Summary

Board game instructions for an Australian Rules Football theme, distributed during the 1960s as part of a Tarax Show TV promotion. The game has been endorsed by Graham 'Polly' Farmer, from Geelong Football Club who was at the peak of his playing career in 1963-64.

Physical Description

Cream coloured paper envelope, colour printed on one side. Cover has yellow background with 'TARAX POLLY FARMER'S FOOTY GAME' printed in red 'football' oval. Underneath inscribed 'TOP MEN DRINK TARAX TOP TEN' and image of Polly Farmer holding bottle of Tarax lemonade. To left of cover I is an illustration of 4 players competing for a mark, with tag lines 'A GAME OF TACTICS SKILL & ACTION', 'BE YOUR OWN CAPTAIN/COACH', 'PLAY YOUR OWN PREMIERSHIP' and 'A GREAT GAME FOR ALL AGES'. Rear flap of envelope has what looks to be original sticky tap that held flap closed. Inside the envelope are the following (complete set): - Gameboard (stiff card folded at centre) featuring aerial view of football ground with crowd, player positions on green background and position for 'Umpy cards'; - Small black at white dice; - 48 'press-out' black & white umpy cards (still in tact on 2 cards) with umpire directions/decisions; - 44 'press-out' player cards (still in tact on 2 cards), 22 black team and 22 red team, featuring repeated image of players competing for mark; - 1 card scoreboard; - 1 'press-out' card of scoreboard numbers, 12 VFL football teams and 1 football token (still in tact); - 1 pamphlet of Tarax Footy Game instructions, 2 folds, folding out to A4 size; - 1 small entry form to play the Tarax Footy Game on TV (GTV 9) - played on the Tarax show 5-6pm Thursday nights). Prizes including footy jumpers, footballs, and bottles of Tarax.

Significance

This board game represents both a children's leisure activity featuring Australian Rules Football, and a promotional gimmick for early local television and product. The Tarax show was a popular children's television show during the 1960s on GTV 9 and the game promotes the show and Tarax lemonade, and encourages viewers by featuring the game being played as a regular feature of the show. The game also features one of the football greats of the day, Graham 'Polly' Farmer, whose name and face is used as a marketing tool.
Aboriginal player and coach, Farmer was born in 1935, playing 176 games for East Perth in the WAFL from 1953 to 1961, before being recruited to Geelong in 1962 by coach Bob Davis. He played 101 games for Geelong in the ruck from 1962 to 1968 and won their Best and Fairest in 1963 and 1964. He was part of the Geelong premiership team in 1963 and was runner-up for the Brownlow Medal to Bob Skilton. Farmer returned to WA in 1968 captaining and coaching West Perth, playing in 2 premiership teams and retired as a player in 1971. He coached Geelong from 1973-75 and East Perth from 1976-77. Farmer was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1966 and the WA Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

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