Vale to a good man, Orville Gibson

Good day everyone,

As many of you know, over the last decade, I have fallen head over heels in love with the game of Australian Football.   I've become a mad Geelong Cats supporter, but have a keen appreciation for the game as a whole, from the local level to the highest levels around the country.  Footy has enveloped the overwhelming majority of my sport consumption, and for that I couldn't be any happier.  A few years after I started following the game, I started this podcast to grow my network of friends/acquaintances in Australia, while working to encourage my fellow "Yanks" to check out what I still believe to be the greatest game on the planet.  (I know that many long time fans of the game lament the changes to the game in recent years, and I most certainly respect that, but it was so far out in front of other games that even the tinkering around the edges still has it out in front.  

These last seven years in which the podcast has been around, I have had the great fortune to become friends with dozens of footy fans from every state in Australia.  For that, I'll be eternally grateful.  These people have been selfless with their time, whether it be for discussions about footy, or about life.  I don't feel that it is fair to mention specific individuals here, because I don't want to forget someone that I believe should be mentioned.  I cannot express my appreciation enough for their kindness and friendship.  My hope is that I get to meet as many of you as possible when I finally make my first trip to Australia.  That is now tentatively set for 2026 (come on AFL....get that 2026 fixture ready to go!)

Unfortunately, one of the people that I was most looking forward to meeting was a gentleman from Queensland, Orville Gibson.  Orville, like me was a mad Geelong supporter.  But he was so much more than that.  He was an Australian hero.  (as evidenced by the stories he told during our lengthy conversation on the podcast. LINKS BELOW).  I used to talk with Orville through messenger video a couple of times a month, and would trade long message chains on the app several times a week.  I had the good fortune of talking with him on Friday, after the Hawthorn win in Adelaide.  He was most definitely NOT a Hawks supporter, feeling about them the way I feel about the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL.  On Saturday he was gone.  I didn't find out that he had passed until 3:50 a.m. Tuesday morning.  I checked my phone when I got up for a moment, and saw the message that his son Dirk shared on his social media account.  To be completely honest, I was numb.  There was no way that I was going to be able to fall back asleep, so I started my morning an hour earlier, and much sadder than normal.  

I never got the opportunity to meet Orville in person, but I still consider him to be a dear friend.  He was someone that I could reach out to if I needed to bounce ideas off of someone.   Orville sent me my first jar of vegemite, and I was instantly hooked.  Ove the last 4 years, I've gone through more than 2 dozen jars, and am looking forward to visiting the Cyril McCalister museum (inventor of vegemite) when I am able to get to Australia.

This was a man that for as long as I can remember (and most assuredly long before I became friends with him), he would spend the evening of ANZAC Day camped out at a local veteran's cemetery, cleaning the obelisk at the grave of Billy Sing, Australia's greatest WW1 sniper.  He didn't do it for the "glory".  He did it to honour some one that was so worthy of the recognition by all Australians.  

Orville, even though we never met, I am going to miss you, dear friend.  Your friendship over these last many years have been invaluable, and I hope that I was able to provide even a modicum of the joy that you brought into my life.  I wish your children and grandchildren all the best.  I hope that in heaven, your guitar is always in tune.

 Ladies and gentlemen, I can't encourage you enough to reach out to talk with that friend or family member that you've been meaning to talk with.  We never know when we won't be able to do it anymore.  I don't think that you'll regret making that connection.  

Vale my friend.  I'm going to miss you.  

I strongly encourage you to check out my "official" interview that I did with Orville a few years ago.  Some wonderful stories included in these episodes.

Part 1 of my interview with Orville Gibson

Part 2 of my interview with Orville Gibson

Take it away, Frank!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQzdAsjWGPg