Close to 50 years have passed since the late Peter Diamond famously made a late comeback at the age of 44 to play his last game of premier grade rugby with sons Michael and Greg for his beloved Nedlands club in Perth.
Life member Diamond Snr was such a legend at Neddies that the tree where supporters gathered around to watch finals matches played at the old Perry Lakes playing field was named after him.
As a placard in the Neddies club rooms attests, it will always live on as “Diamond’s tree.”
Now club historians believe a new chapter in the club’s 90-year history has been written with three brothers starting in the same premier grade team for Neddies for the first time.
Last Saturday, Finn O’Callaghan joined younger brothers Rowe and Luke in the Neddies premier grade backline in the club’s Rendezvous Scarborough Challenge Cup match against Associates.
The talented trio are expected to be regular fixtures for Neddies in the upcoming Fortescue premier grade competition, which kicks off on Saturday.
Finn (centre), Rowe (wing) and Luke (halfback) are all graduates from Perth’s Christ Church Grammar school, stepping up from the Brother Redmond Cup private schools competition.
While Rowe crossed for the first try of the day for Neddies on Saturday, it was the home team Associates that came home stronger to win 22-14 to set up an oddly-timed mid-season Rendezvous Cup grand final date with Kalamunda, who defeated Cottesloe 19-12.
The appearance of the three O’Callaghan brothers on Saturday led club luminaries like Knoxy, Hulk and Rocket Jones to ponder how many sets of brothers had played together in the same Neddies premier grade team over the decades.
Apart from the Diamonds, the unofficial list through the haze of time includes: Chris and Tim Lowson, Brian and Tim Emery, Trefor and Gary Thomas, Dave and Greg “China” Hamilton, Paul “Bam” and Michael “Chiko” Koteka, George and Nick Forster-Jones, Callum and Rob Sauer, Tony and Rodney Ball, Jackson and Dave “Duck” Neilson, Joe and Ryan “Moggsy” Symes, Ben and Fereti “Freddy” Titoko, Murray and Stu Farquharson, Troy and Tyson Takiari and Maia and Jeremiah “Yogi” King.
Though no relation, Finn, Rowe and Luke join another famous O’Callaghan at the Foreshore in John “Mixa” O’Callaghan.
After playing more than 150 premier-grade games for Neddies and representing Western Australia, teetotaler Mixa is now the head of the club’s legendary supporters’ club, The Third Half.
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