VALE RON BEATTIE – Coburg Football Club

VALE RON BEATTIE – Coburg Football Club

The Coburg Football Club and the wider football community are mourning the passing of Ron Beattie, the man who captained the Lions to one of the most celebrated premierships in the club’s history. Born on 21 September 1953, Beattie began his senior career with Hawthorn in the VFL, making nine appearances for the Hawks in the second half of the 1974 season. He later crossed to Coburg, where he would leave his most lasting mark on the game. As captain, Beattie led the Coburg Football Club to the 1979 VFA premiership under coach Colin Kinnear — the club’s first flag in 51 years, since their previous first-division premiership in 1928. It remains one of the defining seasons in Coburg’s history, sparking a golden era for the club that would go on to add further premierships in 1988 and 1989. Beattie’s leadership in 1979 is still spoken about by those connected to the club as a turning point — the season that returned Coburg to the top of the ladder and re-ignited a proud, community-driven football club. He led a team that included key contributors such as ruckman Gary Milroy and forward Trevor Price, who was best afield in that year’s grand final. Ron Beattie will be remembered by the Coburg Football Club as a leader who helped shape the club’s proudest era, and by all who played alongside or against him as a dedicated and respected figure of Victorian suburban football. Vale Ron Beattie.