50 YEARS AGO AND COUNTING: AUSTRALIAN IN 1963

by

JOHN DEVANEY

© John Devaney and Full Points Publications 2013

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Cataloguing-in-Publication data:

50 Years Ago And Counting: Australian Football in 1963

1. Australian football. 2. Australian football – History. I. Devaney, John

Table Of Contents

Title Page

Introduction 4

Western 7

Victoria 17

South Australia 44

Tasmania 55

New South Wales 64

Queensland 69

Northern Territory 74

Australian Capital Territory 77

Introduction

opular thought would have it that fifty years ago Australian football was very different, in almost every respect, to the modern Pbrand-centred industry created and maintained by today’ AFL. My research into the subject, however, has convinced me otherwise. Genuine love of football, as a sport, was as rare in 1963 as it is in 2013. Most so-called football barrackers fifty years ago tended to bestow their devotion not on the game itself, but on an individual club. Only when seen through the blurred lenses of such parochial obsession did football have any meaning, and even then it tended to focus entirely on a particular league or competition. Thus one of the contributors to the 2003 publication Footy In The Sixties felt able, with perfect seriousness, to describe his family’s moving back to after spending several years in and as a “return to football”. The inhabitants of and might be admitted to have played a game that was superficially similar to football, but it went without saying that only the VFL produced the genuine article. Such myopia has long disturbed and frustrated me. It persists to this day in the shape of thousands of supposed aficionados of the code of Australian football who prefer to use the wholly inaccurate designation “AFL” when referring to it. Football is, and always has been, much bigger than any single league or competition, something I think I knew almost as clearly and instinctively as a six year old growing up in the suburbs of Adelaide in 1963 as I do today. This book is a testament to that fact, depicting the Australian football landscape of fifty years ago in a way in which it was seldom if ever depicted at the time – as something rich, diverse and varied, which transcended state boundaries and individual club loyalties. It was my awareness of that richness and diversity which first drew me to the game, and which half a later continues to inform, mould and sustain my passion.

John Devaney October 2013

game almost as popular on a per WESTERN capita basis as it was in Melbourne. Since 1961, Swan Districts AUSTRALIA under the astute coaching of Haydn Bunton junior had provided the 1963, Western Australia were Western Australian National Australian state champions, Football League with its undisputed having triumphed two years I benchmark. The Swans’ game was earlier at the carnival. based heavily on maintaining Since then, however, their possession at all costs, and their interstate record had been pronounced reliance on handball uninspiring, with their performances set them aside from most of in 1963 reaching an all-time nadir. Western Australia's other clubs, All three of the state's matches for and recalled the great South the were played in Perth Fremantle teams of the late 1940s and resulted in a highly and early 1950s. However, the ignominious 9.10 (64) to 6.13 (49) team was also tough, well-drilled reversal against followed and boasted an exceptional work by back to back narrow defeats ethic. against the VFL. The Tasmanian match was played in highly inclement weather conditions, which almost certainly suited the visitors, but the margin and style of their victory were nevertheless surprising. When the two teams had previously confronted one another at the Brisbane carnival the sandgropers had romped home by 111 points. Tasmania's triumph in Perth was only that state's third such success in nine matches between the states. During the three seasons Despite the interstate set- prior to Bunton's appointment as backs, domestic football in Western the club's senior coach the Swans Australia was flourishing, with the had finished second from last once elusive million spectator barrier for and slumped to the the season growing ever closer. In twice. By contrast, their record in 1963 a total of 908,153 patrons their first three seasons under attended matches,1 making the Bunton brought a 68% success rate and the club's first three senior

1 grade premierships. The fact that This was more than twice as many spectators as had attended WANFL Bunton was key to this renaissance matches in 1953. was further attested to by his

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winning a hat-trick of club fairest level of congestion proving such and best awards in 1961-2-3, and that many of these would-be he was also a major contributor to spectators were unable to witness each of the Swans' any of the action. A similar situation triumphs. Bunton was also an existed in South Australia at the expert tactician, and had the knack . In Perth, tentative which all good coaches seem to plans to develop and extend have of being able to prime his were taking place in charges to be at their peak when it 1963, whilst at the same time there mattered most - in September. were also many who favoured the The 1963 season afforded idea of following the SANFL's lead arguably the most noteworthy and expanding the league example of the club's three competition by the addition of two successes, as Swans' form during new clubs. In the end, however, it the minor round was mixed, and was agreed to maintain the status they only managed to qualify for quo. the finals in fourth place with a 13-8 Football throughout the state record. Once there, however, they was in the midst of a boom period reigned supreme, with a 15.11 and some of the country leagues, (101) to 7.11 (53) first semi-final particularly in the wheatbelt and demolition of East Perth being south-west, boasted clubs which followed by a hard fought 10 point were sufficiently wealthy to be able triumph over Perth in the final. This to compete with their league meant that, for the second season counterparts in the city for the running, Swan Districts and East services of leading players.2 Fremantle ended up playing off for Haydn Bunton junior's the premiership. In 1962 Swans achievement in elevating Swan had held off a determined Old Districts virtually overnight from Easts combination by 18 points their widely acknowledged status after kicking straighter and keeping as West Australian football's their nerve when the pressure was club into one of the most on. A year later, victory was slightly powerful teams in the land was one more comfortably achieved, 17.10 of the most noteworthy coaching (112) to 13.12 (90), but it was to be feats of the twentieth century. Prior Swans' last premiership victory for to 1961, Swans had only qualified almost two decades. for the finals in open competition The league, conscious that three times since they made their the game was fast expanding, was WANFL debut in 1934. The 1960 discussing plans for the future. season marked the fifteenth time in Subiaco Oval was, strictly succession that the club had failed speaking, too small to to contest the finals, with third from accommodate the crowds of 40,000-plus which were now 2 Australian Rules Football, Associated turning up for grand finals, with the Publishers, Adelaide, 1963, pp. 76-7.

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bottom in 1953 and 1955 their best obtain possession of the ball under finishes during that period. duress was arguably unequalled: in one match against South Fremantle during the 1962 season statisticians credited him with no fewer than 88 kicks, 55 of them in the first half. His handball statistics were not recorded, but given that Bunton was renowned at the time as one of the most prolific exponents of that particular art it is hard to imagine his not exceeding 100 total possessions for the

match, an incredible and possibly Fred Castledine 3 unsurpassed, achievement. Bunton was a motivational Swan Districts' grand final leader par excellence, at a time opponents East Fremantle were - when the playing coach was and remain - far and away Western gradually becoming less popular. Australian football's most However, the likes of Bunton and successful club. By 1963, Old Bob Johnson in Western Australia, Easts already had a total of 21 in South Australia and senior grade premierships to their in were credit, and only once - in 1898 - proving that if clubs selected had they succumbed to the wooden players with the right qualities as spoon. They had also won an coaches they could still make a success of the job. 3 These stats were cited in Ross Elliott's Bunton's style was to lead Western Australia Football Register 1962, from the front, and constantly to page 38. By contrast, Graeme Atkinson's keep his players geed up and and Michael Hanlon's3AW Book of Footy focussed by verbally challenging Records, page 34, suggests that some statisticians claimed that Bunton had more and exhorting them. He insisted than 100 kicks in this match. Bunton that all of his players match him in succinctly summarised his philosophy of energy and determination coaching as follows: "Sheer football skill is regardless of whether or not they still the hardest to beat (but) what do I look were capable of emulating his skill for first? What are catch-words you can remember in your ambition to play league levels. As a child, he had suffered football? COURAGE AND from a chronic, debilitating illness, DETERMINATION. That's what you need while just three years prior to his before everything else. All the skill in the arrival at Bassendean he had had world won' help unless you have courage to have his right kneecap removed and dedication." (High Mark, edited by Jack Pollard, KG Publishing, , following a car accident in 1963, page 18.) Tasmania. As a player, his ability to

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under-age premiership during world front, and relying on his height, war two when the WANFL had weight, strength, and experience to operated an age-restricted enable him to outmark his competition. However, their form of opponents. In his four seasons with late had, by their own high the club he amassed tallies of 74, standards, been modest; they had 65, 105 and 92 goals, besides consistently reached the finals - leading his charges to the grand nothing new or different there - but final every year, although only once not challenged seriously for - in 1965 - did they actually premiership honours. Their most manage to capture the premiership. recent flag had been obtained in 1957 courtesy of a 16 point grand final defeat of East Perth.

Things in 1963 might well have been different had Johnson not sustained a broken jaw in the last minor round match of the season and been forced to miss the finals. In the event, he took the unusual, indeed arguably Haydn Bunton junior unprecedented, move of acting as his own runner - the legality of In 1962 East Fremantle had which quite a few observers appointed former Melbourne questioned - but although he was ruckman Bob Johnson4 as captain- able to steer his charges to a coach and this generated the onset comfortable second semi-final of a renaissance in Old Easts’ defeat of minor premier Perth, fortunes. Johnson, like Bunton was Swan Districts in the grand final an inspirational on-field leader. proved too strong and won with Standing 6' 6' (198cm) he played some comfort by 22 points. mainly at full forward, typically In 1963, Perth was fast stationing himself right at the goal approaching the most auspicious phase in the club's history, but the final pieces of the jig-saw of 4 Not to be confused with his ex- success had still to be set in place. Melbourne team-mate Bob "Tassie" Johnson, so called because he hailed from Chief among these pieces would The Apple Isle.. be the appointment as coach of former East Perth stalwart Mal

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Atwell in 1966, and the emergence experience. This was particularly of rover as one of the evident in the second semi-final finest and most influential players when they meekly succumbed to a of the decade (and beyond). From more desperate and determined Narrogin in East Fremantle. The final clash wheatbelt region, Cable made his with Swan Districts was a different league debut as an eighteen year matter entirely, however, and with a old in 1962 and quickly bit more ruthlessness and good emphasised his prowess by fortune they might well have winning the first of an eventual earned another tilt at Old Easts in three Sandover Medals just a "the big one". As it was, their couple of seasons later. Between sluggish start to the match cost 1966 and 1968 Perth won a hat- them dear, but the longer it went on trick of grand finals, stamping the the more of a stranglehold they side as one of the greatest in the achieved. In the end though, history of West Australian football, despite managing 35 shots and Barry Cable's contribution was to 23, they bowed out of finals unsurpassed as he won the contention to the tune of 8 points. A for best afield year later the Redlegs would every time. endure a distressingly similar finals campaign losing the second semi- final badly to East Fremantle, and the final by a whisker against Claremont. However, the experience gained would arguably stand the side in good stead when it embarked on an era of dynastic proportions in 1966. In 1963, however, such East Perth in 1963 were still glittering success remained a coming to terms with the loss two pipedream. Not that the Redlegs years earlier of Graham "Polly" were an incompetent team - far Farmer, who had been cleared to from it. During the minor round in the VFL. Farmer was arguably the particular they impressed and after finest ruckman, if not indeed the topping the ladder heading into the finest footballer, in Australia at the finals they were many pundits' tip time,5 and his absence needless to for the flag. However, although it say left an enormous gap in the may be something of a cliché to Royals ranks. assert it, major round football is an altogether different ball game, and 5 There are some indeed who might assert the Redlegs, who had not qualified that "Polly" Farmer was overall the for the finals since 1959 (when they greatest, most important and had lost the first semi-final to revolutionary footballer of all time. Subiaco by 129 points), lacked

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In 1961, Farmer's last predominantly successful seasons, season with the East Perth, the of coach Jack Sheedy. Royals had reached the grand final Improvement under his against Swan Districts, whom they replacement, ex-Fitzroy defender had comfortably defeated a Kevin Murray, was gradual, but fortnight earlier in the second semi. during the second half of the However, the grand final proved to decade East Perth was a perennial be a triumph for Swan Districts’ grand finalist, without ever quite coach Haydn Bunton junior, whose managing to "bring home the masterful deployment of his bacon". Jack Sheedy returned to ruckmen Fred Castledine and Keith the club as coach in 1969 but was Slater effectively nullified "Polly" unable to steer the Royals over the Farmer's influence and was, line against a supremely powerful ultimately, the difference between West Perth combination on grand the two teams: final day. Sheedy only spent a single season back at East Perth "Fred (Castledine) had to come in and get but it was a highly influential one hold - get his (Farmer's) left arm out of the and arguably sowed some of the way. Once he had that arm out of the way, that seeds of the club's next senior was it. was coming in on his right, and Castledine was getting in the way of that grade premiership, in 1972. arm before he could get it up ...... We had rehearsed this." 6

Without Farmer, the Royals failed to qualify for the finals altogether in 1962, but in 1963 there were signs of an impending renaissance. During the minor round they were the only team to overcome eventual premier Swan Districts in all three encounters, but when the two sides met once again in the first semi-final Haydn Bunton's charges were running on full throttle and romped home by eight goals. This was a prelude to one of the worst season's in Royals club history up to that point as in 1964 The great “Polly” Farmer pictured shortly they slumped to the wooden spoon after his move from East Perth to in prompting the departure, after eight the VFL.

6 : A Biography by Stephen An off the field highlight in Hawke, Fremantle Arts Press, Fremantle, 1963 was the Royals' post-season 1994, page 140.

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trip to south-east Asia, making contention in round three against them the first WANFL club to Swan Districts, the Cardinals' embark on such an undertaking. confidence seemed to wane. Thereafter, their form was haphazard in the extreme, and they ultimately missed out on finals participation by a couple of wins. Better times were round the corner, and West Perth finished the 1960s as one of the most powerful clubs in the WANFL. Subiaco's form since reaching the 1959 grand final had been unspectacular, and with newly-appointed coach Kevin Merifield at the helm this trend continued in 1963. The side managed to win just 8 of its 21 minor round matches and finished sixth. However, the arrival of former Swan Districts triple premiership ruckman Kevin Slater as coach in 1964 would herald a change in the Maroons' fortunes, albeit only a

brief one, as they promptly qualified 1963 Sandover Medallist Ray Sorrell, who played most of his 177 game league career for the finals. Subsequent seasons with East Fremantle, for whom he was twice saw them unable to maintain this voted the season’s fairest and best player. He improvement though, and it was also represented WA 18 times, gained selection not until the appointment as coach in two All Australian teams, and was later of Haydn Bunton junior in 1968 that awarded a second, retrospective after originally losing to they began to re-emerge as a on a countback in 1961. Pictured during his consistent league power. stint with South Fremantle as captain-coach in Seventh in 1963 was South 1964-5. Sorrell was always an Old Easts man Fremantle, whose glory days of the at heart initial decade after world war two

were fast fading in the memory. West Perth began the 1963 The Bulldogs' dismal season was season, the last of four under the more a result of inconsistency than coaching of Arthur Oliver, in any fundamental lack of ability. outstanding form, thrashing Indeed, the red and whites Claremont away by 77 points, and managed to achieve a win against East Perth 17.14 (116) to 12.6 (78) every other team in the competition at Leederville. However, after except East Perth. Moreover, half a kicking themselves out of dozen of the team's reversals were

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by margins of 10 points or less. A club's often dire 1963 dire start to the season which performances are probably still brought 7 losses from the club's having to pinch themselves. first 8 games did not help matters, Despite the rapidly and neither did the departures of escalating loss of top players to the star centreman , and ex- VFL the 1960s developed into one Victorian Glen Bow, who had been of the most exciting phases in West an extremely handy acquisition, Australian football history. By no and indeed who had won the 1962 means all of the best players fairest and best award. Overall, the emigrated, and the WANFL 1960s would prove immensely competition was unpredictable and disappointing for the Bulldogs, but fiercely contested, arguably more the ensuing decade would herald a so than any other major league in marked improvement in fortunes. Australia. Five of the eight league In 1963, Claremont had clubs won flags, and Perth between gone a dozen seasons without 1966 and 1968 and West Perth in featuring in the September action, 1969 would not have looked out of and after managing just 4 wins their depth in the nation's premier from 21 matches for the season competition, the VFL. few if any of the club's supporters Amateur football in Western would have expected more than Australia had enjoyed a brief minimal improvement in 1964. The halcyon period in the 1950s but the Tigers' job was made even harder ensuing decade heralded an by the loss to Victoria at the end of apparent decline in standards. At the 1963 season of Deniston the 1962 Australian Amateur Marshall, one of the finest rebound Football Championships in half back flankers of his generation. Melbourne the state had lost all However, former club stalwart three of its matches to finish last, a Kevin Clune returned to Claremont7 result that would be duplicated in and went on to win the fairest and 1964 in Adelaide and 1967 in best award. The club appointed Launceston. former East Fremantle rover and Nevertheless, the 1950 Sandover Medallist Jim widespread upsurge in football’s Conway as coach and sole selector popularity which had been evident and he managed to mould the since Western Australia's senior Tigers into a tightly knit, state side captured the Australian hardworking unit which eventually championship in Brisbane in 1961 won their first premiership since undoubtedly impinged on the 1940 after scraping into the finals in amateur game, which was fourth place. Witnesses of the attracting more players and spectators than ever. Wembley 7 Between 1954 and 1962 and 1964 and won the A Grade premiership (the 1966 Clune played 231 league games for Sandover Shield), TTC Claremont the 'Monts, with a single season at Northam club Towns in 1963. were Grade premiers, and Mount

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Lawley triumphed in Grade, WANFL premiers in the which had been re-constituted in other two grades, reserves and 1963 after a six year gap owing to colts, were Perth - the latter for the a significant influx of new players. fourth time in five. The Rodriguez Football’s buoyant condition Shield, awarded to the club with the throughout the state was further best overall record in all three emphasised in country leagues, grades, and which had been many of which were attracting both introduced half a dozen seasons record attendances and record earlier, perhaps not surprisingly revenue. The Avon Football was also claimed by the Redlegs. Association, based across a region 100-170 kilometres due east of Perth, was a case in point. In 1963 it had been blessed by the talents of established Claremont league player Kevin Clune, presumably for predominantly if not entirely economic reasons. Meckering, a club which would go out of existence at the end of the decade, won the first of an eventual three senior grade premierships in 1963. Elsewhere,, Esperance won the Esperance Districts Football Association premiership, Ramblers Syd Jackson were the inaugural premiers of the Gascoyne Football Association, the The 1963 Sandover Medal Goldfields Football League flag was won, to popular acclaim, by went to Ramblers, Rovers won the East Fremantle's Ray Sorrell, a Great Northern Football League player rated my many, including based in and around Geraldton and quite a number of Victorians, as the Northampton, Three Springs finest centreman in Australia at the achieved success in the North time. Sorrell actually tied for the Midlands Football League, while Medal with East Perth's Syd The Hassells were premiers of the Jackson, but Jackson had been Ongerup Football Association, suspended during the year and another competition to see the light hence was deemed ineligible. of day in 1963. Meanwhile, the Sorrell and Jackson both reaped 20 ultra-strong South-West Football votes, one more than Frank Pyke League, based in and around (Perth) and three ahead of Derek Bunbury, went to Carey Park for Chadwick of East Perth. An idea of the first ever time, and Cuballing how highly Sorrell was regarded triumphed in the Upper Great can be discerned by the remarks Southern Football League. made about him by champion

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Essendon and VFL champion Jack Clarke: "He was fast, strong, intelligent in both attack and defence and a powerful kick. I've played against him three times, and

I’ sure I haven't beaten him 8 once."

Ron Evans

Leading goalkicker for the year was former Essendon star full forward of West Perth, with 97 goals, all booted during the minor round.

8 High Mark, edited by Jack Pollard, Sydney, KG Murray Publishing, 1963, page 68.

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most notably Tasmania and VICTORIA Western Australia, thus further enhancing their overall strength. ver since its inception in Sometimes the recruitment of a 1897 the Victorian Football particularly noteworthy player from League had been the outside Victoria could provide a strongest and far and away the club with precisely the leverage it best supported competition in needed to transform it from being a Australia. This is by no means the mere contender into a bona fide same thing as maintaining, as champion, and such was arguably some crassly persist in doing, that the case with Geelong in 1963. it was a repository of all of the nation’s elite talent, or that the best club team in the land invariably played in the VFL. The former could never really be said to be the case until several years after the competition was prematurely re- labelled the Australian Football League in 1990, while there were almost indisputably intermittent occasions during the twentieth century when the most powerful club in Australia was based in either South Australia or Western Australia. What nevertheless cannot be disputed, however, is that with regard to its depth of playing talent Geelong full back and the overall quality of football produced the VFL reigned Since reigning supreme with comfortably and continuously successive premierships in 1951 supreme. The main reason for this and 1952 the Cats had endured was simple: football was far and some difficult times, most away the most popular sport in notoriously in 1957 and 1958 when Victoria which, in terms of available they had succumbed to successive players, gave the VFL a bigger wooden spoons. However, as the potential catchment area than was 1960s got underway, the club’s accessible by the rest of Australia fortunes began to improve, as combined. Moreover, right from the players of the quality of Roy West, start the league’s clubs were a long kicking, highly consistent full sufficiently wealthy and influential back, , one of the best to be able to attract top quality and paciest rovers in the game, players from other colonies/states,

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1962 -winning than, for example, most if not all centreman , burly, other football codes. However, strong marking, long – though not despite often being exaggerated always straight - kicking full forward and misplaced, such high praise is , and Fred Wooller, a indisputably warranted in the case highly influential key position of Farmer, who besides being forward who skippered the Cats in arguably the finest knock ruckman 1963 and ’64, gradually blossomed of his time almost single-handedly and formed the nucleus of a highly revolutionised football with his proficient side. However, there was creative and highly effective . This still one vital ingredient missing, is not to suggest that handball had which finally arrived in 1962 in the never previously been used as a shape of one of the most important significant feature of any team’s and revolutionary players in the attacking armoury, but in the post history of the game, Graham Vivian war game its prominence had “Polly” Farmer. faded.9 Farmer realised that the key to success in football was maintaining possession of the ball, and that accurate and clever handpasses were, in many instances, the best and easiest way of doing this.10 Farmer practised the skill of handball incessantly, and was proficient in its use over great distances, whether standing still, running, or from a semi-prone or kneeling position. After playing 176 league games in nine seasons with East Perth “Polly” Farmer arrived at Geelong prior to the 1962 football season amidst great fanfare, his

Australia-wide reputation having Geelong’s Alistair Lord with his 1962 preceded him. Voted the Royals’ Brownlow Medal 9 The West Torrens team which won the Such hyperbole is all too 1924 SAFL premiership, for example, was renowned and much fêted for its ability to frequently applied to individual move the ball the entire length of the field sports stars, and perhaps no more by means of slick handball, only resorting to a kick when within goal-scoring range. so than in Australian football, which despite being a team sport par 10 See, for instance, Farmer’s article “The excellence lauds and rewards its Secrets Of Handball” in High Mark, edited by Jack Pollard, KG Murray Publishing, players more visibly and volubly Sydney 1963, pp 28-33.

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fairest and best player in seven of they finished the season in style those nine seasons, Farmer had with resounding wins in the last two also won the 1956 and 1960 rounds over Carlton and minor Sandover Medals,11 the 1956 premiers Hawthorn to clinch the , been included in the double chance. During the 1963 three most recent All Australian finals series the Cats reasserted combinations, and played in three their authority over Hawthorn on premiership-winning teams. His two occasions, leading at every first practice match with Geelong change in winning the second attracted a crowd of 20,000 to the semi-final by 17 points, and then club’s home ground of Kardinia romping home in of Park, but his first full season in the the grand final to rattle on six VFL proved anti-climactic in the unanswered goals and win by 49 extreme. An injured knee, points, 15.19 (109) to 8.12 (60). In sustained in the opening minutes of what was arguably his greatest the Cats’ first round win against moment in football, “Polly” Farmer Carlton at , effectively was in unassailable form in the put paid to Farmer’s season, and grand final to be by some measure he ultimately managed to play just the most influential and effective half a dozen league matches for man on the ground. Playing second the year. fiddle to Farmer in the Geelong Not until the 1963 season rucks that day was a former East would Victorian football fans be Perth team-mate, John Watts, who treated to the sight of Farmer had followed his compatriot to the playing at the peak of his ability, Cats prior to the 1963 season, and unhampered by injury, and it was a who like Farmer was in majestic, awe-inspiring spectacle. irrepressible form. Half back flanker Even without Farmer’s contribution, John Devine, rover Bill Goggin, the Cats had managed to finish centreman Alistair Lord, half third in 1962. With the Farmer forward flanker Gordon Hynes (3 factor added to the equation a year goals) and centre half back Peter later the Cats emerged as the Walker also shone. competition’s most flamboyant, Watched by 101,209 eye-catching and ultimately spectators, Geelong’s premiership successful side. Although by no victory would take on greater means invincible, particularly in the significance as the years went by depths of winter when weather for it would not be repeated until conditions were inimical to their 2007, by which time the entire fast-moving, open style of play, Australian football landscape had altered radically. Meanwhile, back

11 A third Sandover, for 1957, was later in 1963 “Polly” Farmer further retrospectively added to his haul, Farmer emphasised his supremacy by having originally finished second on a winning the Cats’ countback. award and running equal second in

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voting for the VFL’s most however. Having finished the home prestigious individual honour, the and away rounds at the head of the Brownlow Medal. ladder everybody associated with Hawthorn’s style of play in Hawthorn had their eyes firmly set 1963 contrasted markedly with that on another premiership to go with of the Cats. Trained commando- the club’s first, won just two years style by John Kennedy, there was earlier at the expense of Footscray. probably no fitter side in Australia ’s achievement in kicking at the time, and arguably no 75 goals to finish the season as tougher side as well. Indeed, in the Hawthorn’s first ever VFL leading view of some, the Hawks’ never- goalkicker would have afforded say-die approach pushed the scant consolation, particularly as game’s unwritten moral code to its when it mattered most, in the grand limits.12 However, there were final, he “could have had a highly others who maintained that John successful day, but …… kicked Kennedy’s insistence that his indifferently, dropped marks he players adopt a rugged, ruthless would normally hold, and approach was merely the best way overplayed his hand at wrong times of gleaning the optimum from their in staging for free kicks”.14 An on- comparatively limited ability, for form John Peck might not quite while the Hawks boasted a handful have made a difference to the of players of undoubted talent, destiny of the 1963 VFL most were, in terms of pure football premiership trophy, but would skill, inferior to the majority of their almost certainly have contributed to opponents. , writing a much closer finish to the grand in “” following Hawthorn’s final. grand final loss to Geelong, Hawthorn’s best and fairest suggested that, in guiding the award winner in 1963 was Ian law. Hawks to second place in football’s A superb, terrier-like rover, Law toughest league, John Kennedy had played a handful of games for had achieved something of which Hawthorn in 1960 before making a no other coach in the VFL would pronounced impression the have been capable, and both he following year, when he not only and the club therefore warranted won his club's best and fairest only high praise and award for the first time, but ran third congratulations.13 It is doubtful if in the Brownlow, and was close to anyone at Glenferrie would have best afield in the Hawks' inaugural been particularly gratified by this, VFL premiership win. Recruited from VAFA side Old Scotch Collegians, with whom 12 Most notably, perhaps, Geelong coach Bob Davis, who called the Hawthorn team he had won the 1959 Woodrow of 1963 the “dirtiest” he had ever known. Medal, and whom he later

13 See “The Age”, 8/10/63, page 1. 14 Ibid., page 1.

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coached, Law's amateur overseas and niggling injuries sensibilities only lasted one game undermined his impact, and he at Hawthorn. During the course of seldom recaptured the form of his his debut, he was spectacularly early career. He retired in 1969 out-marked by an opponent, after 106 VFL games, having whereupon, in true amateur perhaps slightly under-achieved fashion, he burst into sincere given the scope of his ability, but applause, a gesture which earned having nevertheless been one of a fiery rebuke from Hawk coach the Hawks’ brightest stars of the John Kennedy. Needless to say, decade. In the 1963 flag decider, the misdemeanour was never with Farmer and Watts dominating repeated. the rucks for Geelong, Law found it difficult to match up effectively with his direct opponent Bill Goggin, but he was just one of many Hawthorn players to struggle to make an impact that day. In later years, the Ian Law style of roving would be maintained at Hawthorn courtesy of the likes of and Johnny Platten.

Hawthorn full forward John Peck

Fleet of foot, tough, courageous and highly skilled, Law continued to exhibit superb form for the next three seasons, winning Ronald Dale Barassi further club champion awards in

1963, as previously mentioned, and In the nine seasons prior to again in 1964. Thereafter, a 1963 Melbourne, with five combination of commitments

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premierships from seven year later, wiser and more finals successive grand finals, had been hardened, as well as having all the easily the VFL’s most successful energy and skills of a fully fit club. However, the 1961 and ’62 Barassi at their disposal, and seasons had brought a slight fall ultimately procure a sixth VFL flag from grace, with the Demons losing under the masterly coaching of in the preliminary final in the former . Overall, this would be year and the first semi-final in the Melbourne’s twelfth league latter. The gap between success premiership, and the club’s fans will and failure in Australia’s strongest not need reminding that, half a league was often marginal, century on, that haul has not been however, and with players like Ron increased. Barassi, , “Tassie” Johnson, Frank Adams and Bryan Kenneally at their disposal the Demons were undoubtedly equipped to cope, on their day, with the challenges proffered by any other side in the competition. They proved this in the 1963 minor round with at least one victory over every other team in the league, including both grand finalists. Ultimately, this was sufficient for them to qualify for the finals in third place, just 2 points adrift of the leading pair, and with comfortably the best percentage in the competition. However, critically, they would be entering September without the fulcrum of the side, , who had incurred a lengthy St Kilda’s champion centreman, Ian suspension after the round Stewart seventeen win at Richmond for allegedly striking the Tigers’ Roger In 1963, Melbourne captain Dean. A hard fought 7 point win Ronald Dale Barassi was one of over a fast-finishing St Kilda side in the most noteworthy identities in the first semi-final was the game, as indeed he had been nevertheless achieved, but for much of the preceding decade. Hawthorn’s frenetic, rumbustious Whilst it would be utterly fatuous to style proved a bridge too far in a suggest, as some have done, that strenuous preliminary final tussle Barassi single-handedly invented and the Demons fell 9 points short. the role of the modern ruck-rover, They would return to finals action a there is no doubt that he brought a

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new glamour and prominence to a contributions to half a dozen grand position previously regarded as final victories by the time he was purely supportive and indeed rather cleared to Carlton, so it is very mundane. Barassi was strong, difficult indeed to argue that the mobile and highly skilled, and his Demons were short-changed by his ferocious attack on both the football departure. and his opponents typically Fourth placed team St Kilda ensured that he ended a game had only qualified for the VFL finals having accumulated an abundance once previously since the war. That of possessions, whilst also having was in 1961, when the Saints had paved the way for many of his team also had to be satisfied with fourth mates to do the same. During the place, but they were very much a 1950s and early 1960s Barassi’s team on the rise, and the 1960s name was synonymous with the would prove to be the greatest , which decade in the club’s history, was why his “defection” after the yielding consecutive grand final 1964 season to take up the appearances in 1965-6 and their coaching position at Carlton only senior grade premiership to produced such widespread shock, date in the latter year. As with not to mention anger in the case of Geelong, one of the key reasons the Demons’ many fans at the time. behind St Kilda’s emergence as a Barassi’s decision to place his own force had been the recruitment of desires before the needs of his club top players from interstate, in the was viewed in many quarters as a Saints’ case and betrayal, but a more objective view Ian Stewart, both of whom hailed of the incident would be that he from Tasmania. Baldock, who was merely doing exactly the same arrived in 1962, was one of the thing as hundreds of players before most skilful ball handlers of his or and since have done in seeking to any other era, and won the Saints enhance his career. However, none best and fairest award in both 1962 of those previous players had been and 1963 whilst simultaneously captains of their club, or arguably finishing both seasons as the club’s possessed of Barassi’s immense leading goalkicker. He would go on public profile. The fact that Barassi to repeat both achievements in was widely perceived as having 1965. It was no coincidence that blue and red blood flowing through Baldock’s appointment as St Kilda his veins was hardly the fault of the skipper in 1963 coincided with the player though, and it seems club’s return to finals action after a reasonable to infer that he was a somewhat lack-lustre 1962 season. victim of his own notoriety rather Baldock's somewhat rotund than the perpetrator of a genuinely appearance, together with his lack immoral or disloyal act. Barassi had of height and pace, belied his given Melbourne 204 games of dazzling array of skills. As the stellar service and made significant cliché goes, “he often seemed to

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have the ball on a string”. Most won possessions that logic told you commonly used by the Saints at he had no right to. He was also centre half forward, he consistently extraordinarily elusive, seldom beat much taller opponents by a being caught with the ball - small mixture of guile and unsurpassed wonder that the umpires took note handling and use of the ball. In to the extent of awarding him more 1966, Darrel John Baldock would Brownlow votes than any other permanently etch his name on the player of his era. hearts of St Kilda supporters by captaining the club to its first and, as of 2013, only senior grade flag. Boasting every bit as much skill as Baldock, Ian Stewart arrived at St Kilda in 1963 after having begun his senior grade career with only the previous year. The label “legend”' is bandied about quite indiscriminately these days but it would be hard to disagree with its appropriateness in the case of Ian Harlow Stewart. Born in the western Tasmanian mining settlement of Queenstown, where footballers do not have the luxury of grass to cushion their falls, Essendon’s Stewart is one of an elite band of just four players to have won the It would take St Kilda coach coveted Brownlow Medal on three several seasons to separate occasions. Although mould his collection of individual neither strongly built nor especially champions into a champion team, athletic looking he was enormously but already in 1963 there were tough and resilient, and boasted a signs that something special was considerable amount of pace. imminent. During the home and Moreover, his outward appearance away rounds the Saints scored belied enormous, some would say noteworthy wins over reigning unique, intrinsic ability. premier Essendon and eventual Indefatigably accurate when kicking 1963 premier Geelong, and with either foot – frequently with finished the season with a Baldock as his target - Stewart was resounding 84 point defeat of North also deceptively strong overhead Melbourne to clinch fourth spot on (in the 1966 season, for instance, the premiership ladder, and a place he would take more marks than in the finals, on percentage ahead any other player in the VFL), and of the Dons. First semi-final so courageous that he frequently

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opponents Melbourne proved they had proved their pedigree marginally too experienced and during the course of the minor strong, however. round with wins over eventual grand finalists Hawthorn (twice) and Geelong. Among Essendon’s star players in 1963 were rover Johnny Birt, ruckman Don McKenzie, ruck-rover Hughie Mitchell, and centre half forward Ken Fraser, the last-named of whom won the first of two successive club best and fairest awards that season. Chosen as centre half forward in Essendon's official 'Team of the Twentieth Century', Ken Fraser was among the finest exponents of that position to play in the VFL during the 1960s. Extremely quick and agile, he was a master at evading the attentions of opponents and marking the ball in the clear. His

kicking, though ungainly in style, One of Carlton’s all-time greats, was extremely effective, and his ruckman John Nicholls ground skills were impeccable for a big man (188cm, 85.5kg). After a magnificent 1962 Recruited from Essendon Baptists- season which had produced just St Johns, he had made his VFL two losses en route to an emphatic debut for the Bombers in the premiership victory Essendon gave opening round of the 1958 season, every indication, for much of 1963, and other than when injured he of being on course to repeat that remained a regular senior grade triumph. However, an unexpected player. In addition to winning hat-trick of losses between rounds Essendon's best and fairest player thirteen and fifteen ultimately saw award in 1963 and 1964, he was the side fail to qualify for the finals twice runner-up in the Brownlow altogether, albeit only on Medal voting. His 9 interstate percentage. In a season when appearances for the VFL included there was very little to choose games at the 1966 Hobart carnival, between the league’s top five when he was the team's teams the Bombers could be captain. Fraser was at centre half considered somewhat unfortunate forward in the Dons' 1962 and 1965 to have missed out, particularly as premiership teams, the latter as captain, but he was forced to miss

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the grand final clash with Carlton in transform the Blues into a genuine 1968 because of injury. Given that football superpower, sowing the the Blues only just scraped home seeds of a culture of expectancy by 3 points you will find it and high achievement which still impossible to convince ardent characterises the club. Bomber fans that the absence of their champion centre half forward did not deprive the club of a flag. Carlton underwent a significant slump in 1963. Having reached the 1962 grand final, which they lost to Essendon, the Blues plummeted to sixth, with their overall 10-8 win/loss record indicative of legible deficiencies when compared to the four finalists. Indeed, Carlton managed just a single victory over a top four side all season, by a couple of points against St Kilda in round two. Geelong, Hawthorn and Melbourne proved comfortably too strong, however, with the Cats’ emphatic 61 point victory in a comparatively low-scoring penultimate round encounter at ultimately revealing just how much of a decline the Blues had suffered. North Melbourne ruckman Noel What Carlton needed more Teasdale, pictured without the head than anything was a coach capable guard which became his trademark of harnessing and honing the club’s undoubted talent into an effective One of the principal and consistent on-field force. prerequisites for success in the Aware of this, the club hierarchy VFL was a strong ruck division and courted Melbourne luminary Ron in the shape of 1963 club best and Barassi, a man who knew more fairest winner John Nicholls Carlton than most about what was boasted one of the best traditional necessary both to maximise one’s ruckmen of all time, a status he own potential and to fuse together boasted simply because he knew players’ of disparate strengths into how to use his abilities and a team with premiership-winning physique - which in and of potential. Barassi would ultimately themselves were far from arrive at Princes Park after the extraordinary - to the best possible 1964 season and gradually effect. Not blessed with the

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supreme all round skills of a champion. Just about the only Graham Farmer, or the honour to elude him was the mountainous height of a Len Brownlow Medal (although he was Thompson, nor yet the fearsome runner-up in 1966). A member of aggressiveness of a , more VFL interstate teams (31) Nicholls was nevertheless than any other player, “Big Nick” consistently able to out-manoeuvre gained All Australian selection after opposing ruckmen of all physical both the 1966 Hobart and 1969 types and attributes. Moreover, he Adelaide carnivals, being selected had an uncanny and arguably as captain on the latter occasion. In unequalled knack of extracting the no fewer than five instances - a maximum advantage from almost club record - he was chosen as any on field situation, no matter Carlton's club champion. As Blues how ostensibly inimical. skipper he held the premiership None of the above should be cup aloft after the grand finals of taken as implying that John 1968, 1970 and 1972, having also Nicholls was a player devoid of coached the team to the flag in the skill, however. Without wishing to last named season. With 328 club become embroiled in a games by the time of his retirement philosophical consideration of the Nicholls established what, at the nature of skill it is nevertheless time, was yet another Carlton worth pointing out for example that, record. unlike Farmer, say, Nicholls was In 1963, North Melbourne very much a two-sided was widely considered to be one of player. Furthermore, his kicking the VFL’s major under-achievers. was accurate and penetrative, and Since gaining admission to the he handled the ball cleanly. Whilst league in 1925 the ‘Roos had not possessed of blinding pace his contested just one grand final, and astute judgement repeatedly qualified for the finals on only five enabled him to make position occasions. Nevertheless, ahead of speedier opponents. And compared to the previous three while not given to indiscriminate or seasons which had produced, in excessive on-field violence there sequence, eleventh, twelfth and were some who maintained that his eleventh place finishes, 1963 "piercing blue eyes gave the most represented a marked frightening stare in football".15 By improvement. Prior to the start of the time he retired in 1974 after the season North had appointed eighteen seasons at Princes Park Alan Killigrew as coach, a man he had enjoyed arguably the most renowned for his passionate, illustrious career of any Carlton intense, sermon-like oratory, and by utilising the astute football 15 From The Encyclopedia of League knowledge which underlay the Footballers: Every AFL/VFL Player Since theatricality he sparked an 1897 by Jim Main and Russell Holmesby, page 325. immediate improvement in the

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quality of the team’s performances top line ruckmen. A clash of heads and its overall level of with team mate Ken Dean in 1964 competitiveness. Killigrew spent would produce a serious head four seasons at North Melbourne injury, and when 'Teaser' returned and although unable to steer his to the fray he was wearing the charges into the finals he did steer padded head guard that was to them to successive night grand become his trademark. The head final victories in 1965-6 and guard did nothing to undermine his arguably went some way towards effectiveness, however; in 1965 he creating a platform for the club’s finished runner-up in the Brownlow subsequent success under Ron voting, albeit only on a countback, Barassi. to St Kilda's Ian Stewart (he was The Kangaroos served later awarded a retrospective notice that they would no longer be Medal), and the following season one of the competition’s easybeats saw him achieve All Australian by winning their opening three honours after the Hobart matches of the 1963 season, carnival. Teasdale also won against Footscray at Arden Street, North's best and fairest award in Collingwood at Victoria Park, and both years to make it an Richmond at Punt Road. unprecedented four such wins in Subsequent performances tended succession. He captained the to be less authoritative but the side 'Roos from 1965 to 1967. was still capable of putting in For Collingwood, eighth intermittent performances of high position on the ladder with just 7 quality, and an ultimate ladder wins represented a mini- position of seventh represented the catastrophe. Since reaching the club’s best finish since sixth place 1960 grand final, the Magpies had in 1959. been a team on the slide, and it One of Killigrew’s most would take the appointment of Bob noteworthy achievements was Rose as coach in 1964 to reverse helping Noel Teasdale realise his the trend. During Rose’s eight full potential. An energetic, seasons at the helm, Collingwood bullocking ruckman and occasional would reach the finals seven times, defender, Noel Teasdale is but runners-up to Melbourne in nowadays fêted as one of the most 1964, St Kilda in 1966 and Carlton noteworthy identities in the history in 1970 was as close as the club of the North Melbourne Football would come to capturing a flag. Club. Recruited from Daylesford, Rose’s reign at Victoria Park he played a total of 178 VFL games witnessed the birth of the for the 'Roos between 1956 and “collywobbles” myth, which implied 1967, kicking 71 goals. A clear that Collingwood was a team which indication of his class is that he always fell apart at some stage of a also represented the VFL no fewer finals series owing to an inability to than 19 times in an era replete with cope with the intensity and

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pressure of major round football. course, they were infinitely better The myth would endure until 1990 than that. when the Magpies overcame Essendon to win their first premiership for thirty-two years.

Footscray’s “Mr Football”, Ted Whitten (widely referred to as “EJ”, but never by the his adoring Bulldogs

supporters) Collingwood’s best and fairest award in 1963 was won by Recruited from . Throughout his YCW, Tuddenham made his 252 game VFL career with Collingwood debut in 1962. Used Collingwood and Essendon, flame- mainly as a half forward flanker, his haired Tuddenham's name was tear-through style and apparent virtually a synonym for “desperation obliviousness to his own personal and courage”. In essence, 'Tuddy' safety soon attracted rave knew only one way to play the reviews. His very presence on the game, and that was with the utmost field was often an inspiration to his determination and team mates, and his 1963 club best physicality. Footballers are almost and fairest win was well-earned. routinely referred to as “tough”, but From 1966 to 1969 he served as in Des Tuddenham's case this Magpies skipper. would be an understatement; on In 1970, however, numerous occasions he took to the Tuddenham would be stood down field carrying injuries which would by Collingwood after a pay dispute, have seen lesser men spend the and although he later resumed he day at home in bed, but regardless was no longer captain. The Magpie of physical inconvenience, hordes adored him anyway - "to Tuddenham invariably produced many he was the embodiment of performances that were at least what Collingwood players must serviceable. More often than not, of

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have been like in the club's Since the false dawn of a greatest days”.16 losing grand final encounter with Tuddenham crossed to Hawthorn in 1961 Footscray had Essendon as captain-coach in endured a steady decline, dropping 1972 and, although unable to steer to fifth place the following year and the Bombers to a flag, he did at then an undistinguished ninth with least manage to restore a measure just seven wins in 1963. There was of self-respect to a club that had some compensation in the form of finished second to last in both 1970 the club’s first ever triumph in the and 1971. VFL’s night series, which at this Des Tuddenham's heart was time was contested after the always essentially black and white, conclusion of the home and away however, and in 1976 he hobbled season by the eight clubs which 'home' - hobbled quite literally, had failed to qualify for the finals. having just recovered from a Coached by one of football’s all- broken leg sustained while playing time great players and for Essendon the previous year. He personalities, Ted Whitten senior, spent the final two seasons of his the Bulldogs claimed the night flag playing career with the Woods, with victories over North by a goal, captaining them in 1976. Carlton by 43 points, and Always a consummate team Richmond in the grand final 10.9 man - even the pay dispute in 1970 (69) to 9.9 (63). Their was more about morals than performances during the minor money - the biggest round were, by contrast, mostly disappointment of Tuddenham's lack-lustre, with a 4 point win at St career was that, although he Kilda in round ten the undoubted garnered numerous personal and arguably only highlight. accolades and awards, he never Footscray back pocket Ray got to play in a premiership Walker inevitably saw plenty of the side. He came agonisingly close - a ball in 1963, and this probably 4 point loss to Melbourne in 1964, contributed to his achievement in a 1 point defeat by St Kilda two procuring the club’s best and fairest years later, not to mention the award in arguably the most unmitigated disaster of 1970, when noteworthy moment of his seven Collingwood somehow managed to season, 73 game VFL career. surrender a significant three Walker was strong overhead and quarter time lead against Carlton - had the intelligence to use the ball but a runner-up is still a runner-up creatively rather than just kick long no matter what the margin of and hopefully. He represented the defeat. VFL in the interstate arena, and after leaving Footscray to serve as captain-coach of Burnie in 1965 he 16 The Encyclopedia of League Footballers represented Tasmania at the by Jim Main and Russell Holmesby, page 443. following year’s Hobart carnival.

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After steering Burnie to the 1968 most concertedly NWFU flag he spent his final two Richmond would rise from the seasons as a senior grade ashes to enjoy arguably the footballer captain-coaching another greatest period in the club’s history. NWFU club, Penguin. In 1963, however, the side was mediocre in the extreme, managing just five wins from eighteen matches for the season to finish a distant tenth. Only two of these victories, versus Collingwood by a point at Victoria Park in round twelve, and by 7 points over Carlton in round sixteen at Princes Park, were achieved against teams which ultimately finished above the Tigers on the premiership ladder. Even the most mediocre VFL teams of the sixties boasted star players though, and Richmond was no exception. Without doubt the Tigers most effective and influential footballer in 1963 was club skipper Neville Crowe, who won the first of an eventual three club best and fairest awards, and who would go on to achieve

everything of note at Richmond Richmond’s Neville Crowe except participation in a

premiership team, an honour he Richmond fans had had to missed in the most controversial endure a long spell of mediocrity by and unfortunate of 1963 with the Tigers having failed circumstances. During the 1967 to contest the finals every year second semi-final he was reported, since 1947, having last reached a and subsequently suspended, for grand final in 1944 when they striking Carlton's John Nicholls. It sustained an upset defeat at the was the first suspension of his hands of Fitzroy, and not having eleven season, 150 game VFL won a premiership for twenty years. career, and Nicholls later admitted In 1963 they gave no indications that he had staged the whole affair whatsoever of being on the verge simply to win a free kick. Two of breaking their drought, but within weeks later, Crowe missed the a couple of seasons, under the grand final in which the Tigers coaching first of Len Smith, then triumphed over Geelong, and briefly , and finally and shortly afterwards he announced

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his retirement. In 1971, he would such awards before he retired Few make a brief return to football in the players have personified old VFA with Caulfield. fashioned ' and ' to the extent of Recruited from VAFA club Skilton. In 238 games with the State Savings Bank, Crowe made Swans he never gave less than the his VFL debut in 1957, and soon optimum in terms of effort. It was earned a reputation as a the same story when he donned hardworking and influential the VFL state jumper, as well as ruckman. His three Richmond best towards the end of his career when and fairest awards were won in he fulfilled a boyhood dream in 1963, 1964 and 1966, and he representing his beloved Port captained the side from 1963 to Melbourne. 1966. At the 1966 Hobart carnival One perhaps inevitable he put in a series of Herculean legacy of this attitude was the performances in the ruck for the exceptional number of injuries - VFL to achieve All Australian often several in the same game - selection. sustained by Skilton during the Neville Crowe later served course of his career. A more as an effective and highly measurable legacy came in the respected president of the shape of three Brownlow Medals . and an incredible nine South South Melbourne had gone Melbourne best and fairest awards. even longer than Richmond – thirty Not that Skilton's approach lacked years to be precise – since tasting finesse. He was, in fact, a highly premiership success, and since last skilled, pre-eminently two-sided reaching the grand final in 1945 the footballer in an era when this was Swans had consistently struggled still very much the exception to the at or near the foot of the ladder. rule. Roving to losing South The 1963 season proved no Melbourne rucks for much of his exception to the rule as the side career he turned this to his managed just four wins all year to advantage by developing an finish second from last. Easily the unparalleled ability to anticipate the highlight of the year for South direction of the opposing ruckman's Melbourne was the noteworthy taps. By contrast, roving to the likes achievement of highly skilled, ultra of John Schultz, 'Polly' Farmer and courageous rover in John Nicholls in interstate matches winning the second of an eventual must have seemed to “Skilts” the three Brownlow Medals. For good optimum in luxury and measure Swans skipper Skilton extravagance. also booted 36 goals for the Skilton often remarked that season to top the club’s goalkicking he would have traded every one of list and won the South Melbourne his Brownlows to have played in best and fairest award for the fifth one premiership team but the time. He would add another four closest he got was South's losing

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first semi-final against St Kilda in its first since 1936, and only the 1970. second since it had commenced involvement in the VFL as a founder member in 1897. By the end of the 1960s, however, the Lions would have succumbed to the league’s ultimate indignity on another two occasions, and although the remaining three and a half decades of the club’s existence would yield a number of highlights, these tended to be fleeting in nature, and the club’s eventual death in 1996 would be undignified and hollow in the extreme. In some ways, the 1963 season provided a kind of premonition of that level of disappointment as the Lions managed just a solitary win all year, ironically at the expense of eventual premier Geelong in round ten when the VFL interstate team was on its two week tour of Perth and Adelaide. Fitzroy’s only One of the greatest rovers – and representative in that team was its players – in the history of the game, 1963 captain-coach, Kevin Murray, South Melbourne’s Bob Skilton without doubt one of the greatest players in the club’s history. Never The Swans’ most the most elegant or poised of memorable performance of 1963 footballers Murray did not let such came in round seven at home to trifling matters stand in the way of eventual finalists Melbourne. his effectiveness. With pace, good Despite managing just nineteen judgement, and a tremendous leap scoring shots compared to thirty Murray was equally effective both South squeezed home by 4 points, in the backlines and on the 11.8 (74) to 8.22 (70), a result ball. He was also an inspirational which might be said to have leader who skippered Fitzroy for ultimately robbed the Demons of eight seasons, captain-coached the double chance in the finals. them in 1963 and 1964, and Although it had failed to set captain-coached East Perth in the world alight since last winning 1965 and 1966. Twice an All the premiership in 1944 Fitzroy had Australian (once with the VFL, once tended to be quite competitive, and with Western Australia), Murray the club’s 1963 wooden spoon was was a veritable stalwart of the

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interstate scene donning the Big If Geelong’s slashing win jumper 24 times and representing over Hawthorn in the grand final Western Australia on 6 occasions. ended up being the undoubted He won a Brownlow in 1969 at the highlight of the 1963 season, age of thirty-one having previously arguably the two most memorable finished second twice and third events of the year prior to that had once and was no stranger to club both taken place in the interstate awards either, his 1963 success arena. This was most unusual. Just being just one of nine such a few years earlier there had been triumphs at Fitzroy, not to mention widespread calls within Victoria for one with the Royals. the cessation of interstate matches because, following a prolonged series of lopsided results during the second half of the 1950s, these had increasingly come to be perceived as a waste of time and effort which sometimes deprived clubs of the services of leading players because of injuries sustained in them. Then, astonishingly, the VFL somehow conspired to finish second to Western Australia at the 1961 Brisbane carnival. As invariably seemed to be the case whenever the VFL lost an interstate match Fitzroy great Kevin Murray there were excuses readily available, not least the perception Murray's durability was that its team went into the clash emphasised not only by his against the sandgropers minus incredible ability to keep on playing several of its stars. It was also whilst carrying injuries that would undeniable that the Big V finished have floored most other players, the encounter with just seventeen but also by the sheer extent of his fit players. What was equally playing career which encompassed undeniable, however, was that no fewer than 448 senior games Western Australia was the better over more than two decades. In side on the day, and its win was full 2002 he was placed on a half back of merit. The response within flank and selected as captain in Victoria was to bestow a new, Fitzroy's official 'Team of the albeit short-lived respect on Century'. Four years later East interstate football – and then Perth selected him as a ruck-rover effectively to obliterate the concept in the club's official 'Team of the once more by ensuring that the Century 1945 to 2005'. majority of the best players from

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other states ended up plying their With so much riding on the trades in the VFL. result it was not surprising that In 1963, however, this players on both sides were edgy, process had only just got resulting in a scrappy contest, and underway, and one state which had harboured short fuses, making the remained comparatively immune play much more overtly physical from it was South Australia. On than it had been back at the ‘G Saturday 15th June the croweaters three weeks earlier. One player met the full might of the VFL on the with a shorter fuse than most was MCG and did the unthinkable – Victoria’s John Peck, who had won there for the first time since been selected In the ruck on the 1926. To his credit, VFL coach Bob theory that his abundantly and Davis did not look for excuses, but overtly aggressive approach might simply paid tribute to an excellent unsettle the South Australians. This South Australian performance. it most certainly did, no more so However, the result made the than in the case of croweater half return meeting between the teams forward Brian Sawley, who in Adelaide three weeks later take responded by niggling and on an unprecedented importance. harassing the Hawthorn spearhead After warming up for the encounter whenever they got near one with two hard fought wins over another. Eventually, Peck had had Western Australia in Perth the Vics enough, and after falling to the trotted out onto Adelaide Oval with ground in the act of outmarking his a much stronger side physically rival, he rose to his feet and in the than had been downed by the process flattened Sawley with a croweaters in Melbourne. Victory massive king-hit. The South for the Big V in such matches was Australian was knocked normally regarded as inevitable, unconscious, Peck was reported, and the eventual result and game and found guilty by the SANFL report would be relegated to a tiny Tribunal but as this did not have column on an inside page of the the authority to impose sanctions newspaper, with the majority of the the matter of any punishment same page devoted to an in-depth ended up being determined back in analysis of a bottom-of-the-ladder Melbourne. The VFL Tribunal clash between the likes of South eventually imposed a two match Melbourne and Fitzroy. On this suspension, seen as wholly occasion though victory was inadequate in South Australia, but demanded and genuinely hungered almost as a vindication in Peck’s for, and for once the VFL’s main home state. The reason for the spotlight was not on its own brevity of the sentence was suburban competition but on the probably Peck’s version of events, exploits of that competition’s elite which centred on the allegation that performers in a city other than he had acted under provocation, Melbourne or Geelong. his SA opponent having kicked him

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in the back. Whatever the rights or When VFA football resumed wrongs of the incident, the Peck- after the second world war in 1945 Sawley affair remains prominent in it comprised twelve clubs, most of the memories of most football which were of long standing. supporters old enough to have During the 1950s the competition lived through a 1963 season which swelled and by 1960 there were no simultaneously boasted so many fewer than seventeen member other highlights. clubs, all playing in a single, somewhat unwieldy division. Whilst * * * * * * this was good in that it meant that the VFA enjoyed a widespread presence in the Melbourne 1963, the Victorian metropolitan zone, the gap in Football Association had standard between the top and B long ago given up any hope bottom sides was substantial, and of supplanting the Victorian as a result attendances at some Football League in the hearts and matches were pitifully small. minds of the Melbourne public. This The answer to the is not the same as saying it lacked conundrum was obvious, and in ambition, however. It was certainly 1961 the Association split into two keen to appear distinctive, as divisions, a ten team first division exemplified for instance by its and an eight team second division, frequent, sometimes absurd, with Waverley the newly admitted tinkering with the game's laws. club. The 1963 season saw Indeed, there were times when Geelong West joining the legitimate claims could be made Association's ranks in second that there were actually two entirely division and the club soon emerged distinct codes of Australian football as a force, capturing a premiership in existence: one played in the in only its second season. By that VFA, the other everywhere else in time, however, the entire the country. Association had been thrown into The VFA's constant disarray. tampering with the rules probably As early as 1962, VFL club had little if any direct effect on the St Kilda had approached its VFA competition's appeal to spectators. counterpart Moorabbin with a view Most of the people who attended to using Moorabbin as its home VFA matches probably did so in ground in 1963. Ultimately, nothing order to lend their support to a came of the proposal, but the VFA team representative of their district, made no secret of its dismay, and this in truth was where the although few people believed it Association's real strength lay. It would go as far as it eventually did was district football par excellence, when the matter again reared its and by 1963 that situation was on head, this time in earnest, a year the verge of peaking. later.

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On the field of play, the 1963 Sandringham before finally season proved an absorbing one. overtaking them in the last two In first division, half a dozen clubs rounds of the year, with the club's staged a fierce battle for the four 13-5 record proving good enough finals berths, which eventually went to procure the . to Moorabbin, Sandringham, In the second semi-final they had to Coburg and Yarraville. The four battle all the way to fend off clubs were only separated by a Sandringham, eventually winning single win. by 8 points, 14.13 (97( to 13.11 With the St Kilda ground (89). When the same two sides met takeover issue a constant backdrop one another a fortnight later in the to proceedings, the Moorabbin grand final, however, Moorabbin, players might well have been inspired by 6 goal centre half expected not to have their minds forward , got the jump on the job in 1963. However, not on the Zebras right from the outset even a mid-season change of and after leading at every change coach - Graham Dunscombe was by 22, 28 and 61 points ultimately elevated from the club's thirds, cruised home by a resounding 64 replacing Bob Wilkie - could deflect point margin, 19.16 (130) to 9.12 them from their single-minded (66). It was an emphatic and objective, which was to go one entirely warranted victory - but it better than the previous season also proved to be Moorabbin's last which had seen them lose the game in the VFA for twenty years. grand final to Sandringham by a When, on the eve of the 1964 single point. season, it was announced that St Kilda would definitely be playing its home fixtures in the VFL at Moorabbin from 1965 the VFA committee met and voted 30-12 to suspend the Kangaroos from the competition for a period of twelve months. This was tantamount to a death-knell as all of the club's players were cleared elsewhere for 1964 so that by the time the ban was lifted the Moorabbin Football Club had effectively ceased to exist. In 1983, a successor to the original Moorabbin Football Club would be admitted to division two of For much of the 1963 the VFL, but in four and a bit season Moorabbin trailed seasons in the competition would

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never look remotely like emulating and were thrashed by over 10 its predecessor's success. goals. Sandringham in 1963 qualified for the finals for the fifth successive time but only once, in 1962, did the Zebras manage to achieve premiership success. For much of the 1963 season reigning premier Sandringham was the team to beat and kicked some sizeable scores, including most notably 27.25 (187) against bottom side Northcote, the highest tally managed by any VFA side all season. Comfortably top of the ladder with just two rounds remaining, Sandy's wheels inexplicably fell off as they went Port Melbourne’s Bob Bonnett down to both Brunswick and Port Melbourne, neither of which had Yarraville had been a qualified for the finals, and were consistent force throughout the displaced from the minor premiers' early 1960s, and in 1961 had position by Moorabbin. They claimed their first ever VFA division finished with 12 wins and 6 losses, one pennant with an emphatic 22.7 the same as Coburg and Yarraville, (139) to 11.10 (76) grand final but the gargantuan scale of some demolition of Williamstown. In of their early season triumphs 1963, the side performed ensured they ended up with an consistently enough, qualifying for excellent percentage and thus the first semi-final, and narrowly procured the double chance. overcoming Coburg before finding This proved to be fortunate, preliminary final opponents as despite taking the second semi- Sandringham too tough a nut to final right up to opponents crack in the preliminary final a Moorabbin, they ultimately fell short fortnight later. by 8 points. Preliminary final Coburg had been a regular adversaries Yarraville provided a finalist since the late 1950s, but somewhat less onerous hurdle and had never got as far as the grand the Zebras eased home by 40 final. In the 1963 first semi-final points, 17.11 13) to 10.13 (73). The against Yarraville it enjoyed quality of the team's all-round enough of the possession and the performance raised hopes in territorial advantage to have won, advance of the grand final re-match but despite accruing 34 scoring with Moorabbin, but the Zebras shots to 31 went down by 7 points. never really managed to get going

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When Coburg next won a VFA was no surprise that the grand final grand final, in 1970, it would be in attracted the a respectable second division. attendance of 11,000 to Toorak The strongest teams outside Park, only 1,000 fewer than turned the final four were Port Melbourne up for the first division premiership and Oakleigh, both of which decider at Port Melbourne. managed ten wins for the year and The match itself was a positive percentages. Northcote, thriller, with Waverley in control for with just two wins for the season, the first three quarters, and finished last and so succumbed to heading into the lemon-time break relegation. The Liston Trophy went four goals to the good. During the to Yarraville’s John Clegg, while final term, however, the Bullants, Bob Bonnett of Port Melbourne was aided by a fairly formidable breeze, the leading goalkicker, albeit with suddenly found another gear and just 44 goals, the lowest total to rattled on 5.5 to nil to emerge earn that distinction since 1915. triumphant by 11 points. The VFA’s second division The 1960s proved to be was hotly contested, with no real something of a roller-coaster easy beats among the nine teams. decade for the Bullants. Promptly The introduction of newcomers relegated from first division in 1964 Geelong West necessitated a bye, they bounced straight back by with each side playing 16 home overcoming Mordialloc in the 1965 and away fixtures. The battle for second division grand final by 38 fourth place was especially points. This was a prelude to enthralling, with Prahran eventually perhaps the most noteworthy edging out Box Hill on percentage. phase in the club’s history as it In the first semi-final the Two Blues made the first division finals in overcame Sunshine by 13 points, 1966 and 1967 before seeing out but were then outclassed by the decade by capturing back to Preston in the preliminary final. back division one flags. Preston had finished the minor Geelong West’s Richard round in second place, behind Perry was a resounding winner of Waverley only on percentage. The the Field Trophy for the best and second semi-final reaffirmed this fairest player in division two. He status as Waverley won a thriller by polled a then record tally of 45 8 points. With their confidence votes, 14 more than runner up Ray bolstered by their preliminary final Besanko of Mordialloc. Besanko’s defeat of Prahran, however – their team-mate Frank Power was the first victory in a final since 1931 top goalkicker in second division ending a run of thirteen straight with 74 goals. losses – the Bullants turned the As it had been throughout tables on Waverley when it the twentieth century, amateur mattered most. Boasting one of the football in Victoria in 1963 was largest support bases in the VFA, it more popular and of a higher

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standard than anywhere else in The section B flag went to Australia. The Victorian Amateur Coburg which narrowly overcame Football Association boasted five University High School Old Boys in tiers or sections and almost all of their grand final. Parkside in its constituent clubs fielded several section C, Old Haileyburians in teams across a range of age levels section D, and St Bernard’s Old each Saturday. Since South Collegians in section E completed Australia’s surprise triumph at the the list of senior grade premiers. St 1948 Australian Amateur Football Bernards’ achievement was Council championships in Perth particularly meritorious as 1963 Victoria’s amateur interstate teams was the club’s first season in the had been near invincible. The side competition. had triumphed at the last five AAFC The fact that amateur carnivals, emerging victorious from football in and around Melbourne all fourteen matches contested was flourishing as never before during them. Since the 1948 was clearly evidenced in 1964 interstate carnival the state side when the VAFA was expanded to had lost only three times, to South include an section. Australia in Adelaide in 1955 and The VAFA was essentially a 1961, and against Tasmania in a metropolitan competition but it was mud-heap at Devonport in 1962. far from having a monopoly on the In 1963 Victoria engaged in grassroots game in Melbourne. The two interstate contests, downing 1962 season had seen the South Australia 10.14 (74) to 7.11 establishment of the Eastern (53) on the Adelaide Oval and Districts Football League, initially obtaining revenge over the with three divisions but reduced to Tasmanians with a comfortable 57 two the following year, which soon point triumph in Launceston. developed into one of the best The VAFA’s elite clubs organised and powerful semi- played in section A and in the early professional competitions in the 1960s the team to beat was Old state. East Burwood was an early Paradians. Coached by Maurie force, capturing senior grade Considine, Paradians won a hat- division one premierships in 1963- trick of premierships between 1962 4-5 and 1967-8. Originally and 1964, overcoming Melbourne established in 1910, the Mighty High School Old Boys by 47 points, Rams as they are today known Ormond by 3 goals and Old have to date amassed the Xaverians by 4 points in the impressive tally of eighteen senior respective grand finals. The 1963 grade premierships in a variety of season was especially noteworthy different competitions. in that the club became the first in In division two in 1963, VAFA history to capture the Scoresby gained the second of four “double” of both senior and reserve successive flags. grade premierships.

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The Essendon District The 1963 season was Football League had been formed noteworthy in seeing the in 1930 and had long proved a establishment of the South East highly lucrative recruiting ground Suburban Football League, which for VFL club Essendon, with Dick quickly developed into one of the Reynolds, , Hugh most highly regarded and important Mitchell, , Mark competitions in Melbourne. The Thompson and league was formed by means of a among the many Bomber stars to merger between the East Suburban have commenced their careers with Football League and the Caulfield EDFL teams. Oakleigh District Football League. In 1963 the EDFL comprised The new competition’s inaugural three senior grade sections – A, B senior grade grand final was and C – with the premierships contested between Murrumbeena respectively going to Doutta Stars, and Oakleigh Districts, with the West Coburg and Glenroy. Doutta former club emerging victorious. Stars were, by some measure, the Another strong Melbourne league’s principal force during this metropolitan competition was the era, with the first grade team Footscray District Football League, collecting premierships in 1957, antecedent of today’s Western 1959 and 1961-2-3-4. Region Football League. Formed in The Diamond Valley 1931, the league had long provided Football League, precursor of the VFL with significant numbers of today’s Northern Football League, top quality players, the most had been going since 1922, and notable of whom was undoubtedly was widely acknowledged as one Ted “EJ” Whitten senior, who of the strongest competitions in played for FDFL club Parkside. Melbourne, despite the fact that it The dominant team in the only contained a single division. In competition during the late 1950s 1963, Epping emerged as the and early 1960s was Footscray and somewhat surprising winners of the Yarraville Socials which in 1963 premiership, the club’s first since overcame Seddon in the senior 1940. grade grand final by 38 points to The Riddell District Football claim its fourth premiership in five League had been formed seasons. Footscray and Yarraville immediately after world war one Socials had been formed in 1933 and, like the DVFL, operated in a but not long after its halcyon period single division format. The 1963 of the late fifties/early sixties it flag was claimed by Romsey, which began to struggle before going into had long been a league power, and recess in 1975. One of its most indeed has remained one having noteworthy players was Ted twice claimed senior grade Whitten senior’s son Teddy Whitten premierships since the turn of the junior. century.

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uring the 1960s, football before overcoming was followed with religious Rovers 7.14 (56) to 6.10 (46) in Dfervour throughout Victoria, 1962 and Corowa 17.13 (115) to and even over the border into 8.3 (51) the following year. southern . Competitions of high Indeed, one of the most powerful standard were sprinkled all across country competitions in Australia Victoria and many attracted large was the Ovens and Murray Football numbers of spectators. Perhaps League which comprised clubs one of the best examples was the from both New South Wales and , with Victoria. Established in 1893 as the Ballarat having been a hotbed of Ovens and Murray Football the game since the 1860s. Like the Association it was renamed the &MFL, the Ballarat Football O&MFL in 1926. The post-war League had been formed in 1893. years were a boom period for the Seventy years on, the premiership competition which found itself was won by North Ballarat, which capable of attracting top quality nowadays is one of the leading players from across Australia, clubs in the Victorian Football including former South Adelaide League. In 1963 the Roosters champion who had also finished the minor round in second played briefly with Richmond, Bob place, 8 premiership points behind Rose, an ex-Collingwood rover of minor premier Ballarat, but in the note, former Fitzroy and VFL second semi-final encounter interstate captain , and between the sides they proved Ken Boyd, who had been a fine significantly too strong, winning ruckman with South Melbourne. 12.7 (79) to 5.14 (44). A fortnight Both Deane (Myrtleford) and Rose later, on Saturday 19th October, the (Wangaratta Rovers) were dual same two teams contested the Morris Medallists as the league’s 1963 premiership at the City Oval best and fairest player for the and this time a titanic tussle season. ensued. The match was tough, Located around in tense, and low scoring, and the southern New South Wales, the lead changed hands repeatedly, league undoubtedly generated but in the end the Roosters clung additional spice by virtue of the fact on and prevailed by a 2 point that it contained clubs from both margin, 8.10 (58) to the Swans’ 8.8 sides of the interstate border. (56). The early 1960s saw The Goulburn Valley Benalla emerging as a force. The Football League was another major Saints, who now compete in the competition and the 1963 season Goulburn Valley Football League, saw embark on an reached three straight grand finals unprecedented run of four between 1961 and 1963, losing the consecutive grand final triumphs, first to Wangaratta by 63 points beating Kyabram in 1963-4-5 and

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Lemnos by the astonishing score of 10.9 (69) to 2.23 (35) in 1966. Elsewhere, Fish Creek proved too strong for Toora in the

Alberton Football League grand final – the first of five successive premiership triumphs for the Kangas. In the Hampden Football League Warrnambool’s 9.9 (63) to 5.8 (38) grand final victory over Colac gave the club its fourth flag in five years. Among the other significant premiers in Victorian country football in 1963 were Rupanyup (), Rochester (Bendigo Football League), Nathalia (), Traralgon (Latrobe Valley Football League – the first of a hat-trick of flags),

.Newtown and Chilwell (Geelong and District Football League – the second of four successive grand final triumphs), Clunes (Clunes Football League), Murrabit (Golden Rivers Football League) and Corryong (Upper Murray Football

League).

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number of unexpected factors SOUTH combined to render such pessimism misplaced – of which AUSTRALIA more later.

The most commonly cited fter a noticeable dip in reason that, compared to the VFL playing standards, capped and WANFL, the SANFL was by the state’s most inept A struggling to attract spectators was ever carnival display at Melbourne that the competition was grossly in 1958, South Australian football uneven and hence predictable, and was improving rapidly once again certainly there appeared to be by 1963. Mind you, it remained a some justification for this view. comparatively genteel affair During the ten seasons prior to compared to the VFL, and it would 1963 Port Adelaide had not be until later in the decade that participated in eight senior grade Victorian style fanaticism began to grand finals and won seven of be widespread on both the field of them. There had been a brief play and in the outer at South hiatus at the beginning of the Australian league grounds. 1960s when the architect of half a The rise in standard of dozen of those premierships, Fos South Australian football – as Williams, had not been at the helm, evidenced by vastly improved but his return to Alberton in 1963 performances and results in had brought an immediate interstate matches – had not by restoration of the status quo as 1963 resulted in increased Port downed reigning premiers attendances.17 In 1964, two new West Adelaide in that year’s grand league clubs, Central District and final. Woodville, were going to be admitted to the competition and many people felt that this was a premature move and that the impact on gross crowds – just 35,000 a week on average in 1963 – would be negligible. However, a

17 Aggregate SANFL attendances in 1963 were 867,664, compared to 908,153 in the WANFL. Source: High Mark edited by Jack Pollard, page 143. Over the ensuing few seasons, bolstered by the admission to the league of Centrals and Woodville and the resurgence of both South Adelaide and Sturt, aggregate crowds North star (centre) in action steadily increased, finally achieving the elusive one million benchmark for the year against Sturt. in 1966. Source: Football Times 1983 Yearbook, page 63.

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The Port Adelaide of the drop kick. Moreover, philosophy under Foster Neil Williams adhered to the old- Williams was not complicated, and fashioned belief that football was indeed closely mirrored that of essentially a series of one-on-one many of the leading Melbourne contests, and victory tended to clubs. It seldom produced football emerge from the ability of the that was pretty to watch, but it was majority of a team’s players to undeniably effective. Many South emerge victorious from these. Australian football supporters were Players were also expected to be purists at heart, relishing the acutely aware of their individual elegance of a perfectly executed team-mates’ strengths and drop kick or the aerial acrobatics of weaknesses, and would therefore players like Don Lindner and Geoff not hesitate to resort to grubbers or Kingston. soccer kicks rather than the elegant droppies or pinpoint stab passes so beloved of the purists if by so doing they stood a better chance of retaining possession. If a team- mate further downfield boasted greater pace and superior ground skills than his direct opponent but was likely to be outgunned aerially, what was the point of garnering plaudits for artistic merit with a flawless drop or punt kick if it only meant surrendering possession? There were some who felt that the incidental ugliness of the Port Adelaide approach was a major cause of the comparatively low numbers of spectators attending SANFL games, but whilst there may perhaps have been a Geof Motley grain of truth in this the fact remains that the Magpies were the The Magpies, by contrast, best supported club in the league. were not remotely interested in the It was other clubs which struggled artistic or spectacular unless its to attract patrons, a trend which direct consequence was superiority began to alter in 1964 when South on the scoreboard. This is not to Adelaide, after years of abysmal suggest that their style of play under-achievement, surprisingly lacked any traditional elements. merged as a force under Neil Geof Motley and Trevor Obst, for Kerley. Later, major improvements instance, were both fine exponents in playing standards at Sturt, North

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Adelaide, Glenelg and Norwood and another score goes on the had further beneficial effects on board.”18 attendances. South Australia’s interstate successes, notably the Or, as somewhat win against a full-strength “Big V” more eloquently put it: side in Melbourne in 1963, also helped regenerate interest. There “You come away from a Port were other noteworthy interstate match more and more convinced that performances too – slashing wins football is a simple game. Run like over the VFL in Adelaide in 1960 mad, bump hard, grab and kick – and 1965, for instance, and a rare that’s about all there is to it. And if you victory in Perth against then happen to be a coach you may resolve Australian champions Western henceforth to concentrate on the most Australia in 1962. truly fundamental skills – all muscular. Paradoxically, these Ball-handling, tackling and disposal – interstate triumphs boasted a do those well and experience will add common key ingredient which all the rest, if in fact there is any such some maintained was a major remainder ………. Port are reason the SANFL struggled to wonderfully strong in those things.” 19 attract large crowds to so many of its matches. The victorious sides in On the whole, in 1963 this all of the matches mentioned approach proved successful, and above, as well as the team which the Magpies comfortably qualified provided a record eight All for the finals in second place, a Australians after the 1961 Brisbane single point behind minor premier carnival, were all coached by Fos West Torrens. They were the Williams. Furthermore, the style of recipients of a slight psychological play adopted by South Australia on fillip in the first semi-final when every occasion was directly ousted West modelled on that of Port Adelaide. Adelaide from premiership The Magpies in 1963 were contention. The Blood and Tars as ruthless and, as far as the had been Port’s nemesis in 1963, purists were concerned, inelegant emerging victorious from all three as ever: minor round encounters between the teams. “Port’s aim, in cooking a Injury beset West Torrens rival’s goose, is to first get the goose were not expected to provide the up to the cooking pot in the goal Magpies with much of an obstacle square. as they sought to procure their “Then they are not choosey about the method – whether to behead 18 SA Football Budget, 28th September it gracefully, wring its neck, or kick it 1963, page 1. to death, so long as the goose is killed 19 The Pash Papers by Jeff Pash, page 273.

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twelfth grand final appearance upsurge in the Roosters’ fortunes, since world war two, and so it albeit only a brief one. For much of proved. The Eagles’ most the 1963 season North sat proudly significant absentee was key perched atop the premiership forward , whose ladder only to be overhauled as formidable marking strength and September approached by Port long, accurate kicking for goal – for and Torrens. This left the Roosters which, unusually for the time, he to face West Adelaide in the first favoured the drop punt – had semi-final, a match they won with troubled Port in the past. The perhaps surprising ease by four Magpies ultimately won with a fair goals, 13.14 (92) to 9.14 (68). The degree of comfort, 9.18 (72) to 7.13 club’s eventual 1963 best and (55). fairest player, Bob Geisler, gave a Two weeks later in the grand dazzling performance on a half final their opponents were North forward flank to be both best afield Adelaide, somewhat shaky victors and arguably the key difference over Torrens in the preliminary final between the teams. by a couple of points. Port raced An undermanned West away in the opening term to Torrens in the preliminary final establish a 31 point lead, but over proved a much tougher nut to the course of the next two quarters crack, but the Roosters, renowned North transformed the game into a for their long-kicking, open, stylish bona fide contest. At the final brand of football proved change, the Magpies led by just themselves equally capable of two straight kicks, but their superior showing real guts and fitness told in an anti-climactic last determination when they were term which saw them add 4.5 to 1.2 needed, and edged over the line by to win “pulling away”, 11.14 (80) to just 2 points. 6.11 (47). Future Magarey These same qualities were Medallist Trevor Obst was best also in evidence at times during the afield, while it is worth noting that following Saturday’s grand final Port won despite lacking the clash with Port Adelaide. After services of full forward Rex Johns, seeming to allow the Magpies to who had booted 54 goals for the get away in the first term, which season to be the league’s top ended with Port 31 points to the goalkicker. good, North, with the Lindner Since defeating Norwood by brothers Don and “Hank” (given 5 points in the 1960 grand final name Theo) to the fore, fought North Adelaide had missed the back defiantly to be within 4 points major round twice in a row. at the long break. The third quarter However, the appointment as was tense, tight and desperate, captain-coach of dual club best and with only two goals registered, both fairest winner and 1961 All to the Magpies. With just 12 points Australian Don Lindner sparked an separating the teams at the final

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change it was seemingly still most talented side in the SANFL, anyone’s game, but the Roosters and deservedly claimed the minor were leg-weary after their titanic premiership. However, a flurry of tussle of the previous week and late season injuries saw them go gradually Port ground them down into September somewhat under- to record a deceptively easy 33 strength, and they bowed out of the point win. finals in straight sets. Their reserves, who were reigning premiers, also suffered major round disappointment, losing both the second semi and preliminary finals, and overall 1963 marked the last time prior to their merger with Woodville twenty-seven years later that the Eagles could be considered a bona fide SANFL power. Ultimately, the highlight of the 1963 season for Torrens was ’s remarkable achievement in winning the for the third time. Head, an All Australian at Perth in 1956, also captured the sixth of an eventual eight club best and fairest awards. His success surprised some observers who had Lindsay Head “predicted that Head’s dominance

would fade in the tougher brand of Since winning the 1953 football now being played in SA, premiership West Torrens had but his brilliance has not been frequently promised to repeat the dimmed.”20 Widely regarded as “the achievement only to suffer golden boy” of South Australian repeated disappointment and football, Head was frustration. In the ten seasons since their success the Eagles had “beautifully proportioned at 5ft 11in contested the finals half a dozen and 12st 3lb” and “a model of fitness and times and indeed never finished the smoothest ball handler in the league. lower than fifth. However, of eight “Head is a centreman by preference, major round matches contested but is also an accomplished half forward they had only emerged victorious flanker or rover. He is essentially an attacking once, with the 1963 season player, frequently winning games with his ball providing probably the most demoralising example. Man for 20 Australian Rules Football, Associated man, the Eagles were arguably the Publishers, Adelaide, 1963, page 55.

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handling wizardry, finesse and creative solid defence, capably led and co- 21 play.” ordinated by Ron Kneebone, but ahead of centre “Brian Sawley IS West Adelaide was another Norwood’s attack. They can rely on team on the slide in 1963. Like no-one else.”23 Torrens, Westies had been a force for most of the 1950s and the early ‘60s but after 1963 they would not again contest the major round for five years, and have won only one senior grade premiership in the past half century. There was no doubting their talent in 1963, but they lacked consistency, performing with dazzling skill one week, and “like a team of Japanese determined to commit hari-kari”22 the next. Moreover, most of the talent was generated by the team’s smaller players, and it was – and is – pretty much a given that height and strength are among the essentials if a team wishes to mount a serious challenge for the premiership. For Sturt, the 1963 season Norwood, like West, was a was the second of the Jack Oatey team blighted with inconsistency in era, which would last until 1982, 1963, and after looking a solid and ultimately produce seven finals chance for much of the year premierships. Five of those flags ultimately finished in fifth place, one would come in succession as the win shy of the Blood and Tars. The club enjoyed the greatest ever club’s undoubted star was “Big Bill” phase in its history between 1966 Wedding, one of the finest knock and 1970. In 1963, however, the ruckmen in Australia, an All Oatey system – fast, run-on football Australian at Brisbane in 1961 and in which handball featured winner in 1963 of his third straight prominently – was only just club best and fairest award. beginning to emerge into fruition, Wedding would later add the 1964 and the quality of players at and 1965 awards to his trophy Oatey’s disposal still fell a long way cabinet as well. The Redlegs’ had a short of what was needed to implement his ideas effectively and

consistently. As a result, the 1963 21 Ibid., page 55.

22 SA Football Budget, 21st September 23 SA Football Budget, 10th August 1963, 1963, page 1. page 5.

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season brought a 10-10 record and appointment of Neil Kerley as sixth place on the ladder, an coach in 1967 would herald the improvement of one place on onset of what might, with Oatey’s first year at the helm in justification, be termed the club’s 1962. “golden era”, featuring thirteen grand final appearances in just over two decades for premierships in 1973, 1985 and 1986. South Adelaide’s failure to achieve more than a couple of wins in 1963 was baffling to many.25 That the team boasted ability was not in doubt – players like David Kantilla, , Alf Skuse

and Lindsay Backman were the Three against one hardly seems fair, but that’s equals of any in their positions in often what it took to stop Neil Kerley, as Port the league – and the team Adelaide – the team sandwiching “The King” frequently produced an exhilarating in the above photo – clearly knew only too well brand of football, but only usually in bursts. What was clearly needed Since claiming the was someone capable of welding premiership in 1934, for the first the team’s undoubted talent and only time, Glenelg had together effectively and in a way consistently underachieved, that produced consistent brilliance qualifying for the finals only four rather than mere flashes of it. As it times, and as often as not vying happened, a man boasting with South Adelaide for the wooden precisely the qualities required was spoon. In 1963 it was waiting in the wings. Neil Kerley, acknowledged that the Bays’ ruck controversially dumped as coach division, led by the redoubtable by West Adelaide after leading the Harry Kernahan and , side to victory over Norwood in the and with the likes of Colin Richens 1961 grand final and getting his and Bob Anesbury ably scouting team within 4 points of Port the packs, was unsurpassed in the Adelaide in the following year’s state, but elsewhere, particularly decisive match, was keen to ahead of centre, the side lacked embrace a new challenge, and 24 depth. With just half a dozen wins firmly believed that he was capable from twenty matches in 1963 the of resurrecting South’s fortunes. Bays finished above only South Interestingly enough, others also Adelaide on the ladder. Their time felt the same, and, for the first time would come, however. The in at least two decades, there was

24 See, for example, SA Football Budget, 20th April 1963, page 5. 25 See, for example, SA Football Budget, 29th June 1963, page 12.

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a genuine air of optimism at the the amateur game went, the South club as the 1964 season Australian Amateur Football approached. The implications for League was the second largest and the league of a strong South probably the second strongest in Adelaide were not lost on the Australia, boasting a total of four SANFL, which printed the following divisions, and catering for story in its 1963 second semi-final numerous age ranges. Division one issue: had been recently been dominated by Adelaide University, which prior Kerley’s Chance to 1963 had claimed a hat-trick of premierships. However, in the 1963 Can Neil Kerley “Do a grand final Teachers’ College Bunton” with South next year? Haydn proved to have their measure, and Bunton went to Western Australia won a hard fought, low-scoring three years ago to coach bottom team, encounter by a couple of straight Swan Districts. kicks. It was Teachers’ College’s In one year he lifted them to a first ever division one flag, but by premiership, repeated the dose last the end of the decade they would year, and Swans last Saturday turned boast a couple more. on an amazing last quarter to down Premiers in the SAAFL’s East Perth in the first semi-final. other divisions in 1963 were: If Kerley can lift South next division two – Exeter; division three year in the same way, attendances here – Pulteney Old Scholars; division will rocket just as they did in WA when four – Payneham. Swans began moving up the ladder.26 Other major metropolitan competitions in 1963 included the Kerley’s impact on South East Torrens Football Association Adelaide would be every bit as (premiers Athelstone), the North pronounced as both the club’s Adelaide District Football supporters and the SANFL desired. Association (Broadview), the In 1964 the Panthers swept all Central District Football Association before them, dominating the (Salisbury North), and the Glenelg- competition right from the outset South West District Football and ultimately claiming the flag with Association (Glandore). an emphatic 9.15 (69) to 5.12 (42) Football was popular in grand final triumph over Port country areas all across the state, Adelaide. and many SANFL footballers Grassroots football in South originally hailed from country clubs. Australia was in a reasonably One of the strongest country healthy condition in 1963. As far as competitions affiliated to the SANFL, the Broken Hill Football League, was actually in New South 26 st SA Football Budget, 21 September Wales not South Australia. 1963, page 15. Swans went on to procure a third straight flag. However, Broken Hill’s primary

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economic and social links have capturing the second of an long been principally with Adelaide eventual three successive senior rather than its own state capital, grade premierships. Sydney – it has even adopted the Among the other successful same time zone as South Australia country clubs in South Australia in - and these factors have had had 1963 were Tanunda (Barossa and direct influences on the town’s Light Football Association), South leisure activities in addition to its Gawler (Gawler Football industry. Unusually for a town in Association), Strathalbyn (Great Australia’s most rugby-obsessed Southern Football League), Jervois state Broken Hill eschewed rugby (Murray Football League), Crystal for football, and over the years it Brook (Northern Areas Football had supplied the SANFL with Association), Wayback (Port numerous players of the highest Lincoln Football League), Loxton quality, including Magarey ( Football League – the Medallists like Dave Low, Bobbie fourth of six straight flags), Barnes and Bruce McGregor, top Yankalilla (Southern Football full forwards Roy Bent and Jack League), West Whyalla27 (Spencer Owens, and Glenelg and South Gulf Football League), Bridgewater Australian interstate star of the (Torrens Valley Football 1950s – and 1953 All Australian Association), West team member - Neil Davies. () and Moonta (Yorke Valley Football League). The major headlines in South Australian football in 1963 were made in relation to the interstate rather than the club sphere, however. After virtually being dead on its feet following the 1958 Melbourne carnival – at least as far as the majority of Victorians seemed to be concerned – interstate football in the 1960s had undergone a remarkable transformation with the so-called “lesser” states bridging the gap with the previously almost Neil Davies unconquerable VFL.

The BHFL has long involved just four clubs, Centrals, Norths, Souths and Wests. The 1963 27 Between 1961 and 1966 Whyalla season saw West Broken Hill Football League clubs also competed in the Spencer Gulf Football League.

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the croweaters over the line. Final scores were South Australia 12.8 (80); Victoria 10.13 (73). Best players for the victors included wingmen Barrie Barbary and , ruckman “Big Bill” Wedding, and Neil Kerley. During the second half in particular, when the South Australians came under ever increasing pressure, their entire half back line of Geof Motley, and Ken Eustice repelled many attacks, whilst interstate debutant , at full back, kept a tight rein on Victorian full forward Doug Wade. Best for the Vics were rover and skipper Of all these supposedly Bob Skilton, full back Roy West, inferior states, South Australia had half back flanker Kevin Murray, arguably manifested the greatest 1962 Brownlow Medallist Alistair improvement. By the end of the Lord, who lined up in the pivot, and 1963 season the croweaters had centre half back . After played Victoria six times during the the match, “Big V” coach Bob Davis 1960s, winning three and losing magnanimously conceded, “They three. Far and away the most were more purposeful and faster famous of these triumphs had and too good for us”.29 His South come at the Melbourne Australian counterpart, Fos Ground on the afternoon of Williams, remarked "You’ve no idea Saturday 15th June 1963. Opposed how happy we are. We have the by a Victorian team which was “not power football now that has been selected on a basis of equal missing in the past. It is demanded representation of clubs, but (was) of all our players. We expected to the best available”,28 South play well and kept pressure on the Australia played brilliantly in the Victorians all day. The win is the first half, kicking 8 goals to 3, and climax to my football career."30 then resisted heroically when the It was a different story when expected “Big V” fight back came in the two states met one another the third and fourth quarters. At one once again three weeks later on point late in the final term, Victoria the Adelaide Oval, however. In an actually snatched the lead, but a evenly contested match the Vics couple of goals by the hitherto were cooler under pressure, kicked unusually quiet Lindsay Head saw 29 ‘The Age’, 17th June 1963.

28 VFL Football Record, 15/6/63. 30 Ibid.

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straighter, and won by 12 points, scoreline of 18.29 (137) to 5.1 (31). 8.6 (54) to 5.12 (42). Their most Lindsay Head was at his dazzling prominent players were Turner, best to be the pick of the victors, Epis, Dixon, Walker and Wade, while Wedding, Kernahan, Bray while the home state was best and Barbary were also in fine form. served by Kerley, Motley, For the visitors, Withers, Bingley, Shearman, Hammond and McLean, Marney and Bailey put up Wedding. the sternest resistance. At the end of the 1963 season South Australian football was on the threshold of arguably the greatest era in its history, an era before the VFL began fully to flex its financial muscles and deprive the state of many of its finest players. During the 1960s every single Magarey Medallist saw out his entire playing career in South Australia, but within a decade it was more or less taken as a “given” that winning the SANFL’s most prestigious individual award was, in effect, merely a stepping stone to a career Barrie Barbary among the “big boys” across the border. South Australia’s only other interstate clash of 1963 had also been in Adelaide, against Tasmania on 1st June. In atrociously wet conditions, the croweaters seized the initiative from the outset, and eventually won with almost embarrassing ease by 106 points. Had the South Australians, whose kicking for goal in the first three quarters had been excellent, not squandered numerous final term opportunities that margin might well have been much higher. As it was, South Australia added 4.17 to 1.0 in the last quarter to produce a final

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strongest, and certainly the best TASMANIA attended. Indeed, on a per capita basis, in 1963 it attracted the n 1963, top level football in highest attendances in Australia, Tasmania was played in three exceeding even those of the VFL. It I different competitions: the would retain this position of pre- Hobart-based Tasmanian eminence until 1975, when the Australian National Football perpetual loss of the league’s best League; the Northern Tasmanian players to Victoria finally began to Football Association, centred in deter spectators. The league and around Launceston; and the comprised just half a dozen clubs: North West Football Union, which Clarence, Glenorchy, Hobart, North took in the north west coastal area Hobart, New Norfolk and Sandy including towns like Devonport, Bay, which collectively attracted an Burnie and Ulverstone. Teams average of more than 10,000 representative of the three spectators each Saturday competitions engaged in an annual afternoon, or roughly 8% of the triangular series to find the state population of Hobart.31 It was an champion, while the three grand extremely competitive league with final winners also rounded off each all clubs except Clarence having season by contesting the state claimed at least one senior grade championship. Inter-regional rivalry premiership since the war. was, and is, a major feature of Formally established in Tasmanian life, embracing 1944, Hobart had entered the numerous factors of which sport league the following year, when the remains one of the most prominent. competition had recommenced after the war. The club had since enjoyed a steady if unspectacular record, qualifying for the senior grade grand final on eight occasions, with a 50% success

31 In 1963, a total of 194,101 spectators attended TANFL matches over the course of 19 rounds, with another 54,509 attending the four finals, a figure which would have been considerably higher had not the grand final been beset by inclement weather. These figures equate to an average attendance of 3,405 per roster match and 13,627 per final. On a per capita basis, this meant that more people attended weekly football matches in Hobart than in any other Australian capital city. Approximate figures for all Of the three competitions, capitals of the other major football states the TANFL was arguably the in 1963 were: Melbourne 7%; Perth 6%; and Adelaide 5%.

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rate. The Tigers’ two most recent Pascoe, Bryan, Appleton and Faull premierships had been won in were best for the victors, while for succession, in 1959 and 1960, but New Norfolk 1961 and 1962 Leitch they had missed the finals Medallist Roger Browning put up completely in 1961 and only the sternest resistance. finished fourth in 1962. Captain- The grand final between coached since 1960 by former Hobart and Sandy Bay was played Essendon player, , who on the only wet Saturday of the had joined the club merely as a finals, and as a result the football player twelve months earlier, when was tough, slogging and unkempt. he won the William Leitch Medal as With little to separate the sides in the best and fairest player in the terms of general play it was left to league, the Tigers did not exactly Hobart’s greater steadiness and set the world on fire during the superior eye for goal to bring home 1963 roster matches either, but the club’s fifth senior grade flag. came good when it mattered. The Tigers ultimately triumphed by Hobart qualified for the first 15 points, 10.4 (64) to the Seagulls semi-final in 1963 but faced a stern 6.13 (49). Captain-coach Mal challenge from Clarence. Clearly Pascoe was best-on-ground , while beaten in several key positions, Powell, Commane, Appleton, and and enjoying a lot less possession Payne were also prominent. Sandy than their opponents, they won Bay gave an even team display but because they used the ball better proved incapable of turning when they did have it and their pressure into major scores. kicking for goal was more reliable – In the post-season state final scores were Hobart 13.9 (87) championships Hobart visited defeated Clarence 10.20 (80). NWFU premier Burnie in the Pascoe led from the front and was preliminary final and sustained a capably assisted by Sullivan, somewhat surprising 23 point Commane, Williams and Legro, reversal. while for Clarence ex-Melbourne Sandy Bay had last qualified star Stuart Spencer was probably for a grand final in 1958, and had the best player afield. The match last won a senior grade attracted a highly respectable premiership as long ago as 1952. crowd of 11, 827. The Seagulls’ halcyon days would The preliminary final clash eventually arrive in the 1970s with with New Norfolk was also closely eight consecutive grand final and hotly contested, but in contrast appearances for five successes. In to the first semi it was the Tigers 1963, newly-appointed coach Rex who seemed incapable of finding Geard, in the first of his two the central uprights, and they successive seasons at the helm, ultimately scraped over the line by had moulded a powerful all-round the narrowest margin possible, combination with a strong team 12.19 (91) to 13.12 (90). Powell, ethic, and in the second semi-final

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the side confidently and intrastate matches for an overall comfortably overcame New Norfolk tally of 85. Prior to his departure for by 32 points, 15.11 (101) to 10.9 VFL club Hawthorn in 1967 Hudson (69). A fortnight later, however, the topped the TANFL goalkicking list normally slick Seagulls arguably four consecutive times besides found the highly inclement weather registering 20 goals at the 1966 conditions as difficult to deal with Hobart carnival to be the as the opposition. Chapman, competition’s leading goalkicker. Lahey, Flint, Pelham and Whitton His reward was selection at full were among their most prominent forward in the All Australian team. performers, but no-one could really In 1963, the ability of argue that the better team on the opposition sides Sandy Bay and day did not emerge victorious. Hobart to keep Hudson pretty firmly under wraps under wraps during the finals was a major contributory factor to New Norfolk’s straight sets elimination from finals contention Since the war, Clarence had probably struggled more than any other TANFL club, but in 1963 they were just on the threshold of an improvement in fortune which would eventually yield a first ever senior grade premiership in 1970. The 1962 season had seen them make their first ever grand final appearance, but North Hobart had proved marginally too strong to the tune of 15 points. The fact that Clarence had a promising future was hinted at by the club’s feat in procuring the 1963 under nineteens At New Norfolk, arguably the premiership. season’s highlight was the The TANFL’s most introduction to top level football of successful club overall, North seventeen year old Peter Hudson Hobart, could only manage fifth who, in both Tasmania and place in 1963, while Glenorchy Victoria, would go on to become slumped to the wooden spoon. undeniably one of the greatest full Both clubs were on the verge of forwards in the history of the game. significant improvement, however. He burst onto the scene Glenorchy would go on to defeat spectacularly, bagging 69 goals to North Hobart in the 1965 grand top the league list. He also added 6 final, whilst North Hobart would goals in the finals and 10 in

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themselves enjoy premiership Railway Football Club, overcame success in both 1967 and 1969. Longford in the grand final by 2 Sandy Bay’s Geoff Whitton points, 7.17 (59) to 8.9 (57). It was won the 1963 William Leitch Medal the Robins eleventh senior grade for the best and fairest player in the grand final appearance since the league. He polled 18 votes, two war, and their seventh flag. more than Ron Marney of After the 1963 NTFA roster Glenorchy. matches Longford headed the ladder, followed by North Launceston, City-South and Launceston. City-South scored a resounding 99 point triumph over Launceston in the first semi-final, winning 19.21 (135) to 4.12 (36). The Blues’ miserly tally equalled Longford’s all time low score for a first semi-final, which had been set in 1952. Longford had narrowly lost the grand finals of both 1961 and 1962 but were widely favoured to go one better this time. The Tigers duly reinforced this favouritism with a comfortable 14.7 (91) to 8.11 (59) second semi-final triumph over North Launceston. Given the fact

that they had already won the three

roster match encounters between In the triangular intrastate the sides by similarly emphatic series the TANFL comfortably margins they were almost defeated the NTFA but lost to a unbackable for the flag when the strong NWFU side, which ultimately Robins again confronted them won the championship. TANFL three weeks later in the grand final. representative sides also engaged The delay had been brought about in fixtures against the Queenstown because the preliminary final had to Football Association, winning 17.24 be postponed for a week in the (126) to 7.7 (49), and the Huon wake of torrential rain. The delay Football Association, which scored might well have helped North an upset victory by 16 points. Launceston by robbing the Redlegs Like the TANFL, the NTFA of their momentum. Whatever the in 1963 comprised half a dozen reason, the Robins ultimately won clubs. Perennial power side North easily by 29 points, thereby ending Launceston, formed as long ago as City-South’s hopes of procuring 1893 under the name of the back to back premierships.

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The grand final attracted a 6.7 (43). A second straight flag large crowd of 10,000 and was followed in 1965 courtesy of a tight, tense and low-scoring. The resounding 19.21 (135) to 11.13 Robins appeared to have the edge (79) grand final defeat of North in the first half and went in at the Launceston, and after that there long break 19 points to the good could be no doubt that the Magpies after accumulating fifteen scoring had finally emerged as a force. shots to six. However, in the third Life for East Launceston term the Tigers came roaring back was somewhat more of a struggle, and the teams changed ends at the but the Demons did eventually last change with scores break through to record a debut deadlocked, 22 points apiece. The senior grade grand final in 1967, third term could scarcely have been downing North Launceston in a more riveting and hard fought, but nail-biting grand final by just a in the end: couple of points. A second grand final appearance followed in 1970, “North scrambled home by just but Scottsdale proved comfortably two points after losing the lead three too strong. East Launceston’s times in the final quarter. A major subsequent record was poor, and factor in North’s win was the when a Tasmanian statewide brilliance of its where competition was extablished in Lerrel Sharp , on the pivot, was best 1986 the Demons were somewhat afield. North’s rucks and rovers were surprising inclusions. Soon winners all day. Neither side flinched afterwards, they merged with City- in the heavy clashes in the final term South with the resultant club and there was nothing between them in becoming known as South courage, but in skill and teamwork Launceston. Success still proved North were superior.”32 hard to come by, but when the statewide competition imploded in The two NTFA teams to fail 1998 the Bulldogs as they were to qualify for the finals in 1963 were known affiliated with the Northern Scottsdale and East Launceston. Tasmanian Football League and Both clubs had struggled in the promptly won back to back main since gaining admission to premierships. the Association in 1948, but The Tasmans Shield Trophy Scottsdale were only a season for the NTFA’s best and fairest away from a breakthrough player of the season was won by premiership. Opposed in the 1964 Kevin McLean of North grand final by City-South the Launceston, while the top Magpies won ultimately with some goalkicker was his Robins team- comfort by 20 points, 8.15 (63) to mate Jack Hawksley. The North West Football 32 North 1899- Union covered the largest area of 1990 by Ron Williams, North Launceston Football Club 1991, page 26. Tasmania’s three principal

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governing bodies but in terms of every season except 1961, when population its catchment area was they slipped up by 5 points against the smallest. Nevertheless, there local rivals Cooee. The 1963 grand was a wealth of football talent final saw the Tigers opposed by spread among its eight member Ulverstone, and winning a high clubs, and the level of competition standard match by 16 points, 15.15 lost nothing in comparison with the (105) to 13.11 (89). They had set NTFA and TANFL. This fact was out their stall early in 1963 and in emphasised in 1963 as its premier one match during April registered club, Burnie, emphatically won the the highest score of the season, state title, overcoming Hobart 30.20 (200) to Latrobe’s 16.10 convincingly at home in the (106). preliminary final and then comprehensively defeating North Launceston in Launceston in the championship decider. Final scores were Burnie 8.25 (73); North Launceston 6.13 (49), suggesting the Tigers could and perhaps should have won by more. The triumph was all the more meritorious and memorable in that Burnie had reached the state grand final on four previous occasions, only to lose each time. The 1963 state title decider at Launceston attracted a respectable crowd of 6,500 with the Tigers, coached by former Penguin and Carlton rover John Heathcote, always in the Darrel Baldock ascendancy. Other notable players for Burnie included Kevin Symons, Following the club’s dual Manny Goninon, Ron Cornish, Ian triumphs of 1963 the Tigers Batt, 1963 club best and fairest endured a few seasons of under- Don "Logs" Carter, Terry Shadbolt achievement before returning to the 33 and Graham Thorp. winners rostrum in 1966, when they The late 1950s and early downed Latrobe in the decisive 1960s proved to be the greatest match of the year by 8 points, 7.7 era in Burnie’s history. Grand final (49) to 5.11 (41). appearances every year between Known as the Robins, 1958 and 1963 produced victories Ulverstone had been the outstanding NWFU side of the 33 ‘The Examiner’, 5th June 2013, accessed via the internet on 10th 1950s, earning premierships in September 2013.

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1950-1, 1953 and 1955-6-7. They The five remaining NWFU were also the first ever NWFU club clubs in 1963 were Burnie-based to capture the state title, Cooee, which would go on to claim overcoming Longford in the grand the 1964 and 1965 senior grade final of 1955, the first season that flags, perennial strugglers Penguin, the NWFU premier had taken part East Devonport and Devonport, in the championships. and Latrobe, which had found life The 1960s proved to be a difficult since losing star player rather less noteworthy decade for Darrel Baldock to the mainland. the Robins although their 1963 When Baldock returned to Latrobe grand final appearance was the as captain-coach in 1969 it first of three in a row, all of which heralded an immediate were lost. They would not again transformation in the club’s emerge victorious on grand final fortunes and the Demons won the day until 1976, when they also won next four consecutive premierships, their second state championship. capped by a state flag in 1970. Wynyard reached the Winner of the 1963 Wander preliminary final in 1963 but went Medal for the NWFU’s best and down to Ulverstone by 49 points. fairest player of the season was The Cats had first joined the NWFU East Devonport’s John Bingley, in 1925 but their overall record had while Lance Cox (Burnie) and been modest. Their first grand final R.London (Wynyard) were joint top appearance came in 1948, when goalkickers with 47 goals apiece. they lost to East Devonport. The strength of NWFU Between 1952 and 1954 they football in 1963, evidenced by qualified for three successive grand Burnie’s triumph in the state finals but only once, in 1952, were championships, was further they successful, overcoming emphasised by the resounding Ulverstone by 10 points, 9.10 (64) success of the Union’s to 7.12 (54). Wynyard’s subsequent representative side in that year’s record has continued to be intrastate series. It was the mediocre. The Cats have won a NWFU’s second intrastate total of four senior grade flags, and championship win in a row and its since affiliating with the NTFL in fourth in five seasons. 1987 they have qualified for three Tasmania’s interstate team grand finals, winning that of 2012 undertook a mainland tour in 1963, against Latrobe by 13 points. The losing heavily to South Australia in town of Wynyard only boats a Adelaide before achieving a population slightly in excess of remarkable victory over reigning 8,000, however, so any judgement Australian champions Western of the club’s achievements must be Australia in Perth. Tasmania blew tempered by awareness of that the game apart by rattling on 5 fact. goals without reply in the opening term, and thereafter, although the

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home side fought back desperately, For many years, the the Tasmanians always kept their standard of amateur football in noses in front, and their eventual Tasmania had lagged a long way 15 point win was full of merit and behind that of the mainland states, thoroughly warranted. Tassie vice- but at the 1962 Australian Amateur captain of North Football Council championships in Launceston was awarded the Melbourne the Tasmanian team Lefroy Medal as the team’s best proved it had come of age by and fairest player over its two defeating both South Australia and games. Western Australia to finish behind the mighty Vics. The 1963 TAFL southern division premiership went to Hutchins, who overcame Lindisfarne in the grand final. It was the club’s second grand final triumph in three years and it would succeed again in 1964. In the state final for the Conder Shield Hutchins proved much too strong for northern premier Brooks Old Boys and won by 88 points, 26.18 (174) to 13.8 (86). Other prominent southern-based clubs in 1963 included Friends, premiers in 1955-

6, 1958-9-60 and 1962, the Bob Withers aforementioned Lindisfarne, which

had been there or thereabouts Amateur football had been since capturing the 1957 flag, and growing in popularity in Tasmania Claremont and Old Hobartians since the war and by 1963 was Association, both of which would flourishing. The Tasmanian emerge as major forces later in the Amateur Football League was split decade. into a southern and northern In the north, Brooks Old division, with the premiers of each Boys’ 1963 premiership was the division contesting the Conder club’s second in three years, and Shield to determine the state also its last. More usually to be champions. There was also an found contesting the grand final annual north versus south were the likes of Old representative fixture, which tended Launcestonians, premiers in 1959- to be dominated by the south, and 60, 1962 and 1964, Mowbray, who which in 1963 emerged victorious would earn five successive flags for the ninth time in the past ten between 1965 and 1969, Old seasons.

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Scotch Collegians and St Patrick’s Old Collegians.

Tasmania was, and is, a football-obsessed state, and in 1963 the game was played on an organised basis throughout the island. The Queenstown Football

Association and the Huon Football Association have already been mentioned, and the respective premiers in 1963 were City and Huonville. Other competitions in Tasmania at this time included the Circular Head Football Association.

Smithton won the premiership in 1963 having been the dominant force in the competition since the early 1950s. The premiership of the Darwin Football Association was won by Cam, for the third time in four seasons. Other premiers included Branxholm in the North

Eastern Football Union, the club’s third of an eventual four flags in succession; Woodsdale, who overcame Mount Pleasant by 13 points in a replayed Oatlands District Football Association grand final; Currie in the King Island Football Association; and

Ulverstone Thirds in the Leven Football Association.

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soccer. It was also struggling NEW SOUTH financially, although this situation would gradually improve over the WALES ensuing decades. Historically, the code had enjoyed some proud moments, notably during the 1920s ew South Wales was when its interstate team had twice unique among Australian procured victory in Sydney over Nstates in 1963, and indeed powerful VFL combinations. until the forced relocation to Football in New South Wales in this Sydney of South Melbourne two period also tended to be stronger decades later, in that the highest than in Tasmania, which has standard of football was played not traditionally tended to be accorded in the state capital, but in various the distinction of being Australia’s outlying areas. In 1963 that meant fourth strongest football state. the city of Broken Hill, and those By 1963, however, the New regions of the state which adjoined South Wales interstate team’s the border with Victoria. Because fortunes had plummeted to an all- Broken Hill had stronger cultural time low. Its two bona fide and economic links with Adelaide interstate matches for the season than Sydney it favoured football were both played away from home, over the rugby codes. Moreover, its and resulted in losses to the ACT league was affiliated with the by 11 points in and to SANFL rather than the NSWANFL arch rivals Queensland by 17 and so details of football in the city points in Brisbane. It was the start are included in the chapter on of a four season sequence during South Australia. Similarly, clubs in which the men in blue and black those parts of New South Wales lost every interstate clash. An idea which adjoined the Victorian border of just how far the game in New invariably played in competitions South Wales lagged behind that in which included Victorian rivals, and other states can be gauged by the such competitions were historically result of a challenge match played deemed to be part of the Victorian in Sydney in 1963 between the football infrastructure. NSW interstate team and Consequently, information on Combined Universities, a side competitions like the Ovens and littered with star amateur players Murray Football League – one of from the southern states. The the strongest country leagues in visitors won this match with Australia in 1963 – can be found in effortless ease by eight goals. the chapter about Victoria. It is perhaps somewhat Football in Sydney in 1963 surprising therefore to note that was a distinct fourth in the pecking players in Sydney’s premier order of rival football codes, behind competition, the New South Wales , and Australian National Football

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League, were not amateurs. flying, converged on the centre of Western Suburbs, the competition’s the ground following an infraction in wealthiest club, which boasted its the ruck. Flare ups continued all own licensed premises, even paid day, but when the teams its reserves players. concentrated on football it was the Known as the Magpies, Magpies who did so to better effect, Western Suburbs were warmly and they ended up edging home favoured to take out the 1963 by10 points, 14.14 (98) to 12.16 senior grade premiership, which (88). Western Suburbs remained a they ultimately did. However, they force in Sydney football until the certainly did not have things all end of the 1970s, adding another their own way. After appointing seven flags from fourteen grand former VFA ruckman Neil Wright as finals over the course of the senior coach they suffered a major ensuing sixteen seasons. body blow when, on the eve of the season, he was taken seriously ill, and had to be replaced by club skipper Peter Kuschert. Nevertheless Wests, who boasted numerous players from interstate in their ranks, soon proved themselves the team to beat. The Magpies had won only one premiership since world war two, and had last contested a grand final five years ago, losing to Eastern Suburbs by 7 goals. They had not even qualified for the final four since 1959, but in 1963 only Newtown seemed capable of The Magpies’ 1963 grand derailing their ambitions. Almost final opponents Newtown went by inevitably, it was Newtown and the colourful nickname of the Western Suburbs who fronted up to Blood-stained Angels. Sixty years one another at Trumper Park on earlier, the club had been among grand final day, in front of a crowd eleven founder members of officially given at the time as Sydney’s senior football 11,337, but later admitted to be competition, which was originally rather smaller. known as the New South Wales As was typically the case in Australian Football Association. top grade Sydney grand finals of The club was an important part of the time, the match was extremely the Sydney football fabric, and had tempestuous, with the on-field enjoyed noteworthy success – violence starting shortly after the fifteen premierships – between the opening bounce when players, fists late 1920s and early 1950s. The

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Blood-stained Angels re-emerged twenty-first century have given as a force in the 1960s, a decade them a total of thirteen. which saw them contest half a Sydney Naval, which joined dozen senior grade grand finals, the competition during the second winning those of 1967 and 1968, world war, enjoyed its peak years both against Western Suburbs. in the early 1960s, reaching a hat- They were also successful in 1970, trick of grand finals between 1960 overcoming North Shore by five and 1962, the first and last of which goals, but this proved to be the last were won. In 1963 the club of the club’s nineteen senior grade slumped to fourth, rose to third in flags. The club continued to qualify 1964, and dropped to fourth again for the finals on a regular basis until in 1965, the last season it would the early 1980s but the VFL’s contest the finals. During the late controversial decision to force sixties and start of the seventies South Melbourne to relocate to the club struggled, and ultimately Sydney upset not only Swans fans disbanded after the 1971 season. but also the diehard Sydney The pre-season merger of football fraternity, who overnight Bankstown and Liverpool gave the saw attendances at their team’s NSWANFL a total of eleven clubs matches dwindle alarmingly. in the 1963 season, with the top Inevitably, this had a pronounced four at the end of the minor round negative effect on club finances, qualifying to play in the finals. The and Newtown, despite continuing to seven clubs which ultimately failed perform creditably on the field, was to contest the finals, in the order in harder hit than most. After which they finished, were St struggling to make ends meet for George, Balmain, Sydney five years the Blood-stained Angels University, South Sydney, were finally forced to call it a day at Parramatta, Eastern Suburbs and the end of the 1986 season. Their Liverpool-Bankstown. St George demise left Sydney football would go on to take part in the next irretrievably poorer and less three grand finals, all against colourful. Western Suburbs, winning the first, Third in 1963 was North but losing those of 1965 and 1966, Shore, which had won a before enduring a prolonged slump. premiership as recently as 1961. Of the remaining clubs Eastern The club continues as a key Suburbs, which would change its member of the Sydney Australian name to East Sydney in 1968, Football League to this day. Known would enjoy the greatest amount of as the Bombers, like Newtown the future success, claiming club was a founder member in premierships in 1971, 1973, 1976, 1903 of the Sydney senior grade and 1980-1-2-3-4 before enduring competition, of which four financial difficulties of the same premierships since the onset of the sort, and with the same principal cause, as Newtown. However,

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unlike the Blood-stained Angels won by 16 points, 8.15 (63) to 6.11 East Sydney was not forced into (47).34 mothballs but, after battling on until the end of the century, survived by means of a merger with the University of New South Wales. Winner of the 1963 Phelan Medal, Sydney football’s most prestigious individual award, was Ray Sharrock of Western Suburbs, who was capable of playing equally well in a variety of positions, but was most frequently used by his club at full back. Newtown’s captain-coach Ellis Noack kicked 55 goals to be the season’s top goalkicker. As was mentioned earlier, outside Sydney there were parts of

New South Wales where football was more popular and the standard Newtown’s Ellis Noack marks strongly against of play higher. However, there were Eastern Suburbs in the 1958 preliminary final. also regions of the state in which the game was not played at all or Perhaps the longest running even, in some cases, known about. Australian football competition Indeed, fifty years ago there were outside Sydney or Broken Hill to be only a handful of organised, senior based entirely in the state of New grade football competitions in South Wales was the Northern existence in New South Wales. Australian Rules Football One such, the Newcastle Association which had been formed Australian Football League, had in 1924. The 1963 senior grade been formed in 1948, and had premiership was won by Lake- generated a surge in popularity in Burgooney which overcame Four the code during the 1950s. By Corners in the grand final. It was 1963, however, the level of interest the second of an eventual four had waned considerably, and the successive flags for the Tigers who competition only survived into the in 1972 were renamed Lake ensuing decade with great Cargelligo. difficulty. Newcastle City procured Formed in 1933, the Hume the 1963 premiership, the first of Football League was a relatively four in a row. Another highlight strong competition which in 1963 during the season was the visit of 34 NSWANFL club St George to play Source: http://nswfootballhistory.com.au/, local side Hamilton. The visitors accessed 5th September 2013.

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saw Jindera win the first of two successive senior grade flags. The Farrer Australian Football League had been established as recently as 1957, with Culcairn taking out the 1963 premiership, the club’s first, thanks to a 15.12 (102) to 8.12 (60) grand final defeat of Temora. Among the other entirely New South Wales-based competitions in 1963 were the New England Australian Football League, contested entirely by students at the University of New England in Armidale, the Central Riverina Football League, and the Coreen and District Football League. The large number of competitions which involved clubs from both New South Wales and Victoria included the Kerang and District Football League, the Millewa Football League, the Murray Football League, the aforementioned Ovens and Murray Football League, the Picola and District Football League, the Sunraysia Football League, and the Tallangatta and District Football League.

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sided of the four, with Coorparoo QUEENSLAND thrashing the Tigers by 59 points, 18.23 (131) to 11.6 (72). uring the inter-war years, organised football in DQueensland was restricted to Brisbane and its environs, but the post-world war two period saw the code gradually make advances northward and into other parts of the state. For example, the Australian National Football League was founded in 1954, and new competitions sprang up in Cairns in 1956 while the game is known to have been being played on a semi-organised basis in Mount Isa as early as 1957. In 1961 a new league centred in Ipswich, the Ipswich and West Moreton Australian Football League was established, but does not appear to have lasted very long as two years later the Ipswich Morningside’s captain-coach in 1963, Australian Football Club transferred Terry Devery its allegiance to the Gold Coast

Australian Football League which The second half of the had also begun operations on 1960s saw various other clubs 1961. coming to the fore but both Throughout the 1950s Coorparoo and Mayne remained competition in the QANFL had forces to be reckoned with. been intense, with seven different Perhaps the most noteworthy feat clubs qualifying for the grand final, was Morningside's in winning the five of which enjoyed premiership 1965 premiership, the club's first. success at least once. This trend Opposed in the grand final by was less evident early in the Mayne, the Panthers romped home ensuing decade, however, with by 73 points, 20.15 (135) to 9.8 Mayne and Coorparoo tending to (62). They had entered the QANFL dominate. Between 1961 and 1964 in 1947 but did not manage to the two clubs faced one another in qualify for the finals for the first time every grand final, with Mayne until 1963, when they finished third, triumphant in the first two seasons as they did once again the and Coorparoo in the others. The following year, before breaking 1963 grand final was the most one-

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through for a warmly anticipated never won a senior grade QANFL debut flag in 1965. premiership, but was nevertheless financially viable. The merged club would claim a total of four flags before merging with Sandgate in 1991 to form North Brisbane. Sandgate, which was based in the Brisbane suburb of Taigum, first played in the QANFL in 1933, but dropped out of the competition after just a single season and did not resume until 1944. Known interchangeably as the Hawks and Sea-Hawks they enjoyed their greatest successes in the 1950s and 1970s. The former decade yielded successive grand final triumphs in 1956 and 1957, whilst during the seventies the club contested no fewer than seven senior grade grand finals, winning

four of them. The Sea-Hawks were Wilston Grange forward and follower seldom easy beats, but the 1960s Ken Grimley flies high to take a proved a comparatively lean “screamer” decade, with a losing grand final

against Coorparoo in 1960 the The league, which dropped closest they came to adding to their the word "National" from its title in premiership haul. 1964, boasted eight registered The QANFL's 1963 premiers clubs in this era: Coorparoo, Coorparoo had endured a Mayne, Morningside, Wilston checkered history which included a Grange, Kedron, Sandgate, brief two season merger with Western Districts and Windsor- Yeronga in 1953 and 1954. In Zillmere. The last-named of these hindsight, the merger can be was formed in 1963 by means of a regarded as having been, in some merger between the Windsor and respects, the making of the club, as Zillmere clubs. Windsor had it emerged from it stronger both historically been extremely strong, financially and on the field of play. capturing a total of twelve senior In 1957, the 'Roos as they were grade premierships, one of which predictably known, reached their was shared, but financial difficulties first grand final but went down to meant that by the early 1960s it Sandgate by the agonising margin became a case of amalgamate or of just 2 points. Three years later die. Zillmere, by contrast, had they obtained revenge when they

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clinched their first ever premiership comparatively strong, capturing with a runaway 16.24 (120) to 11.4 another brace of flags, but it was in (70) grand final defeat of the same the 1960s that the Tigers really opposition. Coorparoo qualified for came into their own. During the every grand final between 1960 course of the decade they qualified and 1964, winning three and losing for all but two senior grade grand two. A further three successive finals, emerging victorious in 1961- grand final appearances followed 2 and 1966-7, thus giving them an between 1968 and 1970 but only identical record during the period, the first of these, against Mayne, in terms of premierships won, to resulted in victory. Coorparoo. Mayne was arguably the stronger all round club, however, as in the league's club championship, instituted in 1962 to reward the most successful club across all grades, the Tigers attained a total of three victories during the decade compared to Coorparoo's one. As mentioned earlier, Morningside - the Panthers - reached the preliminary final for the first ever time in 1963, and would do so again the following year. One place behind them in '63 were Wilston Grange, the Gorillas, who had entered the league in 1950, annexing their only senior grade flag since in 1955 when they

overcame Sandgate on grand final Arguably the greatest Coorparoo day by 28 points, 15.10 (100) to player of the 1960s, Des Hughes 10.12 (72). They also reached the

1959 premiership decider, but lost As has already been a nail-biter to Kedron by 2 points. intimated, Mayne - known as the The Gorillas went on to win their Tigers - vied with Coorparoo for second premiership in 1969 when supremacy for most of the 1960s. they overcame Coorparoo in the Formed in 1924 as a junior club, grand final and had added a third they acquired senior status the (in 1972) by the time they merged following year and went on to with Kedron to form Kedron- develop rapidly into a significant Grange in 1989. force, beating Windsor in The four clubs which failed consecutive grand finals in 1927-8. to contest the finals in 1963 were During the 1950s Mayne was Sandgate and Windsor-Zillmere,

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both discussed above, and Kedron Western Districts boasted and Western Districts. Kedron had the Bulldog emblem and the team been members of the league since wore distinctive maroon jumpers 1937, and had enjoyed with two white vs. This was in the conspicuous success during the days before clubs in state 1940s, contesting eight grand competitions - and elsewhere - finals, and winning five.35 Boasting deemed it de rigeur to emulate one two equally commonly-used or other of the eighteen AFL clubs nicknames, the Redlegs and the when selecting their colours. Lions, their most recent senior Originally known as Taringa, grade premiership had been the Bulldogs took their bows in the procured in 1959 at the expense of QANFL in 1930. In 1946 they were Wilston Grange, but since then renamed Western Districts, and their fortunes had dipped. The during the ensuing decade they highlight of the 1963 season as far began to emerge as a force. as Kedron was concerned was Between 1952 and 1954 they Tom Gould's resounding win in the contested every grand final, Grogan Medal, the QANFL's winning the last two. By the time of annual best and fairest player the club's merger with Sherwood to award. Gould polled 24 votes, 11 form Western Districts in 1991 more than second-placed Stan Western Districts had won a total of Lavell of Morningside. Gould would four senior grade flags. Bulldogs capture a second Grogan Medal full forward Ray Hughson was the two years later. league's top goalkicker with 109 goals, the second time in succession and the fourth in total that he had achieved the honour. He ended up leading the QA(N)FL's goalkicking charts on half a dozen occasions, and registering in excess of 100 in a season four times. When AFL Queensland named its official Team of the Twentieth Century in 2003 Ray Hughson was selected in a forward pocket. Queensland's senior grade

interstate team undertook two Kedron’s 1963 Grogan Medallist, Tom forays in 1963, achieving victories Gould, who would go on to win a over New South Wales by 17 second Medal in 1965 points and the ACT by 11 points, both in Brisbane. Over the course of the 1960s Queensland would 35 The QANFL continued operations throughout world war two. gradually improve in the interstate

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arena and by the following decade premiership-deciding match, the Maroons would prove strong winning seven and losing five. enough to defeat the likes of The premiership of the four Tasmania and the VFA for the first team Gold Coast Australian ever time. Football League in 1963 went to The Townsville Australian Surfers Paradise, whose victory Football League had been prevented Southport from winning established in 1954 with three a hat-trick of grand finals. clubs: RAAF, South Townsville and Hermit Park. During the league’s inaugural season a series of informal matches was played, with the first official premiership, won by

Hermit Park, being contested in 1955. By 1963 the league comprised four clubs, RAAF having withdrawn and Garbutt and Currajong having joined. In the 1963 grand final South Townsville defeated Garbutt comfortably, 16.16 (112) to 8.5 (53), a margin of

59 points. South had previously won premierships in 1957 and 1959-60, while Garbutt was also a major force at this time, claiming half a dozen flags from eight grand final appearances between 1958 and 1966. The 1963 WJ Williams Medal for the best and fairest player in the TAFL was won by Currajong’s Claude Morris. Cairns was not far behind Townsville in establishing its own Australian football competition, with the inaugural Cairns Australian Football League premiership being contested in 1956. In 1963 the league boasted four clubs, with Souths-Balaclava downing reigning premier Babinda Magpies 11.11 (77) to 10.7 (67) in the grand final. Between 1961 and 1972 Souths-

Balaclava took part in every

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in 1926. The 1962/3 season NORTHERN brought a final name change, to Darwin, although the club retained TERRITORY the Buffalo emblem.37

Overall, as Buffaloes, the he principal Australian club had enjoyed considerable football competition in the success, although it had not won a Northern Territory was the T senior grade premiership since the Northern Territory Football League. 1951/2 season. Since then it had Based in Darwin, it had been played off in seven grand finals, established in 1917,36 and and lost them all. The name comprised five clubs. For many change to Darwin brought an years, the Northern Territory was immediate change in fortune. under the governmental control of Opposed in the second semi-final South Australia, and quite naturally by St Marys, so often its nemesis followed that state’s cultural and during the preceding decade, sporting tastes. Australian football Darwin won a tense, low-scoring remains the Northern Territory’s encounter by 5 points. A fortnight most popular sport, and indeed on later, refreshed by a week’s rest, a per capita basis involvement the Buffaloes defeated the same nowadays is higher than anywhere opponents much more comfortably, else in the country. Indeed, in the 11.7 (73) to 6.7 (43), thereby Tiwi Islands that per capita procuring their thirteenth senior involvement may be as high as grade flag. Darwin further 35%. emphasised its dominance by Uniquely among the nation’s winning the reserve grade major football competitions the premiership while Arthur Tye, with NTFL’s season runs during the 44 goals, was the season’s top summer months – the “wet season” goalkicker. in Darwin – and so the road to the

1962/3 grand final, played in March 1963, began late the previous year. Darwin had been a founder member of the NTFL in 1917 when the club was known as Warriors. It changed its name to Vesteys the following season and to Buffaloes

36 The first recorded match in Darwin took place a year earlier, between two scratch teams. Wanderers Football Club, one of three founder members of the Northern Darwin Football Club in 1963 Territory Football League, was actually officially formed in 1916, but did not engage in any matches that year. 37 More recently rebranded as the Water Buffaloes.

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The 1960s went on to prove formed to give fringe players from a highly successful decade for the other clubs, particularly Buffaloes, Buffaloes who appeared in another an opportunity to play football, the half a dozen senior grade grand NTFL not having a reserve grade finals, winning four of them. competition at the time. The club Since entering the gradually gained strength, and by competition in the 1952/3 season 1962/3 it had played off in three St Marys had rapidly developed grand finals, winning those of into a formidable force, never once 1956/7 against Buffaloes and failing to contest the finals. The 1960/1 versus St Marys. After club was formed to provide an finishing third in 1962/3 the club opportunity for Tiwi Islanders was re-christened Nightcliff, a employed by the Armed Forces in name it retains to this day. Darwin to play football. At the time, Wanderers had been the only Wanderers of the league’s NTFL’s very first premiers, but in other clubs would allow full-blood 1962/3 had to be satisfied with aboriginals to play for them. fourth place after losing to Works St Marys’ brand of football and Housing in the first semi-final was slick, lightning fast, and by the narrowest of margins. This spectacular, and when the team proved to be the club’s last really got into its stride no opposing appearance in a final until 1980/1, side could live with them. The during which time it endured the Saints captured their first senior indignity of succumbing to no fewer grade flag in 1954/5 and by the than thirteen wooden spoons. 1962/3 season had added another One of the three foundation four. As usual, the 1962/3 season members of the league in 1917, saw them as a force to be Waratahs had been a power club reckoned with, but they fell 5 points during the competition’s early years short of Darwin in a torrid second and had also boasted a strong side semi-final. A week later they just after world war two. However, bounced back by trouncing Works since then the club had fallen on and Housing 15.19 (109) to 7.12 hard times, and would not contest (54) in the preliminary final, but as another grand final until 1973/4 mentioned above they found when it overcame Nightcliff by 3 Darwin too hot to handle when it points. The ‘Tahs’ 1962/3 wooden mattered most in the ultimate spoon was their fifth in six seasons, match of the season. They but over the ensuing decade they continued to be one of the leading would improve gradually. clubs in the league throughout the The NTFL’s annual best and 1960s, claiming premierships in fairest award was known as the 1965/6 and 1966/7. Nichols Medal, named after Joseph The Works and Housing Wesley Nichols, a league secretary Football Club had entered the during the inter-war years who competition in 1950/1 having been hailed originally from Melbourne. In

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1962/3 it was won by a player CAFL, giving them year ‘round whose only given name was football, and further improving the Bertram. A representative of the standard of the competition as a Waratahs Football Club, he won by consequence. polling 9 votes, one more than Works and Housing’s Joe Bonson. Football was popular throughout the Northern Territory in 1963, particularly among the numerous aboriginal communities. However, the only other major organised league in operation at the time was the Alice Springs- based Central Australian Football League. Established in 1947, the competition comprised four clubs. Federal, Rovers and Pioneers had been foundation members, and they had subsequently been joined by Amoonguna, which later became known as South Alice Springs. Federal was the CAFL’s principal force during the late 1950s and early 1960s, and the 1963 season saw the club attain its sixth consecutive premiership thanks to a 16.6 (102) to 3.10 (28) grand final defeat of Rovers.. Unlike the NTFL, the CAFL played a traditional season centred on the winter months. In 1963, all matches in the CAFL were played at , usually in the form of double-headers. Almost from the start, the standard of football in the CAFL was respectably high, and as early as 1952 a league representative team was able to overcome its NTFL counterparts by 23 points, 11.18 (84) to 8.13 (61). From the 1950s onwards a fair number of Darwin-based footballers spent the winter months competing in the

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debut season. After that, the club AUSTRALIAN showed gradual improvement, and was a finalist every season from CAPITAL 1966 to 1971, albeit without ever TERRITORY finishing higher than third.

fter enjoying a somewhat buoyant period during the A 1950s football in the Australian Capital Territory experienced something of a hangover in the ensuing decade. Many clubs struggled financially, and the standard of play declined. One exception to the general rule was Eastlake, which enjoyed the greatest decade in its history, commencing with an unbeaten premiership in 1960. The 1961 season brought a drop to third but then the ‘Lakes embarked on a Keith Bromage sequence of eight consecutive grand final appearances, the first In 1963, the final four five of which resulted in victories. comprised Eastlake, Manuka, Manuka provided Eastlake with its Ainslie and Acton. In the grand most consistently powerful final, Eastlake proved too fiery and opposition during this period, while aggressive for Manuka and eased Ainslie was also strong. home by 31 points, 11.15 (81) to The 1963 season saw the 6.14 (50). It was a fine season all Canberra Australian National round for the ‘Lakes as their Football League’s ranks bolstered centreman Robert Shearer became by the admission of a team the first player from the club to win representing the Australian the league’s best and fairest award, 38 National University. This gave the the Mulrooney Medal, outright. league eight clubs and eliminated Shearer, a former Sandringham the need for a bye. All clubs were player who had represented the based in the ACT, except VFA at the 1956 Perth carnival, Queanbeyan which is just across was agile and quick and a fine kick the border in New South Wales. with either foot. ANU had been successful in the Manuka obtained a measure reserves competition and was not of revenge over Eastlake when the out its depth in senior company, finishing a creditable sixth in its 38 Ernie Hurtig had won the 1951 medal jointly with John McCable of Ainslie.

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two sides met in the reserves grand final, with the Bullants squeezing home by 3 points, 4.15 (39) to 5.6 (36). This proved to be the first of three successive triumphs in reserve grade for Manuka. The 1963 season also saw the introduction of an under nineteens grade to Canberra football, with Turner winning the inaugural premiership. The teams which failed to qualify for the senior grade finals in 1963 were, in order, Queanbeyan, ANU, Royal Military College and Turner. The season’s top goalkicker was Keith Bromage of Manuka with 70 goals, a season after he had “topped the ton” with 108. Bromage was an ex-VFL player who had played 28 games for Collingwood between 1953 and 1956 and 41 games with Fitzroy from 1957 to 1961. Canberra engaged in two representative fixtures in 1963, downing New South Wales at home by 11 points, 8.12 (60) to 7.7 (49), and losing by the same margin to Queensland in Brisbane, 13.12 (90) to 14.17 (101).

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