Sullivan, Ron

BORN MAY 31ST, 1948 in Adelaide, [2] one of eight siblings, Sullivan helped support the family financially after his father passed away. [9] The brother of Graeme who married Pat Burley's daughter, Sharon, he started ice hockey at 15 as a foundation player with the Falcons Ice hockey club in 1964. He played against the Redwings on the opening night of St Moritz Adelaide and later moved to Victoria to join the Army. [6]

He played for the Rangers club at Moorabbin Iceland in Melbourne around the time they joined the Reserve Grade competition for the Oliphant Trophy, and the special competition for the Smith Trophy, [3] with senior players such as his brothers, Graeme and Scott; the Heath brothers, Graeme and Malcolm; the Gardner brothers, Sandy and Trevor; Fraser Macdonald; Tony Cooper; Jeff Cushing; and Dell St Clair.

Over the 19 seasons between 1967 and '85, Sullivan played 174 games in the local A-grade, and 25 in the reserve. He also played 10 games for Hakoah in 1978, and 16 for the Monarchs in 1981, for a total of 225 senior games, not counting those he played for the Iceland Ringwood Flyers in Sydney. [1]

He missed a season in 1970, serving as a Lance-Corporal in the Vietnam War at 21, [1] in support of a large contingent of Australian and New Zealand airmen. Stationed with the 2nd Advanced Ordnance Depot in the seaport city of Vung Tau, his friend Stephen Duncan said he held the mile record for the Army. Sullivan and Duncan later performed comedy acts in ice shows during the Iceland Ringwood years.

Pat Burley closed Iceland Moorabbin that year and, after Sullivan returned from the war, he took on the management of Burley's new ice rink at Ringwood. He would later manage Iceland Prince Alfred Park in Sydney when Burley took over the Council lease. [1] The Rangers were State Runners-up in 1972, and he played the Australian Club Championships in Sydney, defeating the New South Wales premiers and runners-up, to finish second behind Victoria's powerhouse Monarchs. [4] The same year, he won the first of three straight Goodall Cups with the state team coached by Elgin Luke (1972 to '74). He also managed the 1972 squad.

In 1974, Sullivan represented Australia in the National Senior Team at Grenoble in France coached by Luke. He scored 2 of 3 goals against China at first-line Centre with Allan Harvey and Rangers' teammate Sandy Gardner on the wings. He repeated the feat in the game against Bulgaria, producing 4 of the nation's 13 goals in the tournament, and finishing top goal scorer ahead of Jim Christie.

In Sydney, Sullivan helped organise the NSW team invited to play in open competition with the EAIHL and Victorian clubs in 1976. It was an attempt by Burley and his organisation to mend the rift in the state association. "Ron was generous with his time... and always gave his best when on the ice," recalls Keith Willmott who played in the squad with Ron Mann. [7] He played for the Iceland Ringwood Flyers during the games at Prince Alfred Park in Sydney.

In 1977, Sullivan represented Victoria and Australia against the touring West Germany Olympia-80 team, and in 1979 he returned to the Worlds in Barcelona where Australia tied South Korea, but lost the rest. Peter Nixon remembers a powerful skater with an accurate shot, and many others have commented on the excellent skater he was. [7] "A good friend to many a hockey player," recalls Kevin Madden. [2] "Australian ice hockey has always enjoyed great camaraderie among players, there wasn't many who had personality clashes".

Sullivan played for the Rangers when they won their four state championships for the Kleiner Trophy (1975, '79, '81, '82), and for the 1981 Victorian All-Stars against New South Wales at the opening of the Phillip Ice Rink in Canberra. He worked gallantly, but unsuccessfully, to keep St Moritz Ice Skating Palais alive in 1981-2 with Dave Fehily and Vic Ekberg. [7] He directed the 1984 Goodall Cup tournament at Iceland Dandenong and perhaps others.

Ron Sullivan died on the Sunshine Coast Queensland on October 27th 2009, survived by five children: Wes, Nick, Elliot, Olivia and Merrilyn. "We are all proud and honoured that Ron's contribution to the sport he loved with such passion is recognised by his peers," wrote Merrilyn in 2019, and Wes expressed similar sentiments. "Along with his two best friends, Fraser McDonald and Nick (Frenchy) Anthony, life on and off the ice was always full and amazing". [8]

In a playing career spread over two decades, Ron Sullivan represented the nation in all the international campaigns of the time, and managed two of the most important ice rinks in two states. Former national team coach Elgin Luke considered him a great ambassador for Australian ice hockey. [7]