For Caty, aged 93, is knitting. Red mohair, then blue, then red again, wends its way off her needles, stockinette stitch steadily taking shape in blocks of colours, creating scarves that symbolise the family dedication to a cause. She has made a number of the scarves, all warm, light and donated to the Club. As she sits, quietly focused on the task in front of her, Colin Sylvia is perched close by, taking in the remarkable story of a Melbourne living and supporting family, sharing the memories that traverse from wartime Switzerland to a quiet leafy street within walking distance of the MCG.
Bill talks while Caty knits, and mentions their story in passing. His daughter, Marilyn, has earlier given the details of his escape from an Italian POW camp, to Switzerland, where he, then a Sergeant at the Swiss ‘camp’ of Adelboden, met Caty Oosthoek. They married in Geneva in 1945, and after spending time in the UK, Normandy, Holland and the US, they made their way to Australia.
Their South Yarra home has held four children - two boys and two girls, as well as numerous grandchildren. It acts as a canvas for Caty’s decades of textile work, as a talented spinner, dyer, weaver and tapestry worker, not to mention knitter. There are many memories in this long, full house, and Bill recollects days past, when ‘there were 54 children in this street. They used to play footy at the end of it. They’d get a bundle of newspapers, and use them as a ball.’
Bill proudly shows his tie, marking fifty years of MCC membership. They got Foxtel so that they can watch all the games, but if he wishes, Bill - who turns 93 in December - will still walk to the ground.
Of course, the question has to be asked. Besides Colin, still seated watching Caty knit, who is their all-time favourite player? The answer comes fairly quickly, a flash from the past for many Melbourne supporters, and Caty nods at Bill’s reply. ‘Robert Flower. He was a very good footballer. He was a very good team player. He’d pass the ball rather than kick it himself.’
They are both still enjoying the game, and Marilyn and the family dog, Benson, look on in approval. ‘We keep healthy and happy’, Bill says, and Caty looks up and nods again in agreement, her eyes lighting up. What’s more, Bill pays ultimate tribute to the Club. ‘I can sing the Melbourne Football Club song better than I can sing ‘Advance Australia Fair!’’
There can surely be no higher dedication. Caty’s scarves will be used by the Club for fundraising, the stories behind their creation making them all the more precious.
