Michael Hone

Obituary by David Rogers, Anzac Day 2006

Mick was a medical student in the 1940's, having returned to Adelaide from Sydney with his family. Rugby was his game in Sydney as a schoolboy. He was the leading light in re-establishing the game at the Adelaide University at the end of WW2, for all competition had had stopped with the 1939 season. I think that was in 1944. He soon knocked the raw Adelaide recruits into good shape, resulting in the other clubs jumping a standard or two to keep pace.

Michael Hone was a big second rower and a natural leader. He captained the state side for a few years - I was his vice- captain for a couple - and he helped build the University club to a great numerical strength. In fact, inter-faculty games were sometimes played in those days, but I haven't heard of them for many years.

Old Collegians had become a good club in the late 1940's with an influx of returned servicemen and others, but in the early 50's it had declined to less than one team. The S.A.Rugby Union then proposed an amalgamation between Burnside and Old Collegians, which I strenuously opposed at Rugby Union executive meetings. It was at this stage that I was shunted into the captaincy of the club and a few of us worked extremely hard to build the playing numbers so as to field two teams. One of these was Geoff. Hone, brother of Mick.

It was a stroke of tremendous good fortune when, after a period of a few years, Mick Hone and some of his original university team came to Old Collegians. These included Graham Gibbs, Allan Kerr Grant and three or four others whose names I can't recall. From then on, Old Collegians has been a strong influence in South Australia.

Mick Hone, who became a very well known surgeon, should be remembered for his outstanding leadership in building, playing, captaining and coaching both University and Old Collegians.

 

From "Old Collegians Rugby News" 4th April 1962

The newsletter of the 16th March 1964 - "It is untrue to describe the senior Club coach for this season as a 'new coach' as Dr Michael Hone is not new, either to the Club or to coaching. Before he went to England some years ago Mick Hone was captain-coach of our 1st XV for three years. Prior to his joining the Club then, our 1sts were bottom of 1st Grade (which then consisted of 10 teams). In his first year Mick got our 1sts into the final four in 1st Grade. In the second year we were S.A. premiers. In the third year we made the four again."

Also refer to Sandy Hone