NAVARRE - The surname 'Bibby' and Navarre Football Netball Club have been synonymous since the Grasshoppers inception just a tick over one hundred years ago.
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Founded by William 'Bill' Bibby in 1901, the club has flourished and there were many proud Navarre residents and supporters on hand to witness the Grasshoppers first Maryborough Castlemaine District Football/A grade Netball League premierships last month.
Among the crowd was Basil Bibby, a 1949 Navarre football premiership player who now resides in Stawell with his wife Floris.
Mr Bibby is part of a Bibby dynasty at Navarre, with his father Ralph and uncles Ralph and Herbert all playing for the club.
The 87 year old (88 at the end of this month) was 'very pleased' to witness the Grasshoppers 38th flag, despite it being such a different game to the one he played in 64 years ago.
What are your memories of the 1949 grand final?
"It's hard to say," Mr Bibby said.
"We'd never beaten this particular side before and we were pretty worried.
"It (the game) went backwards and forwards and they drew level with us but in the last quarter, we finally got over them.
"Waubra had just come out of the Ballarat League and it took a few years to keep up. They were well trained and coached."
For the record, Navarre defeated Waubra in the Lexton Football League, which would later become the Lexton Plains Football League, 19.16 (130) to 16.8 (104).
"We didn't stop celebrating for a month I don't think," Mr Bibby said.
There were six Bibbys who played in that grand final, and it was Navarre's fourth premiership (their first in 23 years).
Basil's brother, Macs Bibby was captain on the day while there was Ray, Geoff, Colin, Jack and of course, Basil, on the field.
"There are only six of us left out of the team now," Mr Bibby said.
Mr Bibby has since been to premiership reunions and had kept in contact with most of his teammates.
"I'm related to a lot of them," he said.
The success of Navarre Football Netball Club, according to Mr Bibby, comes down to its administration through the years.
"There's always been someone who has been pushing it," he said.
"People like Ray Bibby, who was known as 'Mr Football', knew everything about football and the families at the club. He was president of the Lexton League as well as president of Navarre."
Loyalty is another key to Navarre's success, with many of their players either residing or grown up around the district.
"It's a pretty popular club and they look after their players," Mr Bibby said.
Basil Bibby's family continues to carry on the legacy at Navarre, with grandson Sam Bibby playing for Navarre reserves in 2012 while this year, granddaughters Georgia and Ande McDermott represented the Grasshoppers in under 17 and 15 netball.
Although Mr Bibby still enjoys attending the country football, he doesn't go as often as he'd like to due to his age.
However, the 87 year old can see the differences between the game from 1949 to today.
"It was nothing like today," he said.
"We weren't trained up like the fellows these days, they can run much faster, it's a bit tougher and we didn't have those scrums like they do now. It was a more open type of football."