People from the Bentleigh Federal League days will be saddened to hear of the passing of Greg Parke and Bob Paton.
Greg Parke was one of many Bentleigh boys in the 1960s who also appeared in the red and blue colours for Melbourne. The son of local sporting legend Cyril Parke, Greg played 119 games for Melbourne, 37 for Footscray and 15 for Fitzroy in a VFL career that spanned 1968 to 1977.
He had begun with Bentleigh’s fourths in 1963 and played in the firsts from 1964-1967. When he debuted in 1964 he was just 16 years old. Overall he played 64 games across fourths, thirds and firsts before heading to Melbourne .
Bob “Patsy” Paton started in the Fourths in 1963 playing 18 games that season and then 34 in the next two years with the thirds. At senior level he played 75 games in the firsts in broken spans between 1965 and 1979, and a further 92 games in the seconds . In all he played 219 games for Bentleigh.
Our sympathies are extended to the Parke and Paton families.
Pictured: Greg Parke
Pictured: Bob Paton