An eight-time club champion tennis player, a much decorated 500 plus-game footballer and a formidable drag car-racer sum up Johnny Brunner’s performances in his three most loved sporting passions.
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And not even two partial knee reconstructions can stop the 56-year-old from continuing his much loved tennis, a sport he was so keen on in Benalla before being lured in 1986 to play football with Yarrawonga.
“I was watching these two star tennis players and thought I’d like to be like them but footy, soccer and cricket were the main sports there,” Brunner told the Yarrawonga Chronicle.
Junior cricket – mainly as a good opening batsman – and football occupied his time. But his much earlier keenness for tennis has been rekindled in spades since 2003, with the winning of four club champion titles in the highest level competitions at both Yarrawonga and Wangaratta.
“Absolutely tenacious, challenges himself to the absolute maximum and his resilience and ability to carry injuries through sheer determination is really amazing,” Wangaratta club president Barry Sullivan said.
“Johnny has all the shots. Being small, he has his serving style depending on the opponent, has a good volley, backhand, forehand. He won the singles championships in 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16 and was doubles champion with me in 2013/14. He’s very competitive. His sportsmanship is impeccable.”
Drag racing for 10 years was a passion of Brunner’s, with his black coloured Blown HK Manaro competing in Sydney, Queensland and Melbourne.
For seven years he crewed in a team then built his own car over three years. Finishing runner-up in a national event in Sydney, in 2015, was his biggest achievement.
It was football, however, that consumed most of Brunner’s sporting career, spanning some 40 years at senior level and over 500 games with approximate figures as follows: Yarrawonga 162, All Blacks 87, Barooga 140, Benalla 32, Howlong 18, Devenish 30; 33 league representative games, 100 practice matches.
Seven premierships, with All Blacks (1981), Yarrawonga (1989), Barooga (1992, 93, 94 and 97). Seven club best and fairest awards (All Blacks 1985), Yarrawonga (1989, 91) and Barooga (1992, 93, 94 and 97). Eight league best and fairest awards (Lawless Medal TFL 1984, 85), O and M’s Morris Medal (1988, 89, 2000), O’Dwyer Medal MFL (1993, 97) and with Devenish where he won the Benalla and District League medal in 2004 playing just 15 games. Named in the O and M Hall of Fame in 2012. Some record by the dynamic rover!
Winning his third O and M league medal at age 36, he had stamped himself as one of the finest players in country football throughout Australia, having represented three separate leagues at country championships and acknowledged with Country Football Representation.
His name was linked to the powerful Footscray Football Club where it seemed all set that Tony McGuinness, Brunner and Steve Kolyniuk would combine on the football field. In 1989 after six months which included an impressive preseason, two practice matches and a night game against Richmond, it was Brunner’s decision to return home.
Yarrawonga’s 1989 Neil Davis-coached premiership against Wodonga is rated by Brunner as the highlight of his football career.
“In that grand-final, he and Damien Sexton were absolutely dominant,” Bob Craig, a Pigeons premiership coach and three-time O and M premiership coach, said.
“Between the two of them they had over 70 possessions and were clearly the difference in that game.
“Johnny was a person who got everything out of himself through hard work, dedication and wonderful skills both sides of his body.”
When Craig was the league’s coach late in Brunner’s career, the rover was just so good. “Even at 36, he’d come on as a pinchhitter and picked up kicks at will,” the league coach said.
Beating Wang Rovers in the 1991 second semi-final by one point was the toughest game Brunner experienced who admitted he had the ability to change direction fast and low down.
The match against the Hawks was a best afield 40-something possession performance by the champion whose toughest opponent in his career was the Hawks’ Ron Ferguson.
“Mick Wilson started on me, then they put his brother on to me and at three-quarter-time Laurie Burt (coach) put Ron Ferguson on to me,” Brunner recalled. “But by that stage I was flying and even he couldn’t stop me! They beat Corowa at Yarra and unfortunately they beat us in the grand-final.”
Eighteen term president at Yarrawonga, Glenn Brear, described Brunner as “an outstanding footballer”. “His use of the ball was outstanding, his ability to get the ball was outstanding,” he said.
“Johnny was an incredible player. His preparation for the game was as good as anyone’s.”
For the last 34 years, Brunner has been Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort’s workshop maintenance operator, welding, fabricating, seeing the vast amount of machinery and equipment is working. He’s perfect at that too.
After football, it was tennis for Brunner and recovery from enforced layoffs with knee mishaps which have involved more sport but a slower pace. “Training now consists of weights and bike rides, and table tennis with partner Kerrina. The falling of a great athlete!” he smirked. “A new era of humility has begun - a great challenge between the sexes.”
A top allround sportsman, time prevented him being a star at other sports including golf. John’s preparation to all sport is inspiring to all players, especially the younger footy and tennis players to whom he has provided much guidance over the years.
“I’m very determined to get over the knee injuries and get back onto the tennis courts,” he said. No doubt he will.
Journalist