Peter Crimmins
Crimmins with Hawthorn
Personal information
Full name Peter Crimmins
Nickname(s) Crimmo
Date of birth (1948-07-08)8 July 1948
Date of death 28 September 1976(1976-09-28) (aged 28)
Original team(s) Assumption College
Height 173 cm (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Weight 72 kg (159 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1966–1975 Hawthorn 176 (231)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1975.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Peter Crimmins (8 July 1948 – 28 September 1976) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL). "Crimmo" was known as a lightly built but courageous and skilful rover whose early passing from cancer is one of Australian football's saddest stories. Hawthorn subsequently named the club Best and Fairest award in his honour.

VFL career

Crimmins was born in 1948, one of five sons to father Bryan, who had also played in the VFL, appearing in one game for Melbourne. He was educated at Assumption College and quickly gained attention of Victorian football scouts with his skilful and fearless style of play, on one occasion kicking ten goals roving for the school's senior team. Peter chose Hawthorn as his father was a policeman stationed at Hawthorn at the time.

Showing good form in the practice matches, Crimmins was one of five Hawthorn debutantes chosen for the opening game of the 1966 VFL season. In a game best remembered for Collingwood's Peter McKenna kicking twelve goals, Crimmins kicked two himself. The newspaper The Age said Crimmins looked a little light but showed great courage. [2]

In the 1971 VFL Grand Final, Crimmins was among the best players afield as the Hawks came from behind to defeat St Kilda by seven points.

At the end of 1973, David Parkin stood down as captain; Peter Crimmins was elected to the position in his place.

Cancer diagnosis

At the completion of the 1974 VFL season, Crimmins was diagnosed with testicular cancer. After surgery and two bouts of chemotherapy in 1975, he attempted to make a return, declaring that he was fit to play in the 1975 VFL Grand Final after playing 5 reserve games, including one final. Both the selection committee and Hawthorn's supporters were divided over whether he should play. Ultimately, the match committee decided against playing him in the game, with coach John Kennedy admitting they were fearful a knock could affect him. As he explained later: "It was very hard, it was a unique situation ... Peter wanted to play. The committee was divided. He didn't play. We'll never know what might have happened if he had played."[3] The Hawks lost the Grand Final to North Melbourne.

Crimmo's Cup

Throughout the next year Crimmins health deteriorated again, but by the end of the season Hawthorn was again facing North Melbourne for the 1976 VFL Grand Final. By this stage Crimmins was confined to his sickbed, unable to even attend the game, and with live television broadcasts of the Grand Final not introduced until 1977, he was reduced to merely listening to it on the radio.[4][5] Just before the Hawthorn players took the field Kennedy read out a telegram which Crimmins had sent to the club, saying "Good luck to you and all the boys. It will be a long, hard, 100 minutes but I am sure you will be there at the end. Regards, Peter Crimmins." Kennedy implored his players to "Do it for the little fella", and later stated that he believed his team was never going to lose.[3] Hawthorn won the game by thirty points to take the Premiership.[5]

The night of the Grand Final six of Crimmins' closest teammates took the premiership cup to Crimmins' house in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne to let him share in the celebrations.[6] A press photographer accompanied them and a famous photo was published in the newspapers showing a wasted, reclining, yet beaming Crimmins holding the premiership cup surrounded by his jubilant teammates.[7] The premiership victory became known around Hawthorn and in the football community as 'Crimmo's Cup' in recognition of the inspiration Crimmins provided to his team.[6]

Crimmins died just three days after the game, aged 28. He was survived by his wife and two sons. The image of a stricken Crimmins holding the premiership cup and surrounded by teammates is captured in Jamie Cooper's painting The Game That Made Australia, commissioned by the AFL in 2008 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the sport.[8]

The Number 5

Crimmins' number 5 was retired following his death, with the plan to bring the number back in the event one of his sons was able to play for the Hawks. Once it became clear this would not happen, a decision was made by the family to return the jumper to circulation, with the family choosing the player who best exemplified Crimmins to wear the number. In 1993, Andy Collins was awarded the jumper. In 1997, the jumper was awarded to Daniel Harford. In 2004, the jumper was awarded to Sam Mitchell, who would go on to wear the jumper in four premierships, one as captain, and to five Peter Crimmins Medals, the Hawthorn Best and Fairest that was renamed in his honour.[9] Following Mitchell leaving the club in 2016, the jumper was awarded to Ryan Burton, and following his trade to Port Adelaide in 2018, James Worpel was awarded the jumper.

Crimmins' jumper was hung in the boardroom at Glenferrie Oval until the club left in 2005. It was then moved to the boardroom at Waverley Park, and it now is situated in the Hawthorn museum.

Honours and achievements

Hawthorn

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Hawthorn's pocket rockets". Hawthorn Football Club. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  2. ↑ The Age "Most recruits showed form", 25 April 1966, p. 14.
  3. 1 2 McFarlane, Glenn (14 December 2008). "Hawthorn great John Kennedy still a grand master". Herald Sun. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  4. ↑ Melbourne Age Clubs use new game plan in dealing with trauma 17 August 2003
  5. 1 2 Oakley, Ian (25 June 2006). "1976 - Year in Review". Hawk Headquarters.com. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  6. 1 2 Jackson, Russell (24 September 2013). "The Joy of Six: great grand final moments: 4) Crimmo's Cup in '76". The Guardian (Australian Edition): Talking Sport. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 23 October 2013. "John Kennedy just simply read that telegram out to us prior to the '76 Grand Final and the rest was always going to be history, there was no way we were going to lose that game. We won that premiership and it's called 'Crimmo's Cup' to this day," said Knights.
  7. ↑ "The Best Hawthorn FC Photos". Big Footy. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  8. ↑ Australian Football League, The Game That Made Australia Archived 19 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved 19 September 2010
  9. ↑ "(Hawthorn Football Club)". Archived from the original on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2009.

Bibliography

  • Eddy, Dan (2020). Crimmo : the Peter Crimmins story. Melbourne, Victoria: The Slattery Media Group. ISBN 9780975836255.
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