Last night, Tamworth lost a legend of country footy.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
But of course, Jack Woolaston was so much more than that.
The man for whom the North Tamworth Bears' home ground is named, was a dedicated and loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, and left behind a legacy of almost 80 years of service to his club and community.
"The ground's named after him for a reason," Bears head coach, Paul Boyce, said.
"He means a lot to the club, but there was so much more that he did too. He served his country, and he's done a whole range of things within the community, and what he's done for his family as well.
"He's someone that everybody should be looking up to."
Woolaston was 99 when he passed.
He and his wife, Pat, were married for more than 70 years, and he leaves behind an ever-expanding family which remains deeply embedded in the fabric of North Tamworth.
Upon arriving in Tamworth from Somerton for work as a young man, Woolaston's story with the Bears began humbly in 1947.
It didn't take long for him to become, as North Tamworth treasurer and life member Rose Wadwell described him in 2021, "the backbone of country footy".
After Woolaston served the club on-field as a player "in every position at some stage", he soon began a long stint on the committee once his playing days were done.
But his post-career contributions were not restricted to administrative duties.
The carpenter by trade, who also served 640 days in Papua New Guinea during World War II, built much of the club's infrastructure with his own two hands, and did just about every other job that needed doing without question or complaint.
"North Tamworth has become such a great club, a lot of people forget about the tough times Norths have had," Boyce said.
"There were some really, really tough times spanning over 20, 30 years. Guys like Jack, Bob Wilkinson, John O'Meagher, Mick Hayes, and a lot of people really dug deep to ensure the club survived.
"Now it's thriving off the hard work of those guys."
Even as age made physical labour impossible, Woolaston still came down to the clubhouse on game days and sold doubles until well into his 90s.
If you ask anybody, that was just who he was.
Woolaston loved an obstacle to overcome. And, as he said upon being named the NSWRL Northern Region Volunteer of the Year three years ago, "I like the challenge of seeing something get done".
"I've never been beaten in my life. Like I said, I love the challenge."
