RIP Butch Litchfield

[ledge]

For any of us growing up in the west in the 70s and 80s would know Butch he was a talented footballer kicking 100 goals for Sunshine twice and kicking 20 in one game.
He was also a gifted cricketer who could do the amazing.
I was lucky enough to go to school and play both sports with him.
Sadly he struggled later in life with the demons that are ripe in society.
A top fella and a legend of the western suburbs.
Played reserves if I remember correctly.

[bornadog]

RIP and condolences to family and friends. Do remember the name but not much else.

[ledge]

He also played cricket for Australia under 21s.
I bumped into him a couple of years ago and he looked pretty good.

[Twodogs]

Geez, that's terrible news. Butch was as good as the rest of thought we were.


RIP Butch. Condolences to the Family.

[LostDoggy]

Very sad. Butch was a terrific footballer, great mark, fast lead, booming kick and tough. Definitely played a few reserve games for Footscray but suspect the disciplines of VFL footy may not have been for him. He was a great full forward for Sunshine in an era of unbelievable VFA full forwards.

[Twodogs]

Definitely played in the reserves at Footscray. He was one of those guys you'd get to the game an hour earlier just to watch him. He wasn't there even half a season though I reckon. Did the preseason played a few games in the ressies, worked out that VFL wasn't for him and ended up back at Braybrook before year's end I reckon.

[ledge]

He played with Connor Menadues father and uncles , also Alan stonehams brother at Sunshine.
Sunshine was a great footy club, sadly when the juniors were dissolved the club found it hard to survive.

[Twodogs]

He played with Connor Menadues father and uncles , also Alan stonehams brother at Sunshine.
Sunshine was a great footy club, sadly when the juniors were dissolved the club found it hard to survive.

I dunno if I'd go that far ledge! ;)

Do you remember the Sunshine player's name who turned around and mooned the umpire at Yarraville one day? He was playing on Mark Fotheringham and Fothers had kicked a heap on him during the afternoon. IIRC he was found guilty at the tribunal and got a couple of weeks but then he lost it and threw an ashtray at the tribunal president and ended up copping a life suspension. Would have been early '80s.

[ledge]

I dunno if I'd go that far ledge! ;)

Do you remember the Sunshine player's name who turned around and mooned the umpire at Yarraville one day? He was playing on Mark Fotheringham and Fothers had kicked a heap on him during the afternoon. IIRC he was found guilty at the tribunal and got a couple of weeks but then he lost it and threw an ashtray at the tribunal president and ended up copping a life suspension. Would have been early '80s.

Nah sorry don't remember that but I remember Dorgs going berserk in a final once and wanting to take on the whole opposition bench , think it was Richard Murrie who used to always make sure he put late hits on that started it.

i catch up with Darren Brown at the footy he played with them all, his older brother Ron captained and coached the club, he was at tough man , I will ask him.

[Twodogs]

Nah sorry don't remember that but I remember Dorgs going berserk in a final once and wanting to take on the whole opposition bench , think it was Richard Murrie who used to always make sure he put late hits on that started it.

i catch up with Darren Brown at the footy he played with them all, his older brother Ron captained and coached the club, he was at tough man , I will ask him.

Yep, remember Darren and Ron. Ron was a great coach.

[LostDoggy]

Nah sorry don't remember that but I remember Dorgs going berserk in a final once and wanting to take on the whole opposition bench , think it was Richard Murrie who used to always make sure he put late hits on that started it.

i catch up with Darren Brown at the footy he played with them all, his older brother Ron captained and coached the club, he was at tough man , I will ask him.
Darren was a hell of a sportsman too wasn't he Ledge? Had a couple of years at the Dogs, but only 1 or 2 senior games, and was a super junior cricketer too?

[ledge]

Darren was a hell of a sportsman too wasn't he Ledge? Had a couple of years at the Dogs, but only 1 or 2 senior games, and was a super junior cricketer too?

Yeah Darren played one game. And yes was a good cricketer , still think he has something to do with cricket at Laverton, my claim to fame is I started playing at Totty took a mate with me who bought Darren along.
I used to open the batting with Zeno tzatzaris at Totty juniors

[Twodogs]

Yeah Darren played one game. And yes was a good cricketer , still think he has something to do with cricket at Laverton, my claim to fame is I started playing at Totty took a mate with me who bought Darren along.
I used to open the batting with Zeno tzatzaris at Totty juniors


I played in a team that played a Footscray juniors team that had Merv Hughes, Tony Dodemaide and Colin Miller (and Rainer Reber a keeper who played first class cricket.)

Dodemaide was so fast at the ago of 15 that I still don't know how he got the one that bowled through my defence. Fastest bowler I have ever seen and I played competitive cricket for nearly 35 years. I probably shouldn't have got in his face when I caught him at slip but their coach told our coach that Dodemaide would get 100 against us. We set a plan and Dodemaide fell for it and we were pretty chirpy about it!)

[ledge]

Dodemaide went to St. John's in Churchill ave , my mate made an opening partnership with him of 104 and dodemaide made 100 of it.
The western suburbs was full of great sportsman in the 70s and 80s . A lot lived in and around Melon street, must have been the street cricket and football that went on every night.

[Twodogs]

Dodemaide went to St. John's in Churchill ave , my mate made an opening partnership with him of 104 and dodemaide made 100 of it.
The western suburbs was full of great sportsman in the 70s and 80s . A lot lived in and around Melon street, must have been the street cricket and football that went on every night.

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.

[bornadog]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[ledge]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[ledge]

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]

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]

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.