Pakenham president Phil ‘Mitsu’ Anning sits down for a chat, and a beer, with the Gazette’s Dave Nagel.
Righto Phil, tell us about a certain Japanese tag-team wrestler named ‘Mitsu’ and how you ended up with it as a nickname?
My mate Poppa (Keith Popovits) gave me that. I was short, fat, had the squinty eyes, and probably going bald at that age as well, I looked a lot like the little Japanese wrestler called Mitsu Arakawa who was always on channel 9. It just stuck and I’ve had it since about eight-years-old. Some of the teachers at school didn’t even know my first name was Phil… it was just “Mitsu” all the way through.
Tell us about your younger days, were you born in Pakenham?
No, but we moved to Pakenham when I was two. Mum and dad did the local milk deliveries; we had the draught horses, lived in the main street and went to school at Pakenham Consolidated and then the High School. We had a great core group of friends, with Poppa, Smithy (Clinton Smith), Peter Farrell, Peter Bennett, Gordon Kitchen… and we’ve been great friends for a lifetime ever since.
What about family mate?
I’ve got a brother and a sister, mums still alive, but dad passed away when he was 57, which seemed old back then, but I’m 57 now and you think how someone could die so young. I was the middle child and I’ve always worked on the theory that they had the first one, were disappointed, had the second one and though he’s a beauty, so had the third and were disappointed again, so they stopped. I told that story at mum’s 80th and got a laugh but my brother and sister weren’t too happy.
Memories of those early days mate?
I helped dad deliver the milk and I had a paper round. After school the boys would come back to my place, we had a pool table, we’d eat fish and chips and then go off to footy training. I wouldn’t give my childhood away for quids, one of the best you could wish for, great parents, great friends and a great town to live in. That’s why I love Pakenham so much because it’s been so good to me for most of my life.
The footy and cricket clubs?
I played junior footy at Pakenham but I wasn’t good enough, they had a terrific side through the 70s, blokes like Poppa, Peter Bennett, Paul Hart and Wayne Henwood… I couldn’t get a game so I played at Rythdale. Then I went to Catani for a few years before work took over with Saturday trade and all that. I still love footy, I’ve been team manager with the senior side since 2008, with Dan (O’Loughlin) and Jock (Michael Holland) and Ryan Cassidy, now Steve O’Bryan, and I really enjoy that.
You just touched on Saturday trade, what did you do for a crust?
It’s a long story. I was in form five at school, which was leaving year, and playing cricket at Pakenham with a few of my school teachers. Bob Taylor told mum and dad that he’d be happy to pass me, so I could leave, but only if I left and didn’t come back and try form six. I got a job at Coles and spent the next 34 years with them, starting as a storeman and worked my way up to store and area management. I’m still doing a bit of part time work with Coles now.
OK, so that’s footy and work, what about cricket?
I reckon I played my first game when I was about eight or nine, in the under 15s, we were no good, all the boys were in the team and my older brother David was captain, because he was the oldest. We never played finals through juniors, and then played seniors from about 13 onwards.
You play yourself down Phil, but you were a handy opening batsman and wicketkeeper weren’t you?
I was just a battler, I couldn’t take the spectacular catch but had safe hands… except for the ’80/81 grand final when I took seven but dropped three (laughs), all off Greg Blackwood, he didn’t talk to me that night. I held my place but I was nothing compared to the great players at Pakenham and Kooweerup, I wouldn’t think I’d figure in that.
Tell us how your career unfolded mate, successes, individual and team?
I played in the B-Grade flag in ’75/76, the same year A Grade won, then won a flag in A Grade under Peter Allen in ’80/81. We were premiers and champions and had a great side. I played Country Week for four of those first six years, with blokes like Johnny Glasscock, George Glasscock and Ron Ingram… terrific players.
Tell us about your memories of Country Week?
Fantastic memories! We played at Victoria Park, Glenferrie Oval, in a final at Windy Hill, great days. One year we had to win at North Kew to get into the final. We were chasing 220-odd, we were about 8/130 and a bloke called Colin Hodson and I put on 120 to get us over the line. The next day we played in the final at Windy Hill and I made a first ball duck… but that’s cricket.
You mentioned Kooweerup before, you coached down there didn’t you?
Yeah, from ’82/83 to ’84/85, three seasons and loved every minute of it, a great club, very well run. We lost six games in three years and three of them were semi-finals, we never made a grand final and that was really disappointing.
Pakenham won premierships while you were at Koowee… do you have regrets?
None whatsoever, we actually played Pakenham in a semi-final, Smithy was captain of Pakenham and I was captain of Koowee, and it’s fair to say there was a bit of banter going on. We hadn’t lost a game… at the toss he said, “Good luck for next week Phil,” which threw me a bit. But no regrets at all, I’ve made lifelong friends at Koowee and feel proud to call myself an ex-Kooweerup player.
Who are the great players you’ve seen at both clubs?
Eddie Lewis, an out-and-out champion, I saw him make 185 after tea against Endeavour Hills one day. I never saw Don Jackson at his best, but he’s held in high regard at the club, and Dallas Wyatt could do anything. He could bat, bowl pace, then come on and bowl spin. Dave Bullock was a great finals’ player, Smithy was really good, and recently Ben Maroney’s batting is as good as any and his record just speaks for itself.
Phil, tell us if the rumour is true, did you have a habit of vomiting on the pitch?
Yeah I did. In the ’80/81 grand final I threw away the theory that the best batsman batted at three and came in after the two openers had batted all day. It was hot, I’d been sitting with my pads on all day, it was about five o’clock, I took centre and then the next minute I heaved up all over the pitch. I had to retire hurt, Peter Allen wasn’t happy so I didn’t bat again until number 11. I got hit in the head and ended up in the Pakenham Hospital on the Sunday night… that was a great game that one (laughs).
Did you vomit the day Ron ‘Boofa’ Allan from Upper Beaconsfield hit you in the face after you hooked him a few times?
He was quick. They were the top side and we were all kids, they declared at about 5 o’clock at about 1/250 and I opened up. Boofa came in off his shorter run and I cut the first one over slips for four, the next one the same, then hooked him for four, then again, and we’re 0/16 off four balls. I’m starting to think we’ll polish these runs off tonight (laughs). Their captain Trevor Hamilton said to Boofa “You told me we’d have five of them out tonight… are you fair dinkum or not?” I saw him bend down and move his marker back five or six metres, he bowled me another bouncer and hit me in the nose, blood all over the pitch. We got four leg byes though, we were 0/20 off five balls but I had to retire hurt and make another trip to the Pakenham hospital. I got back to the ground and we were 6/45 overnight.
When you finished playing, you were WGCA president, how did that come about?
Yeah, I was for two seasons. I’d been in charge of Country Week and Ray Vivian had stepped down as president. They were looking for young blood but I was way too young, way out of my depth, and to be honest it probably set the league back a few years. I’m open and honest about it, I’ve done a lot of things in my life that I’m proud of but that’s one where I reckon I probably let a few people down.
Well you haven’t let anyone down at Pakenham as president these last few years?
Look, it’s my second crack at it and my claim to fame is being the only president in the club’s history that’s seen us relegated from A Grade to B Grade, Poppa brings that up quite a bit (laughs)… and I’ve done it twice! My young bloke Jack started playing when he was about 13 so I decided to give something back. The aim is to be a competitive club on the field, in both seniors and juniors, have a good junior program, be financially strong and be well respected for what we do on and off the field.
And they say behind every great man is a great woman?
Donna will be embarrassed by this but I have to tell the story. When Donna and I first started going out I was living in Cranbourne, but playing for Pakenham. We were playing at the old oval on John Street and I told her to be at the ground by twenty-past-three for afternoon tea. It got to 3.30, no Donna, five-o’clock, no Donna… I’m thinking what have I got myself into here, she can’t even do a plate of sandwiches and bring them down for me. Anyway, at 5.30 the little yellow Celica drives in and Donna’s crying, I said “What’s the matter darl?” she said “Don’t darl me” – she’d missed the John Street turn off and ended up in Trafalgar. She said please don’t tell anyone, I told everyone that night and offered them a plate of sandwiches that they’d missed out on at afternoon tea.
I think you need to get some brownie points back here mate?
She’s been terrific, she doesn’t like cricket, rarely watched me play and rarely watches Jack play, but understands and appreciates how strong my passion and love is for the Pakenham Cricket Club. She enjoys the company and works really hard, we call her the canteen manager and she does a terrific job. I’m proud of Jack as well, I’m proud of the leadership he shows and how he conducts himself on and off the field. You love it don’t you mate? I love Pakenham and I love country cricket and footy, I love what it represents and look forward to it every Saturday. I’d rather watch country footy and cricket than the big stuff. It’s hard work during summer, by the end of the season I’ve had enough, but two weeks later I can’t wait for it to start again.
Thanks Phil, we better get that last beer.
Good idea.
