JOHN ROBERT MAXWELL WALTERS A.M., M.B.E., H.D.A., M.A.I.E.S., J.P.
“Max”
Abbreviated version of the Eulogy delivered by Peter Crauford, President of the Polocrosse Association of Australia at the Memorial Service for Max Walters held at Dubbo on 27th November 2008.
Max started his Polocrosse career as a junior playing for the Burradoo Club. He quickly became a player of the highest standard and was the youngest player to play in a winning team at the Australian Championships, in 1953.
He represented NSW in the Australian Interstate Championships in 1953, 1954, 1955 and 1956.
Max was the Australian Chief Umpire for 2 years and then Australian President for 32 years and was a Councillor of the PAA for 42 years.
He was the National Coaching Director for 13 years and was responsible for putting the National Coaching Accreditation scheme in place. He had a close working relationship with The Australian Sports Commission long before many sports took this important step forward.
His administration career was summarised by John Thompson, “Max became President when the PAA consisted of only NSW and Queensland, and Queensland was actually on the point of withdrawing. So Max went to Queensland and Queensland remained in the PAA! Max then encouraged the remaining 5 States and the NT to play the sport and join the PAA. Having ‘fixed up’ Australia he then founded the International Polocrosse Council (IPC) and was its President for 24 years.”
As a result of his tireless energy Polocrosse is alive, well and growing and is played in 13 countries around the world.
Max was indeed a remarkable and great man but he never could have achieved the things he did in his life without the constant and unfailing support that his wife Ros always gave him. Both Ros and Max were awarded Life Membership of the PAA.
So when a ‘Polocrosse player and team rides out in any part of Australia, or Ireland, or Canada or the UK or the US or anywhere in the world, those players are able to enjoy this great sport because of Max. That is his legacy to us all.
