Noel McKay played 50 games for Power House in a playing career that spanned 6 seasons between 1987 and 1993. He was a member of the 1988 Senior Grand Final Team that went down in a close one to Whitefriars.

Noel is happily married to Janine and has 3 children who keep him busy most weekends. He sat down at the bar with Pav to chat about the good old days…

Pav: Noel, what initially brought you down to Power House?

Noel:I actually started playing for Power House in 1982. Through a mate Steve Munro, who I played cricket with and who was involved in the Power House Club 18 team.

At our presentation night, Steve signed me up, and a few mates like Shayne Crane, Frank Zaffino, Wally Hector and Brian Andrews to play the next day. This group also included the legend, Murray Brown.

Pav: So, what did you think of the place?

Noel: Loved it. Found a fantastic club and a competition that required something close to my heart, no training!

Being Club 18, our contact with the football club proper was limited but the whole club was a great bunch of guys.

Pav: Teddy Haberman was your first Senior Coach. What was your recollection of him?

Noel: The Big Ted. A most enthusiastic gentleman who I thought was a bit of a cross between Coxy from the Roxy and Big Kev. Ted was a great coach as he was always prepared to try something different.

Pav: There were a few characters at the club at the time but none as big as the Senior Coach Glyn Evans. He was appointed at the end of your first season. What did you think when you first met him?

Noel: I knew him as a Port Melbourne player, which didn’t sit well as I was a Coburg lad. I remember watching him play and I liked his flamboyancy and temperament.

It was actually great to get to know him and I wasn’t disappointed, he was a lair!!!!! Anyone who wants to take hangers is OK in my book.

He was a fantastic coach as he knew how to motivate people but never asked anyone to do anything he wouldn’t do. He built the group up together, leading from the front and that bonding is a major reason for us making the ’88 Grand Final.

Pav: Where had you played before?

Noel: Like most, I had played junior football. Starting at East Coburg and Newlands Colts until being stopped for medical reasons when I was 14. Then my next effort was with Power House Club 18 for a couple of years and finally a stint for a year at Coburg. It was after that I came to Power House Seniors.

Pav: Around that time, the big names were Derek Desler, Peter Flaherty, Fred Stafford and Rob Sarosi. How do they rate as players and blokes?

Noel: Definitely all very big names, great players and fantastic blokes. Derek was the sublime professional. Mr Cool in a crisis and a great leader. I can’t remember him ever being beaten.

Flahers was great to watch. He had sublime skills and a killer left foot. Probably our equivalent to “The Dominator” without the arrogance. A big game player.

I had heard of the legend “Staff” before playing and I wasn’t let down. Freddy was a champion player and a champion bloke.

With all of his “huff & puff”, Sarosi was a serious guy. Tough as a cat’s head, he could talk the talk, but definitely walk the walk!

It was a privilege to grace the field with these guys.

Pav: You played on the half back line with your mate Peter “Aspro” Hollowood. He was pretty tough, and the game was very, very physical. A lot happened off the ball. How tough was Aspro?

Noel: Aspro was tough alright. He only knew one way and that was hard at the ball or at the player. Interestingly most of Aspro’s best work was missed due to his ability to be able to execute an action and we all missed it.

It wasn’t until another 30 seconds before we knew what had happened, with Aspro jogging off in the distance.  He should have been known as “The Invisible Ninja”.  I know that many players walked a bit taller when they knew Aspro was on the field with them.

Pav: Who were some of the Power House personalities that you remember from that time?

Noel: Top of the list would be yourself. I would also add your great mate, Brucey Wilson. Other absolute classics were Nigel Deans, the infamous “Stroppa” and legendary Muzza Brown.

Pav: Who were some of the key faces you met when you first came down?

Noel: Key to the club at the time were Steve Mason, Peter Hutchinson and Harold Rosewarne. I had met Steve during my days at Club 18 and he was a fantastic person. It was great to catch up with him again and to meet the other legends of the club.

Pav: You were a hard at it and loved to talk a big game. What was your best game and memory?

Noel: Probably my best (and most memorable to me) was against Thomastown. Due to injuries and unavailabilities, I was selected at centre half forward. Enjoying not having to be worried about an opponent, I had a ball and kicked 6.

Obviously wasn’t a good enough performance as the coach had me back in the backline the next week.

Pav: That 1988 Grand Final side had a few quality stars. Who stood out to you?

Noel: Hate to say it, but I don’t have much memory of the game itself. Probably tried to forget it. I would have to say that Rob Sarosi’s effort was enormous and a stand out and Fred Stafford’s game was outstanding.

Pav: What was the highlight of your time at the House?

Noel: Not in any particular order but the grand final, the trips away to Adelaide and sleeping in the rooms while cooking the spit for the trip away fund-raising events.

Pav: You have made some great friendships with your teammates…who do you still see?

Noel: No one particularly. I still see Aspro, Beechy and the Fatman sometimes. Having moved to Eltham and having 3 kids has limited my time from being able to return to Ross Gregory to watch footy and catch up with old mates. It is great to catch up at past players functions as the mateship is still really strong.

Pav: You played exactly 50 games and came back in 1993 for just 1 game (under Jeff Scotland) to reach that milestone. What do you recall about game 50?

Noel: Not an absolute thing. I had forgotten that until you reminded me. I probably had good intentions of coming back then but I remembered the cold nights of training and soreness the next day, so retirement seemed a good idea.

Pav: Who were the social leaders at the club at the time. Were the Saturday nights really that huge?

Noel: The Saturday nights were awesome and a big factor in why much of time at the House is a blur. To see “Doc” Morris, “Poss” and “Boofa” Williams in action was amazing. At the rooms, “Stroppa” was the King. That was probably one of the great things at the club was that everyone got involved.

Pav: What do you do these days? Work social family etc?

Noel: I am in partnership running a mechanical and electrical servicing company. I got married to Janine after finishing playing and we have 3 kids, Sean, Georgia and Liam. Played a bit of golf over the years and have played vet’s cricket the last 5 years. I was aiming to be playing over 47’s footy this year at Plenty Valley…

Pav: Thanks champ, we’ll see you at the next Past Players Day.