Both men were recognised as Life Members, Graham in 1979 and Michael in 1984, and both earned it the hard way. By playing at the highest level for the club and giving back over decades. Each played in four premiership sides, and both were named in the 1925–1970 Bridgenorth All-Star Team, a mark reserved for players whose influence lasts far beyond their playing days.
Graham’s story starts early and says a lot about the time. At just 15, he was boundary umpiring when a player went down injured. Someone called him on. No boots. No warm-up. He was thrown straight into full forward, played about ten minutes, kicked two goals on the run, one off the right, one off the left, and then went back to the boundary line.
Michael’s path to Parrot Park began in 1956, after junior football at Exeter. His older brother was already at Bridgenorth, and once he got clearance, Michael stepped into the Bridgenorth guernsey and quickly made full forward his home. Over 200 games followed, most of them spent leading the line, including a season where he kicked 96 goals, a number that still stops people in their tracks.
These two didn’t just play in good teams. They played in one of the most successful stretches the club has ever had. Between 1949 and 1967, Bridgenorth reached 14 grand finals. Michael played in eight of them and was part of five premiership wins.
Graham was only 14 when work began on the new ground at Bridgenorth. So his memories aren’t just of games, they’re of the club physically becoming what it is now. He watched Parrot Park take shape, then helped fill it with football that matched the pride behind it.
There’s also something uniquely Bridgenorth about the way football and family history weave through this episode. Graham speaks about seeing Michael, himself (as the family left-footer), and Greg grow into good footballers and carry on a legacy inside the club. That’s been a constant here: not just individuals having careers, but families building chapters. This is the kind of legacy the series is here to honour. Not polished. Not borrowed. Earned, and still respected.
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