Ricky “RABS” Daniels started his relationship with Lakies at a young age wandering down to J E Moore Park to watch the Mighty Reservoir Lakeside and joining dozens of other kids during the breaks to have a kick during their halcyon days of the seventies. Being a staunch Fitzroy supporter he was now also a staunch Red and White follower in the rough and ready DVFL.
His dream was to be a Fitzroy or Lakies player and after a promising junior career where he won a PDJFA under 16’s best and fairest playing for North Reservoir whose home ground was the Top Oval at J E Moore Park he went on to train with the Gorillas under 19’s and making the list. He then went to the Bullants and played in their Under 19’s for the 1981 season.
Rabs started his Lakies career in 1982 as a lean 18 year old playing in the Magoos before cracking it for a senior debut in round one 1983 against Heidelberg West and he never looked back playing over 100 A Grade Games. His racking left foot and dash down the wings were a standout along with his Warwick Capper shorts!
Rabs was not just a player he believed you had to get involved off the ground and he shined in his role as a Social Committee member over 4 Years helping organise such legendary functions as “The Bali Beach Party” the function was a massive success with the vast majority of the party goers (Girls) being new to the club and it was a huge money spinner which impressed coach of the day Bob Edmonds, Bob asked Rabs where the idea came from and when he was informed that 3 of his better young players were going to Bali the next day for 2 weeks, his enthusiasm waned! There were live band gigs, pool parties, discos and every one of them were the same the vast majority of the patrons were new to the club which was due to Rabs and his mates networking for the club.
He served on the general committee for 4 years and for 3 of these was Assistant Treasurer to Jock O’Keefe a Lakies Legend and someone that Rabs had enormous respect for. Rabs got involved in most projects and could always source materials at excellent prices! He even had a hand in the supply and installation of our first ground lights.
Rabs official achievements at Lakies were; Life Member, 2nd and 4th in the A Grade B&F, an A Grade Coaches Award and 100 A Grade Games.
Ricky had a huge desire to coach; his coaching career started when he went back to North Reservoir in the early 80’s and took the Under 16’s to a Flag, coaching many players that went onto play senior footy at Lakies. When the 1990 season finished the urge to coach at senior level was too great and Ricky was appointed playing coach of Old Carey in the VAFA, the following is a quote from Old Carey “Rick Daniels, a man that brought a competitiveness and ruthlessness previously not seen in Old Carey sides as well as that deep seated hatred of losing”With 2 years’ experience he put his hat in the ring for the vacant 1993 Reservoir Lakeside job along with Johnny Meese and Harold “H” Martin a VFA playing and coaching legend. Ricky missed out on his dream appointment with the position going to Harold Martin but this didn’t dampen his enthusiasm and he went back to Old Carey and then onto Diamond Creek where he would coach against his Lakies and there was absolutely no love lost in those battles.
Ricky later went on to be hands on parent when his son Liam started playing with Ivanhoe Juniors firstly being runner and then continuing his coaching career for a few more years and is still actively involved now.
Ricky got back involved with West Preston Lakeside as a supporter while watching his nephew James McInerney play. He started sponsoring James and also the club this then led onto Rick becoming an inaugural member of the Coterie group and getting involved with the renovation of the social area and new change rooms, Rabs Company Aneeta Windows installed the magnificent viewing area that so many supporters now enjoy, they also provided the glass portioning to the new office.
Ricky became the senior’s runner in 2011 working closely with the coach of the day and had a great rapport with all the players, however his back and hammy’ s had other ideas and after 2 years he retired gracefully
In early 2013 the committee approached him about the club playing some matches in the famous Red and White Lakies Jumper, after having played the final home game of the 2012 season in the jumper which was a great day attended by over 70 past lakies and raising funds for the club. So the Lakies Legends Coterie Group was born with Aneeta Windows sponsoring the set of Jumpers and a group of past lakies players, administrators and supporters sponsoring the concept, also through this a new Reservoir Lakeside Honour Board was made to replace all the old boards, the idea was Ricky’s and the glass supplied by Aneeta Windows.
As you can now see Rabs contribution to Footy has been vast and it will more than likely to continue but he would tell you that he has got much more out of the game than he has given.
Last Modified on 18/10/2014 17:15