KNOX'S SPORTING HERITAGE
by Stephen Flemming
Bob DeCoite comes from a long line of blacksmiths who first came to prominence in the Ferntree Gully district when his father took over Pearce's Blacksmiths shop in 1924. As a young boy Bob was always interested in sports and frequently watched and waited for his chance to represent the local football and cricket clubs on the field of play. He played his first game as a boy of 12 in 1935/36 against Heathmont, a match in which he recalls Wally Tew made 87*, batting through the entire innings.
He played a few more games in 1936/37 and 1937/38, before being almost lost to Ferntree Gully when he turned out for Boronia throughout the following three seasons. At one stage he was elected Vice President of the Boronia Cricket Club and, but for his enlistment during the Second World War, may well have stayed there! The war intervened with Bob's fledgling sporting career and he was lost to local cricket until he returned from the Navy, where he served on the Corvette, HMAS Ballarat.
On his return his mates, particularly Wal Tew and Greg Pickett, convinced him to play for the local club at Ferntree Gully and the rest, as they say, is history. He went on to become one of the greatest opening batsmen and club administrators Ferntree Gully has ever had, serving the club well beyond 1954 - the year he was awarded Life Membership. His record, according to the VCA, is one of the greatest club service records on hand. He was President for nine years, taking over from his great mate Wal Tew in the mid 1960s and Vice President for more than 12 years. He is also a Life Member of the FTGFC and the FTGDCA (1970) where he is also the current Patron.
In a playing career that spanned 50 years until his last match in 1988/89, he set a record that may never be broken. Club records, though incomplete for his long career, indicate he has played in 11 winning Premiership teams, over 350 matches, scored over 8400 runs (more than 2000 ahead of his nearest club rival), taken over 220 wickets and over 100 catches. He has won many Association and Club Batting awards and has the FTGDCA 2nd Grade Competition Shield named in his honour - "The DeCoite Shield".
Bob's career was spent mostly as an opening bat and in his time he scored 10 centuries for the club (7 on record) and stands alone above great mate Ian Ewart and Mario Catalano. He has batted through an innings six times, scored over fifty 50s and has a highest score of 135. His contribution as an opening bat has provided two 200+ run partnerships and he still features in the top 10 best partnerships for the first three wickets in five of the six Senior Grades. Ferntree Gully Cricket Club has named the 1st XI Batting Trophy in his honour ensuring his efforts will be remembered by future players at Ferntree Gully.
Not to be outdone by the bat, he also has a best of 7/48 with the ball and holds the club record of five catches in one innings against Scoresby in 1953/54 - a feat they recognised by awarding him a trophy at their Annual Presentation Night.
Cricket was not Bob's only sport. His other sporting interests have taken him into off road touring, hiking, fishing, hunting, boxing and cycling - he and brother John were two of the few finishers from the decimated field of the first Sun Tour in 1952 (still regarded by many as the toughest ever). On a more docile note he is also a keen dancer and with wife Florence (now deceased) won medals at the Australian Ballroom Dancing Championships.
Bob's off field efforts in arranging socials, fund raisers and other club events are too numerous to mention and most who know him regard him as a 'Gully Legend' simply because his longevity of service has never waned through time. Even today, Bob is a significant part of the Ferntree Cricket Club, sponsoring it financially and providing steel sheets and iron works to improve the fence signage and sponsorship services committed to the Ferntree Gully Cricket and Football Clubs.
(Note: Bob refused the many Captaincy roles offered him while he was serving in the Navy and as President as he felt time would permit him from doing the jobs offered the justice it deserved)
Created by: Timothy Court
Last Modified: Wednesday, 22 March 2000
Copyright © 2000 Knox Historical Society Inc. All rights reserved.