Episode 40 1936 Never on a Sunday

Abdications, invasions, Olympics and Grand Finals but some people in 1936 were more worried about all night trams and football being played on a Sunday. It was the VFL’s 40th Season with Richmond’s Punt Rd home ground the centre of an extraordinary dispute that might bankrupt every club and the league. One of the most infamous tribunal hearings will result in a champion missing a Grand Final and decades of fake news. One club takes on a new nickname as part of their rise to success. Another big season in the VFL.

Join us as we recount the dramatic and eventful year of 1936 in VFL history, a year that shaped the future of Australian football and reflected the broader societal changes of the time.

Episode Transcript

(00:03):
Hello, and welcome to Grand Final History. In this episode, we go back to 1936,
the 40th season of the VFL.
Before we get into the footy, let's have a look at what else was going on in
Melbourne, Australia, and around the world in 1936.
The news that supporters would have looked at after checking out the sports
section of their newspapers.

(00:25):
1936 was an Olympic year. Berlin, home to the Nazi regime, was hosting the Games.
It was the first year of the Olympic Court Relay and another demonstration of
the power of sport to bring people together in peace and harmony so that war would be forgotten.
Well, it was a big sporting event. Australia only won a single bronze medal in the triple jump.

(00:50):
It was noted that Australian athletes needed more time and resources to train
at a world-class level, a comment that might be heard again after any Olympic Games.
Perhaps the biggest story of the year, in both politics and gossip,
involved the royal family.
In this era, the monarch was a respected figure, and the average family felt

(01:14):
a much closer allegiance to the king and queen than most of us in the modern era.
So the death of King George V in January was sad, solemn news.
His eldest son became King Edward VIII. But before his coronation,
his ongoing relationship with the American divorcee, Wallace Simpson, became a scandal.

(01:39):
Would Edward marry Wallace? Could a divorced American become Queen?
By December, Edward abdicated in favour of his younger brother, who became George VI.
And Edward and Wallace moved to France to become husband and wife in permanent exile from England.
While the royal family had some issues, some people in Melbourne were worried

(02:03):
about all manner of problems, which don't seem to cause as much stress in the modern era.
The Council of Churches, met in October, and amongst other things,
declared all night trams evil, Evil, because dancing for young people could
go on all night, destroying the very fabric of society.
Nor was there any need for trams or trains on Sundays,

(02:28):
with the especially evil family ticket, which made it easy for an entire family
to go from one place to another for purposes other than observing the Sabbath.
Gambling was attacked as well as the unlicensed sale of contraceptives,
Advertising on the radio on Sundays was wrong, as was any attempt to halt sporting events.

(02:50):
Different times for some in 1936.
September 1936 saw the death at Hobart Zoo of the last thylacine,
or Tasmanian tiger, which left the field open for the Tasmanian devil to become
the mascot for a future Tasmanian football team.
As we look at each year, we try to identify an innovation that is still in use today.

(03:13):
1936 saw a patent granted to Mr.
Henry Phillips in the USA for
a new cross-recessed screw and the new screwdriver needed to make it work.
That was the birth of the Phillips head screw and screwdriver.
But some 1936 technology would not continue into the modern day.

(03:33):
International passenger flight was pioneered by airships but the Hindenburg
disaster in May saw 35 people killed when it caught fire.
Passenger airships never recovered from that setback. In political affairs,
1936 saw Italy complete its occupation of Ethiopia and the start of the Spanish

(03:54):
Civil War, while Mussolini described the alliance between Germany and Italy as an axis.
In December, Chinese nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek declared war on Japan.
It was a troubled year, with worse to come. So let's leave all of that and focus on the free.

(04:15):
As we covered in the last episode, Richmond were seriously looking for a new home.
They had not been able to come to terms with their landlords,
the Richmond Cricket Club, and were actively focused on a more attractive proposal
from the Olympic Park ground, located where the Amy Stadium for Rugby and Soccer now stands.
Formerly known as the Motodrome, where they hosted car races on an embankment,

(04:38):
the ground now hosted many sporting activities, including
some VFL games by Melbourne a few years earlier when the MCG was getting special
top pressing for the Ashes series and there had been a number of practice matches
held there including the first ever night game between two league clubs South
Melbourne and Richmond in 1935.

(04:59):
The ground was controlled by a company called Melbourne Carnivals part of the
business empire of colourful racing identity John Wren. In January,
the cricket club made a new offer, but it was still not good enough for the Tigers.
The Government Lands Minister was involved and inspected both Pump Road and Olympic Park.
He deferred any decision until the VFL had considered the matter.

(05:22):
The VFL constitution had a clause that clubs would only play on grounds approved
by the league, so the Tigers had to put the request to the league.
At a February meeting, after animated discussions that stretched past midnight.
The delegates were tied, 12 votes each, for and against.
The League President, Dr. Miller-Clellan, voted against the proposal.

(05:47):
The chairs decided to vote following tradition to maintain the status quo when
delegates were evenly divided.
The no votes by 12 delegates were in two main camps.
Those who thought it was unwise for a League club to commit its future to a
ground controlled by a private business, and those who wanted to prevent an

(06:08):
already strong club getting a further advantage.
Despite the grumbling by some and suggestions for more action at future delegates' meetings,
Veterans Committee accepted the decision and began to work with the cricket
club to implement proposed upgrades, including an extension to the stand,
additional change rooms for the schoolboy games, improved toilets and so on.

(06:31):
It was expected the ground would hold between 50,000 to 60,000 people.
In a sign of changing times and changing facilities, the redevelopment of Punt
Road, announced in 2024, provided capacity for 8,000 spectators.
But the Tigers men's team, of course, had switched to the MCG in 1967 for their league game.

(06:52):
So that should have been the end of the disruption for the Tigers at their now
confirmed Punt Road home.
Except it wasn't. In late March, a legal writ was lodged against the Richmond
Cricket Club by a Mr David Joseph Murphy,
a Richmond City Councillor, alleging that the original grant of land to the

(07:13):
Richmond Cricket Club gave no pound to the club to charge admission. mission.
The ground was a reserve for the use of the people who should have free access,
more than a few football and cricket clubs and leagues and associations.
I began wondering, if this was upheld, would their clubs also be impacted?

(07:34):
So there was an interesting legal case being applied for by a Richmond City
Councillor, and the next stage would be sorted out in front of a judge in the
Supreme Except, that wasn't what happened.
At the Richmond Hawthorne game on the 30th of May, about 20 people succeeded
in pushing past the gatekeepers at Punt Road, claiming they had the right of free entry.

(07:56):
Others spent their time blocking their turnstiles, stopping supporters entering the ground.
Despite many more police being present than there would be at a normal game,
the officer in charge, Inspector Cornish, said their role was to keep the peace
and they would not make an attempt to stop the protesters.
The campaign to enter the ground was being led by a certain Mr.

(08:20):
Kreutzer on behalf of the North Richmond Defence League.
Despite some tension, no violence occurred. While all the action was occurring
at Punt Road, all grounds were concerned they would be caught up if the right
to free admission was granted.
It was pointed out that the issue could expand to tennis clubs,
golf clubs, swimming pools and more.

(08:41):
The Ground Management Association convened a special meeting in early June and
there were calls for special legislation to resolve the issue.
The Tigers' next home game was the 13th of June against Essendon.
Again, a cohort of organised agitators blocked the turnstiles and tried to push past gatekeepers.

(09:02):
Some gained free admission, but enraged many of the paying supporters,
resulting in a number of skirmishes and exchange of insults.
Police were on hand if real violence seemed imminent.
One enterprising Richmond official took the opportunity to sell membership tickets,
highlighting the savings from a season's ticket. Second, protest organisers

(09:23):
estimated that 1,000 people got in for free.
There was talk of shifting the club's next home game against South Melbourne
to the vacant MCG, but the league delegates meeting required a 75% majority,
and some did not want to show weakness in the face of this challenge.
So again, on the 27th of June round nine game against South Melbourne,

(09:46):
the scenes from the previous weeks were repeated, and a large crowd forced their
way into the ground at half-time.
As the situation became willing, and several men had fallen in the crush,
a mounted policeman rode into the crowd to stem the flame.
In what might be seen by some as a friendly offer, or perhaps opportunistic,

(10:07):
the management company for Olympic Park, Melbourne Carnivals,
sent a letter to Richmond, offering the Olympic Park ground free for the remainder of the season,
with the condition that when the Tigers had taken its fair portion of gate takings,
that the remainder be split between Hawthorne, North Melbourne and Footscray,
to help those clubs set themselves up with a few shillings in the bank. A generous offer.

(10:33):
Perhaps too generous. It was not taken up.
In early July, the situation was being discussed by the State Cabinet, but no action was taken.
Instead, the issue was to be decided in the Supreme Court.
This move satisfied those leading the campaign, and no attempt was made to crash
the gates at the next Richmond home game.

(10:53):
But, the League delegates decided that the situation was not sustainable,
and on Friday 24th of July,
the league voted that any future Richmond home games must be transferred to
another ground until Punt Road was made acceptable to the league.
The court action was heard by Mr Justice McFarlane in the Supreme Court on the 30th of July.

(11:17):
He quickly refused the injunction to stop the Richmond Cricket Club charging
admission and that ended the campaign for free admission. mission.
So, how did the whole affair get to this point?
You might think Councillor Murphy was just leading a group of concerned citizens
who wanted to exercise their right to have recreation on land granted to the community.

(11:41):
But it seems that it was not really a community affair.
Nowadays, there is a term called astroturfing to describe fake grassroots campaigns
to influence public opinion to the benefit of a commercial entity.
AstroTurf had not been invented in 1936 but there was a private business that
would have benefited if Richmond Football Club had decided playing at Punt Road

(12:05):
was getting too hard perhaps the North Richmond Defence League was not such
a grassroots campaign after all Percy Lennox,
the secretary of the Richmond Cricket Club filed an affidavit to the court that
identified colourful racing identity John Wren one of the owners of the Melbourne
Carnivals which managed Gullaby Park as the man behind the whole campaign.

(12:30):
Wren and his associate, Richard Blaine, organised the campaign and paid the
participants if they managed to get into Punt Road.
But it all came to naught. The Tigers would stay at Punt Road.
Cricket clubs could continue to charge admission, which was shared with football
clubs, even though the split was not enough for the football clubs,
but that's another issue. and the entire financial structure of the clubs and the league was safe.

(12:56):
For now, while on issues relating to grounds, 1936 was the year the southern
stand was built at the MCG.
It would not be completely finished by the end of the season,
but enough work was done to provide significantly more capacity by the time the finals started.
1936 saw four out of the 12 clubs appoint new coaches, a lower number than usual

(13:19):
for the era, Essendon appointed former Richmond player Jack Baggett as their playing coach.
Jack had a long career at Richmond, joining in 1927 and suffering three grand
final losses in a row to Collingwood before tasting success in 1932 and 1935.
He was given a clearance by the Tigers as a mark of respect for his service

(13:40):
as he took on this new responsibility at the Dons.
Fitzroy continued to rotate through coaches and this season they appointed champion
Hayden Button to the role.
He had won three Browner medals. Could he be the one to get the club into the finals?
Geelong looked to former Collingwood champion defender Charlie Dibbs to be playing coach.

(14:01):
He'd won five premierships at the Magpies but couldn't remember the 1935 Grand
Final after a severe concussion.
The Cats hoped some of the magpie's success would travel down the Geelong Road with dibs.
A job had been arranged at Geelong, and Collingwood were also happy to clear their former champion.
At North Melbourne, Paddy Scanlon had taken over during the 1935 season when

(14:24):
Tom Fitzmaurice resigned mid-season.
Paddy was appointed to take on the Northerners for the entire season.
This meant three former McHale players had coaching roles, Dan Benoeg at St
Kilda, Sid Coventry at Footscray and Dibs at Geelong.
Regardless of the era, successful coaches will see many of their former players
appointed as clubs try to gain some of that success.

(14:47):
South Melbourne had advertised their coaching role. After Bissett's terrible
concussion in the 1935 Grand Final, it was not clear if he would play again.
Brighton Diggins applied for the role. But despite being popular with the players,
and having previously been told the job of captain coach was his when Bissett retired, he missed out.

(15:08):
Bissett decided to play on for one more year, and he was reappointed.
It would have been extraordinary for the club not to reappoint Bissett after
three grand finals in a row, but Diggins would have been disappointed and things
would get awkward in the next season. But that's for another episode.
On the topic of successful coaches, Frank Checker-Hughes had lived the Tigers

(15:28):
after finally winning his first premiership in 1932.
Seasons 33 to 35 had not delivered great results at senior level,
but Melbourne had won numerous reserve premierships and things were improving.
In an April Sporting Globe article, cycle, Shekhar coined the phrase,
Beware the Red Demons, and the club, formerly known as the Fuchsias,

(15:51):
hardly the most inspiring nickname,
began to be called the Red Demons, which would soon be shortened to the Demons,
the mascot still used today.
Still on the topic of coaches, the Sporting Globe got a real scoop when they
got a long interview with John McHale.
Normally reticent to speak to the press, McHale provided a clear summary of his approach.

(16:14):
And, in contrast to the media speak of the modern era, he made it clear that
Collingwood were expecting to win the 1936 Premiership, no taking it one week at a time for the job.
He made it crystal clear that success comes from a club approach,
rather than focusing on a few stars. Success needed the players on the ground

(16:34):
and the administration all with one single focus.
Approaching 1936, having lost established players like Charlie Dibbs or Copeland
medalist Harold Rumney, McHale focused on the young players that would be looking
to fill their place in the machine.
A machine built on determination and efficiency, reinforced by an atmosphere

(16:55):
of tradition, making the players proud to wear the black and white uniform.
The club had a simple system, first developed on a trip to Tasmania in 1903
when Dick Condon developed the stat pass.
Generations on, it still worked. As McHale said in the interview,
accurate stat passes on the run to leading players, moving the game so fast,

(17:18):
were a couple of things ahead of the opposition.
He then said, That calls for football sense, a kind of mental telepathy that
allows the players to swiftly anticipate moves.
Our chaps seem to have acquired that precious sense.
McHale may be a giant from the past, but his philosophy and his overarching
principles seem as relevant today as they were then.

(17:39):
He also noted that, if a player has to be spoken about about his play, say it at half-time.
I do it quietly and privately.
John McHale's final comment was in support of the schoolboy curtain races.
They encouraged club spirit and allowed Collingwood to keep an eye on promising
local players, an attitude that had served the club well. John McHale wasn't

(18:01):
just sharing his thoughts with the Sporting Globe.
He, along with Bob Pratt, Hayden Bunton and editor Rick Taylor,
had updated the book, Our Australian Game of Football.
A thoroughly comprehensive overview of the game, with guidance for players,
umpires, coaches, administrators, with profiles of star players,
discussion on the manufacture of footballs and more.

(18:23):
It is available online at the State Library of Victoria and well worth a read,
While some of the content may have dated, the coaching section,
the details on administering the club, and the overall focus stand up quite
well, nearly 100 years old.
I will share the link in the show notes on grandfinalhistory.au.
The fixture had been decided in February, when, despite football getting access

(18:46):
to grounds on the 28th of March, there was the challenge of Easter Saturday
on the 11th of April, and Anzac Day on the 25th of April, also being a Saturday.
To enable the season to end in early October, it was decided to play 18 rounds
in a row with no buys for any to-stay games and no to-stay game in Melbourne.

(19:08):
However, in a sign of ongoing good relations, there would be a charity game
against the BFA on the King's Birthday Weekend Monday holiday.
A game against South Australia would be held on August 8th, while games would continue in Melbourne.
April saw more discussions about player payments and the need for a special
committee to decide how the Coulter rule could be better enforced.

(19:30):
While several club delegates were prepared to say that they thought the Coulter
Law was being broken, no delegates were prepared to name other clubs,
nor admit that their clubs might be the ones breaching the player wage limit.
A committee was established, but player payments will be an ongoing challenge.
Richmond's former president, Barney Herbert, had made the point in a Sporting

(19:52):
Globe article that relying on club delegates to manage the league was fatally
flawed because delegates were beholden club interests.
It wasn't the first time there'd been a call for an independent board.
It would take another 50 years before a commission was established to run the league.
Another matter concerning many churches and religious types was the suggestion

(20:14):
that some clubs were looking to play practice games on the Sunday after Anzac
Day, the week before the season opened.
Letters were written to the BFL and clubs. The Anglican paper deplored the drift
away from the traditional Sunday practices.
So Kildare defended themselves, saying they were not having a practice match.

(20:35):
Just a club picnic, where some of the players might have a run to keep fit. it.
Blake McBride, the league secretary, confirmed that the VFL was adamantly opposed
to organised football on Sundays.
Times have changed. The start of the season saw the usual trimming of recruits,
the optimistic predictions of a better season than ever, and the encouragement

(20:58):
to purchase memberships.
Geelong supporters could look forward to a change in catering arrangements at the Corio Oval.
Given beer booths had not been closed down, the Women's Temperance Union decided
to provide an alternative option by establishing a coffee and tea store.
Would the beer bars see a drop in sales?
The opening round saw 32 new recruits make their debuts and 122,000 people make

(21:25):
their way to the six games.
Carlton, kicking a new league record of 24 goals, 19 behinds, 163, thrashed Fitzroy.
And Geelong did the same to Footscray.
There was only one close game, Richmond at home coming from Rehide to scrape
in with a one-point win against a much-improved St Kilda.

(21:49):
The Saints kept themselves well in the game with a remarkable accuracy.
At one point, in the third quarter, they had kicked 13 goals and only one behind.
They finished on 17 goals, 4 behinds, but it was just not enough against the
scattergun Richmond, 15 goals, 17.
The Saints coach, former Richmond dual premiership captain coach,

(22:09):
Dan Minogue, was given a warm ovation as he left the ground at three-quarter time.
He might have originally been a magpie, had spent time at Carlton and was now
coaching the Saints, but the Tiger faithful would never forget the man who had
led them to their first two flags. Yags.
South Melbourne's win over Melbourne was clouded by reports that Jack Bissett

(22:31):
had missed the match because he was late getting to the game after attending
the races to see if his wager on club president Archie Croft's horse,
heroic pride in race one, had saluted.
The local South Melbourne paper dismissed such vindictive reporting.
They stunted that Captain Coach Bissett had been at the races but had left after

(22:53):
race one and was the first to arrive at the dressing room but he was indisposed with the severe cold.
After consultation with South officials he agreed to stepping down from playing
but still addressed the players before the game and at half time.
In a sign of the never-ending interest of the public in football the Herald
was sponsoring a series of lectures by leading stars of the game in various

(23:16):
suburbs starting off with Hayden Bunton at the Fitzroy Town Hall,
followed by Dan Minogue speaking the next week at the St Kilda Town Hall.
The presentations would include special sound film by some of the best exponents of the game.
There seemed to be no limit to the public's interest in footy and advances in
technology were bringing new ways to see the game.

(23:39):
Round two saw Collingwood unfurl their 1935 Premiership flag,
while Richmond players, having seen Collingwood win plenty of Premierships,
provided polite applause.
The Magpies had no trouble beating the Tigers by six goals, helped by kicking
14 goals won in the first half.
They slowed down in the second half, but the job was done.

(24:00):
At the other end of the table, North had yet another frustrating day.
Losing by just one goal against Geelong.
When you're struggling, the close games always seem to go against you.
May also saw a tightening of the Coulter Law, where clubs were compelled to
provide their books to an annual audit by the league, and if a club wanted to
make a complaint about another team.

(24:22):
They would have to pay a substantial fee of £10.10 to deter frivolous activity.
Both Collingwood and South Melbourne voted against the amendment.
Did they have something to hide?
The first third of the season was completed after round six at the start of
June. The usual big four were at the top of the ladder.
South on top, in front of Collingwood on percentage, both undefeated.

(24:45):
Then Richmond on five wins, followed by Carlton on four wins from six games.
Melbourne were out of the four, just on percentage.
Both John and St Kilda just a game behind them. At the bottom of the ladder,
as per previous seasons, was North Melbourne. The first two games had seen them
get close to a win, but they had suffered big defeat since then.
The round six game between Geelong and Richmond saw some unpleasant behaviour.

(25:10):
The Tigers had been very disappointed earlier in the season when they had requested
a clearance for Bernie Hall, who'd been living in the Riverine in New South
Wales, but previously had lived in Geelong.
Rather than clear Hall, Geelong made an offer, and he became a Cats player.
So, when the printed invitations were sent to the Richmond Committee to join

(25:31):
the Geelong Committee at half-time refreshments, the Geelong officials were
not expecting said invitations,
to be returned, torn up with an insulting message.
Richmond won the game, but perhaps not their most graceful moment.
Saints supporters were getting excited about their full forward,
Bill Moore, who kicked 11 goals in their game against North.

(25:54):
The first and only coach this year to resign during the season was Geelong's Charlie Dibbs.
The former Columbia player declared he was not in good health,
perhaps an ongoing effect of the concussion he suffered in the previous year's grand final.
Geelong considered reaching out to Charlie Climo, the man who coached for just one season in 1931,

(26:16):
winning the Premiership, a unique record of a 100% success rate,
but Reg Hickey had led the team well as a caretaker for two weeks,
and was appointed for the remainder of the season.
Dibbs ended his VFL career being cleared to play with the Forward Club in the
Geelong District League.
North Melbourne had their first win of the season against Footscray in Round 7,

(26:37):
defeating one of their former VFA colleagues was as much as the Shinboners could
do up to this point but they went into their round 8 game against Carlton with
a spring in their step after this win with the promise of £45 bonus money from
prominent supporters to be spread out between the players if they could knock off the Blues,

(26:57):
scores were level at the three quarter time but the thought of the bonus money
and the possibility of beating Carlton for the first time in the league must
have inspired the lads from Arden Street.
They kicked six goals to one in the last quarter to record back-to-back wins.
Exciting times for North and their long-suffering supporters.
One of the best nicknames for a champion footballer started to circulate this

(27:20):
season and was captured in print by Jack Ludlow in The Age at the end of June.
He noted that Jack Dyer was now being styled as Captain Blood by his supporters
for his strength and fierce courage.
A name that would stick for the rest of his life.
The King's birthday holiday Monday at the end of June was dedicated to a charity

(27:42):
game against the VFA BFA held in front of 14,000 people at Princess Park given
the construction of the southern stand at the MCG.
The BFA started well and had a narrow lead at half time but the talent and fitness
of the league players told in the second half where they ran out to a comfortable
win 16 goals 21 to 10 goals 10.

(28:03):
Round 10 was delayed a week when flooding rains meant the grounds were covered in pools of water.
It meant that the remainder of the season was pushed back by one week Reducing
the amount of time it took dressing the MCG in preparation for the much-anticipated Ashes Tour.
There was talk of playing both semi-finals on the one weekend, but it wouldn't happen.

(28:23):
The rescheduled Round 10 saw the game of the season so far.
Undefeated Collingwood were hosting second on the ladder South Melbourne.
The match lived up to all expectations, with South holding on for a hard-fought win.
The grand final rematch had many wondering
would the same two teams be on the top

(28:44):
at the end of the season They have covered some of North
Melbourne's struggles in this and previous seasons but maybe things were turning
at Arden Street Their round 10 match may not have had the profile of the top
of the table clash between South and Collingwood but 9,000 supporters turned
up to see North first withdrawing At half time, North were in familiar territory treat.

(29:05):
They had not scored a goal and just fired behinds, while Fitzroy led on 3 goals 8.
But the half-time message from Paddy Scanlon must have been a beauty.
They scored nine goals in the second half, only allowing the Maroons four behinds.
A complete but welcome turnaround for the home team and the third win of the season.
More than the last two years combined.

(29:27):
Round 11 saw the debut of Peter Chitty at St Kilda.
He would not have a long VFL career. His younger brother Bob Chitty would achieve
much more success on the footy field with Carlton.
But, six years after this season, Peter, playing under very different conditions,
would win the Changi Brownlow.
We'll come to that extraordinary achievement in time. For now,

(29:50):
he was getting ready to take on Fitzroy.
Round 12 saw the season two-thirds complete, and the game between South Melbourne
and the Red Demons, Melbourne, had everyone talking.
Ladder leader South Melbourne were two goals up at three-quarter time,
and everyone assumed they would add another win to their tally.
But a 10 goal last quarter by Melbourne left the Swans floundering.

(30:16):
They could only manage one behind. Collingwood took top spot on the ladder with
South and Richmond following.
All three had 10 wins. Melbourne were now comfortably locked into 4th on 9 wins,
2 matches ahead of Carlton, 5th on 7 wins.
The Blues could still aim for finals, but Melbourne's Round 12 performance showed the gap.

(30:37):
Might be hard to bridge, but sometimes just getting a team to a game can be a challenge.
A long way from the VFL, the Southern Mallee League had challenges with torrential rain.
Ultima were playing away at Colgoa. They left home at 1.30 for the 24-mile trip,
but flooded roads meant that the players had to drag their truck for miles with ropes over muddy roads.

(31:02):
They arrived at Colgoa three hours later. A shortened game saw Colgoa win,
but I say a moral victory for the boys at Ultima.
Round 13 also saw the 300th game for umpire Bob McMurray Sr.,
the most by any umpire to that point.
His first game was back in 1917, 30 seasons ago, and he had umpired five grand

(31:25):
finals. He will also always be known for the Hayden-Bunton incident a couple
of years earlier in 1934.
Bunton dominated the last game of that season and as he walked off the ground,
he made a flippant remark to McMurray along the lines of,
That wasn't bad today, Jack. Murray apparently replied, never try to bribe an

(31:48):
umpire, and left Bunton out of the votes.
He lost the Brownlow Medal to Dick Reynolds by one vote that season.
If only McMurray had been allocated to the all-important Round 13 game between
Richmond and Collingwood, we're at least one of the more experienced umpires
who could have provided more authority over those two bitter rivals.

(32:10):
Perhaps one of the most infamous and somewhat disputed incidents with a legend
of the game might have been avoided.
In what the age described as one of the most bitter third quarters on record,
the following incident occurred, as described in that article.
A forward and a defender had been at loggerheads for some time,
and it was evident there was some very hot blood and bitter feeling between the two.

(32:34):
Suddenly, the crowd was amazed to see one rush at the other and aim a furious punch.
In a flash, there was a wild, disgraceful mix-up.
Three players raced in from either side. All were in a towering rage,
and those who ran in as peacemakers received, by accident, some of the savage blow's aim.

(32:55):
End quote. The forward was Collingwood's Gordon Coventry, and the Richmond defender was Joe Murdoch.
Both were reported, and what unfolded is still discussed to this day,
but most retellings include fake news from the time.
In short, Tullywood won the game, but the biggest story was the tribunal hearing

(33:16):
for Gordon Coventry, who had played 287 games, kicked over 1,200 goals,
without ever being reported.
It was one of the most sensational tribunal hearings in the history of the league.
Huge crowds waited outside Harrison House in Spring Street.
The phones rang constantly looking for updates, even from cinemas based in Collingwood,

(33:40):
who wanted to project the news during the movies.
Eventually, the verdicts came in. Joe Murdoch, out for four weeks.
Gordon Coventry, out for eight
weeks, missing the rest of the Home of the Way season and the finals.
There was outrage from Collingwood.
Where was the respect for this champion in the game? There were appeals and

(34:04):
even an expression of regret from the Speaker of the Victorian Parliament. All to no avail.
To this day, the most common story told about this infamous suspension is that
Coventry had boils on his neck and Murdoch had been belting them all day until
the placid Coventry finally snapped.
The story is on Wikipedia, in books, on YouTube and more. But it's fake news.

(34:28):
The book, This Football Century, by respected historians Russell Hornsby and
Jim Main, reported that Coventry eventually said of the Boyle story,
quote, It wasn't that at all.
I copped a beautiful uppercut and lost my temper and let one go and reply.
Unquote. The plot got thicker when Joe Murdoch eventually told his side of the

(34:49):
story to Rhett Bartlett in September 2000.
He had put up with the Boyle story all his life. He confirmed that Coventry was hit, but not by him.
As reported at the time, it was a willing quarter with all sorts of things going on.
But somebody hit Coventry and he came after Murdoch, who spun him around.
Murdoch said, nobody saw any boils. If you had boils, you shouldn't be playing.

(35:13):
Being reported towards the end of his career was bad enough,
but it got weird on Sunday morning.
When he was visited by Richmond Vice President Harry Duke, Club Secretary Jack
Smith and colourful racing identity Jack Wren.
They went to Wren's Mansion in Stovely Park Road, where Murdoch was offered £50 to play guilty.

(35:34):
This was a lot of money back then. Weekly match payment might be £3 per week,
so this was almost the equivalent of a full season's pay.
Murdoch told them where to put their money.
He would not play guilty. Murdoch would be badgered for years about the Coventry incident.
He was interviewed again for the 2001 Grand Final footy record as one of the

(35:54):
oldest surviving Premiership players but he refused to discuss the Coventry incident.
So, both players at the centre of the report have dismissed Boyles as the cause
of Coventry striking Murdoch.
It was fake news at the time that has taken on a life of its own but not every story is true.
In the end, Coventry was out for the rest of the season. By the following Saturday,

(36:16):
he had announced his retirement and colourful racing identity John Wren sent
him a letter published in the Sporting Globe,
praising his sportsmanlike acceptance of the decision and enclosing a cheque for £50.
Was that the same £50 that had been offered to Joe Murdoch?
Back to football. Round 14 continued in Melbourne while the state team played

(36:39):
South Australia in Adelaide, part of that state's centenary celebrations.
The Vicks managed to hold on to a two-point win and a thrilling finish in front of 25,000 people.
But Richmond supporters were left wondering what had happened when North beat
them for the first time since joining the VFL for their fourth win for the season.
The final four that had looked settled a couple of weeks ago was opening up.

(37:03):
North almost caused another upset the next Saturday when they got within one
point of second on the ladder, South Melbourne.
The Geelong St Kilda Round 15 game would not impact the finals,
and in the last quarter a hailstorm was too much for many of the players who
left the ground and sheltered against the fence and ignored the game.
Perhaps a precedent for the safety measure in the modern era where players will

(37:26):
leave the ground during an electrical storm. The final four was final and settled
at the end of round 17, despite booking settled five weeks earlier.
Things had changed over August. The biggest loser was Richmond,
who were equal second in terms of games won at round 12, but who then lost five
games in a row, including their first ever losses to North and then Hawthorne.

(37:50):
Geelong beat them in round 17 too.
Maybe those tall invitations back in the Geelong home game provided some additional
motivation for the Cats.
Richmond were out of the four for the first time in 10 years,
and South Melbourne was on top, followed by Collingwood with Carlton third,
and the Red Demons, Melbourne, were in the finals for the first time since 1928.

(38:14):
Carlton made sure of their spot with a dramatic one-point win in the dying moments
of their game against Collingwood.
The final round added more pain for the Tigers, with another loss,
this time to Essendon, keeping them sixth on the ladder.
Oddly enough, both Carlton and Melbourne lost their final round games to St
Kilda and Collingwood respectively, but it did not change the make-up of the finals.

(38:37):
St Kilda supporters would have enjoyed the last game of the season,
a one-point win over Carlton, and their full forward Bill Moore kicked 8 goals
to top the ton for the season, finishing the year with 101 goals.
If you can't make the finals, beating a team in the four is a good way to end the season.
Bill Moore has a number of claims to fame. He was the first St Kilda player

(38:59):
to kick 100 goals in a season.
He was the leading VFL goal kicker in 1936.
He's a member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame and he was selected on
the half-forward flank in St Kilda's team of the century.
They did have Tony Lockett at full forward. In addition to these football achievements,
he was also the inspiration for a famous painting by Sidney Nolan.

(39:23):
The footballer on display at the NGV.
Nolan grew up barricading for St Kilda and Moore provided for the inspiration
for the painting in 1940, even though the colours are not any version of a St Kilda jumper.
Carlton would take on the big improvers Melbourne in the first semi-final,
and top of the table South Melbourne would take on regular rival Collingwood

(39:45):
in the second semi-final.
Geelong won the 1936 Almost Us award for finishing fifth one spot out of the finals.
They'd had a good run at the end of the season, the opposite of Richmond in
some ways, winning the last six games, but had left themselves too far back
in the field to make the finals.
Red Cheeky had done well since taking over as coach. North Melbourne had got

(40:07):
away from the bottom of the ladder with four wins, a significant improvement
from the last two seasons, while Fitzroy had the wooden spoon for 1936.
On Wednesday night, after the end of the home and away part of the season,
the Brownlow votes were counted, and Dennis Dinney Ryan, Fitzroy centre-half
back in just his second season, was the winner by five votes in front of Geelong's Reg Hickey.

(40:32):
It meant the Maroons had a remarkable record of five Brownlows in six years,
three to Hayden Button and one each to Chicken Smallhorn and now Dinney Ryan.
Given Ryan was also from Albury, it meant that that city had produced four Brownlows
and Bunton only missed out by one vote the other year when Dick Reynolds won.

(40:52):
The Fitzroy players were at the Merry Theatre for the presentation of their
best and fairest awards and when Ryan's win was announced the cheering of the
locals lasted for many minutes.
Not everyone at Fitzroy was happy about the Brownlow's success.
Former player Fred Williams was standing for election to the Fitzroy committee
as a member of the ex-players reform group.

(41:13):
He condemned the brown mode, saying it focused players on individual effort rather than team focus.
But he did not get much support for this view. Carlton were favoured by some
to win the first semi-final, but others preferred Melbourne.
The Blues had a light training run on the Thursday before the game.
Coach Frank Marr thought players were at the top of their form,

(41:33):
and it would be bad policy to overwork them.
Melbourne were drilled by their experienced coach At the selection table,
the decision was made to include Ron Barassi Sr. for his fourth game.
He replaced the injured Norm Smith.
We will see the Smith-Barassi connection for many seasons to come.

(41:54):
55,000 were at the game, some in sections of the new Southern Grandstand, now open for use.
The Blues had lost the only game between the two sides during the season,
but that counted for nothing now.
And while Melbourne were back in the finals after a long break,
Carlton had not won a premiership since 1915, and their finals record since then was not great.

(42:16):
Melbourne got the start they needed, with Ray Waltman dominating on the wing.
At half-time, the Redlegs were four goals up, but the Blues were doing enough
to keep their supporters hopeful of a comeback in the second half.
In the third quarter they were in attack for much of the time but could not convert.
Inaccurate kicking gave Melbourne the break they needed. The Blues kicked three

(42:36):
goals seven behinds in the third term and were three goals down at the last break.
A brilliant start to the last quarter saw Carlton kick three goals in three
minutes and it seemed Melbourne were going to fade away.
But the Red Demons steadied and Carlton were their own worst enemy kicking five
behinds and three out of bounds during time on.

(42:57):
Nearly all from easy shots. The more efficient Melbourne won the first semi-final by 9 points.
14 goals 13-97 to Carlton. 11 goals 22-88.
Wartman on the wing and Jack Mueller at centre-half back had been the Red Demons' best players.
Carlton's final to-do was still not broken. In the week before the second semi-final,

(43:21):
Gordon Coventry wrote to the tribunal middle, seeking a reduction in his penalty
so that he might play at least one more match.
But it would not happen. Even without Coventry playing, the level of interest
in the second semi-final clash between these two powerhouse clubs was immense.
There was a huge crowd at Connelly's training on the Thursday,
possibly the largest ever.

(43:41):
Jack Knight, a sometime ruckman, had the full forward spot in Coventry's absence.
At South Melbourne, Laurie Nash gave his injured hand a workout in a new leather
guard, and and declared himself ready to go.
55,600 were at the game, with some extra room in the southern stand,
as additional bays had been completed during the week.

(44:02):
The supporters saw Collingwood play a superior tactical game,
where they were able to smother the dangerous Pratt, keeping him to just one goal.
But Nash, at centre-half forward, was able to keep four.
Both teams had trouble with accuracy in tricky crosswinds, disturbing many attempts.
Perhaps the New Southern Stead was changing the playing conditions.

(44:24):
Just before half-time, a clash between Collingwood's rotten Len Murphy and South's
brightened Dickens left the Swans champ reeling with a broken jaw.
He was replaced by 19th man Len Thomas.
At the main break, Collingwood looked to be in control, 6 goals 11 to South on 2 goals 10.
But with 19th man Len Thomas moving into the centre, the Swans dominated the

(44:48):
third quarter, kicking six goals in a remarkable turnaround,
holding Collingwood to just one behind.
South went into the fourth quarter with a 13-point lead and many expected them
to run away with the game. But not the Collingwood players.
It was a tight, demanding last quarter, with vigour replacing finesse.

(45:08):
Collingwood regained the lead by two goals before Nash missed again.
Then a Pratt goal got them to within a kick and his next goal put them in front by a point.
The Magpies scored a point and late in the fourth quarter it was all tied up. 10 goals 15 each.
And some began to plan for the replay the following week.
A draw would also mean that Coventry would be eligible if the Magpies made it to the grand final.

(45:34):
But goals by young Keith Stackpole and Albie Panham got the Magpies home a win
and into the grand final.
South would have to take on Melbourne in the preliminary. Many spectators were
frustrated that time clocks that had been at the MCG for several years that
showed the exact amount of time remaining were missing.

(45:55):
The big clock face with a black handle ticked down to 25 minutes,
connected directly to the timekeeper's clock, but the the league had requested they be removed.
It was considered not advisable that the players know how much time was remaining in each quarter.
Collingwood were pleased with the win, but they were worried about the prospects

(46:17):
of Len Murphy, who had been reported for striking Diggins.
His case was pushed back for a week, because Diggins' broken jaw meant that
he was unable to speak at the tribunal, which was probably not a good sign for Murphy.
The Thursday before the preliminary final was the show day holiday,
and there was plenty on football supporters. On Thursday afternoon,

(46:38):
the Reserves preliminary final was at the MCG with Footscray Reserves beating Collingwood.
Reserve finals on show day were common at the time.
It provided an option for those with the day off who did not want to watch the
cattle, sheep and other displays at the show. Four and a half thousand were at the game.
Thursday night saw a novel experiment.

(47:00):
A night exhibition match between the VFL and VFA for Cherokee.
This drew about 2,000 people on a very cold night. Much less than the Richmond
South Melbourne practice match a year earlier, the league team took control
of the final quarter for a 29-point win.
Players enjoyed the experience, but night football was still many years from
becoming a regular occurrence.

(47:21):
The preliminary final was a battle between experience and use.
South were in their fifth finals campaign in a row, aiming for their fourth
grand final in succession.
The Red Demon were new to finals, They had enthusiasm and energy,
being rested with the week off, but most favoured the swans.
The teams had played each other twice, with South winning the first game,

(47:44):
but Melbourne announcing themselves as serious contenders when they demolished
the Swans in the final quarter of that Round 12 game.
51,000 were at the game. The Marlin did not deliver one of the great final clashes.
There was some great straight kicking by South, which kept them comfortably in the lead.
By the end of the third quarter, the Swans had scored 11 goals,

(48:04):
one behind, in a remarkably efficient display.
The Redlegs had many more scoring shots, but with 7 goals 14,
they trailed South by 2 goals.
Yet, in the final quarter, South seemed to lose their compass.
After all their forward efficiency in the first three quarters.
They sprayed the goals, scoring 2 goals 10.
It was enough to get them the win, finishing a dull game 26 points in front.

(48:29):
Melbourne had shown they had potential, but they were not quite ready.
The Argos declared South for premiers after the win.
They had got through the game without injuries, they had pace and position play
that would put them in front of Collingwood.
Tuesday night's tribunal brought bad news for Collingwood.
Brighton Diggins appeared this time, talking difficulty given his jaw was wired up.

(48:52):
Murphy claimed the blow was an accident as he tripped and fell.
He pointed out that he had missed the 1930 and 35 grand finals with an injured
shoulder, but the tribunal was not sympathetic and suspended mended him for eight weeks.
He would miss his third grand final.
Although he had won three premierships in his first three seasons between 1927
and 1929, it was a good time to be playing at Collingwood.

(49:15):
The grand final between Collingwood and South Melbourne was on Saturday, October 3.
Jack Bissett would, for the very last time, lead South into the grand final.
It was his fourth year as captain coach and he had the extraordinary record
of making the grand final in every season of his Captain coaching career.
But could he add to the 1933 Premiership trophy?

(49:38):
Collingwood's coach was the enduring Jock McHale. This was his 25th season,
and he had brought seven premierships home to the Magpies.
Would 1936 be the 8th? Collingwood's captain in his second year leading the
team onto the field, and now leading them out for his second grand final, was Harry Collingwood.
He had just celebrated his 29th birthday on the Thursday before the premiership game.

(50:03):
When the team was marking the occasion, someone yelled out, asking what he wanted for his birthday.
The answer was obvious and simple. Only another premiership would do.
The last seven grand finals had been umpired by Robert Scott,
but he had retired after 1935, so it was time for a change.
Bill Blackburn had started as a VFL umpire in 1927 and was well regarded both

(50:28):
for his fitness and his discipline.
South took an unchanged team into the game, while Collingwood,
after a short training session focused on kicking, passing and sprints,
Brought a young Ron Todd in to play at full forward to replace the suspended Murphy.
Todd had played four games in 1935 and 12 this season, almost establishing himself as a regular.

(50:51):
But the machine was a hard team to break into. The 19-year-old,
who had known family friend Uncle Dick Lee all his life, was in the grand final
team, wearing Lee's lucky number 13 on his jumper.
There was some surprise at the selection of Jack Ross at centre-half back on Nash.
Ross was only 5'8", but club officials noted that his pace, his courage and his determination.

(51:15):
He had a remarkable leap for a small man, but they were ready to make the move, if they had to.
South beat Collingwood during the season, but Collingwood won the semi-final.
Despite that, many observers declared South as favourite, focusing on their
efficiency in attack to overcome Collingwood. South were, on average,
taller, heavier and older than their opponents.

(51:37):
The two best teams of the season were playing the final game to decide the premiership,
just as they had 40 years earlier when both clubs played their final season in the VFA.
Collingwood won that game and more than 74,000 were at the MCG to see who would win in 1936.
The new southern stand was providing more accommodation but it was still a seething

(52:00):
crowded mass of humanity with several people injured in crushes or falls.
With no reserve seats the stands were full for the curtain raiser between Footscray
and Melbourne reserves.
Melbourne had won the last five reserve premierships in a row but this time
it was the Bulldogs with a crushing 51 point victory.
Collingwood were out on the ground early watching the end of the reserves grand

(52:24):
final before running onto the ground.
South used the new dressing rooms in the southern stand and had chosen white
shorts, working on the theory that the team that had won the final so far this
year had been wearing white shorts.
The players were introduced to the governor and then they went to their position.
The sun was shining, the crowd was hushed and tense. All were set to decide the 1936 premiership.

(52:49):
Umpire Blackburn put the ball onto the air before the bounce and said, Keep it clean, boys!
The next sound heard, before the ball hit the ground, was Laurie Nash screaming
as Jack Ross stood on his foot.
Laurie couldn't move, and Ross would be tagging and spoiling him for the rest of the day.
South could not get their free running and aerial tactics working.

(53:12):
Nash, his father had Captain Collingwood before the First World War,
took two marks in the first quarter, but so did his direct opponent, Jack Ross.
Albert Collier was too fast for Bissett, and the South back line was struggling
with the pace of the Collingwood forwards.
Swan supporters began to get heated when umpire Blackburn paid 11 free kicks in a row against them.

(53:34):
But he was just being his usual disciplined self, establishing authority over
the game just as Collingwood were taking control, and South were focused on
the man rather than the ball.
The Magpies got their first goal through Jack Knight within a minute of the
bounce, and then another to Ron Todd.
They missed a few, and this created an opportunity for South to peg their way back into the game.

(53:57):
Collingwood led at the first break, three goals six, three goals four.
But South Melbourne had kicked with the wind after winning the toss,
and had not taken full advantage of that opportunity.
However, they started better in the second quarter, with Johnson and Nash picking
up a goal each to take the lead. Indeed, the Swans supporters were finding their
voice as their team seemed to be getting control of the game.

(54:19):
Collingwood had different plans.
Confident and accurate passing got the game back onto their turn,
while South Melbourne started making simple mistakes, overrunning the ball,
competing against each other in the air.
Soon, the delivery to the Collingwood forward line was delivering results.
Ron Todd and Albie Panham both scoring goals.

(54:41):
Todd's second goal must have come as a relief.
He went into the long break having kicked two goals five in a display that was
both dominant and wasteful at the same time.
But he wasn't the only Magpie missing chances.
South had started the quarter well, but been overrun. Collingwood's inaccuracy
keeping the game closer than it appeared.

(55:03):
Halftime scores with Collingwood, 7 goals 16, 58 to South Melbourne, 5 goals 7, 37.
A 21 point gap.
McHale made sure his men knew the gap was not enough.
South had enormous talent and a history of strong second halves.
If they got a run on, they could turn a deficit into a big lead.

(55:26):
The third quarter start was just what the Magpie supporters wanted.
The older fans would have been delighted to see Ron Todd, a full forward,
wearing number 13, kicking his third goal.
It was 14 years since Dick Lee's
last game, and Gordon Coventry had taken Lee's role and made it his own.
Now, maybe, they had another full forward to cheer.

(55:49):
Collingwood were more than four goals up during the third quarter,
but South's Owen Moore was not giving up.
He burst through a pack and after a long drop kick, gave South their first goal for the quarter.
This seemed to help the Swans get back into some rhythm. them.
Goals to Roy Moore and Laurie Nash had the gap back to seven points at the final change.

(56:10):
South were in their fourth grand final in a row, but with only one premiership so far.
Collingwood were a premiership winning machine. Who would take control in the last quarter?
South's Murray Johnson got the first goal and the gap was only one point.
Did they have the momentum to go all the way?
But, as described by the age, Collingwood, playing perfectly,

(56:33):
settled down to machine-like football.
The Swans wingman Jim Reid had a shocking miss and Collingwood rebounded,
with Albie Panham scoring a goal.
Moments later, Reid tried to evade Harry Collier, and again the rebound and
another goal for Panham.
Two costly mistakes, and their magpie lead was growing.

(56:55):
South were frenzied in attack, but kicked behinds when they needed goals,
while Collingwood went forward again, and Fons Kynes kicked truly.
The bell would end the quarter and the season.
Collingwood, Premiers, 11 goals, 23, 89. To South Melbourne, 10 goals, 18, 78.
To lose a grand final can be crushing, But South Melbourne forward pocket former

(57:19):
Carlton captain Morrow Mocker-Johnson was able to show true sporting colours
by making his way to the umpire to congratulate him on his performance.
Perhaps no Collingwood player was more relieved than Ron Todd.
Sure, it kicked four goals, which is not bad for a 19-year-old playing his 17th
game, but it also kicked nine behinds in an amazingly inaccurate effort.

(57:44):
Yet, not everyone was thrilled at the moment of victory. Percy Balyer recalled
walking over to Harry Collier, saying, Well done, Skip.
Only to cop a glare from his captain, Balyer said, What's happened? Are you hurt?
Harry Collier's simple reply, We should have won by more.
It summed up the magpie attitude of the time. But it was all cheers and backslaps

(58:06):
by the time the players made it to the dressing rooms.
They would have been even happier when, after the traditional speeches,
coaches president harry curtis announced that
an anonymous donor known to all as
colorful racing identity john wren had donated
100 pounds to be shared between the players and an additional 25 pounds to be

(58:27):
shared between coach mckayle and captain harry collier the skipper had got his
birthday wish and it was time to celebrate even if the party was a little more
sedate than the the year before.
Many went to Harry Collier's Numb Place where his birthday party was celebrated
along with the premiership win.
At Victoria Park on Sunday morning, over 200 were present to enjoy the day.

(58:51):
Many visitors from country and interstate clubs besieged Chuck McHale looking
for the secret to premiership success.
It had been a dominant decade for Collingwood. Since 1927 they'd played in six
Grand Finals for six Premierships.
The club had 11 flags from the VFL's 40 seasons, and they were the leading club in the competition.

(59:12):
They were the epitome of a champion team, rather than a team of champions.
South Melbourne did not have the Premiership they were after,
but they still did their bit to promote the game, with many of the Grand Final
team pulling on the boots yet again on the following Saturday for an exhibition
match in Shepparton against the Goulburn Valley League team.

(59:33):
The Swans won easily, and a good time was had by all. Collingwood supporters
could now enjoy watching their heroes win with the Herald's cine-sound newsreels,
including the Premiership.
Not the same as the broadcast in the modern era, but still a highlight for many Magpie fans.
I will put a link up to some of the surviving footage on the episode show notes

(59:54):
at grandfinalhistory.au.
While Collingwood were bathing in the glory of a fresh Premiership,
the Geelong Football Club were holding a reunion.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the 1888 Premiership, when they went through the season undefeated.
Seven survivors of that team were present to celebrate. So, we're yet again

(01:00:15):
runners-up that year too.
The start of November saw the annual meeting of the Australian Football Council.
One item on their agenda was supporting a request from a Mr Thomas Eckersley,
who was off to study in Tokyo.
He was after some footballs and rulebooks and other material that could help
him propagate the Australian game in Japan.

(01:00:35):
Perhaps he was looking to build on the work of Mr McLean, who was promoting
the game in Japan back in 1910.
Had any of those Tokyo high schools kept playing Australian football?
Not sure how successful Thomas was with Australian football in Japan,
but there will be bigger challenges with Japan than football in the coming years.
There was little else to report from the meeting, other than an update to the

(01:00:58):
wording of the holding the ball rule to better define when a player was in possession of the ball.
That should solve the holding the ball, holding the man issue.
November also saw the death of veteran football reporter Thomas Kelinek, better known as Kikiro.
He'd covered the game for decades before his retirement, establishing many media

(01:01:20):
traditions associated with footy, and he has been a key source for much of this podcast.
There is a supplemental episode on some of the footy media pioneers,
if you want to know more about Kikoro and his colleagues, who popularised the game for generations.
It was a time for some clubs to appoint coaches, hold annual general meetings,
which went smoothly at some clubs, and were contested by reform groups at other

(01:01:43):
clubs looking for a change in the hope of success.
And then there was St Kilda, where the club secretary went to the Supreme Court
the day before the AGM to stop that meeting. He was unsuccessful.
Perhaps the other league clubs should have looked at Collingwood,
who had a very stable administration. Did stability bring success?

(01:02:05):
Or did success deliver stability? In the modern era, there is an ongoing debate
about the fairness of the draw.
Not every team plays each other twice, travel is an issue, etc.
The same debate occurred in 1936, with some wanting to keep the interest in
the season going on for as long as possible before the finals.

(01:02:27):
Lopsided results in the previous years meant that the finals were known for
many weeks before the end of the season.
The proposal from a league subcommittee will sound familiar to modern listeners
with the suggestion to split the fixture after 11 rounds when everyone had played each other,
split the competing teams into two sections so the lower teams could play one

(01:02:47):
another and the higher teams battled other winning sides.
Followed then by a lookout series to decide the semi-finals.
Effectively, wildcard rounds were proposed as far back as 1936.
Would the new system be adopted for the 1937 season?
You'll have to join me next time when episode 41 looks at the 41st season of the VFL.

(01:03:11):
But before then, there'll be a special supplementary episode to look at the
last 10 years, the fourth decade of the VFL.
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The more goals we kick, the easier it is for others to find the podcasts.
If you have questions or you want to leave feedback, please email me at info

(01:03:32):
at grandfinalhistory.au or check out the grandfinalhistory.au website or Facebook
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