Jeff 'FLASH" Malcolm

Played league on the sunny south coast at Corrimal?

 

Thats right I was a cougar in 1980. Fantastic club. I am a little bit further south these days. Ulladulla. Beautiful part of Australia.

 

Rugby players will never make the grade in the AFL just as AFL players would never make the grade in rugby, top level. Karmichael Hunt will find this to be true next year but I reckon it's all a publicity stunt anyway

And speaking of Aboriginal fighters....does anyone think they generally have a much shorter peak than other fighters? I do, but am not sure why it is. Stamina also seems to be a problem, possibly due to generally having more fast twitch fibre than the rest of us

p.s. Jeff...Lachie Austin. How good was he at his best? I remember a fight he had with Dashing Dave Ramsden? in the mid 80's and he KO'd Ramsden in about 4. Ray Mitchell's description of it in 'fighter' magazine was magic. Something along the lines of "dropped him with a bomb as potent as young wine" :good

 

Firstly I understand your thoughts on rugby players not making it in AFL and vice versa but aboriginals are possibly the most talented race in the world. But I wouldnt count them out. As far as Lachie Austin is concerned he was the most talented boxer I ever got in the ring with. He was another guy who had everything. A complete fighter except he couldnt handle a southpaw. THANKGOD.

 

You did do a great job with Sel Currie. That is one that no one can deny.

 

Thank you. Sel was great to train. He believed I could make him a champion and did everything I asked. The night he won the Aussie title was just as big for me as it was for him.

 

Flash, do you remember Jimmy Sharman Jnr floating around the Balmain club?? I read a great story about him today.. 91 at the time, and he didnt sound to have lost his sharp tongue and 'right to the point' wit.

Would like to have met him.

 

I havent seen Jimmy since going to the Sydney show as a kid. He was brought up with that wit. I had over 100 fights in Bobby Tuites tent as a teenager as he also had a sharp tongue. They were great days. Shame boxing tents are all but vanished.

 

Must have been a great experience none the less. The thousands of characters that have been involved in the tents over the years is remarkable.. Such a sad tradition to die.

 

Yes there were a lot of great times in the tents. I lined up on the boards with so many great fighters. Bobby paid for a taxi for Tonys brother Teddy (Kevin) and me from Earlwood to Penrith to fight. In the early seventies it was an hour trip. It cost a fortune. He had us on every house. The money was great but you had to earn it. I was a bantam in those days.

 

That book I mentioned... When are you going to start writing it????

 

True , Tent and Mountain fighting paved the route for so many young fighters here in Wales back in the day , Wilde , Welsh ,Driscoll etc all started off learing their trade either in a tent or up a Mountain side .

 

Its a shame that Jimmy Sharman Jnr shut his doors back in the early 70's and the massive circuit really slowed down. Places like outback Central QLD went bananas with the passing tent shows. Josey, guys like Fred Henneberry had starts in the Mining tents.. just a bunch of cranky blokes punching the crap out of each other for a few bob.. but they couldnt make 'em any tougher than Fred Henneberry..

 

I know I have been lucky because of boxing throughout my life. Yes so many stories. So you can imagine how many times Choc has listened to them. He has grown up with Tony and me telling all these yarns. If we forget any he always reminds us. His mum always brings up stories of me outside of boxing when I was a teenager. She remembers things I wished were forgotten.

 

lol... Maybe she can write the book... It'll be a best seller.. You'll buy the lot to save any embarassment..