September 28th, 2025Trentham’s earliest footballers
With Trentham Saints seniors breaking their 31-year grand final drought, it seems fitting to run a story about some of their earliest players.
The Victorian Football Association began in 1877 and was the top-level club competition until the year 1896 when the Victorian Football League formed a breakaway organisation.
The new league included Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, South Melbourne and St Kilda.
The McCashney boys, from Trentham, must have had competitive genes running through their family veins with three boys in one branch of the family playing VFL football. John Henry played for South Melbourne, Francis James played for Richmond and James Leonard pulled on the boots for Hawthorn
John Henry ‘Jack’ McCashney was born on January 21, 1884 to Henry William McCashney and Mary Anne Robson. He was the third of 10 children and commenced his football career at the Trentham Football Club. In 1903 aged 19, he played two games towards the back of the season with South Melbourne. His football career was short lived and he returned to work at the family sawmilling operation in Trentham. He died on April 23, 1952.
Francis James aka Frank ‘Griff’ McCashney was born August 9, 1890, the sixth of the 10 children. He also commenced his football career at the Trentham Football Club in 1906. He debuted in the VFL for Richmond on August 28, 1909, in Round 17 against Essendon.
He has been described as a brilliant winger and also had a great left foot stab kick which sent the ball long distances downfield. He represented Victoria against South Australia in 1913. He played 82 games for Richmond between 1909 and 1915, and hung up his boots on July 31, 1915 after Round 15 against Fitzroy. Griff returned home to play at Trentham and died on July 19, 1951.
James Leonard ‘Jim’ McCashney was born December 30, 1900, the youngest of the 10 children. He also commenced his football career playing with Trentham. He joined Hawthorn in the VFA competition in 1920 and predominately played on the wing. Jim was a member of Hawthorn’s team for their first ever VFL game, Round 1 in 1925 against Richmond.
Jim retired after the 1927 VFL season to get married and settle down. His club record had been remarkable for the time, having played 106 games in consecutive weeks before being injured. He played a total of 134 games for Hawthorn. In 1929, Jim returned to football as the captain and coach of Sandringham Football Club in its initial season in the VFA. After one season and 15 games, he retired permanently.
Jim’s name appears on the Hawthorn Honour Board for his services in the Armed Forces during WWII. He died May 26, 1967.
The McCashney name is still associated with the Trentham Saints Football Club. The football field was renamed the McCashney Oval in August 2018 honouring the family that had given the land to establish the permanent football ground.
Trentham also has a McCashney Way which is located in the new estate off Falls Road and opposite the football ground. All up it appears 11 or more McCashneys have played for Trentham over the years.
Image: Trentham’s 1956 Premiership Team – Trentham Historical Society
