Welcome one and all and thank you for the opportunity to make a small contribution to the Gleeson v O’Halloran 100-year anniversary match.
100 years or sporting tradition and with a small platform, I’d like to tell you about how I fit in and the lineage of sport running through a particular Gleeson line.
Patricia Grace Allen (nee Gleeson) was my Grandma.
Educated at Rocky Cape, she was known for kindness, love, warmth and, in my eyes was bestowed the inaugural title of Mum Deluxe. A maternal title issued only by me on half a dozen very, very subjective times in more than 40 years.
But this is not the point, at school she was known for her speed.
Trained by her brother Mick, she won at the Forest Easter Sports, claiming two run offs to take the title.
There is also the story of a young Rocky Cape lad named Claude, who went on to be a renowned cricketer to Sassafras, who challenged her to a race. She gave him a half the distance head start and beat him home by, “about a quarter of the race” according to Claude.
Grandma’s Gleeson genes combined with the Allens of Myalla and through her and Doug, a Myalla CC life member who played until he was 60 and Myalla FC life member, produced a wave of sporting prowess covering multiple generations.
Pat and Doug’s eldest son Les, or Snow to most, l played first class cricket as Tasmanian wicketkeeper and this son kept the cricket going playing underage for Tasmania as one of the fastest bowlers the North West has produced.
Second son, Geoff (Goof), became known for bagging 8/8 with the ball and his competitive nature on the field. His line has also included state sporting representation with son James competing in the kyokushin (a style of karate) National Titles and daughter Bronwyn playing for the Tasmanian under 16 hockey team.
Peter was next and was one of the sternest competitors I met. Without the similar accolades one field, good luck playing crib or winning the footy tipping against him. I’m sure Sheffield Cricket Club legend and former Tasmanian all-rounder Baden Sharman still remembers crossing swords after stumps in Sheffield on evening. Pete’s three eldest daughters, Jodi, Cherie (Dr Bear) and Melissa-Sue (Missy) all played representative basketball for Tasmania and were known around the country. The question, “do you know the Allen sisters?” was not something I thought I would hear in a bric-a-brac/second hand/”you should have just thrown that to the tip” shop in Bemboka in the Snowy Mountains between Bega and Cooma.
Fourth son Rob was never able to reach his sporting potential while daughter Janine was also whispered to have inherited Grandma’s dash. Also her caring nature.
Youngest daughter Pam (my Mum) has been seen on hockey fields and netball courts in the past and is said never to have thrown a foul in the backyard game “finska.”
The next generation down from Mum has found a Tasmanian representative cricket umpire and a Tasmanian under 15 hockey squad member.
If you dig a little further you can find Isabella, Brownyn’s daughter who is an international level clay target shooter, Bear’s Abbey was the keeper for the Tasmanian under 15 soccer team, my eldest, Stirling (Snuffo) has kept for three underage Tasmanian hockey teams and daughter Zara (Oodn) made the Western Australian under 14 hockey team in 2025 after three previous tournaments for Tasmania.
It's not just the sporty who get a look in. Snow’s granddaughter, Charlotte, recorded one of the highest TCE in the state for her year, Doctors Sarah and Jemma (Pete’s next two girls join Dr Bear in his line with, well, potentially excessive brainpower and following on from Dr Bear is Ethan studying a Master of Mechatronics Engineering at UniMelb to add to his Science degree.
These bloodlines are obviously helped by genetics from Goof’s wife Mary (nee Gaby) who played hockey for Tasmania, Dr Clayton Hawkins (Dr Bear’s husband, wouldn’t you love to see their pool room?) and World Cup Swimmer Sarah Braid (nee Milton).
As farmers, cultivating the perfect crop is always a goal and while love, care and having something to look forward to (like Christmas and babies), the fertilizer of this line is sport, the reason we play this game today.
Grandma instilled this with love, care and making sure we had something to look forward to (like Christmas and babies).
Blood and bone, sweat and tears has bred new generations of brilliance and as the next wave comes through, as a whole family, we can all look forward to what comes next.
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