True colours

Plenty of footy fans wear their heart – or their team colours – on their sleeve.

But for Basil Maloney, it’s par for the course – the golf course!

With the Tigers in the preliminary final against Port Adelaide in Adelaide on Friday night, Basil will be a standout this week with Richmond fans as he enjoys his regular round.

Basil is a former Richmond mid-fielder, who these days takes to the golf course in a buggy which bears the Richmond crest and colours, and his old playing number 32.

With footy fever well and truly in the air, as the Tigers fight for a berth in this year’s AFL grandfinal, Basil is sure to be a beacon for the club’s local legion of fans.

He was hailed as the recruit of the year at the time, when he joined Richmond in 1961; coming from school footy with the famous St Pat's College in Ballarat, and his home side at Warracknabeal.

In his second year with the AFL club, he was involved in one very memorable incident that nearly resulted in Geelong’s Alistair Lord missing out on the Brownlow Medal. 

The umpire became confused and reported Alistair for striking Basil, when it was actually Alistair’s identical twin brother Stewart who was the culprit. 

Happily, the matter was sorted out and Alistair went on to win the medal convincingly. 

Basil spent three seasons with Richmond before  work commitments saw him retire from the sport he loved.

“Football paid $1 for a winning game, so with three children then, a job was necessary!” he comments.

Basil joined the Channel 7 marketing team,  and after 12 years with the television station,  travelled the country, including working on sheep and cattle stations in Queensland and WA (he had previously studied wool classing).

Returning to Victoria, he started a pantry hire and catering company based in Frankston.

Basil retired to live in Cowes five years ago.

His special golf buggy, made by In Golf & Utility, is the only buggy approved by an AFL club to use signage.

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