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03/11/2010 - Russell McKinnon |
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Tokyo Olympian and women´s coach Stan Hammond dies in Perth |
Foto: HaJo Höhler |
Australian water polo lost one its more colourful characters with the Saturday night death of 1964 Olympian Stan Hammond of Perth. Hammond, who died less than two weeks from his 68th birthday, had the rare history of playing and coaching Australia in his chequered career with the pinnacle being Olympic competition. He also had a sniff of controversy surrounding him over the "Flag" affair at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
After a long playing career, he went on to coach the Australian women´s team in the late 1970s when it was rising to be a world power. A tireless worker for the sport, his innovations and commitment were second to none. He was a president of Western Australia Water Polo in 1976-78, secretary in 1988-92 and vice-president for three stints over a 22-year period until 1986, as well as registrar for a term. He was made a Life Member of WA Water Polo in 1976 and was a double winner of the Frank Beaurepaire Memorial Trophy for his outstanding services to the sport.
He was a life member of the Dolphins Water Polo Club (1967) for whom he started playing in the late 1950s, rising to Australian selection as the 44th person to represent his country and the trip to Tokyo. He was one of five Western Australian players in the 1964 team and gained selection after WA claimed the national title from Victoria. One of his treasured pieces of memorabilia from the Olympics was a large Japanese flag with the signatures of every member of the Australian Olympic team.
Stan left Dolphins and started the Kalamunda Water Polo Club and later the Somerset Water Polo Club, which is still functioning. Under his tutelage he had Australian representative Megan and Wendy Meloncelli (now Arancini), who went on to become world and World Cup champions. He also nurtured the careers of Amanda and Lori Darvill with the latter a member of the 1995 World Cup-winning team. Also in his charge were sisters Bridgette Gusterson and Danielle Woodhouse, both Olympic champions and also hailing from the Somerset club. Stan won premierships with Dolphins in 1963, ´64, ´66 and ´70. He was a member of the State team from 1961 until 1970. He held the presidency of the Dolphins club in 1971-72.
He was a long-term WA women´s coach and won the national crown in 1977, going on to co-coach the Australian team in California in early 1978. Later that year he coached Australia to a demonstration tournament for women in conjunction with the FINA World Championships in Berlin, West Germany. From there he coached the team to the first FINA World Cup in Merced, California in August, 1979.
Junior world champion captain Kelly Heuchan said of Stan Hammond: "He was the best coach of the 25 I have had." Hammond used to hang pictures of himself in the top corners of the goals to make sure that the girls knew where to throw the ball. He was known to have said that he wanted the players to hate him so that they didn´t argue among themselves. Club mate and fellow Tokyo Olympian Graeme Samuel said of Stan: “He was a damn hard backman. He didn´t muck about. We had a good thing going with the team and we all knew where everyone was.” Hammond was also a talented referee and frequently said that he liked close games.
He made his fortune many times over and started his working career as a plumber and then as an importer of metal products from India. In later years he worked as a handyman, right up until the diagnosis of his illness. He died of an aggressive brain tumour and had a short illness. He leaves behind wife Judy and three children, David, Tracey and Linda, and his funeral will be held in at Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth on Saturday at 10.30am.
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