Andrew (Alby) MORTON
Alby joined the Club in 1930 at which time the summer competition was held at the old Motordrome. He was about 18 at the time.
In a note sent to the Club in 2001, Alby listed some of his successes at Collingwood. He was the winner of the Club broad jump and hop, step and jump championships in 1934. In the 1936-37 season, Alby could only manage second placings in the two jumps, but did win the 440 yards championship. He also finished second in the 120 yards hurdles and grabbed third in the flat 440 yards. Second placings in the 120 and 440yards hurdles and third in the broad jump followed in 1938.
In 1940 Alby was part of a squad of Collingwood athletes that travelled to Launceston to compete in the Tasmanian Championships. Alby was successful in winning the hop, step and jump title with a distance of 42 ft 8 1/2 ins. (approx 12.81m)
Later in 1940, Alby joined the A.I.F. and served in the Middle East, Kokoda, Ramu Valley and finally in Borneo when the war ended. Here’s a picture of him, dated Nov 1941, in action jumping in Syria!
Andrew Morton in action in Syria, 1941
Alby’s brother Bill also competed with Collingwood, mainly as a walker but passed away in the mid nineties.
Alby was 89 in 2001, when we received this information and in reasonably good health, despite a bit of a bad trot in the two previous years.
Together with his wife Peg, Alby was living in a retirement village which they both suggested was a wonderful place to be ‘when one’s health begins to break down’.
July 2013