Wednesday, June 19
GEELONG ADVERTISER

A GREAT player during Geelong Football Club's golden years, Tom Morrow, died yesterday, aged 78.

Morrow played 120 games for the Cats from 1946-52 and captained the club during part of the 1949 season.

Team-mate Fred Flanagan yesterday remembered Morrow as a ``very good man for Geelong Football Club both on and off the field''.

``He was born in Geelong and was a dedicated Geelong player and dedicated Geelong man,'' Flanagan said.

Morrow was a member of Geelong's premiership team of 1951.

``He was a real leader, an outstanding player, a ruckman, and also played at centre half back,'' Flanagan said. ``He also played interstate games.''

Flanagan, who captained Geelong when premiers in 1951-52 and runners up in '53, said he, Morrow and another top player, Russell Renfrey, had their first games for Geelong on the same day in 1946.

``Tom's contribution to the club extended to his long term on the match committee, about 10 or 12 years, including a time as chairman.

``He was known as a very good selector.''

Flanagan said Morrow helped build Geelong into a powerful club in the post-war years, and had arrived when the club was at a low ebb.

``Like most young men of that era, they went off to war and Tom served four years in the army,'' he said.

Legacy helped bring up Morrow and his brothers and sisters after their father was killed in action during World War 1, Flanagan said.

``Tom was a bright student and matriculated at Geelong High. The war prevented him going on to university,'' Flanagan said.

``Tom and his brother Bill were the first people who had been junior legatees to join Geelong Legacy after having served in World War 2,'' he said.

``Both made valuable contributions to Legacy.''

Flanagan said Morrow was a banker by profession but became an associate director of the former large Geelong department store Solomons.

He later worked as office manager at Greg Mitchell Motors and as office manager at engineering firm Coghlan and Russell.

Morrow's son Geoff was a VFL umpire for many years.

Morrow is survived by his wife Theila and children Geoff and Susan.

A private funeral will be held.