Goodbye Gie
Collingwood champion Mick McGuane was among hundreds of mourners who said farewell to 16-year-old Euroa thirds player Gie Gosewinckel at Euroa yesterday.
The Euroa Secondary College student would have been rapt his idol was there to say goodbye.
More than 2000 teammates, football supporters, friends, relatives and schoolmates gave the young forward a grand farewell.
Gie died at the end of a Goulburn Valley Football League thirds game against Rochester at Euroa’s Memorial Oval on Saturday afternoon.
Euroa won the match, with the Collingwood-mad youngster kicking two goals.
He wore number 34, the same number his hero, McGuane, wears for the AFL Magpies.
In fact, he was at the 1993 Copeland Medal count last year when McGuane won his second club best and fairest.
One of the photos among his many sporting trophies for football, cricket, Little Athletics, basketball and golf on display in the George Hunter Pavilion yesterday was one of himself and Collingwood rover Tony Francis.
McGuane wore a black armband in the Magpies’ clash with Geelong on Sunday as a mark of respect to his young Euroa mate. Like so many at the funeral service at Memorial Oval yesterday, he was devastated by the fact the teenager had collapsed and died at the end of the game.
Gie’s teammates, on returning from the Euroa Cemetery yesterday afternoon, moved on to Memorial Oval once again and visited the spot where he fell at the end of the game on Saturday.
The champion all-round sportsman was diagnosed as having a heart condition two years ago. He was advised not to play and only recently, on a visit to his specialist, told him he was playing football again.
In 1992 he played in the under 15s premiership side and was runner-up in the best and fairest award. In 1993 with his father, Graeme, coaching, he won the most dedicated player award.
Former Euroa Football Club president Leo Kubeil said football was the boy’s true love “and he had black and white running through his veins”.
“I feel it is just as well that Euroa wear the colours of Collingwood or Gie may not have shared his talent with us,” Mr Kubeil said.
“He was responsible, reliable and very supportive of all teammates, no matter what the arena.”
Mr Kubeil said “time has robbed the community of Euroa from seeing one of its favourite
sons playing football at the highest level and if Gie had a wish, it would be for his teammates to go on and be winners in 1994 and always”.
Euroa Secondary College principal Gary Golding spoke on behalf of the school, and his uncle on behalf of the family, while school captain Megan Stackhouse read from the scripture.
Coffin bearers were teammates Ian “Spit” Trotter, Ashley
“Bomber” Thomson, Brett Pugh, uncles Rod Lancaster and Noel Gosewinckel and cousin
Brock Lancaster.
Canon Bill Squire conducted the service.