By Adrian Ceddia
THE players and supporters of West Footscray Football Club know where to go for assistance on game day.
They approach John Walker, head trainer and handyman extraordinaire.
For over two decades Walker has offered his services to the Roosters, a fact that is not lost on their members.
As well as holding the underrated position of head trainer, Walker is also known as the go-to man in the rooms, and responds readily to players’ requests for tape, towels, boot studs, shorts or socks.
Since his job as a railway fault finder, Walker has always had a knack of sniffing out potential problems and being prepared to handle them.
“There’s not a lot of demands. I seem to know what most of the blokes want,” he said.
Walker’s first memories of West Footscray were watching his son Robert play in the under 17s.
Already experienced in sports injuries, he sprang into action from the sidelines after one of the players was struck down by a groin injury.
“Robert McGee was the coach then and he must have seen me, so he asked if I would help out,” he said.
“That was the start of it, and it has just snowballed. It’s a great club.”
Walker took a five-year rest in 1998 when he retired, but returned to the fold after receiving an invitation from the club.
He could well be the oldest player to make his Western Region Football League debut after playing half a game for the reserves as a 52-year-old.
He even managed a goal in his only two quarters of professional football before being dragged from the ground to resume strapping and preparing the seniors for their match.
These days, as junior vice president of the sports trainers association of the western region, he says trainers are well drilled in all areas of sports injuries and first aid.
The caper has come a long way since the early 80s, he said.
“The professionalism in the trainers’ side of it is much greater now.”
“Nobody used to know about CPR or EAR or how to use a stretcher, things like that. A trainer used to strap and rub and that was about it.
“We’ve all got a duty of care to make sure everyone is okay.”
The Walker men of West Footscray – John and Robert – are both life members of the club – the only father-son combination to be awarded that achievement in its proud history.
John Walker is the sixth weekly winner of the Unsung Heroes competition for the 2006 Western Region Football League (WRFL) season.
To nominate an unsung hero from your club, email WRFL club development officer Liz Mulconry at l.mulconry@wrfl.asn.au. The email should detail the name and contact details of the nominated person, their role within the club, their length of service and the reasons they would be a worthy Unsung Hero nominee.
Weekly nominees receive a $250 voucher from Harvey Norman and go into the running for a major prize at the end of the season.
