Vale - Eric Freeman

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Vale - Eric Freeman

Postby Booney » Tue Dec 15, 2020 9:43 am

One of South Australia’s greatest sportsmen, Eric Freeman, has died, aged 76.

Affectionately known as “Fritzy’’, Freeman – a star cricketer and footballer – had a heart attack on Friday and was rushed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where he was put on a life-support system.

He passed away on Monday night.

“Great player, great team man,’’ said former State and Australian cricket teammate Ashley Mallett.

“Fritz was a terrific sportsman who always put the team first and while he was a wonderful competitor he always played with a sense of fun, a great sense of humour.

“He was a lovely man and to lose him is so sad.’’

Born at Semaphore in the heart of Port Adelaide territory, powerfully-built all-rounder Freeman played 11 Test cricket matches for Australia and 83 first-class games for SA from 1964-65 to 1973-74.

In winter he turned his hand to football, starring as a key forward for Port Adelaide in a 116-game SANFL career from 1964-71, which netted 390 goals.

He won a premiership with the Magpies in 1965 and the Ken Farmer Medal as the SANFL leading goal kicker in 1966, when he booted a career-best 81 goals.

Freeman topped the Magpies’ goalkicking list five times – in 1965, 1966, 1967, 1970 and 1971 – and represented SA on six occasions, booting 13 goals.

He kicked a career-best 14 goals against Woodville in 1970.

“Back in my day you played cricket in summer and football in winter and tried to reach as high a level as you could in both,’’ Freeman said when launching his book, Man For All Seasons, The Eric Freeman Story, at the Adelaide Oval Test in 2015.

As a cricketer, Freeman – presented with baggy green cap number 244 – toured with Australian teams to New Zealand in 1966–67, England in 1968 and India and South Africa in 1969–70.

A fast-medium bowler and swashbuckling batsman, he took 34 Test wickets at an average of 33.17 and made 345 runs at 19.

Freeman was a dominant first-class player, snaring 241 wickets at 27.75 and making 2244 runs at 19.17, with one century.

His best bowling figures were 8/47 for SA against the Kiwis in 1967–68.

The popular and highly respected Freeman famously carried SA to a Sheffield Shield title on one leg in 1970-71.

With SA needing to beat New South Wales in the final game of the season to win the Shield, Freeman strained a hamstring while taking 5/41 in the first innings.

But with ace off-spinner Mallett also injured and SA needing to bowl NSW out for under 321 on the final day, Freeman told captain Ian Chappell he could open the bowling “off about five paces’’.

He sensationally captured 8/64 as the Blues were bowled out for 193.

Chappell described his match and Shield-winning performance as “an amazing triumph of skill, strength and optimism’’.

The legendary former Australian Test skipper said Freeman was one of life’s great optimists.

“He could always see a bright light at the end of even the darkest tunnel and often carried the team along with him,’’ Chappell said.

An on-field warrior, Freeman said he always entered his sporting contests believing his team could win.

“I’ve always had the attitude of not giving up at any stage, even if the tide is against you,’’ he said.

“I guess I was always one of those people who said, ‘get me the ball and I can kick a goal’ or ‘give me the ball and I will take a wicket’,”.

For all of his positivity, Freeman endured plenty of personal heartache.

He tragically lost his 29-year-old son David, one of Adelaide’s top greenkeepers, to suicide in 1999.

Five years later his grandson, 19-year-old Matthew Kakoschke, a promising cricketer, died from illness.

“I had a great working life and playing sport but when you lose your son, we were a very close-knit family, and then your grandson a little bit later, it’s very hard,’’ Freeman said.

Following his retirement as a player, Freeman enjoyed a long and successful career in the media with ABC radio, covering football and cricket, until his retirement in 2010.

In 2002, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for “service to sport, particularly cricket as a player, administrator and commentator”.

Freeman was heavily involved with the Port Adelaide, where he is a life member, and West Torrens cricket clubs, particularly in junior development.

In retirement he was a happy traveller, spending most winters travelling around Australia in a caravan with his wife Diane and a fishing rod always on hand.
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Re: Vale - Eric Freeman

Postby DOC » Tue Dec 15, 2020 11:22 am

Loved his style of reserved commentary.

From the great days of footy AND cricket.
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Re: Vale - Eric Freeman

Postby Mr Beefy » Tue Dec 15, 2020 11:50 am

Many moons ago I played cricket against him when he played for Balaklava, I wont say it was a pleasure as he smashed my bowling around on his way to a ton and then got me out for SFA. He did acknowledge I deceived him with a slower ball as he yelled catch it when he hit it straight back to me...for the second dropped catch off my bowling. I have never heard so much "fizz" on a ball as I heard from his bowling that day.
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Re: Vale - Eric Freeman

Postby Magellan » Tue Dec 15, 2020 4:12 pm

Rest in peace, Fritzy. One of the great footy/cricket 'all-rounders,' the type of athlete which we won't see again.
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