By Romy Stephens
The Belgrave Football and Netball Club lost its number one ticket holder and inaugural Hall of Fame member Ivan Argoon on 10 December last year.
Ivan first began playing football for Belgrave after WWII. He was one of five Argoon brothers that played for the club during the late 1940s through to the 1960s.
He captained the team during the club’s ‘golden period’ in which it won six premierships between 1948 and 1954.
Once Ivan finished playing football, he continued his involvement with the club through coaching.
For well over a decade, he took on teams in A or B Grade and Under 17s and he also coached Boronia for two seasons in the early 1950s.
According to his son, Robert, Ivan was a supportive coach that would take on any role asked of him.
“He coached for about 15 years, basically any position the football club asked,” Robert said.
“Any player that he coached right from seniors through to 17s they all came back and said that he was very encouraging.
“I did hear him speak quite a bit and he was always inspiring.”
Locals may have also known Ivan through his involvement at the Moran and Cato grocery store on Main Street, Belgrave.
He managed the store for about 30 years until it was bought out by Safeway.
Robert said Ivan – also known to many as Scrooge – was a very social member of the community who enjoyed drinking a beer with friends.
He said dedicated community members such as Ivan are “very important” for society, especially when it comes to helping younger generations.
“Particularly given the exposure to the generations that he coached coming up through,” Robert said.
“I was at the club for quite a while and when I came back and coached some of the juniors that he was involved with I was coaching at a senior level.
“Given the time frame he was there he was exposed to quite a few people.”
The Belgrave Football and Netball Club will host a memorial service for Ivan at the Belgrave clubrooms on 14 February.
For more information contact Robert on 0400 634 061.
