Former VFLUA member Jim Miller passed away on 29 April 2009. His contribution to the Association as a Social, Cricket Club and Man-in-White Committee member was recognised with Honorary Life Membership in 1977, the year of his retirement after seven seasons on the VFL Senior list.
James Stanton Miller was born on 11 March 1943 in Camberwell and spent his youth in Hawthorn, Surrey Hills and Northcote. A keen footballer at school he also turned out for Hawthorn Football Club Under-17s in the Melbourne Boy’s League playing in one premiership. Later he played senior football for Kew Amateurs in the VAFA and in a premiership side for Northcote Park in the Metropolitan Football League.
Beginning umpiring with the VFL Reserve Grade around 1967 he came onto the senior list in 1971. After a slow start – six games in his first season – Jim followed the usual path of country appointments with a view to making the city panel. Unfortunately no Reserve Grade matches were forthcoming and only a few VCFL finals. These included the Southern Mallee Reserves Grand Final in 1973 and the senior Second-Semi two years later.
After five matches in 1977 Jim retired from the VFLUA when he had to move to Bendigo as a result of changed employment. His career encompassed exactly 100 VCFL matches as well as eleven mid-week competition games.
From 1974 to 1976 Jim was a member of the Social Committee under Daryl Williams. Additionally, he served as Treasurer for the VFLUA Cricket Club from 1974-1977 and in the 1975 Annual Report was listed as Ground Manager. A term on the Man-in-White Committee completed service that led to Honorary Life Membership being granted to Jim immediately following his retirement.As well as cricket Jim also participated in numerous VFLUA Golf Club events an was runner-up in the February 1972 Beacon Hill event.
The move to Bendigo bought a move in umpiring and Jim was an intermittent field and goal umpire with Bendigo Umpires for a further seventeen years. For part of that time he was Goal Umpires Advisor adding further contributions to umpiring over a twenty eight year period.Bendigo organizations also benefited from Jim’s presence when he became involved with the Bendigo Greyhound Racing Association as a member and judge, the Eaglehawk Cricket Club as President and Committeeman, the Marong Unit of the Victorian State Emergency Service and the Bendigo Woodturners. This latter group formed a guard of honour at Jim’s funeral.
Jim was 66 years old when he passed away in Bendigo at the Golden Oaks Nursing Home.