As one of two "official supporters" joining the 23-man squad for the first post-World-War-II amateur football carnival, Mr Illingworth's contribution was supposed to be limited to mere barracking and moral support.

But, with a spate of injuries in Tasmania's first two games, Mr Illingworth was thrown a State guernsey for the clash against Western Australia and took to the field _ it was lucky he'd packed his boots.

Both he and George Gowans, the other supporter, played in that game as "last-minute" State representatives. In front of a huge West Australian crowd, which amazingly barracked for Tasmania after the team had copped terrible hidings in its first two encounters with South Australia and Victoria, Tasmania came within nine points of winning its only game for the carnival.

But speaking with some of the men who represented the State in 1948 as they prepare for a golden-jubilee reunion in Launceston next week, you'd be forgiven for thinking they had finished champions.

Former State politician and full-forward of that 1948 side Brendan Lyons (who was known to smoke cigarettes during games while standing in the goal square) said he had organised the reunion of the remaining members of that team to get together and share memories of the trip _ with some of the players having not seen each other since the carnival.

And with stories tending to grow taller with each passing year, Mr Lyons reckons there'll be more goals kicked on the night than there were in the carnival.

Ted Pedley, a wingman, said Tasmania's injury woes had begun even before the team left the State.

"Bill Fysh, our big full- back, was playing in the North-South game before the team left when he got absolutely clobbered. He could hardly walk, but there was nothing stopping him from going to Perth. When he got there, his leg was so bad he didn't even play a game."

But according to the former players, it was the off-field action that most players were concentrating their efforts on.

Mr Illingworth, who had both his former team-mates declare that he was the sole reason why Tasmania got so close to Western Australia, said that after being a surprise inclusion he had very nearly missed the train out of Perth after the carnival finished.

"I'd met this waitress from the hotel and I'd bought her a dozen carnations. We decided to go back to the hotel and were on our way back when someone was yelling out for me to hurry up because the train was leaving!

"A dozen carnations I bought her, and I had to leave!"

Mr Lyons said that, the night before one game, the Tasmanian team lent a troupe of dancing girls its guernseys so that they could dance as part of an act for the carnival. "I remember pulling on my guernsey the next day and thinking how nice it smelled."

One player, Athol Harris, is making a special trip from Darwin just to attend the occasion.

The team was captained by the late Max Rees, who coached Cornwall and also won the NTFA's Tasman Shields Medal.

Sadly, only 14 of the team are still alive.