Page 142 - History of Parkside Football Club (1897-2017) Editied Version Completed_optimized

Parkside Football Club 1897/2017

McCankie played in four finals series, Footscray unfortunately unable to get past the first semi-final
on each occasion.

The loss to Melbourne in the '46 first-semi still bugs him. The Bulldogs led the Demons by a couple of
goals with only a few minutes remaining, but fell in a hole to lose by three goals.

"I thought if we'd got over Melbourne, we possibly could have won the premiership?"

When the late Arthur Oliver stepped down as Footscray's captain/coach after the '50 season,
McCankie believed he was a good bet to be the successor. But Charlie Sutton got the job. McCankie,
his nose slightly out of joint, left the Bulldog kennel to captain/coach Tasmanian club North Hobart.
He was 26. He stayed three seasons, captain/coaching the Tasmanian state side in the '53 Australian
carnival.

McCankie later captain/coached Warrnambool (Hampden League), Welshpool (South Gippsland) and
Parkside (Footscray District). He led Parkside to the '57 A1 premiership. Max Hawkins, the father of
Footscray champion Doug, was a member of the victorious grand final side.

McCankie finished his official involvement in football back with the Bulldogs, as a committeeman and
charman-of-selectors. He coached the reserves in ’70 and ’71.”

Mark Buttler and Steven Milne, Sons of the ‘Scray: Footscray’s Finest 50, Self Published, 1994

Once a Parksider, Always a Parksider