With great sadness we’re writing to inform you Graeme “Curly” Gardiner passed away peacefully in the early hours of Wednesday.
His great mate and 1970 Premiership team mate Laurie Laffan has pulled together a few words reflecting on the great Curly.
There was a cartoon strip back in the 60’s called Bluey and Curly and he was a dead ringer for Curly. Hence the nick name.
Curly was from Bunbury WA where he played Aussie Rules First Grade at 16.This was after suffering Tetanus as a seven year old an unable to walk for a year, that shows what a determined person Curly was and he lived to that characteristic for the for the rest of his life, particularly the past seven years after his stroke.
He came to Canberra to join the Public Service aged 18.We first met at AFC training shortly after and soon became good mates.
He started playing for Ainslie in the under 19s around 1964 and quickly found himself in first grade. We represented the CANFL together in 1966 against Queensland and played in the 1966 Grand Final against Eastlake which we lost by a small margin. He represented the ACT numerous times over the next couple of years while I learned how to be a ruckman in the seconds. The consolation was that we won three Ressies premierships in a row.
We also played basketball for Stats Rats winning three premierships in a row up to A reserve.The club then disbanded and we then played for AinslieFC in the B Grade competition with Norm Neeson, Jack Spencer, Brian Palmer ,Kevin Slattery, Ron Gowing and Keith Heales amongst others.
Curly was Best on Ground in our 1970 Premiership win over Manuka playing on the wing. He played over 100 games first grade for Ainslie and later played in the 1973 Reserve Grade Premiership.
He transferred to Sydney with Stats around 1971 and he travelled to back to Canberra to play. He played with Newtown for a few years including a premiership or two and represented NSW many times whilst living in Sydney.
He also played a few games for West Canberra on his return to Canberra.
Curly was also a great support of the Ainslie Vets lunches which I enjoyed looking after him at the lunches after his stroke.
He was a great man and we will all certainly miss his charm and whit.
Our thoughts go out to Lorraine his wife and extended family.