

When Sharpie finished up at Yarraville (actually I think Yarraville folded but Sharpie stayed loyal until the end so Yarraville finished up with him really) he went to coach East Newport, they had a bit of cash to flash and recruited some really good players and went on an unbeaten run-20 games, 30 games, 40 games, they got to 48 consecutive wins and Sharpie had to go overseas at short notice. That weekend East Newport played a draw and the other coachs drew short straws to avoid the job of going and ringing John to tell him they didn't win, even though it was over the phone they know the anger that would hit them. They didn't lose either but nobody in their right mind was thinking that Sharpie was going to see it from that point if view.

[Remi Moses]

Re: RIP Butch Litchfield

Terrific talent and should have played at a higher level. Lot of blokes around that time should have played a higher level

[ledge]

Re: RIP Butch Litchfield

Terrific talent and should have played at a higher level. Lot of blokes around that time should have played a higher level

I agree , party era with the mates, but in saying that you didn't make a living playing footy back then you still had to have a job.

[ledge]

Re: RIP Butch Litchfield

When Sharpie finished up at Yarraville (actually I think Yarraville folded but Sharpie stayed loyal until the end so Yarraville finished up with him really) he went to coach East Newport, they had a bit of cash to flash and recruited some really good players and went on an unbeaten run-20 games, 30 games, 40 games, they got to 48 consecutive wins and Sharpie had to go overseas at short notice. That weekend East Newport played a draw and the other coachs drew short straws to avoid the job of going and ringing John to tell him they didn't win, even though it was over the phone they know the anger that would hit them. They didn't lose either but nobody in their right mind was thinking that Sharpie was going to see it from that point if view.

he was also married/ dating a model belinda Green or was it Karen west ?
Story goes he broke up with her and a spectator had a poster of her out of a mag and ran over to him and said you used to get this for free now you have to pay $2.50 just to look at her.

[Twodogs]

Re: RIP Butch Litchfield

he was also married/ dating a model belinda Green or was it Karen west ?
Story goes he broke up with her and a spectator had a poster of her out of a mag and ran over to him and said you used to get this for free now you have to pay $2.50 just to look at her.

He was a brave man.

I was batting with our #9 one day at a FCA match at Footscray Gardens. He was just young kid, 16 maybe, but he knew which end of the bat to hold and he was playing carefully watching the ball onto his bat and had held up his end for a while, we'd batted for about ten overs and had put on a few runs but we were more interested in batting out the day and drawing the match from a hopeless position.

Anyway the last hour ticks around and we start the 20 overs that had to be bowled in the last hour back then. Kid faces up, Sharpie bounces him, kid faces up Sharpie bounces him but we run a bye and I play out the over. In Johns next over he bounces the kid two more times. As he walks past me I shrug my shoulders and say "Come on mate, he's just a kid and he's batting at 9!" Sharpie says "*!*!*!*! him. He's got a bat hasn't he?"

[Eastdog]

Re: RIP Butch Litchfield

Sad news.

Was before my time (born late 80s) so wouldn't know him.

It's cool reading through the memories that ledge and Twodogs have about the old school days.

My thoughts are with his family and friends.

[ledge]

Re: RIP Butch Litchfield

Found some footage of butch and a few of my old mates , Darren Brown (17) Bernie Menadue( Connors dad) Bucky Shepperbottom, who can be found on the board at Braybrook football club nowadays. Mentions Butch kicked 130 goals that year.

https://youtu.be/Y-qNbXzMYyc

I often catch up with Darren still at AFL VFL .
Butch, Darren,Bucky all played at Footscray at some stage.
Great era.
Anthony Dorgan also played that day his son was at Richmond too I believe.
Butchs son Jack played at Albion and hoppers and got a job as a PT trainer with some Sheik in Dubai so he is now over there.

[Twodogs]

Re: RIP Butch Litchfield

Bucky was a fair player. If you were looking for X factor.

[ledge]

Re: RIP Butch Litchfield

Bucky was a fair player. If you were looking for X factor.

I coached him in a game of cricket at Totty under 16s he was captain and didn't want to play ( can you believe it ?) anyway we were batting and after a chat about not letting his mates down etc he went out and hit a ton in 20 overs, he had that much talent but just didn't care.
Braybrook has a reunion once a year at the braybrook footy club, you just have to have lived in braybrook to go , I caught up with a lot of people from the 80s. Bucky was running the bar with his son , hawk turned up, Robbie Magee, and at the last one the blue echoes lead singer Phil galotta did a few songs ( another braybrook boy).
It also is a great fundraiser for a struggling club, I always say never forget your roots the memories are just wonderful.
Sadly a few have passed away and now butch joins that club.
I'm only 54 and my heart breaks to see someone one year and the next year they have passed away.

[Twodogs]

Re: RIP Butch Litchfield

I coached him in a game of cricket at Totty under 16s he was captain and didn't want to play( can you believe it ?) anyway we were batting and after a chat about not letting his mates down etc he went out and hit a ton in 20 overs, he had that much talent but just didn't care.
Braybrook has a reunion once a year at the braybrook footy club, you just have to have lived in braybrook to go , I caught up with a lot of people from the 80s. Bucky was running the bar with his son , hawk turned up, Robbie Magee, and at the last one the blue echoes lead singer Phil galotta did a few songs ( another braybrook boy).
It also is a great fundraiser for a struggling club, I always say never forget your roots the memories are just wonderful.
Sadly a few have passed away and now butch joins that club.
I'm only 54 and my heart breaks to see someone one year and the next year they have passed away.

You do surprise me.

I can remember playing in a game at Angliss reserve on the corner of Roberts st and Francis st and looking at the games going on around me there were two ex test cricketers (Eastwood and Joslin) playing. I played cricket away from the FCA in different comps around Melbourne for 25 years and once I saw an old test cricketer play when Julian Weiner filled in for his son as 12 man so it wasn't like an ongoing thing.

[ledge]

Re: RIP Butch Litchfield

Good to see Butch get a mention on channel 7 VFL game day coverage, his funeral is on Monday at Altona , I imagine it will be huge.