Ivanhoe’s 1965 best and fairest winner Euan Logan has died, aged 80.

‘Logie’ was a key member of Ivanhoe’s 1969 B grade premiership, playing at centre half back.

He also played in the club’s 1966 B grade grand final and was in the VAFA state team that beat Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia at the AAFC Carnival in Adelaide in 1964.

Logie was a club life member and regularly attended past player functions with former teammates.

He passed away on March 19. A funeral will be held at Le Pine, 741 High St, East Kew, on Friday April 1, at 2.30pm.

Club legend Don Blackwood has penned a moving tribute (below) to his teammate Logie Bear, whose exploits “will live forever in the annals of the IAFC”.

THE LOGIE BEAR

by Don Blackwood

We hear of Shane Warne and Rodney Marsh – almost mystical creatures in their sporting worlds.

We hear of other figures walking the international stage larger than life, but sometimes making a mess of things. We now are all trying to reconnect after a harrowing couple of years.

But what must not be forgotten is other people closer to home and closer to our hearts and souls. At the local community level, we have these grandiose figures; ones who can make you laugh and cry; interested in other people and prepared to self deprecate at the expense of themselves in favour of others.

Euan Logan was one of those characters.

We’ll miss him terribly at Hoe Park, but his legendary exploits will live forever in the annals of the IAFC.

I can still see him and his other antics: they will be etched into my memory for as long as I shall live. Others will join me.

1 “Why So” winning at Mornington

2 One arm fiddler rendition at the Kew receptions centre

3 Grand Final Relaxa tabs to calm you down. No.

And there was the footy. Logie was a tall, bustling CHB who had a giant leap and was a prodigious kick. No rest for the opposition CHF. He was a key figure in the club’s ’69 flag.

Logie represented Victoria in the amateurs.

But beyond this, was his generosity to all of us. Not just the handouts of caps, books and other marketeers’ worldly possessions, but his gifts to us as a person. No bullshit stuff, talking around corners or being someone you are not.

No, you got the real Euan McCoy Logan.

And people – other opposition players – still talk about Logie’s climb on their back or the talk out of the side of the mouth to back “No 4, Race 2 – a red hot certainty”. “Put your house on it,” Logie would say. And we did. We’re here to still talk about it: sadly Logie is not.

One of the IAFC’s favourite sons is lost forever, but his name remains squarely on the B&F and life members’ board.

To Betty, Fi, Tino and other family members, please remember always the fine Logie days.

The IAFC is mighty proud of one of their favourite sons – a key figure in their glory days of the late 60s.

Logie was one of our best. One of our fairest in all ways. And his life will always be remembered by all of us – together.

He was a team player and we’ll miss him.

RIP Logie: you deserve it.