Essendon – Collingwood Forever

Four of the best

Luke — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 06:21:03 +0000

By: Glenn McFarlane of the Herald Sun Collingwood won its 1500th game against Fremantle in round 14, 2016. But would it surprise you to know that, statistically, the Magpies’ most productive quarter came against Carlton? That came with a blistering 12.5 (77) in the third quarter against the Blues in Round 4, 1969 at Princes Park, bringing about the first defeat of the reigning premiers. It was also a bruising game that resulted in four reports (including two Magpies), coach Bob Rose rated it as one of the most complete victories in his time at the club, and it also featured a fine performance from a shooting Magpie star. Here is a quarter-by-quarter breakdown of Collingwood’s highest scoring terms from its first 1500 wins, including that famous victory over Carlton. FIRST QUARTER 11.2 (68) V Footscray, Round 1 1971 at Victoria Park Was it any wonder that Collingwood took the field with a point to prove in the round one game against Footscray in 1971? The previous game had been the 1970 Grand Final, a game that could have – and should have – been one of the crowing glories of Bob Rose‘s tenure as coach of a star-studded team. Instead, after leading the premiership decider by 44 points at half-time, the Magpies were overrun by the Blues. What had looked as an unlosable situation became another embarrassing chapter in the club’s quest for its 13th VFL premiership. So, as The Age described it, “the Magpies burst all their pent up 1970 Grand Final frustrations into a 30-minute mauling that left Footscray a beaten side at quarter-time.”

Captain Des Tuddenham, playing his 148th game, set the scene by kicking the opening goal of the game, and he slammed home five of his team’s 11 goals of the first quarter. By game’s end, Tuddy had nine goals.

The Magpies had kicked an accurate 11.2 (68) by quarter-time, to lead by 42 points, and they extended that even further to 69 points to sit at 16,.6 (102) at half-time. It was described as “some of the most devastating of football seen at Victoria Park in a long time” with Tuddenham clearly the best man afield. Mike Smith, from The Age, said of 28-year-old Tuddenham that “his ruthless, marauding play around the packs … set the example which was followed by every other Collingwood player.” He had 40 disposals, and kicked 9.1. Wayne Richardson and Len Thompson each kicked four goals. So, too, did Peter McKenna, but it was said that his opponent Dave Darcy held him relatively in check. The half-time margin of 69 points was extended to 83 by the end of the game, but all anyone wanted to talk about was the devastating first-term that remains the Magpies’ best start to a game in history. Coach Bob Rose said after the match: “I was happy with the game, apart from a natural lapse after we built up a big lead … I thought we had Footscray well covered.” SECOND QUARTER 12.3 (75) V Essendon, Round 3 1977 at Victoria Park Collingwood went to the quarter-time break of its round three clash with Essendon five points in front after a hard-fought first term. Tom Hafey asked for something extra from his team. It was his third game in charge of the club, and he knew his team could do better after a solid but unspectacular opening half hour. He could hardly have believed what came next. In a second term that would go into the club’s record books, the Magpies piled on 12.3 (75) to the Bombers’ 3.4, to open up a half-time lead of 58 points. The Age described the second quarter as a moment in which the Magpies – who had finished last the previous year – proved “to all its fanatic followers that season ’76 is a forgotten nightmare.” Twenty-four-year-old Graeme Anderson, playing his 32nd game, was the dominant player that day. He excelled in that “dream” second term, kicking 8.2 in his best performance with the club. Ross Dunne booted four goals for the game, while four others – Murrie Batt, Peter McCormack (a future full-back), Max Richardson and Len Thompson – each kicked two goals. But if Hafey was so pleased with the second term, he would be less than impressed with the second half. The Bombers came out and kicked seven goals to one in the third term, and the final margin was 51, The coach expressed his frustration after the game, saying: “Yes, we won today, but I warned the boys at half-time not to relax, but it just didn’t sink in.” He warned a four-quarter effort would be required for the next game, against his old side, Richmond, on ANZAC Day, and this time around, he would get what he was after. Des Tuddenham played a key role in Collingwood’s twelve-goal third quarter against Carlton in round four, 1969. THIRD QUARTER 12.5 (77) V Carlton, Round 4 1969 at Princes Park Reigning premiers Carlton held onto a five-point lead at half-time of the round four clash with Collingwood in 1969. The Blues hadn’t lost since round 16, 1968, and as evenly matched as the two teams had been during the first two terms, most people expected the home side to win the points on the resumption of play. That was far from the case. The match was turned on its head in the most unlikely of scenarios – a blistering third term that would be the most prolific in the club’s long and proud history. As The Age’s Ron Carter described it, “the third quarter … was the best 25 minutes play a Collingwood team has put together for many a day. To score 12.5 to Carlton’s two behinds in that one term revived memories of Collingwood’s great teams of the past.” The turnaround seemingly came from nowhere, with Carter saying: “the first half was just like any other game of football … tough, hard and close scoring.” “As the teams came out for the start of the second half, there was nothing to indicate Carlton was about to have its big reputation well and truly rubbed into the Princes Park mud. “The speed and method by which Collingwood took control of the game so completely came as a shock to everyone.” Coach Bob Rose compared the performance to when Collingwood overcame Geelong in the 1953 Grand Final, after earlier knocking the Cats off at Kardinia Park. “We had Carlton tabbed after a big meeting last Thursday night,” Rose said after the game. “All our players knew exactly what was wanted and what we had to do.” He acknowledged it was clearly the best team effort of his coaching career to that date. Of Collingwood’s 12 goals kicked in the third term, one came in the first minute, four within nine minutes, eight in the first 17 minutes, 10 goals came in 20 minutes and 12 goals were on the board by three-quarter-time. The difference at the last change was 70 points – incredibly, a 75-point turnaround in a quarter. And while the Blues outscored the Magpies marginally in the last term, the final margin was 64 points. Collingwood’s 23.15 (153) was – at that time – the highest score Carlton had conceded. In the rooms after the game, Magpies President Tom Sherrin told the players: “I’ve never been prouder of a Collingwood side … I’ve never seen the Magpies play better.” Eighteen-year-old John Greening, in his 19th game, showed a sign of his enormous potential, kicking 7.3 in the same jumper that his coach had made famous. Greening kicked three goals in that third term, as did Des Tuddenham and Wayne Richardson. Richardson’s treble of goals came within a three-minute period. There were more than a few fights to go with the goals, and four players, including Magpies Len Thompson and Ted Potter, had their numbers taken by the umpire in charge. But the third quarter was the only thing that mattered. FOURTH QUARTER 11.5 (71) V North Melbourne, Round 9 1990 at Victoria Park Seven goals to Peter Daicos; seven goals to Gavin Brown in one of his first significant moves from the wing to full-forward; and 11 goals in one remarkable final term. That was a day to remember in a year to remember for Collingwood fans. The Magpies held sway at three-quarter-time against North Melbourne in round nine, 1990, leading at the last change by 29 points. But the game was far from done, with Magpie fans still on edge at the break. Daicos explained later: “When you go out there at three-quarter time two or three goals up, you never know what’s going to happen.” The fans need not have worried, thanks to Daicos’ magic, and an extraordinary 11-goal final term that pushed the final margin out to 80 points. Daicos almost didn’t play in the game. He had been crook the previous day, spending it in bed with the flu. But he dragged himself out of his sick bed and helped the Magpies to their best last quarter-ever. Two minutes into the final term, the star forward set the scene for what was to come. He swooped on the ball near the boundary line and slotted it through the middle with a banana from the pocket. The Sun’s Michael Davis said: “It should have been worth two goals.” Incredibly, the feat won what appeared to be a standing ovation, and was the highlight of a day full of them. Coach Leigh Matthews could barely believe it: “I wasn’t quite sure what I saw. I’m still not quite sure. It was unbelievable, wasn’t it?” But just as significant in the long-term was the fact that Brown was played deep in attack, instead of on the wing, and he was unstoppable, kicking 7.0. It was a template for the rest of the season. Daicos’ goal at the two-minute-mark was followed by further goals at the five, eight, seven, 15, 18, 20, 22, 26, 27 and 29 minute marks. Following on from 10 goals in the final term the previous week against Fitzroy, Matthews’ team stormed home with 11 in the clash with the Kangaroos, showing just how exciting this team was when at its best.

Pre-game brawl in ’94

Jonathon — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 09:15:40 +0000

By: Glenn McFarlane A multitude of reasons and excuses have been offered up for starting melees in the AFL, but surely a broken-down bus stands as one of the most unique. To top it off, the bus wasn’t even carrying any of the footballers from either side. Yet that was the excuse wheeled out (pardon the pun) for the pre-game dust-up between Collingwood and Essendon that made all sort of headlines. The clash took place as soon as the Magpies ran through their banner. It’s not every game that players are caught pushing and shoving even before the captains had tossed the coin to see which way the teams were kicking. But that’s what happened in the round 20 game in 1994 between the Magpies and the Bombers, and the 76,565 fans in attendance were on their feet even before the timekeepers sounded the opening siren. The Herald Sun described the scene: “(The) all-in brawl had the crowd roaring even before the teams had started their pre-match exercises.”” Collingwood burst through its banner and, by coincidence or otherwise, crossed the path of the Essendon team jogging towards the centre of the ground. “Even the umpires in the centre square were caught unawares by the ferocious confrontation which is sure to be scrutinised closely by AFL officials in their weekly video-tape check-up.” The Age was equally breathless: “The two teams brawled for several minutes before the first bounce, sparked by a clash between Collingwood ruckman Damian Monkhorst and his Essendon counterpart, Steven Alessio. “All 42 players (and several officials) were involved and it remained a spiteful affair thereafter, not unlike the 1990 Grand Final between these two clubs.” It wasn’t as brutal as the 1990 quarter-time chaos, but it was still an incident that had the AFL greatly concerned about in terms of the image of the game. In that game, the two teams used the change rooms in the Great Southern Stand, something which doesn’t happen anymore. The AFL’s football operations manager Ian Collins was furious with the pre-game clash, saying: “They (the teams) were far too close together…they can hear everything the other camp says.” Collins promised a quick investigation into the matter. Even Collingwood coach Leigh Matthews was angry with what transpired in those two or three minutes of the brawl. Matthews said: “I don’t know how it happened, but it shouldn’t have happened. Players should not be engaged in physical contact before the siren. “That aside, I suppose that (the brawl) was indicative of a desperate game – both sides were keen to get into it. To be honest, I don’t know who caused it, whether it was us or them. “I told them to keep their eyes on the ball because the umpires are going to be nervous.” That was the same message Matthews had given his players following that infamous quarter-time brawl in the 1990 Grand Final. Incredibly, Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy – who was involved in one of the 1990 skirmishes – had time to address his players in an effort to calm them down between the fight and the first siren. Sheedy said: “I just told the players not to get reported.” In the end, one player, Monkhorst, would be penalised out of that incident, though Essendon’s Glenn Manton would his number taken for a later incident. In the investigation that followed, it was alleged that the reason for Collingwood’s team being so close to the Essendon side – with most of their players still in their tracksuit tops – was the late arrival of a bus. Magpie president Allan McAlister said a bus carrying the Collingwood cheersquad had broken down on the way to the MCG. The delay brought about a last-minute re-positioning of the banner, when ground officials refused to allow them into the area they were originally were meant to be. As a result, the club’s banner was raised far too close to Essendon’s group, which played a role in putting the teams on a collision course. Then a strange thing happened. After both clubs had pushed and shoved, the two skippers, Gavin Brown and Mark Thompson, ran to the middle and shook hands. They wished each other well and got down to business. Collingwood had brought back Brown after a three-week hamstring injury and Tony Woods in for his first game that season at the expense of Brett James and Aaron James. Three of the Magpies’ team that day had played less than 10 games – Trent Hotton (second game), Paul Sharkey (fifth) and Andrew Tranquilli (ninth), while 34-year-old Tony Shaw was playing his 308th match. Shaw would turn in another outstanding game, having 31 touches, kicking a goal and winning two Brownlow Medal votes, Tony Francis got the three votes and Monkhorst earned the one vote. The Magpies might have been seen to be the instigators of the initial angst, but the first free kick of the game went their way, and Collingwood had three goals on the board before Essendon scored one. Essendon hit back almost immediately. By quarter-time, each of the sides had four goals, with Collingwood leading by only two points at the first change. Tempers almost boiled over at quarter-time once more, but sanity prevailed. The dangerous Joe Misiti put Essendon in front early in the second term, but it only seemed to spark the Magpies into action. Collingwood kicked five unanswered goals – and six for the second term – which set up a half-time lead of 27 points. It could have been more with the scoreline of 10.12 (72) to Essendon’s 7.3 (45). The negative for the Pies came when Saverio Rocca was carried off on a stretcher after landing awkwardly. His ankle injury ended his day, with his two early goals being his contribution. Rocca’s absence would open up the game for Jason McCartney, who would end up kicking four goals in his 33rd game for Collingwood. He would only have five more games in Black and White before stints at Adelaide and more famously North Melbourne. But the Bombers had their own issues with Paul Salmon going off the ground with a shoulder injury after copping a legal shirtfront from Shane Watson, who was one of his team’s best players. Yet Essendon gave a hint of some life early in the third term, creeping back to within 17 points before Collingwood regained their composure, especially after Mark Thompson went off injured with a broken arm. Five goals to nil followed for the Magpies for the remainder of the quarter. It ended up being a seven-goal third term for Collingwood, as the margin bloated out to a comfortable 49 points. It didn’t end the way Matthews wanted as Essendon kicked six goals to two in the final term, as the final deficit ended up being 28 points in Collingwood’s favour. And there was even a bit of push and shove – and a little bit more – during the last term when Manton was reported for striking Mark Fraser. Fraser tried to help Manton out at the tribunal, explaining: “I was a bit stunned by it because it sat me on my backside and I wasn’t expecting it…but it wasn’t a heavy blow.” It didn’t help. Manton got two weeks. Matthews was frustrated that Collingwood had given up a chance to convincingly defeat Essendon with a less than impressive final term. Buckley was an important player, with 24 touches, while Francis, Brown, Scott Russell and Mark Fraser were all solid performers. Monkhorst gave his team first use of the ball, Mick McGuane nailed three goals (including a banana kick on the run in the last term), while Woods and Tranquilli also kicked two each. An AFL investigation was launched immediately after the match, and much of the media debate was sparked by Patrick Smith, who was then working at The Age. Smith wrote a provocative comment, saying: “Mark down Friday 5 August as one of the sadder days in Australian football. It is the day that more than 40 grown men scragged, scratched, punched and pushed before the first bounce, before Rex Hunt could hit a high C, and before Collingwood had completed a lap. “Forty-two athletes and several officials out of control; abiding no rules; umpires powerless. Had anything like this happened on the street men would have been arrested. “It will be defended by men with thick ears and crooked noses. They will call it a man’s game. Some will call it theatre. They are wrong, hopelessly wrong.” Smith insisted that the two clubs must be fined. They weren’t, but Monkhorst was singled out by the AFL for starting it, even though that seemed unfair, given how many other players took part in the incident. Monkhorst, who was clearly so influential in the game, paid the price for his actions when the AFL Commission fined him $5000. It came about after AFL investigator Max Croxford interviewed players and officials, which stretched out through the week, making McAlister furious that the ruckman had been singled out while others weren’t. “I’m extremely disappointed,” McAlister said. “I’m advised it’s intended by the AFL to put rules in place to cope with similar instances in the future.” “A decision has taken almost seven days to the hour…less than 24 hours before Damian Monkhorst and his club are engaged in a most vital match (against Melbourne) to see if they will participate in the finals series.” Collingwood would participate in the finals, but would ultimately fall just short in a brave performance at the WACA against eventual premiers West Coast. For that game, most of the cheersquad took the plane, not the bus.