Kurt Kiser from Lubbock, Texas, USA visited Melbourne in July for a family holiday after living in Hawthorn during his youth.
Hoping to catch up with family and friends, Kurt also managed to catch the Hawks v Saints blockbuster as well as sneaking in a quick visit to the Hawks Museum at Waverley Park.
On the first of two trips to visit Waverley, Kurt’s son Colton was spotted wearing an old duffle coat emblazoned with Peter Crimmins’ name in the museum.
Questions were asked of the origin of the great duffle coat, with Colton answering "it was my fathers when he lived in Melbourne."
Introductions were made and a back-story was revealed how a father and son follow the Hawks all the way from the USA.
As a young boy, Kurt lived in Melbourne for five years when his father’s employment brought the family to Melbourne. Living in Hawthorn and attending Carey Grammar, Kurt was taken to see the Australian game of football by some of his new classmates.
As fate would have it, his first game was the magical Round 5 match at Glenferrie Oval against Melbourne where Peter Hudson kicked 16 goals. Kurt was smitten by what he saw, and loved how the players constantly threw themselves into the packs wearing no protective clothing, to which he was accustomed to seeing with gridiron players back home in America.
The high marking, long kicking and crowd participation enthralled Kurt.
From that moment Kurt was a Hawks supporter, and although he was suitably impressed with Hudson’s 16 goals, it was another player for the Hawks that day captured his imagination.
That player was number 5, Peter Crimmins, known to all as ‘Crimmo’. Kurt was taken by Crimmins’ great stamina, his continual running and chasing after the ball with his long blonde hair flying, and his apparent cheekiness to take on anyone on regardless of size.
So much so that Kurt adopted the local football custom of wearing a duffle coat to the games with his favorite players' name sewn on. In Kurt’s case it was Peter Crimmins.
Kurt’s highlight of his five years following the Hawks was to see the 1971 premiership when the Hawks defeated St Kilda by seven points in one of the toughest games in the history of Grand Finals.
Kurt still follows the Hawks from his home in the USA, checking in the Club website daily to catch up on the latest news and gossip surrounding the Hawks.
Three days later on their second trip to the museum (and to watch training), Kurt and Colton, sporting new 2010 Hawks guernseys, were excited to announce that they had their tickets for the St Kilda game.
In a heart-breaking draw we can only wonder what they may have thought of the result.
Flying home to Texas on the same day, we do know that the Spirit of Crimmo lives on in all places, including Lubbock, Texas, USA.
Peter Haby
Hawks Museum
