Episode 39 1935 Watch Out For That Truck

Collingwood and South Melbourne play each other seven times, but only one can win the 1935 VFL premiership. It was a year that saw the first night game between VFL clubs and beer came in cans for the first time, two pivotal moments in history. Footscray made their bid for worst jumper of all time and the Magpies almost forfeited a game. North Melbourne and Hawthorn struggled while the league promised to help Rugby Union. Meanwhile Richmond was looking for alternatives to Punt Road for a home ground. And a truck played its part in Grand Final History.

Join us as we delve into the captivating history of 1935, where football, innovation, and world events intertwined to shape a memorable year.

Episode Transcript

(00:03):
Hello and welcome to Grand Final History. In this episode we go back to 1935,
the 39th season of the BFL.
Let's have a look at some of the issues and news that football supporters in
1935 might have been reading before or after they got to the sports section of their newspapers.
After campaigns by activists regarding living conditions for the poor,

(00:27):
a delegation of state politicians, including the Premier, Albert Dunstan,
made a tour of slums around Melbourne.
A cavalcade of cars travelled through Fitzroy, Carlton, Collingwood and North Melbourne,
home of several vehicle clubs, but full of people who lived in tin shanties
with no plumbing, in appalling conditions,

(00:49):
all paying rent to landlords, generating up to 25% return on their capital,
but not providing any maintenance, nor dealing with vermin, nor addressing basic hygiene needs.
Action was planned in the late 1930s, but World War II impacted priorities.
Significant changes only finally began in the 1950s and 60s,

(01:12):
with the somewhat controversial intervention of the Housing Commission.
One of the greatest 45 minutes in sport occurred on the 25th of May 1935 in Michigan, USA.
A 21-year-old, Jesse Owens, set five world records and equaled another in just 45 minutes.
While others might have matched him for the number of Olympic gold medals,

(01:36):
no athlete has ever matched this record-breaking achievement.
All the more remarkable, as he'd fallen down a set of stairs just 10 days earlier,
bruising his back so severely, His coach wanted to withdraw him from the race meeting.
A special athlete whose name lives on today, 1935's claim on progress cannot be ignored.

(01:57):
In January, the Gottfried Kruger Brewing Company in New Jersey launched the
world's first beer cans.
Australian drinkers would have to wait until 1958. But if you've ever drunk
a tinny at the footy, or stood on them to get a better view,
say thanks to 1935 and the brewers of New Jersey.
Another innovation of 1935 was the Monopoly board game that went on sale for the first time.

(02:22):
If you don't like drinking beer or playing Monopoly while you wait for your
game to start, perhaps you can fill in your time by reading a paperback book about footy.
1935 was the year paperbacks were popularised by Penguin Books in Britain.
Until then, books had generally been only published as expensive hardbacks.
Penguin paperbacks were cheap, easily carried and became massively popular.

(02:47):
In the United Kingdom, there were the first secret demonstrations of radar and
the first test flights of the Hurricane fighter plane,
which would prove useful as Germany announced that they were reforming their
air force and had enlarged their army, despite this being banned by the Treaty of Versailles.
It was also the year that the Nuremberg Laws deprived German Jews of citizenship

(03:09):
and made the swastika the official symbol of Nazi Germany.
Adding to international tension was the decision of Italy's fascist leader,
Benito Mazzolini, to invade Ethiopia in October 1935,
while in China the communist forces ended their long march, which had brought

(03:30):
Mao Zedong to a prominent position in the Chinese Communist Party.
November 1935 saw Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger publish his famous his
thought experiment on quantum mechanics, now known as Schrödinger's cat.
I won't try and explain it, but I can say it's got nothing to do with the Geelong Football Club.
You could look up the footy almanac to explore Schrödinger's club and experiment

(03:55):
on the duality of James Heard, but that all unfolded long after 1935.
While on science, the Nobel Prize Committee implemented their version of the
father-son rule, many years ahead of Ali.
But in 1935, it was more a mother-daughter rule, when Irene Joliet-Curé was

(04:16):
awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry,
following in the footsteps of her mother, dual Nobel Prize winner Marie Curé.
Three Nobel Premierships in the one family.
That's some of what was going on in the world in 1935.
Let's focus on the footy now. In a heroically optimistic prediction,

(04:36):
a local soccer official, Mr J.A.
Nelson, forecast the death knell of Australian football within 10 years,
to be replaced by the Englishman's winter sport, soccer.
He based his forecast on the lack of support by the VFL for the youth of the
city, and used the progress of soccer in Albert Park as an example.

(04:59):
Now, it's much easier to assess these things in hindsight, but fair to say Mr
Nelson's prediction has not yet come true.
January saw the new Footscray committee focusing on what might now be called crowd engagement.
There would be community singing at matches. Gramophone records would be played
over amplifiers and loudspeakers, and the committee was seeking club songs for supporters,

(05:24):
which could be used to arouse enthusiasm amongst the crowd and inspire their
team. Forward thinking from the Bulldogs.
It was clearly an enthusiastic committee. In February, they decided to uptake the club jumpers.
The new Guernseys would set a benchmark in awfulness not matched for decades to come.

(05:45):
They had a blue base, broad red vertical stripes, edged in white,
with a white V, white collar, blue sleeves and red and white cuffs.
The assault on supporters and players' eyes lasted just one season.
The distinctive jumpers were accidentally destroyed when dry cleaned at the end of the season.

(06:09):
I'll include a picture in the show notes on grandfinalhistory.au or check out
the wonderful footyjumpers.com site for every club's jumpers through every season and more.
In the modern era, the fixture for each season is scrutinised by supporters,
assessing if their club has been treated fairly.
For example, who they play twice, how often and where they have to travel to.

(06:32):
Travel being more of a focus for Victorian-based supporters who do not seem
to worry about travel requirements for clubs outside of Victoria.
It was the same back in 1935.
With an 18-round season, not all clubs played each other twice.
Not all clubs had the expense and challenge of travelling the long distance to Geelong.

(06:53):
As the delegates met in February to finalise the fixture, both Carlton and South
Melbourne protested that they had, yet again, been drawn to visit Geelong.
The Geelong delegate, Morris Jacobs, had very little sympathy for their fight,
saying, We visit Melbourne every second week.
Recruiting players is a critical element to building a successful club.

(07:16):
Hawthorne adopted a novel approach, advertising for players.
Clubs had traditionally advertised coaching positions, but this was the first
time players were invited to respond to an ad.
Hawthorne and North Melbourne had both struggled since joining the league,
and both being given crucial loans by the BFL at the end of 1934,

(07:37):
things came to a head in a stormy delegates meeting in February.
North wanted to identify which delegates had discussed eliminating the two clubs.
Such discussion made recruiting new players even harder for these embattled teams.
After some challenging conversation, the meeting agreed to provide a letter

(07:58):
to the effect that the league did not contemplate elimination at present.
Melbourne supporters had feared the worst at the end of 1934,
when impressive first-year player Jack Mueller had lost the top of two fingers
on his right hand at a work accident.
Yet things looked better in February, when the Sporting Globe carried the news

(08:19):
he was ready for the new season.
Mueller would wear a glove, protect his hand, and we'll hear much more about this young man.
Speed has always been critical when chasing that all-important signature from
potential new recruits.
Essendon's secretary was heading to Tasmania on the steam ferry to sign up former

(08:40):
Footscray player Alan Raitt.
A competing club sent their man to Tasmania on an aeroplane,
passing the ferry and landing many hours ahead.
It was all in vain. Despite the expense, Essendon got the signature.
It all came to nothing anyway. Tate would not play another VFL game,
but air travel became another tool for a recruiter chasing that gun player.

(09:05):
The Tigers could not get access to the Punt Road Oval for practice matches in
March because of cricket club commitments.
So the club decided to use the Olympic Park ground formerly known as the Motodrome
where the Amy Park Soccer and Rugby Stadium is now located.
The Olympic Park re-branding had occurred in 1933 when the management committee

(09:26):
thought Olympic Park Olympic Park better reflected the variety of sports played at the ground,
so the name was well established long before the Olympic Games eventually came to Melbourne in 1956.
However, Olympic Park was being used for an athletic meeting on the Saturday afternoon,
But the entrepreneurial ground manager suggested a night game.

(09:49):
Richmond and South Melbourne both agreed and got league permission for the experiment.
The first night football game between two VFL clubs.
25,000 people came to the practice game. The grand final replay under lights.
While the first football under lights had been a demonstration at the MCG in
1897 with battery-powered lamps, providing something between strong moonlight

(10:14):
and twilight according to descriptions.
The Olympic Park lights were modern and provided lighting so perfect that not
even a shadow was cast onto any player, and the white ball was never out of sight.
Players handled the ball cleanly, but some marks were mistimed as some players

(10:35):
had difficulty judging the descent of the ball, while others,
such as Jack Titus, said he could see the ball clearly when kicked high,
but had more problems with short passes.
Despite some teething problems, there was much optimism in some corners for
the potential of night games.
A Sporting Globe reader, Mr Malcolm Semple, wrote to the paper with a suggestion

(10:56):
that the teams that do not make the finals could play a night series after the season.
The VFL would eventually start this type of night series at Albert Park in 1956.
Not sure if Mr Semple ever got any credit for his vision in 1935,
21 years ahead of the BFL.
But after the flurry of enthusiasm from the supporters, press,

(11:18):
Richmond and South Melbourne, the realities of league politics intervened to
stop any further night practice games. Two issues were at play.
First, in what seems odd to our modern eyes, there was opposition to practice
matches between league clubs.
They might diminish the interest in the Premiership Games when the season started
if clubs had already shown their form in practice games.

(11:42):
Practice games were either intra-club affairs or against VFA or country clubs.
But the stronger objection was from the weaker, less financial clubs who objected
to the bigger clubs generating more money for themselves, even though the funds
raised at the Richmond and South game were earmarked for the players' end-of-season trips.

(12:02):
Not for the first time, and not for the last, rivalry between the clubs impacted
decision-making by the league.
In an era where there was a high turnover of coaches, 1935 saw seven clubs appoint
new coaches in their search for Premiership success.
Dan Minogue had coached Carlton since 1929, making the finals every year but the last.

(12:24):
They'd been runners-up in 1932, but his time was up.
Replaced by Frank Maher, a dual Premiership player at Essendon,
he had won two Premierships as captain coach of Oakley in the BFA before coaching
Fitzroy in one of their more successful periods without making And now he had
his chance with the Blues.
Dan Minogue was a dual premiership coach, having led the Tigers to success in

(12:47):
1920 and 21, and was now a veteran.
His 15th season as coach would be with St Kilda, Colin Watson stepping down
after one season as captain coach.
Fitzroy would go into 1935 with dual Collingwood premiership player, Percy Rowe.
Percy had taken some of the Collingwood lessons to Northcote in the VFA.
In five seasons as captain coach, he won three premierships and was twice runner-up.

(13:13):
That's the sort of record Fitzroy used to have in the early years of the BFL,
and they hoped Rowe could bring that success with him.
Geelong looked to former Fitzroy three-time premiership hire Percy Pratt.
Hawthorne had not had success with former Collingwood Bill hire Bill Toomey
Sr., so after just one season, they switched to Ivan McAlpine as captain coach.

(13:34):
I think it's fair to say that Hawthorne's issues went deeper than whoever the coach was.
Ivan had started his career with Footscray in 1927 and was their captain in
1933 but his job at Menzies Creek made it hard to get to training so he switched to Hawthorne.
At North Melbourne Tom Fitzmaurice, Premiership Captain at Essendon and Geelong,
had taken over the coaching role mid-season in 1934 and was appointed Captain Coach for 1935.

(14:00):
Albie Morrison was reappointed for 1935 at Footscray, but let's just watch that space.
The previews before the opening round were full of confidence for an exciting
new season with the two months of preparation by the clubs, the sifting of recruits
and the expectation of better football in season 1935.
The league delegates met on the Friday before the opening round.

(14:23):
On the agenda were the merits, or otherwise, of rubber footballs that had been
trialled at some of the practice matches.
While they had some advantages in the wet weather, especially when only one
ball was used for the entire game, resulting in a heavy sodden leather footy,
the rubber alternative was not satisfactory on dry days.
It was tricky, lively and fast.

(14:45):
Delegates voted to defer any final decision for six months and the rubber balls
never replaced the traditional leather air conveyance.
In a move that might be considered woke by some or progress by others and just sensible by many,
it was recognised that the new membership category for schoolboys was also attracting

(15:06):
a number of schoolgirls who wanted to watch their team on a regular basis.
The schoolboy tickets would be updated to school tickets available for boys and girls alike.
113,000 spectators made their way to the six opening games on the 27th of April
and there was no shortage of excitement and drama.
The only one-sided game saw Essendon make a compelling statement at the MCG,

(15:30):
beating Melbourne by 10 goals.
Tommy Layeff debuted for the Dons. He would have a long playing and coaching
career before becoming a radio icon as a partner for Harry Beitzel.
It was also a day out for Essendon's Ted Freyer, who kicked 12 goals.
A nice way to get the season started.
Richmond had to travel to Footscray for their first game and it was close for

(15:53):
three quarters but they were too strong in the last quarter.
Perhaps the Bulldogs supporters needed to work harder on their sons.
North Melbourne did not win a game in 1934 and their opening round against Hawthorne
proved yet again how cruel football can be.
Despite a strong last quarter they fell short by just four points.

(16:14):
North actually hit the front with 90 seconds left on the clock but a final push
forward resulted in the final, vital goal for the Mayblooms.
The drought-breaking win was still some time off for the boys from Arden Street.
Hawthorne supporters could point to their wonderful accuracy as a reason for their win.
A very efficient 14 goals 3 to North's wasteful 12 goals 11.

(16:36):
There was trouble at Geelong, where it looked like they may have to forfeit
the game before it started.
The problem centred on Lindsay Lamb, selected for his second game after playing in 1933.
He had been declared black by the Geelong Waterside Workers' Federation because
he allegedly worked as a volunteer during the meat strike three years earlier.

(17:00):
Five members of the Geelong team asked that Lamb be omitted from the side.
Geelong's president went into
the dressing rooms and he appealed to the players to stand by the club.
Lamb had been selected and he would play. The club would not be dictated to by outsiders.
Anyone who chose not to play would lose their football careers.

(17:22):
Geelong would not select them nor clear them. The team went out as selected
and won a memorable game.
With only 17 men on the ground and 12 points down with 10 minutes to go,
they managed to win by one goal on the last kick of the day.
Lamb played the next two games before being dropped.
It's not clear whether it was formal or outside pressure that ended his short career.

(17:46):
Fitzroy looked like they had a win on the books at three-quarter time.
They were six goals up against St Kilda, but the Saints came home with the proverbial
wet sail, falling short by just 12 points.
It was a win for the Maroons, but it showed you can't relax until the game is over.
And the match at Victoria Park between Collingwood and South also proved the
game is not won until it's over.

(18:08):
The Magpies were entering a new era with the departure of Sid Coventry,
but sometimes one legendary leader can be followed by another icon of the game.
Harry Collier was born a stab pass from Victoria Park.
He'd sold footy records with his brother Al, kicked footies on the ground after
school, made his debut in 1926 aged 18, played in four premierships,

(18:31):
won two Copa medals and tied for a brown load.
He had big boots to fill following Sid Coventry, but he was the man to do it,
and he had his brother Albert as vice-captain.
In front of 30,000 supporters, the New Look Collingwood were nine points down with just moments to go.
Marcus Whelan passed to Fonz Kine, who goalled.

(18:53):
After the centre bounce, Keith Fraser passed to Vin Doherty,
who kicked it to Lou Riley.
Riley kicked straight and, as the ball went through the goals,
the bell rang. A three-point win.
Snatched from the jaws of defeat, and the five players who had finished the
game had all joined the club in the last two years.
The machine was being revamped with some new parts. The win was particularly sweet for Riley.

(19:18):
He had had a chance to win the semi-final against South in 1934,
where he'd also had the last kick of the day, but on that occasion,
the ball veered off for a behind.
Today, he'd made some amends. There was more drama at St Kilda after round one.
Cullen Watson's pre-season had been confusing, to say the least.

(19:38):
He had missed a practice game against Northcote, and then said he had no definite
plans to play for the season.
Then he said he would play, but not captain, and then accepted the captain's
seat before the first round, without having played or trained with the club.
In his resignation letter, he applied for a clearance to South Warrnambool,
so he could help the players there.

(19:58):
Watson had a dairy farm in Warrnambool, and playing for Sir Kilda meant that
he had to pay someone to milk the cows when he was away.
With £5 a week on offer to Captain Coach Warrnable, the financial position was compelling.
And even an athlete as gifted as Watson was going to have trouble keeping up
to the league pace at his age.
Hawthorne also had a shock for their supporters after round one.

(20:21):
A special committee had decided that unless the club could get more support
from the local community in terms of memberships, they would consider withdrawing from the league.
A membership drive was required to keep the club financially viable.
It was going to be a big week in Hawthorne, and they'd actually won the first game of the season.

(20:42):
Round two was a split round, with a special Monday holiday to celebrate the
silver jubilee of King George V.
Richmond had their first home game of the season, and unfurled their premiership
pennant in front of North Melbourne.
It was a rugged game, and although the Tigers won, they still had not impressed.
North kicked six goals in the
last quarter showing some improvement but still not enough to win a game.

(21:06):
Fitzroy and Collingwood played out a thrilling draw.
The Maroons had taken the lead with the six goal third quarter but the last
term was tense as Collingwood got themselves back in the game.
In the very last moments Hayden Bunton called for a pass from Denny Ryan rather
than letting the lad have a shot.
Bunton missed the pass and the ball went to the other end of the ground.

(21:28):
Collingwood forward Alan Ryan was grabbed around the neck and given a free kick.
But the bell rang, and the crowds invaded the ground.
Some Fitzroy players started congratulating themselves on the win,
while other players crowded the front of the goal.
A mounted trooper cleared a path for Ryan to take his shot, while his teammates
also shepherded the crowd away.

(21:49):
It was chaos, and yet his kick was straight and true.
A goal, a draw, and Ryan carried off the ground on the shoulders of his teammates.
For the second time in two rounds, Collingwood had avoided defeat on the very last kick of the day.
Round four delivered a moment in football history unlikely to be matched.

(22:09):
Many players dream of kicking a goal with their first kick on debut.
Quite a few have kicked two goals in a row, and some have kicked three on the
trot, but Clint Denning, playing his first game for Carlton against South Melbourne,
the team that had played in the last two grand finals.
Did something that no other player has done in all the seasons of the VFL AFL.

(22:30):
Six goals, with his first six kicks.
His first came from a pass from Ron Cooper. Was it because Clem was in a better position?
Or because they worked together as linesmen for the City Council?
Whichever way, it was a day to remember for the boy from Oakley.
Before round five, Footscray announced that Gordon Coventry was taking over as coach.

(22:51):
Albert Morrison resigned as coach, but would continue as captain.
Footscray had been trying to get Coventry as coach for years.
In 1930 they had an outstimnance captain-coach, but Collingwood would not clear
him, and Coventry led the Magpies to another premiership instead.
But now his playing days were over, and Collingwood wished Sid and Footscray

(23:12):
well, even though they were sad to see him leave.
Brother Gordon showed Sid no mercy in the Round 6 game against Footscray,
kicking nine goals to take his career tally to 1,150.
Did Sid appreciate his brother's achievement or regret the weak Bulldog backline?
After round six, the season was

(23:33):
one third complete and Collingwood were undefeated on top of the ladder.
Five wins and one draw. South and Richmond followed on five wins each and then
Carlton and St Kilda on four wins.
Fitzroy, Geelong and St Kilda were still in touch with the top four but Melbourne,
Footscray and Hawthorne only had one win and North were yet to trouble the scorers.

(23:54):
Collingwood had a challenge in their Round 7 game against St Kilda,
but it was not on the field.
Like Geelong in Round 1, the issue was unions calling out the use of non-union labour.
The Liquor and Trades Union alleged non-union barmen were engaged at the Junction
Oval during football games.
Many Collingwood players and coach Jock McHale worked at the CUB brewery and

(24:18):
were members of the Liquor Trades Union and would have to comply with the black
ban on the St Kilda ground, called by the union.
The artist reported that union officials described discussions with the St Kilda
cricket club as far from harmonious.
St Kilda Football Club declared that it would play and it would not consider a change of venue.

(24:40):
Saturday morning brought the sombre news that Collingwood were prepared to forfeit
if a neutral ground could not be used or the dispute not resolved.
However, there was good news that the St Kilda Cricket Club had reached an agreement
due to the threat of forfeit and pressure from football leaguers.
The terms of the agreement were not officially revealed, but it was understood

(25:04):
that Barstar would be union members paid at award rates.
It was an era where union membership was far more prevalent,
and unions took action to protect the rights of their members,
despite the calls from some to keep unionism out of football.
Round 8 saw the next coach to fall.
North Melbourne's Tom Fitzmaurice calling time as coach and captain and player.

(25:28):
While relations with the board were cordial, Tom felt that after taking over
for seven games last season, and eight so far in 1935, without a win,
it was time to give someone else a go.
His playing career had started way back in 1918 with Essendon,
where he won two premierships, but left the club after.
Declaring the controversial 1924 challenge match between VFL Premier's Essendon

(25:52):
and VFA Premier's Footscray was fixed after Essendon lost with accusations of players taking bribes.
He then won the 1925 Premiership with Geelong and kept and coached the Cats
in 1928 before taking a break from the BFL.
He had returned as a player with North in 1932 but had not had any success as

(26:12):
a player or coach at Arden Street. It was a tough time for the club.
Finances were a challenge and the players had to accept the pay cut from £3
a game to £1.10. shillings.
Club secretary Jack Adams said the players accepted the position philosophically.
Former South Melbourne and Footscray player Paddy Scanlon took over as non-playing

(26:34):
coach for the remainder of the season. He would not get much joy.
As June progressed, rumours abounded that one league club had three players
that it would be willing to clear if it was paid.
Nobody said it in print, but clearly North was the club.
Transfer fees were banned by the Coulter Law, that the principle was well known,

(26:54):
given they were standard practice in the English soccer leagues.
There was resistance from those who saw this as yet another step to commercialisation
and turning the game into a business.
It will happen, but officially not yet.
Mid-June, the Victorian team departed on their epic journey to Western Australia,
3,500km on multiple trains, leaving Melbourne on Tuesday afternoon and arriving

(27:21):
in Perth, sick and tired, on Friday morning.
The Vicks had only won one game in the West over 50 years, so the challenge
to the 1935 team was clear.
As the train made its way west, there was time for card games,
singing, gramophone records, and of course, practical jokes.

(27:41):
More than one player woke up with boot polish smeared across their face,
and one jolly character impersonated the train conductor at 2am in the the morning,
rousing many of the party for breakfast.
The Vicks won both games, played on Saturday and Tuesday, before they headed
to Adelaide for a game against South Australia, which they also won.

(28:02):
While in Adelaide, the Victorian side was entertained at a new sport called night cricket.
Four decades and more before Kerry Packer lit up VFL Park and the SCG with a
white ball and coloured clothes, cricketers in Adelaide were playing a version
of the game under electric lights.
The field was smaller and tennis balls were bowled underarm and the scoring

(28:26):
was similar to that used in modern indoor cricket.
It seems to have been popular in South Australia but not sure if it was played elsewhere.
Meanwhile, the regular season progressed as usual. Round 9 saw Collingwood lose
the first game of the season at Carlton.
This would have been news enough, but the other news of the day was a stray
dog that ran onto the field, holding up play until caught by umpire Blackburn after a bit of a chase.

(28:51):
As he was carrying the dog off the ground, it bit him on the hand.
The umpire threw the dog into the crowd and saw out the rest of the game,
occasionally shaking his hand in pain. He earned his money that day.
It was a tough day for everyone. The weather was appalling, with a gale and
rain keeping many at home, listening to the radio, if they had one.

(29:13):
Only 4,000 turned up at Punt Road to see Richmond beat Hawthorne.
55 pounds at the gate was the lowest takings in 22 years. There were other ways
of ending up hurt and sore in 1935.
Carlton's centreman, Ron Cooper, was up in front of the tribunal in June.
He got four weeks, but the president of Carlton, Dave Crone,
thought Cooper had been unfairly treated.

(29:35):
Firstly, in this era, players had no advocates to help them argue their case
or challenge the umpire's evidence.
Adding to this situation was the fact he should not have been appearing at the
tribunal that night anyway. Turn away now if you don't like dental stories.
In the previous week, Cooper had 27 teeth extracted.
14 on the day before the tribunal hearing

(29:57):
no mouth guards in 1935 and a
different era of dental health July saw
one of the football media pioneers finally put
away their pen Reg Wilmot wrote under the nom de plume Old Boy He had written
on the game for 46 years watching it emerge from the early seasons of the BFA
the split and the growth of the BFL with crowds of 5 or 6 thousand at the grand

(30:22):
final booming to over 70,000,
the league presented him with a mahogany box following the precedent set when
Tom Kelinek, better known as Kikoro, retired in 1930.
After 12 rounds, the season was two-thirds complete. South Melbourne were having
another strong season and were on top of the ladder with 11 wins.

(30:43):
Carlton and Collingwood were second and third, both on nine wins and a draw.
Richmond was fourth, struggling compared to previous seasons,
on seven wins, with St Kilda fifth, just on percentage.
It was a more even season than 1934, with Geelong, Fitzroy, Melbourne and Essendon
all close enough that they were still a chance for finals.

(31:03):
If they kept winning games, and a few other results went their way,
the three former VFA clubs, Footscray, Hawthorne and North, again made up the
last three spots, with North yet to get a win.
Radio broadcasting of football was still a developing medium,
but, just as would happen later with the early years of television,
there were fears crowd numbers were being reduced.

(31:26):
Country league officials said many
people prefer to stay home and listen to the vfl
games rather than watching their local team they wanted the vfl to follow the
plan of the victorian cricket association and restrict radio to short progress
reports radio television internet it seems every new communications technology

(31:46):
is going to be the ruin before it turns into a new way to promote
the game, and a revenue stream. But that's all in the future.
An interstate game with South Australia was scheduled for Saturday the 28th of July.
But selecting the best Victorian team was going to be a challenge.
Collingwood and South Melbourne were taking an extended trip to Brisbane and
Sydney to play three promotional games on that bye weekend.

(32:10):
St Kilda and Richmond would be in Tasmania, Essendon and Footscray in Hamilton,
and Melbourne would be travelling up to Swan Hill.
A great opportunity for supporters to see the VFL stars in the flesh in this
pre-TV era, where even promotional film footage was read.
But there were a number of players from these teams who could not get leave
from their jobs, so they would be available to represent the state.

(32:33):
South Melbourne and Collingwood had the furthest to travel.
Some players who had been in the state team that went to Perth and Adelaide
were seeing their country like few others of the time.
Travelling interstate in this era was almost similar in scope and challenge
to travelling internationally today, albeit without the need for passports.
While Collingwood were heading north to Brisbane on the train,
South Melbourne left the Footscray Oval after a six-goal win and after a big

(32:58):
send-off at the North Wharf with the players resplendent in blazers and red and white ties.
They caught the steamship Westrayer to sail to Sydney on the first stage of a huge journey.
The team was thrilled to sail under the Harbour Bridge and two other sites of
Sydney, including catching up with Collingwood boys who had arrived at the train station,

(33:19):
before entertaining a large crowd by training at the SCG, which would eventually
become their home in another five decades.
Collingwood continued by train, while the Swans, water birds of course,
caught the steamer Katoomba and sailed to Brisbane, while some,
like dual-brand-line medalist Ivor Warne-Smith, questioned the value of a mid-season trip,

(33:42):
suggesting that the time away might distract players, taking their minds off
serious football and weakening their grip on the will to win.
Chuck McHale had no doubt it was good for morale and binding the team together.
He'd seen it on the 1927 Tour de Perth, the season that started their four premierships
in a row, and he expected good things from this journey too.

(34:04):
Collingwood won the two games in Brisbane and Newcastle, despite some heavy
nights celebrating before the game.
Percy Ballier said years later, Landon Murphy did all the damage.
The night before we'd been to a dance. I had to help him up the stairs on his return to the hotel.
Then we came down to Newcastle, and Leiter, Albert Collier, had a night out.
He didn't feel too good, and McHale gave me his spot in the ruck.

(34:27):
But the game in Sydney had a Coober's on offer for each player on the winning team.
South Melbourne won that game, and the Magpie players were not happy to miss out on the new hats.
Harry Collier spoke about the trip later, reflecting on how the Collingwood
committee and coach saw it as an opportunity for the team to bond.
Collingwood players could have as much beer, soft drinks and food as they wanted,

(34:49):
while the South Melbourne players on the return train with the Magpies had been
given nothing by their club.
The Collingwood players shared with the Swans.
Collier said, We were all cobbers in those days. But it must have shown the
South Melbourne players how Collingwood was looking after their players.
Their team-focused approach versus the South Melbourne method.
South arrived back in Melbourne suffering injuries, which Swans management blamed

(35:13):
on the rock-hard surfaces in the north where the rain had hardly been seen.
Ivor Warne-Smith pointed out the folly of not taking a boot expert on the trip.
The players were allowed to wear long stops on the field, which resulted in avoidable injuries.
Collingwood players did not suffer similar woes because they had a boot-stutter with them.

(35:35):
The Magpies were being better cared for both on and off the field on this trip.
While South and Collingwood were in Sydney, they were entertained by rugby union officials.
In the same week, a New Zealand Maori rugby union team visited Melbourne,
and the VFL had arranged to allow them to play a rugby union game at Princess
Park, at a very friendly, welcoming reception.

(35:56):
The VFL secretary, Mr Leek McBrien, said they were While he considered the Australian
game superior, he also said.
I'm not sure the AFL still has the same attitude. The Victorians had an easy

(36:20):
win against the South Australian side in front of only 7,800 people on a cold Saturday afternoon.
It did lead some to question the value of interstate football,
when supporters clearly preferred to watch their club matches.
Round 16 saw North finally win their first game since August 1933.
A run of 35 consecutive defeats was broken when the Northerners finished the

(36:45):
game in front after a hard struggle against Footscray.
It was a seven-point win, and the celebrations continued long into the night.
Round 16 also saw South have a comfortable win over Geelong and Bob Crack seven goals.
Nothing unusual there. However, there were no celebrations at South after the game.
Bob Pratt had to get to the All Saints Church in East St Kilda by 7pm,

(37:10):
past the crowd that were gathered outside to watch, to make it to his wedding.
He got there on time, and so did his teammates.
The issue of how to address inequality between the clubs continued to bubble
along in the later part of the season.
There was a suggestion for a limit on the number of players a club could have
on its books. This would free up some players, almost being hoarded by the stronger

(37:32):
clubs, to play for some other teams.
Just as in previous years, the option of pooling game receipts was proposed
only to be knocked down by the bigger clubs, it suggested that the weaker clubs
had to raise themselves.
Hawthorne Secretary, Mr Roberts, made some valid points on why this was not so simple.
Travelling to regional areas to recruit players cost money that Hawthorne did not have.

(37:57):
Even if the strong clubs obeyed the Coulter law, there were additional benefits that they could offer.
Trips away, guarantees of employment, valuable trophies.
So Hawthorne relied on advertising for players and picking up some of those dropped by other clubs.
It would be some time before the Glenferry Oval Club could challenge the bigger teams.

(38:18):
To help their cash-strapped club, Hawthorne players declared they were willing
to play the last three rounds of the season for no pay, as the club worked to financial stability.
And Hawthorne then picked up some wins at the end of the season.
They beat Essendon in round 16, and in an odd game against Geelong in round
17, less than 2,000 Cats supporters came to see the home club.

(38:41):
It was the worst crowd at Corio since the war years.
The home team were listless, and they did not trouble Hawthorne.
They got the four points for the first time ever in Geelong,
but the excursion to Corio cost the club £40 in fares, meals,
equipment, costs and more.
Geelong supporters were obviously not happy with the results of this season

(39:01):
and seemed to have given up on their team.
Round 18 could change the order of the final four, and only an unlikely thrashing
of Collingwood could elevate St Kilda from fifth to fourth. but Collingwood
had a comfortable win and the home and away season petered out.
Hawthorne did manage to beat Fitzroy finishing the season with three wins in

(39:23):
a row the first time they'd managed that since joining the BFL.
Although the players had chosen to play for nothing a special fundraising effort
after the season allowed the club to pay that debt at the AGM and set the club
up to start 1936 in credit.
Maybe things were looking up for Hawthorne.
St Kilda took the almost-us award for just missing out on the finals,

(39:44):
finishing 5th a game and percentage behind the Tigers.
Frustrating for the Saints, but their first season under new coach Dan Minogue
was their best since 1929, so hope for the future perhaps.
North had the wooden spoon. One win was better than none the previous year,
but still a tough era for Arden Street.

(40:05):
South had finished on top, a game clear from their travelling companions Collingwood,
then Carlton, then Richmond were four.
The top four had not changed since round 12.
On the Wednesday after the season finished, the umpires committee counted the
Brownlow medal boats and for the third time in five seasons,
Fitzroy Hayden Button won the medal, the first triple Brownlow medalist.

(40:26):
And he had been runner-up by one boat in 1934.
Despite being the recipient of the umpires boats for this now high-profile award,
Button was critical of the boating system. him.
He pointed out that since the inception of the Brownlow in 1924,
all but two of the winners had been men playing around the centre.
He wondered why forwards like Pratt or Coventry or some of the top full-backs

(40:48):
did not receive more votes.
He proposed a representative from each club be delegated to assign votes,
with a representative from the umpire's board if necessary.
Bunton may be surprised to hear that midfielders are still topping the votes,
and every year people question whether umpires should be awarding Brownlow votes.
Some things seem destined never to change.

(41:11):
Bunton was more than just a champion footballer. He was also an accomplished
cricketer, who had rubbed shoulders with some of the best of the game.
In 1927, he took part in the Country Cricket Week in Sydney,
with Stan McCabe in the country team, playing St.
George who had a fellow called Bradman in their team.
On another occasion, Bunton opened the batting for the NSW country against the

(41:34):
visiting English side, with fast bowler Harold Barwood in the attack,
possibly not yet employing the infamous body line tactics in that tour game.
The first semi-final was between 3rd place Carlton and 4th place Richmond.
The previews for the game favoured the Blues, but also noted the 15-year hoodoo
the Tigers had over the Blues in finals. The last time Carlton beat Richmond in a final was 1920.

(41:58):
While the Blues had been regular finals guests, their last premiership had been
way back in the war year of 1915.
The Tigers had played in seven of the last eight grand finals for two premierships,
so they knew their way around this time of year.
Both teams had won at home in their two games during the season,
but it was thought Carlton were the fresher, younger team, and Richmond were

(42:20):
carrying veterans of past successful campaigns.
Just under 50,000 were at the MCG. Before the game started, players were lined
up and introduced to the Governor of Victoria, a ceremony that was accorded
more honour and prestige than it would today.
Then the toss of the coin, won by Richmond captain coach Percy Bentley,
and the Tigers were kicking to the punt road end.

(42:43):
If the Blues were expecting a physical, clashing, battering type of game from
Richmond, they were very much mistaken. As explained in the Monday Age,
the Tigers had a complete strategy in place as per the following points.
1. Keith Shea, Carlton's champion centerman, to be hemmed in and bustled as much as possible.

(43:04):
2. Charlie Davey, Carlton's outstanding aerialist, to be spoiled on every occasion. 3.
Richmond's Horace Tubby Edmonds, to remain near the boundary line,
keeping the dashing Eric Huxtable near the boundary line too.
In some ways, this was the opposite role for Tubby Edmonds from the 1929 Grand
Final, where he played for Collingwood and kicked five goals,

(43:26):
when Gordon Coventry acted as the decoy. Step 4.
Skinny Jack Titus to draw Carlton's full-back, Frank Gill, forward as often
as possible to allow resting Rovers Harris and Martin to whip him behind to
become the focus of attack.
5. Morris Sheehan to punch them all away from soapy balance.

(43:46):
6. Fred Hefner to carry out a special, heavy, bustling job in the ruck. And 7.
Gordon Strain to mark everything at half-back. He took 21 marks for the game.
And finally, every man to stick as close as possible to their man to offset
Carlton's brilliant groundwork.
Whether forward in the age of being given a special briefing by a Tiger official,

(44:09):
or maybe he picked up a cocky complaint in the change room after the game or
perhaps this was just his analysis of how the game unfolded.
In any event, Halton were left floundering for much of the game.
A six goal advantage at half time was held through an even third quarter.
The Blues did narrow the gap a little in the last stanza but it was a four goal

(44:30):
win to the Tigers to send them through to the preliminary final and leave the
Blues wondering yet again when were they going to break the finals hoodoo against Richmond?
I can give you a hint, it will be a long time and then it will be spectacular
but that's for another episode,
far into the future The second semi-final was
eagerly anticipated South and Collingwood had been

(44:53):
the best two teams all season South Melbourne's training was hampered with the
centre wicket area roped off in preparation for the approaching cricket season
This could have ended badly for one player who narrowly missed falling onto
one of the iron stakes holding the rope when he ran back for a mark.
Pratt appeared late, and there

(45:13):
were concerns for the ankle he'd twisted at Tuesday night's training.
The ankle originally injured on that northern trip with hard grounds and no boot stutter.
He appeared on the ground well after five o'clock, to enthusiastic cheers from
the large crowd of supporters.
He trained well, but did not attempt any high marks. Meanwhile,
at Victoria Park, another large crowd watched the magpies go through their paces.

(45:37):
John McHale provided this overview to the press. We have a well-balanced side
of young players who will be all out for Collingwood.
Their form is as good as it has been at any stage in this season.
The Herald's Friday night preview had South favoured to win.
The loss of magpie ruckman Leo Murphy to a shoulder injury was a factor in that analysis.

(45:58):
However, South were without their brilliant wingman, Matthews.
53,800 people were at the MCG for the second semi, almost the same number that
saw the 1934 semi between these two rivals.
It was a chance to see two of the best full forwards matched with two of the leading full backs.
The youngster Pratt against Regan and the veteran Gordon Coventry against Ron Hillis.

(46:21):
The ground had looked in perfect condition on Friday, but a severe hailstorm
had bucketed the city and soaked the oval.
The curtain raiser had made things worse and it was treacherous underfoot in many places.
Sawdust was spread across some of the muddied use patches in an attempt to improve
grip. if Collingwood got away to a strong start in the first quarter in what

(46:42):
the age described as their best 12 minutes of the entire game.
Had three goals on the board, generating cheers from their supporters and anxiety
for South Melbourne fans. But then the game changed.
Collingwood began to fumble, and South Melbourne players began to connect,
allowing them to get the next three goals and finish the quarter two points up.

(47:03):
In the second quarter, Hatt got two goals to bring up his century for the season.
Collingwood were competitive, but wasting shots, scoring behind that should
have been goals. At the long break, South were a goal up.
In the second half, South Melbourne were able to take advantage of the drying
ground, using their pace and high marking to break away from Collingwood.

(47:23):
The momentum was heading their way, and they went to the last break,
ahead 12 goals 9 to Collingwood 9 goals 13.
The Magpies needed three goals to take the lead in the final quarter.
They switched players around and made every effort to get back in the game.
But South Melbourne full-back Ron Hillis seemed impassable.
He turned back four separate attacks on his own, and it became a comfortable

(47:46):
four-goal win for South Melbourne.
They were into their third grand final in a row, while Collingwood had to take
on their other main rivals from this era, Richmond, in the preliminary final.
In the ninth season since 1927, Richmond and Collingwood had faced each other
in three grand finals, a semi-final, and now a preliminary final.

(48:08):
They were familiar foes, but Richmond would not be able to train at their familiar home ground.
Punt Road had been claimed by the cricketers who were top dressing the ground
and the team had to train at Olympic Park.
The football club were not happy tenants at Punt Road and there was talk of
a move to Olympic Park full time.
In addition to a higher percentage of gate takings the Olympic Park often included

(48:33):
a share of broadcasting rights bar, suites and advertising,
all taken for granted in the modern era all held by the Ground Management Association
on most grounds at that time.
Tigers would take an unchanged team into the preliminary final.
Captain coach Percy Bentley told the press, I feel very confident Richmond will win.
The team has never shown better form at the end of the season than at present,

(48:57):
and every man is at his top.
Collingwood managed to beat us when we last met, thanks to a lucky goal and
our bad kicking, but we intend to avenge that defeat tomorrow.
At Victoria Park, supporters were pleased to see Ruckman Len Murphy out on the
field, ready to take his place back in the team after missing the semi-final.
A young Ron Todd paid the price for his inaccuracy in the semi against South

(49:22):
and was dropped for a member of a famous Collingwood family.
Albie Panham, son of the legendary Charlie Panham who played in three Collingwood
Premierships their first in the VFA and their first two in the VFL as well as
captaining the Magpies in 1905 Charlie had also played for Richmond for two
seasons They were last in the VFA and the first in the VFL,

(49:45):
as well as coaching the Tigers in 1912.
Despite the potential for divided loyalties, the Panhams' heart were with Collingwood.
Albie Panham's nephews were Lou
and Ron Richards, providing a third generation of players for the club.
The Tigers' emphatic win over Carlton made them favourites according to many
supporters and in Horry Clover's preview in the Herald.

(50:07):
46,000 were at the game. Not sure if the players followed the recommendation of Dr.
Jacob Jonah, Hawthorne's president and a former South Australian player.
He suggested eating a half a pound of underdone steak and drinking a glass of
beer for lunch before a game.
I doubt any of our modern era players would follow that advice.

(50:28):
Game was played in fine conditions. Collingwood supporters were given reason
to be anxious in the first quarter when Ruckman Len Murphy, just returned to
the team after injury, was crunched again and his shoulder was no good.
He was replaced by the 19th man Charlie Dibbs who went to full back and Jack
Regan moved to centre half back.
It may not have been the team the selectors had planned but it actually worked

(50:50):
out well for the Magpies.
Regan was beating Jack Dyer at half forward, and Dibbs was keeping Jack Titus under control.
Choking off Richmond's supply of gobbles, Collingwood had the famous machine-like
efficiency on display, and the Tigers were struggling to keep up.
Although the Magpies were clearly playing the better football,
it was still a close game at half-time.

(51:11):
The Tigers were actually three points up, but the second half belonged to Collingwood.
Perhaps it was the weight of history. When the Magpies won their famous four
premierships in a a row between 1927 and 30, they beat the Tigers in three grand
final and one preliminary final.
Now in 1935, another preliminary final and the Magpies were on top again,

(51:34):
running out with a five-goal win.
The grand final would be between South Melbourne and Collingwood.
The top two teams of the year would be playing each other for an incredible
seventh time this season.
Two home and Newcastle and Sydney, two wins for the Magpies and one for South,

(51:55):
and the second semi-final, won by South Melbourne.
One season, six games already, three wins each.
Who would win the all-important seventh decider in the grand final?
South were favoured by many, before one of the biggest dramas in the history
of the league unfolded on the Thursday before the game.

(52:18):
That afternoon, Collingwood captain Harry Collier was walking along Hoddle Street.
A passerby asked him how Collingwood would go on Saturday.
Collier, perhaps thinking of Pratt's well-publicised ankle injury after that
trip north without a bootstutter, said, if Prattie wasn't in that bloody side, I think we'd win.
Earlier that afternoon, an extraordinary incident occurred just before 2pm.

(52:43):
Bob Pratt was walking to Boarded Tram on High Street Parade when he was hit
by a truck carrying bricks.
It was a glancing blow that sent
him flying to the footpath with cuts and injuries to a thumb and ankle.
Placing things into perspective, by comparison to dramatic events happening
elsewhere in the planet, the South Melbourne Emerald Hill Record said,

(53:04):
quote, The initial attack of the inhabitants of Dawa by Mussolini's invading
army could not have occasioned Emperor Haile Shalazi with a greater shock.
Than that received by South Melbourne football club officials and players when
they learned on Thursday afternoon through the press that Bob Pratt,

(53:25):
the crack goal kicker, had been injured in a collision with a motor truck.
End quote. Because an injury to a football player in Melbourne is the equivalent
of a European power invading another country, according to the newspapers.
On Friday evening, all was looking good, according to South Melbourne officials.
Officials either blinded by deluded

(53:47):
optimism or in an attempt to keep supporters and players spirits up.
Club secretary Dick Mullane visited the injured man and said Pratt has had a
wonderful escape he's not too bad and he will probably have a tryout Saturday morning.
Pratt was named in the team and everyone except Bob Pratt slept comfortably

(54:08):
on Thursday and Friday night.
The driver of the truck was a South Melbourne supporter, who must have felt terrible.
He visited Pratt, bringing him a packet of cigarettes, as he did in those days.
The optimism of South officials was not rewarded. Pratt listened to the game
on the radio, smoking the cigarettes, and maybe wondering how he might have played if he was fit.

(54:31):
Obviously, such an incident just before a grand final has generated all sorts
of rumours and conspiracy theories.
Years later, Pratt himself suggested that the infamous gangster,
Squeezy Taylor, was behind the scheme to take him out of the grand final.
The problem with that theory was that Squeezy had been killed in a shootout
in 1927, so unlikely to have been involved.

(54:55):
While South were considered favourites by many, Collingwood secretary Bob Rush
was confident Collingwood would win, but he expressed it in such a way that
it was almost a compliment to the Swans, by saying.
South Melbourne will have been the best team that ever missed out on a Premiership.
Jacques Lecaille would once again be coaching Collingwood in his 13th Grand Final.

(55:16):
But he had a new captain, Harry Collier, who, with four Premierships and five
Grand Finals, had more than enough experience in these type of games to take over from Sid Coventry.
Jacques Bissett would be leading South Melbourne for the third Grand Final in
a row and they would be joined by the very experienced umpire,
Robert Scott, for an extraordinary seventh grand final, which,

(55:39):
at this time, left him second only to Jack Elder's 10.
He had not umpired any of the finals this season, but he was chosen by the umpires
committee for the biggest game of the season.
54,000 were at the game, the smallest crowd since 1930.
The curtain raisers saw Melbourne win another reserves premiership,
beating Geelong by four goals.

(55:59):
It was the fifth reserves premiership in a row for Melbourne,
and their seniors had won won eight games this season.
Was something developing at
that club? South won the toss and the game began with some hard clashes.
The Sporting Globe called it a gruelling initiation, replete with hard knocks,
doubtful and otherwise.
And all were on tiptoes, not knowing when the next outbreak would occur.

(56:23):
The Swans scored the first two goals before Albie Padham's free kick on an acute
angle on the boundary line went through the middle.
A quick answer back from South with a long kick by Frank Davies got South out to a 15-point lead.
But it could have been more. The bell for the first break saw South Melbourne
3 goals 6-24 to Collingwood 1-3-9.

(56:46):
Would South regret that earlier inaccuracy?
Collingwood had looked like they were coming back into the game late in the
first quarter, but it was South that were doing the attacking at the start of
the second stanza, yet not converting
their efforts to goals as the game progressed. So did the rough play.
Collingwood were capitalising, getting goals on the board and taking the lead

(57:08):
when there was what some described as five hectic minutes of play.
Players were knocked over.
Fists flew. The game was halted while two boundary umpires ran to three players
who'd been throwing punches at each other after a Collingwood player had been
tossed over the back of a South man.
Collingwood seemed to be at home when the playing was hard, while South seemed

(57:29):
more rattled when when they tried to play the man and knock the ball.
The Magpies went into the long break with a 10-point lead, and perhaps the momentum.
A young Fonz Kine, as a teenager, playing in his second season,
had been one of the better players.
At the start of the third quarter, it looked like Collingwood would continue
their run, with wingman Leo Morgan weaving through the pack and sending a long

(57:53):
kick into veteran Gordon Coventry.
Like so many times through his career, it was mark and goal.
South were not out of the game though. Goals to Denny Keller and Roy Moore reduced
the gap to four points, and the Swan supporters were in full voice encouraging their team on.
Bob Pratt must have been working through that pack of cigarettes as he listened on the radio.

(58:15):
During the third quarter, South Melbourne coach Jack Bissett and Collingwood's
Albert Collier had a violent collision, giving Bissett the most severe knock of his career.
Players rushed to the scene and there was more pushing and shoving before the
umpires could settle things down.
But Bissett was out, taken from the ground and sent to hospital where x-rays
would reveal a fractured skull.

(58:37):
South were now without Pratt and their captain coach.
Brighton Diggins took over the leadership role. As the players rested for the
last time for the season, Collingwood led 8 goals 10 to South, 6 goals 10.
The players returned to their positions for the start of the last quarter.
Many were bruised and battered from what had been a brutal game,

(58:58):
even by the standards of the time. Thank you.
South seemed to be making the effort required to regain the lead,
but their accuracy was hurting them.
What hurt even more was the Magpie captain, Harry Collier, stamping his authority
on the game, in what was seen by many as a pivotal moment.
40 yards out from goal, with a free kick, and the eyes of all 54,000 spectators on him.

(59:22):
He took a few steps, kicked, and saw the goal umpire put up two fingers for the goal.
The lead was now 19 points. But the game was not done yet.
In fact, a few minutes later, Swans veteran Terry Brain passed the ball to their
19th man, Roy McKetchin, on the ground for Bissett.
It was only his 14th game, but he kept his cool and scored the much-needed goal.

(59:46):
It became a scramble of a game. South were having shots, but only scoring behinds.
Collingwood's veteran, Charlie Dibbs, was knocked out in another clash, carried off the ground.
Replacing him was Collingwood's 19th man, Keith Stackpole, father of Australian
test cricketer of the 1960s and 70s, also named Keith Stackpole.

(01:00:07):
Having come on halfway through the last quarter, Stackpole had fresh legs and
no bruises and scored a valuable goal for the Magpies. Almost a sealer.
The ball went back down to South Melbourne's forward line, but they were not
able to convert. And another forward push for Collingwood saw Albie Panham,
another of the new generation Magpies, kick the goal that absolutely put the game beyond challenge.

(01:00:33):
The bell finally rang to finish the fight, I mean the game.
Collingwood, 11 goals, 12, 78. To a gallant but inaccurate South Melbourne, 7 goals, 16, 58.
23 scoring shots each but a 20 point win to the Magpies for their 10th VFL Premiership
and their 11th overall It was the 39th anniversary of that famous 1896 VFA Premiership

(01:00:58):
match won by Collingwood against South Melbourne the year before the breakaway VFL formed.
The Collingwood change rooms were the usual chaotic joyful affairs with congratulatory
speeches from the VFL President South Melbourne's Archie Crofts and club officials.
But Backman, Charlie Dibbs, had no idea what was going on.

(01:01:18):
Carried off halfway through the last quarter, stretched out on a table,
ignoring the celebrations.
Was the last to leave the ribs, concussed and groggy, taken home in a taxi by his wife.
He was incapacitated for a month afterwards, and family members say he was never the same.
He never played for Collingwood again. A career of 216 games,

(01:01:40):
entered in a premiership which he could not remember.
Some in the family blamed the concussion for the illness which ended his life in 1960.
Given what we've learned about
concussion in recent years, there may be something to those suspicions.
Jack Bissett was admitted to the Prince Henry Hospital, unable to recall any
events after his collision with Albert Collier.

(01:02:02):
On the Sunday morning after the game, he asked a nurse, who won?
The extent of his injury was such that he would spend a month in hospital,
only receiving visitors after three weeks of rest.
Even when he was released from hospital, he had to refrain from work for three months.
I wonder if Archie Crofts paid sick leave? We should also note the retirement

(01:02:25):
of umpire Bob Scott after 21 years of service, 156 games, 19 finals and 7 grand finals.
Bob was hanging up the whistle at the very last time. Collingwood were ready
to celebrate their win, and celebrate they did.
The last premiership had been all of five years ago, an eternity as far as some

(01:02:46):
magpies were concerned. sand.
Chuck McHale would be enjoying this more than the last grand final.
In 1930, he was home in bed with the flu.
Players and supporters made their way back to Victoria Park,
and as the evening wore on, a piano was taken out to the middle of the Oval
to accompany the celebrations.
More celebrations on Sunday night saw Captain Harry Collier and half-backman

(01:03:08):
Harold Rumney, plus their wives and Collier's twin brothers,
all squeezed into his car, heading away from Victoria Park, up Studley Park
Road, Collier lost control of his car.
Potential tragedy turned to comedy. The car ran into the front gate of Raheem,
then home of Catholic Archbishop Daniel Mannix.

(01:03:29):
Nobody heard. Collier took off. But he left his bumper bar wedged in the gate,
or the fence, depending on which version of the story you read.
Collier had to front up to Kew Police Station to collect the bumper bar,
but perhaps worse, he had to go and apologise to Mannix. enduring the visit
to the Stern Archbishop, when unlike many of his teammates, he wasn't even Catholic.

(01:03:52):
But you get away with a lot when you're the captain of a premiership team.
When the grand finalists announced their best and fairest winners for the season,
Albert Collier taking the Copeland Trophy, while fullback Ron Helles won South's award.
Bob Pratt had kicked over 100 goals in 1935 and 150 in 1934 and not won a best

(01:04:12):
and fairest in either ear.
When he asked the committee why, he was told, quote, You're very spectacular, but not very effective.
And, you've won a lot, you can't have everything, end quote. Harsh criticism.
Pat might have been effective enough to win the Premiership for the Swans if
he was fit to play, but we'll never know, and that still might not have been

(01:04:33):
enough to satisfy some on the South Committee.
The start of November brings the Spring Racing Carnival to Melbourne,
and, by coincidence, was also
the date for the regular conference of the Australian Football Council.
A regular proposal to enact an order of rule was, once again,
rejected. The South Australian delegates spoke on the existential threat to

(01:04:54):
the game there from betting shops.
There were 150 betting shops in Adelaide and on every Saturday more than 100
young men attended each one.
The impact on football games was noticeable.
Fortunately, gambling is no longer an issue for the Mothman game.
The VFL did try to have the boundary rule changed to revert to the throwing

(01:05:14):
used up to 1924, but this was defeated by the other states.
The remainder of the year saw some reformed groups challenge committees at clubs,
and there was regular publicity about league players getting married.
And, on a more serious note, the Richmond Football Club made it clear that unless
the cricket club provided a better offer, they would seek the approval of the

(01:05:37):
league and members to move to Olympic Park.
Punt Road's future was in peril. The other topic of conversation was whether
clubs should allow schoolboy games as curtain races rather than baseball games,
which had been the tradition.
Reserves matches were played at the opposite grounds to the seniors,
as many players worked on Saturday mornings, so having reserves kick the dew

(01:06:00):
off the ground on Saturday was not an option.
Collingwood had already moved to schoolboy games, but clubs needed permission
from local councils, which were not always supported.
Hawthorne City Council opposed the request, saying that schoolboy games on Glenferry
Oval before league games would be encouraging undesirable forms of hero worship.

(01:06:23):
A more positive note for the football and cricket following public was the announcement
by the Melbourne Cricket Club that £100,000 was to be spent on the new southern
stand, increasing the ground capacity to 100,000.
It would be a double-decker concrete stand built along the lines of American
football stands, with the big difference that it would be curved rather than straight.

(01:06:47):
The use of asbestos sheeting on the roof did not seem to cause any concern.
On that optimistic note, notwithstanding the use of asbestos, we will leave 1935.
Collingwood were once again premiers, Richmond were still in dispute over their
home ground, and clubs were appointing coaches looking for success in 1936,

(01:07:07):
the 40th season of the VFL.
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(01:07:28):
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