It is with our deepest regrets that we mourn the loss of William “Billy” Kaakour, aged 47.
Kaakour passed away on Saturday the 3rd of January, 2015, after a long, lengthy illness that he battled right through to the end. A livewire forward, Kaakour was a star for Coburg in the late 1980’s. A pacey small forward with brilliant goal sense, the local junior was one of the most dangerous players in his day.
One of the first Muslim players to represent the club let alone the VFA, Kaakour began his time at City Oval in 1984 in the old Thirds competition. He was then promoted to the clubs senior list for the 1986 season, where he ended up winning the best & fairest for the reserves side, and also made his senior debut.
After struggling to hold down a regular position with the senior side during the 1987 season, Kaakour established himself in the 1988. Under the wing of the legendary Phil Cleary as coach, Kaakour managed to play 16 games and kick 26 goals, and was a member of the premiership team. He had an even better season in 1989, with a 45 goals in 20 games and once again, was a premiership player by seasons end.
However, Kaakour’s final three seasons at the club saw him only manage 26 games all up, with a return of 42 goals. He retired at the end of the 1992 season, coinciding with the departure of Cleary as coach. Overall, he managed 137 goals in 79 senior games for the club in seven seasons on the clubs senior list. He was made a Life Member of the club in 1993.
His former coach Cleary paid tribute to Kaakour. Cleary says “He was probably the first Lebanese Muslim to play in a VFA premiership and wasn’t he a star? Who will forget those exhilarating runs and the cheeky smile when he drove the ball through the big sticks? He made me laugh with his ‘Skippy the Kangaroo’ impersonations but not when he fasted on game day.”