By Jon Geddes    

THE swimming program at the Olympic Games always holds special significance for members of the Northern Suburbs Rugby Club.

It is a time they reflect and remember one of their favourite sons and beloved players, the late Olympian Brett Hill who swam in the 200m butterfly final at the 1964 Tokyo Games.

And it was his controversial omission from the 1968 Olympics team to Mexico which saw “Hilly”, as he was affectionately known, quit swimming and fulfil his dad’s dream of playing for Norths.

MR BUTTERFLY AND DAWN FRASER

YOUNG Brett Hill made a real splash as a schoolboy butterfly swimmer and, while attending Shore school in the same year as tennis champion John Newcombe, was coached by the larger-than-life sports commentator Ron Casey at North Sydney Pool.

Under Casey’s guidance Hilly first represented Australia at the 1962 Empire Games in Perth, where he won a bronze medal for the 200m butterfly.

It was during those Games that he formed his close friendship with Dawn Fraser.

A year later Hilly was one of a 14-person Aussie swimming team which participated in a World Swimming Tour competing in Japan, Russia and the United Kingdom.

He then represented Australia at the 1964 Tokyo Games, where he finished seventh in the final of the 200m butterfly, which was won by fellow Australian Kevin Berry who broke his own world record in that race.

Hilly was on the bus when Fraser was one of the four female swimmers smuggled into the Games opening ceremony which they weren’t supposed to attend because it was too close to their events.

At the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Jamaica he won a silver medal in the 200m butterfly final, pipped at the post for gold in the final stroke of the race.

DOING DAD PROUD

HILLY trialled for the Olympics in 1968, winning the 100m and finishing second in the 200m butterfly races, as well winning the 200m event at the national titles. But in a highly controversial decision he wasn’t picked after officials took only one butterfly swimmer in the team.

“He was so dejected that’s when he gave it up and said, ‘I’m not doing this anymore’,” his sister Kerrie Osborne told Rugby News.

That was the year he first pulled on the Norths jumper following in the footsteps of dad Cec, a great Northern Suburbs man himself.

“We say from the day Brett was born my father wanted his son to play for Norths,” Kerrie said.

“And Brett would tell anyone ‘my father was more proud of me playing for Norths than swimming for Australia’.” 

Hilly, who went on to be a lower grade prop for over a decade, was just as proud to fulfill his dad’s great dream. But it came at a cost. 

Legendary Australian swim coach Don Talbot warned Hilly that if he started playing rugby he would do his knees in.

“And he ended up having three knee reconstructions and two knee replacements,” his sister said. 

A GREAT LEGACY     

OVER the years Hilly earnt legendary status at Norths and was one of those rare people who never had a bad word spoken against them. 

He was also very humble about his fantastic swimming career, not one to big note about his achievements.    

“He was just a phenomenally welcoming and open bloke,” said Norths’ Wallaby halfback Peter Carson.

Carso will never forget the words of encouragement Hilly gave him when he went into grade at Norths as a fresh-faced young back straight out of school in 1970.

“He told me, ‘you’ve got a future mate, even though you are so tiny’,” Carson said.

“Hilly had a passion for the club and a passion therefore for the young people who joined the club.

“He said the right things without coming up and going on with it.”

The high regard in which Hilly was held was evidenced by the turnout at his funeral after he passed away from a heart attack in July 2002, aged 57.

The congregation was so large that it not only filled St Luke’s Church in Mosman, but the grounds outside where mourners stood shoulder to shoulder paying their respects to the great man.