By Peter Sweeney
SHE may be a walking encyclopaedia on football, but Fay Tuck isn’t a talking one.
“I’ve learnt to zip my lips over the years …. I’ve had to,” she said.
As the wife of football’s Mr Longevity, Michael Tuck, the sister of arguably the game’s greatest player, Gary Ablett Snr, the mum of two sons who have played in the AFL and the sister and aunty of seemingly countless stars, Fay Tuck knows one or three things about footy.
But she keeps most of it to herself.
“I have to, otherwise I would get into too much trouble,” she said from the outer at Casey Fields on Saturday, where her ‘baby’ Travis, was playing for Werribee against the Casey Scorpions. Travis Tuck – who, like his side, didn’t have a good day – had his own cheer squad, up to 30 people being either Tucks or relatives of the family.
“Sometimes it’s hard to ignore things that are said at the football … but I have to,” Fay said.
One thing Fay Tuck is prepared to talk about is her claim on the most number of VFL/AFL jumpers/scarves in the cupboard. Husband Michael was a one clubber, Hawthorn, while sons Shane and Travis started there. The former will finish at Richmond, while the latter, now back on track and kicking personal goals after being the first player outed under the AFL three-strike drug policy, hopes to be picked up by an AFL club during the off-season.
Ablett brothers Gary (Hawthorn-Geelong), Geoff (Hawthorn, Richmond, St Kilda) and Kevin (Hawthorn, Geelong) and nephews Gary and Nathan (both Geelong and now Gold Coast) and Luke (Sydney Swans) have made, or are making, their mark.
“I’ve been following them for a while now,” Fay said.
“It started at Drouin 35, no 40, no 45 years ago. I loved watching the boys (brothers) play. I met Michael through Geoff, when they were playing at Hawthorn in the early 1970s.
“I’ve never won a medal, but I reckon if they gave one for the most jumpers or scarves, I would win it.
“There are a few colours in the cupboard. Between me and my sisters we have got plenty.
“I go to as many games as I can. When Michael was playing, I saw Hawthorn every week and I watch Shane and Travis play each game.
“Football makes one broad-minded, especially the comments you hear. I could kill some people. I could tell lots of stories, but I better not … I will get into trouble.”
And what are her views on footy these days?
“Many of the blokes playing can run all day, they are like athletes, but they haven’t got football brains,” she said.
“It’s a simple game … but it’s now got too many theories.”
Fay left Casey Fields late on Saturday following the losing side. But 24 hours later, she was a winner at the MCG. It showed that footy’s just like life – full of ups and downs, wins and losses.
“But you never let it get you down,” Fay said.
