1920 Onionweed and the Country Recruit
	After he resigned in 1933 to take up the same position with St. Kilda, long-serving Preston secretary, Ernie Hannah was asked of unusual happenings that had attracted his attention during his 20 years as a player and official ...

Hannah recalled ..

"One incident that stands out during my time was that after a pre-season training session had ended, there was still a set of clothes hanging up in the rooms and nobody was claiming them.    So in the darkness, we lit a couple of kerosene lamps and went out and searched the arena and in the long onion grass, about 12 to 15 inches high on the Mary Street side of the ground, we found a recruit from the country, let's call him Jack Smith, lying out cold in the grass".

"Nobody actually knew what happened, but it took several years for him to come good!"

The "onion grass" or more correctly, onionweed is a fast-growing and tough plant growing from tiny bulbs and with a pungent onion-like smell.  In botanical terms, "Asphodelus Fistulosus", the plant is native to the Mediterranean region but had infested other countries, being listed as a Noxious Weed by the United States Department of agriculture (it may have had an affinity with the Preston area – the author remembers several vacant blocks of land in Bell Street being covered with the weed in as late as the mid-1950s). From 1918, football match reports several times mention the poor condition of the ground with the "grass" up to twelve inches high and it seems an infestation of onionweed along the Mary Street side of the ground was to blame.   Conditions were at times so bad that a field umpire in 1918 lodged a complaint with the V.J.F.A. claiming "the Preston ground is in a bad way and the ball at times was quite hidden in the long grass". The matter came to a head after the opening match of the cricket season at Preston Park in October 1920.

The poor condition of the Park was reported by the umpires and the subsequent meeting of the V.J.C.A. determined to write to the Council indicating that Preston's position within the Association was under threat and requesting the Shire to at least regularly cut the grass.      This at last prompted the Council into action and it appears extensive works were carried out, the cricket club was forced to shift its matches after Christmas and the football club had to to make alternative arrangements for what constituted pre-season training in those times.

Turf wickets were laid in the winter of 1922 as a pre-requisite to the cricket club entering Sub-District ranks and although conditions seem to have improved slightly, problems with the onion-weed continued until at least 1924 :

"It is expected that the Preston Council will expend over £10,000 on a new grandstand and general ground improvements before the beginning of next season.   This is gratifying as the old structure they have been using as a pavilion was obsolete many years ago.    It is a pity that some means cannot be devised to eradicate the onion-weed which is again undisputed possession of the playing surface"  The Sporting Globe, April 30, 1924

The Shire had tried the rudimentary pesticides of the time to no avail, the soil had been dug up and filtered, but the tiny bulbs still got through and multiplied, and hand mowing was ineffective because the weed was too tough.

A suggested solution of a horse drawn mower costing £33 was put before Council, and Shire meeting notes include a motion 'to divert the proceeds from the sales of the pine trees at Preston Park towards buying the mower'.  The pine trees were a feature of the ground at the time, as was a cycle track around the perimeter of the oval.   

Just when the pine trees were removed isn't documented,  but photographs taken at the Park in 1926 of the celebrations of Preston's declaration as a City indicate that at least some of the pines were still there. 

In 2001, studies carried out before construction of the new change rooms suggested that the elm tree immediately south of the grandstand was about 80 years old and in poor condition.   The estimate is possibly a little out as an aerial photograph taken in 1918 shows small trees interspersing with the pines, probably the elms that dot the ground today.

Hannah, was also asked about memorable coaches speeches, and he recalled an address in 1928 by "Bull" Adams at half-time on a very wet and muddy day against Port Melbourne.

"Adams berated the players for kicking what he called Norwegian punts, 30 yards up in the air and not much distance (although he was a prime offender himself)".   He called his players "a mob of swallow's nests" then noting their uncomprehending stares, he went on to explain "all mud outside and full of s**t inside".     

"Preston's President. Cr. Henry Zwar heard the comment and suggested strongly to me that Adams either had to restrain himself or he would be forced to intervene.   Probably the shortest address I ever heard was in 1933 when Charlie McSwain in his first game as coach simply said "Players, go out and do your best".

Pictured below is a photograph of the 1916 Preston side with captain-coach Percy Ogden in the centre of the second row.  This is the only known photograph of the old pavilion mentioned by the Sporting Globe.  

It was erected in the early 1880s - the exact year is uncertain, but it is known that in October 1880, the Shire Council considered a recommendation from the Parks Committee that "a pavilion be erected in the Preston Park for the use of the various clubs and that leave be given to the Gowerville Cricket Club to play there".

Cr. Mitchell (also treasurer of the Gowerville club) suggested taht "pavilion was too elaborate word for such a shed as would be erected".  Despite Mitchell's comments, later reports on annual meetings of Gowerville held at the pavilion suggest attendances of around 60 people, hinting the building was rather more than a "shed"..

Preston's pavilion came two or three years after Northcote's.

In 1878, the colonial Government legislated to stop local Shires from charging road tolls.  One of the Jika Shire's main sources of revenue had been a toll gate in High Street near the corner of Westgarth Street.  When the charges were abolished, the Shire tried to sell off the toll-gates and all the associated bits and pieces as well as the small adjoining gatekeeper's residence.

The only tender for the house came from the Melbourne Omnibus Company who wanted to use the building as a waiting room for passengers.   An agreement was struck for the Company to rent the building at 1/9d per week, but at the same time the Northcote Park Cricket Club requested permission to remove it to the park as a pavilion.

The Omnibus Company later withdrew their tender and the toll-house was moved to Northcote Park where it served as a pavilion for many years and later as the caretaker's cottage.