Page 267 - History of Parkside Football Club (1897-2017) Editied Version Completed_optimized

Parkside Football Club 1897/2017

Yet one man who ensured he was not among these statistics is former Carlton and Footscray
champion Gordon Casey.

Originally recruited from the Gorya Football Club, Casey got his first taste of elite level football
playing with the Carlton reserves as a forward, winning the leading goal-kicking award in 1967 and
1968.

Playing just one match in the seniors, Casey was picked up by the Footscray Football Club as a back
pocket player, where he played 125 matches in the red, white and blue.

“EJ was captain-coach at the time I moved to Footscray and it was he who gave me a second chance
at my football career, something that I will never forget,” Casey said.

After finishing up with the Dogs at the end of the 1975 season, Casey spent time in the WAFL for the
Swan Districts Football Club, before returning to Melbourne’s western suburbs to play for Parkside in
the then Footscray District Football League.

“I knew a few guys from Footscray who had links down at Parkside so I headed down there to have a
run.”

Playing on the ball for the Magpies for the next five years, Casey was part of the 1981 grand final
victory, before moving on to try his hand at coaching at Hoppers Crossing.

“I was approached by Hoppers Crossing to coach and was there for four years, assisting them to their
first flag in 1992.”

While returning to the Western Bulldogs in a coaching capacity after his time at Hoppers Crossing,
Casey was rocked by the news that his former coach and great friend Ted Whitten had passed away
from prostate cancer.

Once a Parksider, Always a Parksider