In 1966, Manfred emigrated to Australia. He was picked up from the Bonegilla Migrant Reception Centre by a delegation from the Alemannia Richmond Soccer Club, keen to improve their playing strength after struggling since being relegated from the Victorian State League in 1963.
The club would become a central part of his new life in Australia. He would become captain by the end of the decade, and would continue to star in the first team (winning Best and Fairest as well as leading goalscorer honours) until the late 1970's. He later served as both a Secretary and Treasurer of the club well into this century, including the period when it returned to the top flight of the Victorian Premier League. Whilst becoming an administrator at Richmond SC, he did not cease playing, joining Juventus Old Boys in the Veterans competition where he continued turning out until he was in his mid-60's.
A vibrant character who loved to sing (possessing a booming, operatic voice) he was a fixture at the Saturday night dances at the German Tivoli Club. It was there he met his future wife, Anna. Having asked her to dance, he began serenading on the dancefloor. She looked around and was surprised to see no one else was batting an eyelid at his behaviour, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Manfred and Anna would go on to have two daughters, Natasha and Yolanda. He worked in insurance, and was a pillar of the local German community on more than just the soccer side. His is a great Australian migrant story, in which the sporting and ethnic social club were pivotal.
Sadly his latter years saw him suffer from dementia, leading him to stop attending games at Kevin Bartlett Reserve and finally taking his life.
He was a hard working, family man. He was fun to be around. He deserves to be long remembered.
Manfred Kuhn Funeral Booklet
