It was back to the future for the Pratt clan recently, with 12 year-old Jack Pratt fronting up for his first day at the Bundoora Campus as a Year 7 Parade College student, and upholding the traditions on behalf of the clan.

“I’m really excited. I’ve been looking forward to this day,” Jack said.

Joining Jack was his father Danny and Uncle Michael Pratt GC, both proudly sporting their Old Paradians ties in this photograph for posterity, along with Jack’s mother Yvonne who also shared in the moment.

A final year student of the College in 1982, Danny and his brothers Peter (1978), Mark (1980) and Matthew (1986) followed Michael, whose final year was 1972.

In 2011, Michael was inducted into the Old Paradians’ Association Hall of Fame. This morning, Michael, Jack and Danny were photographed in front of Michael’s panel which now hangs from the Hall’s wall in the Hickey Foyer.

Danny was genuinely delighted that his boy was embarking on a new journey – “and following in the footsteps of his Dad, four of his uncles and his cousin”.

Michael too was thrilled to see Jack commencing at Parade, having himself attended the old Preparatory College in Alphington and being amongst the first intake of students at Bundoora back in 1968.

“Gee, when you think about it, it’s a long time ago,” Michael said. “I started at Alphington as a Grade 4 student in ’64, and the Parade Bundoora I remember is a lot different to the one Jack now knows.

“Parade has changed so much, and it has to keep on changing.”

Also back at Bundoora for day one of the 2017 school year was Rob Maiorana, a final year Parade student of 1991 whose boy Lucas also embarks on his first year at the campus as a Year 7 student - as fate would have it in Treacy House with Master Pratt.