How good was Sam Kekovich?

[ozzyoslo]

Happy new year nth faithful.... I read a write up or it may have been on SEN RADIO on "Keka" recently. I never had pleasure of seeing him play.......How good was he and any of the "cough cough" older than me lads here who can remember, share some thoughts on him please.

 

[linnaeus]

Sam was one of the best I saw albeit a flawed champion. Not noted for adherence to strict training he had that X factor. I saw him at Arden St playing at CHF and carving up Delahunty the Collingwood CHB. He kicked 1.7 before half time as I recall. He was powerful and crashed through packs. Had terrific pace for a bloke of his size. He was an all round player with the ability to play anywhere. So good that you built your side around him. Remains prominent
around the Club and a North man through and through.Hopefully someone has some vision to upload of his early days. By 1975 he was in decline although a valued member of the first premiership side.

 

[croode]

Talent wise, imo, as good as Carey. But unfortunately he came from a not so professional era and had too many distractions in his life. People forget he suffered a serious knee injury in the 1969? preseason that caused him to miss a season. In those days it was hard to come back from those injuries.

 

[gokangas]

First two responses sum Keka up well. Extraordinary talent but probably never quite achieved his highest level. One of the players you went to a game just to watch him play. Strong, tough, touch of mongrel - a freak. Bit of a playboy in his day and the distractions weren't ignored.
On his day could dominate a game like Carey.
Umm, ahem, my dad told me all of this.

 

[Old Skool]

Talent wise, imo, as good as Carey.

This is not an exaggeration.

Try to imagine a 19 year old ruck rover bursting on to the scene and kicking 56 goals in 16 matches playing in his 14th to 29th games of senior football.

That same kid then goes on to play for Victoria and wins his clubs best and fairest.

Sam was a freak.

 

[Artichoke]

Kekka was a champ. One of the few father-sons that worked in our flavour. Anyone who saw him play as often as I did in my formative years will never cease to amaze me.

 

[jacko57]

Kekka was a champ. One of the few father-sons that worked in our flavour. Anyone who saw him play as often as I did in my formative years will never cease to amaze me.

Father-son?

I thought he was in our zone (Myrtleford), never heard anything about his Dad being a footballer.

 

[jacko57]

IIRC, I attended a Keka roast, where his right of reply was something like

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have been described as a footballer who had the presence of a Carey, the strength of a Lockett, the ball control of a Baldock, the physicality of a Matthews, the arrogance of a Brerton, the excitement factor of an Ablett, the mongrel of a Whitten.

"All I can say is : what a lot of condescending bullshit! I was all that, and much more."

My recollection is that Keka was a freak, although somewhat like Carman, an ultimately unfulfilled talent.

In the first part of his career, he was largely a one-man team, a star player in a pretty ordinary side. Opponents soon decided 'Stop Keka, stop North'.

He wouldn't take any physical treatment without responding. (I still remember th start of the 74 GF when, before the first bounce, Morris, Bourke and Wood all started a scuffle with Sam.........and that little **** Ian Robinson went over and warned Sam!)

The tragedy is that, once he became one of many stars in the team, for whatever reason, Sam lost a bit of focus....maybe he was too much of a party boy, or not enough of a team player.

 

[Zondor]

Yeah his skill set was nothing to be sneezed at. Fortunately for us, he didn't take an ill conceived sabbatical up the highway. The sophisticated weaponry at his disposal, for want of a better term, made him one of the freaks of the VFL in his day. :stern look

 

[Old Skool]

The tragedy is that, once he became one of many stars in the team, for whatever reason, Sam lost a bit of focus....maybe he was too much of a party boy, or not enough of a team player.

After exploding on the scene in 69, he stuffed his knee/ankle and missed all but 4 games in 1970.

He returned in round 1 of 1971 and put on a display that the old timers rate as one of the greatest ever by a North player when North, the reigning wooden spooners, rolled Carlton, the reigning premiers at Arden Street.

Sam was suspended in round 2 of 1971 for belting Barry Breen and it made front page news:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...2325330&dq=sam+kekovich+north+melbourne&hl=en

By 1972 his partying saw his condition deteriorate to the point where the club dropped him to the reserves, and he threatened to leave the club:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...3715558&dq=sam+kekovich+north+melbourne&hl=en

1973 also saw Sammy in the nick:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...5415151&dq=sam+kekovich+north+melbourne&hl=en

By 1974 his weight had become a real issue and he was publicly shamed by RDB in the press.

He still played some great cameos now and then but the grog and lack of conditioning got the better of him and by 1976 he was virtually stuffed as a league footballer at 27 years of age.

 

[jacko57]

think it was in '74, RDB gave him a wake-up call by starting him on the bench in a game at VFL Park.......didn't really seem to get through though.

 

[Mr Reliable]

Old Skool:

"He still played some great cameos now and then but the grog and lack of conditioning got the better of him and by 1976 he was virtually stuffed as a league footballer at 27 years of age."


So he went and played a few games for the Pies.

 

[Old Skool]

Old Skool:

"He still played some great cameos now and then but the grog and lack of conditioning got the better of him and by 1976 he was virtually stuffed as a league footballer at 27 years of age."


So he went and played a few games for the Pies.

4 games for a total of 16 disposals mate, after North sought the trade and pocketed 20 grand in the process.

Sam was offered up to Footscray at the end of 77, the Dogs didn't want a bar of it, and the topsy turvy career of Sam Kekovich abruptly came to an end.

The bloke was an absolute powerhouse in his prime. He had it all.

 

[ozzyoslo]

Cheers people.......I think its important that those passionate about the club as much I am and those definately a lot younger read/hear these stories.
I think we're due to unearth a player again with the ability change/turn a game on its head. Definately one for the tech savvy people here to allow us all to see Sam in flight.

 

[Long time fan]

Sam's ability was a forerunner of Wayne Carey's, but unfortunately injuries, poor preparation and off field distractions meant that his talent was largely unfulfilled. I remember that he was an absolute sensation when he first arrived and did things like kicking drop kick goals from about 60 metres out- in the days before Barassi banned drop kicks.

He also had a younger brother, Michael I think, who came to North and seemed to have just as much talent and a lot better application. Tragically he was killed as a 17 year old when running on the roadside for preseason training one year (Sam never took that risk!)

 

[ShinbonerBaz]

Sam's ability was a forerunner of Wayne Carey's, but unfortunately injuries, poor preparation and off field distractions meant that his talent was largely unfulfilled. I remember that he was an absolute sensation when he first arrived and did things like kicking drop kick goals from about 60 metres out- in the days before Barassi banned drop kicks.

He also had a younger brother, Michael I think, who came to North and seemed to have just as much talent and a lot better application. Tragically he was killed as a 17 year old when running on the roadside for preseason training one year (Sam never took that risk!)

Newspaper article of the sad news here

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...OBUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qZADAAAAIBAJ&pg=5164,5739918

 

[Old Skool]

Sam also had an older brother named Brian who played for Carlton.

He kicked 4 goals out of Carlton's total of 7 in their premiership win of 1968. This was his last VFL game.

He stuffed his back in 1969, sought a clearance to North to play with Sam, gained that clearance in 1970, played 4 seconds games and had to give the game away due to his stuffed back.

 

[jacko57]

Sam also had an older brother named Brian who played for Carlton.

He kicked 4 goals out of Carlton's total of 7 in their premiership win of 1968. This was his last VFL game.

He stuffed his back in 1969, sought a clearance to North to play with Sam, gained that clearance in 1970, played 4 seconds games and had to give the game away due to his stuffed back.

I believe Sam sometimes had back problems.

But not from training or playing football.

 

[Old Skool]

Shaggers back? Too right.

Have you heard Ross Glendinnings Keka story?

 

[Old Skool]

Here's a link on Brian Kekovich's back problem.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QrApAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cZMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6021,3157570

At least he went out a North player.

 

[Valian]

Shaggers back? Too right.

Have you heard Ross Glendinnings Keka story?

no but do tell!

 

[Old Skool]

no but do tell!

Rosco came over to North in 76/77 as a young green bloke from Perth, with his mum and dad, and Sam was given the task of showing Ross around Melbourne for a few days.

Well, it's fair to say Ross had never seen the big city in that way before. Ross is wrapped with the experience and he can't put pen to paper soon enough to come and join North Melbourne.

Anyway, Ross is about to leave Arden Street and head to Tullamarine for his plane back to Perth when he spots Sam sitting in his car in the club car park, so Ross and his parents head over to Sams car to thank him for his time as their host.

They get to Sams car, Sam rolls down the window only to reveal Sam in a compromising position with a young lady. Sam bids Ross and his parents adieu and they depart Arden Street in a somewhat stunned manner.

On the plane back home Mrs Glendinning is outraged and declares that her boy is never going to play at "that" football club.

Ross's old man consoles Ross and mutter to him, "Don't worry son, you will get your wish to go back to Melbourne.........and if what I saw in Sams car is any indication of the place...........I'll be coming with you"

 

[Mr Reliable]

Rosco came over to North in 76/77 as a young green bloke from Perth, with his mum and dad, and Sam was given the task of showing Ross around Melbourne for a few days.

Well, it's fair to say Ross had never seen the big city in that way before. Ross is wrapped with the experience and he can't put pen to paper soon enough to come and join North Melbourne.

Anyway, Ross is about to leave Arden Street and head to Tullamarine for his plane back to Perth when he spots Sam sitting in his car in the club car park, so Ross and his parents head over to Sams car to thank him for his time as their host.

They get to Sams car, Sam rolls down the window only to reveal Sam in a compromising position with a young lady. Sam bids Ross and his parents adieu and they depart Arden Street in a somewhat stunned manner.

On the plane back home Mrs Glendinning is outraged and declares that her boy is never going to play at "that" football club.

Ross's old man consoles Ross and mutter to him, "Don't worry son, you will get your wish to go back to Melbourne.........and if what I saw in Sams car is any indication of the place...........I'll be coming with you"

Let's hope Cowro doesn't find out.







[or perhaps she already knows, knowwhatimean]

 

[giantroo]

Rosco came over to North in 76/77 as a young green bloke from Perth, with his mum and dad, and Sam was given the task of showing Ross around Melbourne for a few days.

Well, it's fair to say Ross had never seen the big city in that way before. Ross is wrapped with the experience and he can't put pen to paper soon enough to come and join North Melbourne.

Anyway, Ross is about to leave Arden Street and head to Tullamarine for his plane back to Perth when he spots Sam sitting in his car in the club car park, so Ross and his parents head over to Sams car to thank him for his time as their host.

They get to Sams car, Sam rolls down the window only to reveal Sam in a compromising position with a young lady. Sam bids Ross and his parents adieu and they depart Arden Street in a somewhat stunned manner.

On the plane back home Mrs Glendinning is outraged and declares that her boy is never going to play at "that" football club.

Ross's old man consoles Ross and mutter to him, "Don't worry son, you will get your wish to go back to Melbourne.........and if what I saw in Sams car is any indication of the place...........I'll be coming with you"

lol!!

 

[Twinkletoes]

lol!!

Ditto. I'm bloody glad Rossco returned too.