Reddish, Don

THE LITTLE RINK in the converted picture theatre in Melbourne's inner suburban Brunswick was there long enough for him to learn to skate in 1962, and so the next year he joined the Hakoah ice hockey club at St Moritz St Kilda. He remained at that one club until he retired due to family commitments 18 years later. In that time, he played 322 games, joined the Club committee in 1966, disappeared to Switzerland to play the 1967-8 season, but returned to run the Sunday morning food kitchen fundraiser over four seasons at St Moritz. He continued fundraising for the Club until 1974, the year he was made a Life Member. He was the Club Delegate to the state association between 1970 and 1979, the year he retired from the Club's committee after 13 years in office. He won the 1971 A-grade premiership and played in the Australian Club Championships in Sydney before Hakoah moved to Oakleigh in 1972.

In 1984, he returned to the sport in the Melbourne Nite Owls of the Oldtimers league. In 1988, while president of Nite Owls, club delegate to the state association (1988-91) and president of the Victorian Past Players Association, he organized and promoted the first National Oldtimers Tournament in Australia at Bendigo. In 1991 his club became the first Australian team to participate in the "Snoopy" Senior Tournament in the USA organised by Charles Schultz, returning in 1995. In 1991-2, he was one of the committee members who succeeded in having oldtimers hockey recognised by the national association with OiHAN as its governing body. He organized the first 35+ Summer Comp in Victoria at Oakleigh, the forerunner to today's C-grade competition and in 1994 he organized the 35+ Winter Comp. He organized and promoted the sport in Masters games in Melbourne in 1995 and the 20th Bendigo Oldtimer Tournament in 2007.

Over the many years since 1985, he has played in countless Oldtimers games and tournaments throughout Australia and hosted international teams from nations such as Canada, USA, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and Finland. Oldtimers Hockey has provided the vehicle for many local players and expats to continue their game here or to become coaches, referees or clubmen. A Life Member of the national (2006) and state (2008) associations, he became president of OiHAN in 2012 and its delegate to the national association. The next year, he was Chef de Mission of the Australian National Women’s Team and continued for nine tours until 2022. Born October 25th 1944, Don Reddish celebrates his 60th year in the game in 2023.