Speed and agility training at White Flat Oval was often a coach letting a bantam rooster go for juniors to chase.
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A guy who lived not too far away would sometimes have his sheep on the oval to keep the grass in check.
But this was the beginning, 70 years ago, for the youngest footballers in our region to taste formal game time in the now-Ballarat Football Netball League.
This is important to note.
As the league's ranks continue to expand and adapt to offer greater opportunity and access to grassroots games - male and female football and in netball - this was essentially what these Golden Point players were striving to achieve.
Seventy years ago, a handful of teams played in an unofficial under-14s football competition. Point was dominating and gained the right to play against a team formed from the best players of rivals clubs in a curtain raiser for a Geelong v Ballarat police forces football clash.
Ballarat Football League introduced an under-14s competition a year later and Point took the lot - premier and champion.
Ross "Huck" Gilbert is now trying to bring the team back together.
He has found most, now octogenarians, but has been putting out a public call for people to help him reach - if possible - Rob Baker, Don Williams, Ron Berry and Ed Robertson.
For Gilbert, that junior football team still matters seven decades later.
A few went on to become future Point senior best and fairest players. His school friend from Mount Pleasant, Peter Agrums, went on to play 11 games for North Melbourne in the now-AFL from 1963-64.
Ron Furlong, the scorer and first adult on the left in the centre of the team photo, had a younger brother Les in the front row.
While a scorer in football, after less-than enjoyable attempts to umpire football, Furlong became a first-class cricketer often opening the batting with Bill Lawry.
Furlong still keeps in touch with the Australian cricketer.
He also got Gilbert his first paper run.
Near White Flat Oval was Mrs Mackie's house. Her son Barry Mackie was playing football for Essendon at the time but, a proud Point family, if you played for Point you were allowed to leave your bike in her backyard during football training.
It did not cost anything to play football juniors - the committee would fundraise to cover all costs - and the football trip in 1953 was to a Geelong-Collingwood grand final at the MCG.
Much has changed since then. About 50 years after this premiership Golden Point seniors merged with fierce arch-rival East Ballarat for survival. Juniors followed suit years later but are now also East Point Kangaroos in football and netball.
The BFL no longer has under-14 football but instead sports seniors and reserves across five junior age divisions.
But much is the same. Gilbert and his teammates shared something special in history that is bigger than one grand final day.
Football reunions are always important celebrations - the stories that bind players, even 70 years later, remain vital in the fabric of our clubs.
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