Episode 41 1937 The Greatest Game of All

The greatest game of all they called it: The 1937 Grand Final between Collingwood and Geelong. The year saw a King’s coronation, with a North Melbourne player representing the VFL in London and Fitzroy became the Gorillas! Finals prices increased, never popular, yet a record crowd was a the Grand Final. It was the Magpies chance for a premiership hat trick and to send Gordon Coventry off in style or Geelong’s opportunity to give Reg Hickey a premiership in his second stint as captain coach. Meanwhile, trouble was brewing with the VFA.

Episode Transcript

(00:03):
Hello, and welcome to Grand Final History. In this episode, we go back to 1937,
the 41st season of the VFL.
First, a couple of errors to correct. In the last episode on 1936,
I mentioned the Hindenburg disaster.
But, while flights from Germany to America began in 1936, the Hindenburg Fire

(00:27):
actually occurred in 1937.
The other mistake I made was in the discussion about the issues Richmond had at the Punt Road Oval.
I jumped forward in time, noting that Richmond eventually moved to the MCG,
which they did, but in 1965, not 1967.
Hopefully no bloopers in this episode, but you can always email me at info at

(00:51):
grandfinalhistory.au if you want to give any feedback, or on Twitter or Facebook.
Before we get into the footy, let's have a look at what was going on in 1937.
The news that supporters and players might have heard on the radio or seen in
their newspapers before they got to the sports section.
It was an eventful year.

(01:13):
Melbournians were reminded how unsafe some workplaces can be.
First in January, when two steamships collided in the bay with the loss of five lives.
And then in February, when a one-thaggy coal mine explosion killed 13 people.
On a brighter note, May 1937 saw a week of celebrations around the Commonwealth

(01:36):
with the coronation of King George VI.
Melbourne was gay with bunting.
Newspapers had portraits of the royal family, suitable for framing.
A national radio network of stations was set up for a marathon broadcast from
London of the Coronation starting at 7pm Wednesday going through to 5am Thursday

(01:59):
and Wednesday the 12th of May was a holiday with a special game between the
VFL and the VFA as part of the celebration.
North Melbourne's Dave Burke was the only VFL representative at the momentous
event, selected to travel to London as part of the Coronation Militia Contingent.

(02:19):
He would miss the early part of the season, but he would have memories of a
lifetime, and maybe some special footage using the film camera the VFL presented
to him before he shipped out to London.
A polio outbreak starting in June and continuing for several months had parents
fearing the worst for the health of their children.

(02:40):
With no vaccine and the threat of death or paralysis, it was a time of dread.
In affected suburbs, cinemas and schools closed, and at least one local football
team was reported to have forfeited a game rather than play in an infected suburb.
The Victorian schoolboy team was unable to travel to Hobart for the schoolboy carnival games.

(03:03):
In July 1937, the aviator Amelia Earhart's plane disappeared while crossing the Pacific.
Its final location is still topic of debate.
Histories of the time often say that the worst of the Depression was over by
the late 1930s, but an article published in The Sun described how lives were

(03:26):
still being devastated in 1937.
Stories of families that will tell much more than the statistics.
One unnamed ex-VFL player described his day. Ten years out of work, a wife and six children.
Their breakfast was bread soaked in water, sprinkled with salt and pepper.

(03:48):
He did not eat. He said breakfast was not necessary for him.
Unable to afford newspapers for job ads, he would go to the Labour Bureau three days a week.
On the way home, he collected pieces of wood to fuel their fire.
The children were never fed any green vegetables. Unable to afford them.
Dinner was stew, made from what those on the dole called two-rack cat meat and potatoes.

(04:15):
Then there was the tale of a family with their dead child on a kitchen table
for a week, because they owed money to the undertaker for another burial,
and he would not bury their child until it was paid.
For many, the worst of the Depression was still crushing them.
You can see why some VFL players were desperate to keep their place in a team

(04:37):
if they did not have a job.
It might lead to some brutal games, but not as hard as being out of work during the Depression.
Tensions between countries rose in separate incidents around the globe.
A German battleship was bombed by Republican forces fighting in the Spanish
Civil War, and Japan invaded China in July, starting the Second Sino-Japanese War.

(05:01):
Fears of a spread of the conflict escalated in December when the Japanese bombed
American and British gunboats.
The situation was resolved, but it was a sign of things to come.
In fact, as the 1937 Grand Final was being played, Hitler and Mussolini were meeting in Berlin.
At a massive rally a few days after the Grand Final, Hitler and Mussolini,

(05:24):
in difficult-to-understand German, spoke to a crowd reported to be one million people.
It was also reported that if you wanted to leave early, the gates were guarded
until the speeches were over, and transport home was slow to start up as well,
because all the transport employees had been listening to the speeches too.
However, it wasn't just politics and international tension in 1937.

(05:49):
If you've ever had a Spam sandwich at the footy, you can say thanks to the Hormel
Food Corporation, who introduced Spam in 1937, well before Monty Python or email.
The name is a portmanteau of spiced ham.
The other snack you might have eaten at the footy are Maltesers, also launched in 1937.

(06:10):
They were originally described as energy balls and aimed at slimming women,
and plenty of footballers have got ready for a night out after a game by splashing
on some Old Spice cologne, also launched in 1937.
Let's talk footy issues. In February came the news that the league would not
be changing the traditional fixture, even though there was plenty of criticism

(06:33):
that 12 teams playing for just 18 rounds was always going to be unfair,
and that with several teams unable to make the finals, interest began to fade as the season went on.
Alternatives had been considered, including a proposal for splitting the top
six and bottom six teams after 11 rounds, with the lowest four teams being eliminated

(06:55):
after a further four weeks.
But it was all seen as too big a change.
In March, league delegates ruled on radio broadcasting, declaring that arrangements
were up to each club and the ground committee, with all deals to be approved by the league.
50% of the revenue should go to the football club and the remaining 50% to the ground committee.

(07:18):
The agreements had to also ban relay broadcasts. In other words,
the broadcasts could only go out to local Melbourne broadcast areas and not
be made available to country stations.
Country leagues would be pleased. They had been raising the issue with the VFL
for some time, fearful that people would be staying home to listen to VFL games

(07:40):
rather than coming out to support their local country team.
A bit different to the broadcasting agreements made today.
It's worth noting that North Melbourne's delegate John Mear raised the issue
of television broadcasts, saying that they would be more detrimental than radio.
Clearly he was keeping up with emerging technologies, but the league would not

(08:02):
be discussing TV for some time yet.
While some bemoaned the increasing business-like manner of league football,
there was no denying football itself generated significant revenue.
Bob Rush, President of the National Football Council, spoke at a lunch in April
and identified that across Victoria.
528,000 people were involved in the game, either as players or officials in 1,455 clubs.

(08:30):
The demand for footballs alone required 10,000 cattle hides to create 53,700
balls, all requiring rubber bladders.
Transport on city trams generated fares of 2,560 pounds and city train fares
were a further 56,000 pounds for the season.

(08:50):
Country trains added £42,000 and all-up football across the state added an extra
£250,000 to the economy.
And that does not take into account the illegal gambling or the beer drunk to
celebrate wins or drown out losses.
If you're wondering what all that means in modern money, it would be about $27.5

(09:12):
million in today's money.
Four new coaches were appointed for 1937, a relatively low number for the era.
Geelong made their 1936 caretaker coach, Ray Cheeky, coach for the entire 1937 season.
Fitzroy had tried Percy Rarrow as coach in 1935, but season 1937 saw Rowe at Carlton.

(09:35):
The former Collingwood player had played in two premierships in 1927 and 1928,
and proven his coaching credentials at Northcote between 1929 and 1933.
Winning three premierships and twice runners-up in his five seasons.
Now he had a second chance to show what he could achieve in the VFL as a coach.

(09:55):
South Melbourne had made the last four Grand Finals in a row for one premiership
under Captain Coach Jack Bissett, but now he had retired as a VFL player,
moving to the VFA to Captain Coach Port Melbourne.
His vice-captain had been Brighton Diggins, who had often led the team when
Bissett was injured or ill.
Diggins, originally from Perth, was one of the stars of South Melbourne's Foreign

(10:18):
Legion, and had long been told that the captain's role was his once Bissett retired.
The South Melbourne committee reviewed a number of candidates for coach and
decided the best man for the job was Roy Cazaley.
This was a bit awkward because on the same day Fitzroy announced their new coach, also Roy Cazaley.
Forever known for the call, up there Cazaley, he clarified the situation announcing

(10:43):
the following day he was returning to his old club, South Melbourne,
leaving Fitzroy a little embarrassed and still without a coach,
with Cazaley as non-playing coach,
the Swans announced their captain, Laurie Nash.
But what of Diggins, and the solid assurances he had received in the preceding seasons?
Australia in the 1930s was a time of strong division between Protestants and Catholics.

(11:09):
South Melbourne was a predominantly Catholic club, and Diggins was not a Catholic.
Diggins could accept Cazaley getting the coaching job, But when Nash was named
captain, he realised that the committee had not been honest with him.
And as a Protestant, a Freemason and a divorced man, he would not be given the leadership role.

(11:30):
He resigned as vice-captain. He did say he would play, but the club dropped him for round one.
Nine VFL clubs sent representatives to Diggins' home to invite him to join their team.
Diggins would not play for South again.
Sectarianism by club officials losing the club, one of the champions,
who had given them terrific service since arriving from Perth.

(11:53):
There were never any issues between the players, just committee men who could
not overcome their prejudice.
Diggins would stand out of football for the season. South refused to clear him
during 1937, before he resumed his career in 1938.
More on that in the next episode. Fitzroy had missed out on Cazaley as coach.

(12:14):
However, after one season as captain coach, Hayden Bunton remained as captain,
but the new, non-playing coach was Gordon Rattray.
Gordon had played for the Maroons from 1917 to 1924, and again in 1928.
He was in the Premiership team in 1922, and captained the Runners-up in 1923,

(12:37):
the last time Fitzroy had played in the Grand Final.
His 1924 season was unique in that he was appointed coach of Melbourne,
but Fitzroy refused to clear him.
So he spent the season as Melbourne's non-playing coach.
When Melbourne didn't make the finals, but Fitzroy did, Rattray played one semi-final

(12:58):
for the Maroons in that odd round-robin final series, Fitzroy's last appearance in the finals.
He then went to the VFN, possibly a clearance, was part of the bargain for returning to play in the finals.
And he returned for one season in 1928 as captain coach.
That was eight seasons ago, and the Maroons had tried six different coaches.

(13:19):
Perhaps they could sit with Matt Ray for a while this time?
As the season approached, the clubs cut down their lists, and the coaches made their predictions.
Collingwood's Jock McHale making his ambitions clear when he stated,
I can see no reason why we cannot get another hat-trick by annexing the 1937 Premiership.

(13:39):
He then went on to say that he had the confidence to expect not only winning
the Premiership this year, but also the breaking of our own record run of 1927, 28, 29 and 1930.
No taking it one week at a time for Jolk. Frank Checker-Hughes was also clear
about Melbourne's apes.

(14:00):
Melbourne officials have high hopes of obtaining the coveted flag for the coming
season. Other coaches provided more generic points about improving during the
season and how having some new recruits would help decide.
Fitzroy made a big announcement in April, but it wasn't about a new recruit,
or a changing coach, or a split in the committee.

(14:24):
The club had a new mascot. Not content with being the Maroons,
Fitzroy would now be known as the Gorillas.
We shall see if it brings success. In the week before the season,
the Sporting Globe had Jock McHale deliver some of his thoughts on the future
of the game, ideas that still have some merit today.

(14:44):
He proposed reducing the number of players on the ground from 18 to 16 to reduce
overcrowding and limit the impact of the so-called sheparder,
a player who spent more time knocking into others than focusing on the ball. all.
He also proposed that only centre players and a robot could be allowed within
10 yards of the bounce of the ball to reduce crowding in the centre.

(15:07):
It would be another four decades before the centre diamond and then the centre
square were introduced to address this issue, opening the game up and reducing congestion.
Jock was calling for it in the 1930s and perhaps we need a bit more of the same in today's game.
Over the course of the podcast we've often mentioned different club secretaries,
who helped manage clubs and were often delegates to the league meetings.

(15:31):
But what was the secretary's job
in an era when often they were the only full-time employee of the club?
The son had an interesting interview with former Carlton player and secretary
Pat Kane, as well as looking after the finances, equipment and publicity.
There was also recruitment.
Kane told of the efforts in recruiting, persuading country dads to give up a worker on their farm,

(15:55):
how clubs used business backers to organise jobs, The challenge of losing homesick
recruits after a few days and managing the temperamental champions who needed attention all week.
When a club was successful, the captain and the coach, and maybe the president, was praised.
When there were problems, it was the coach and then the secretary who were to blame.

(16:17):
A thankless task, yet they laid the foundations for the clubs that we support today.
The season opened on Saturday, April 24.
South Melbourne supporters were trying to digest the news that the player who
was to be their vice-captain and a natural leader of the club had resigned the
vice-captaincy and been dropped.

(16:38):
They would not see Brighton Diggins play for them again. Carlton supporters
were dealing with the news that Ron Cooper had been suspended by the club after
striking his own team-mate, Jim Francis, in an intra-club practice match.
Cooper admitted his offence to the club committee.
And apologised to Francis. He would return in round six.

(17:00):
Not the last Blues player to get feisty with a club mate during pre-season training.
Santana O'Halton being suspended for four weeks for a similar offence in 2009.
Over 125,000 people attended the six games, with the biggest crowd at Princess
Park to see rivals Carlton and South.

(17:20):
Both clubs having an unsettled week before the start of the season.
In 1936, South had played in the grand final, while Carlton had been finalists,
losing unexpectedly to Melbourne.
So both teams wanted to make a good first impression.
It was the Blues all the way as they demolished South, winning by 70 points,

(17:41):
one of the biggest defeats for the Swans in years.
Collingwood unveiled their premiership flag in front of Geelong,
who kept the game close until three-quarter time before the Magpies finished
strongly to win by 16 points.
The other match that had people expecting big things was the clash between Melbourne and Richmond.

(18:01):
Could Richmond regain their form that had seen them make the finals in so many
seasons over the last 10 years?
Or would Melbourne continue to build in a sign of what was to come?
It was Melbourne finishing in front by five goals. A closer game in the opening
round was at the Western Oval, where Footscray came from three goals down to

(18:22):
beat Essendon by six points.
The Dons had led a three-quarter tie, but only kicking one goal in the second
half is seldom enough to win the game.
North Melbourne had won four games in 1936 and were looking to build,
but they still had no luck in close finishes, going down to Hawthorne by just two points.

(18:42):
Fitzroy had a new coach, but they still started the season in a familiar fashion,
losing to St Kilda by 8 points. Round 2 saw some interesting games.
North Melbourne's luck turned and they beat Fitzroy by 2 points.
Hawthorne looked like they were going to start the season well.
Their first quarter against St Kilda saw them leading 8 goals 7 to the Saints yet to score.

(19:06):
Supporters at the Glenferry Able were beginning to plan for 2 wins from 2 games,
But St Kilda had other ideas.
A six goal last quarter, giving them a comfortable win. It was said by some
players at the time, when playing Hawthorne, they only really made an effort in the last quarter.
Harsh, but given the Mayblooms' performance in the first few decades of their

(19:27):
time in the VFL, it may have been warranted.
The grand final replay at the Lakeside Oval saw Collingwood thresh the Swans by 60 points.
South Melbourne might have had a new coach and a new captain,
but things were not going well.
Collingwood supporters were thrilled to see their old champion,
Gordon Coventry, back in the full forward position.

(19:48):
He had announced his retirement after being suspended and missing the 1936 finals,
but the club had persuaded him to reconsider and play on for one more season,
and hopefully go out on a more positive note.
The completion of round one saw the end of his suspension and he returned to
the game in round two in style, kicking eight goals.

(20:11):
Wednesday the 12th of May was the coronation holiday game between the VFA and
the VFL, held at the Junction Oval.
The VFL and the VFA had kindly let the Scouts have the MCG for their coronation day festivities.
I'm not sure the league would be so flexible today. 11,000 people saw the VFL

(20:32):
have an easy win by more than 15 goals.
While supporters enjoyed the special holiday and the game between the main football
bodies, the Sporting Globe dropped a bombshell that would have significant implications
for Collingwood and generate outrage at Victoria Park.
As Albert Collier led the VFL team, one of the many times he captained the stateside,

(20:55):
the Globe reported that in the previous round at Arden Street,
Collier allegedly spat at a teenage girl and Mr W Carroll, a North Melbourne committee member.
The incidents occurred at the end of the second quarter. A section of the North
crowd was expressing displeasure with one of the Collingwood players as they

(21:15):
walked into the clubrooms at half-time.
Collier then attracted the attention of the demonstrators. He was so angry he
spat through the race, the spray landing on the teenage girl.
Mr Carroll witnessed the incident and remonstrated with Collier,
who then took two steps and spat in his face.
The young girl was upset, crying, and some Collingwood supporters encouraged

(21:38):
her to go to the Collingwood rooms, where, it is said, an apology was tendered.
Mr Carroll said that he did not intend to prosecute Collier,
but he would give the football authorities an opportunity to deal with him.
At the next delegates' meeting, North submitted a letter demanding action against
Collier for unseemly conduct.

(22:00):
The League agreed to investigate the matter, despite Collingwood's objections
that no one from North had informed Collingwood of the issue and the allegations
had been leaked to the press before being raised with the League.
North countered these remarks, saying they had spoken to the Collingwood president at the time.
It was a tense affair, and while the league was prepared to investigate the

(22:22):
matter, Collingwood's delegate, Mr Frank Wraith, declared they would take action
to stop the investigation.
It was not a football matter, and the league was out of order.
An investigation committee, made up of delegates of every club except Collingwood,
who refused to attend, met the following week and decided it would hear the

(22:43):
charge against Collier.
The hearing took place on Thursday, 27th May.
Collier, acting on legal advice, appeared briefly before walking out,
not answering any questions.
The investigation committee announced Collier was suspended at the league's pleasure.
It turned out to be an eight-week suspension. suspension collier was
paid for his time out of the game by colorful racing identity

(23:06):
and collingwood benefactor john wren and his
first game back at victoria park was against north melbourne this
suspension and the gordon coventry suspension from the
year before angered the magpies they felt they were being punished by the league
and effectively by the other clubs for being too successful more on this issue
next episode sid coventry ended his short coaching career the following week

(23:31):
after the Bulldogs had lost to his old team Collingwood.
Sid felt he did not have the confidence of the committee, especially after his
training methods were criticised in a review with the committee following Footscray's
loss to St Kilda a week earlier.
One committee member suggested they had not done enough ball practice.
Sid took offence and said they'd better get another coach.

(23:54):
He saw out the game against the Magpies, but then his mind was made up.
The wider football world was shocked.
Many, considering Footscray had made good progress under Sid,
he would not coach again.
Joe Kelly, the former Carlton player who had coached Footscray's reserves team
to the Premiership last season, took over the role for the remainder of the season.

(24:15):
The first third of the season was complete after six rounds.
The Red Demons were undefeated on top of the ladder.
They had staked a claim to the top tier in 1936 and were reinforcing their position this season.
Reigning premiers Collingwood were second.
Their only loss a week earlier, when Melbourne had stormed home with five goals

(24:35):
in the last quarter, Richmond were third.
So far, defying the predictions of doom when they missed the finals in 1936
and St Kilda, in their third season under veteran coach Dan Minogue,
were fourth, giving much hope to the long-suffering Seasider fans.
Geelong were fifth, again behind St Kilda, followed by Fitzroy.

(24:56):
Maybe the Guerrillas were going to climb the ladder at last.
The shock result was South Melbourne.
After four grand finals in a row, they were now second last, one win and a draw.
There was even talk of Roy Cazaley coming back as a player. He was only 44,
and it had only been 10 years since his last VFL game, so he was obviously the

(25:19):
solution to their on-field problems.
Well, some thought so. Collingwood were travelling well, so did not need to
look at veterans from the past.
Instead, the Round 6 game against Carlton saw Dez Fothergill make his debut
as a 16-year-old, scoring a goal in a well-regarded first game.
Des was 19 years younger than Gordon Coventry who made his debut the same year

(25:45):
that Fothergill was born.
Another debut player for Collingwood in June was Jock McHale's nephew, Jack Murphy.
Jack was the son of Jock's sister, Sarah. I'm sure he got no favours from his
uncle, but he would go on to play 160 games for the Magpies.
A club that made an effort to recruit locally.
In today's game, there are frequent complaints about the umpires,

(26:08):
about the demise of the hip and shoulder, about the inconsistency of decision
makers and goal umpires making mistakes that cost teams the game.
All these issues were being raised in July 1937. It seems umpires have been
ruining the game for a long time.
After Round 11, the Sporting Globe declared South Melbourne the moral winners

(26:30):
in their game against Melbourne after a poor global umpire decision.
By early July, the season had gone through 12 rounds and was two-thirds complete.
Melbourne was still on top with 10 wins and two losses. One of those in Round
12 were Richmond who had struggled.
Losing to St Kilda, Hawthorne and North Melbourne, all games that they had expected

(26:52):
to win, created an upset by beating Melbourne.
Geelong continued to show improvement, moving to second on the ladder.
Collingwood had done enough to remain at third, and St Kilda were delighting
their supporters with fourth spot, encouraging them to think about finals.
Richmond's many losses had them half a game behind the Saints,
with Carlton a game behind on sixth.

(27:14):
South were getting things together after a terrible start.
A game and a half out of the four gave their supporters hope that the season was not ruined.
If they continued to win, and a few other games went their way,
if they'd been awarded that moral victory against Melbourne,
they would be even closer.
But we all know what moral victories are worth.

(27:35):
North were still on the bottom of the ladder, but at least they'd won three games.
July also saw tensions between the VFA and the VFL emerge There had been a period
of detente Cooperation between the senior body and the other Even if both organisations
considered themselves the senior body,

(27:55):
But the VFA clubs were running low on cash, and every time they recruited some
good players and won a few games, they found VFL club secretaries out signing up their players.
Association Secretary JJ Liston said the gloves were off.
They would risk going down in a fight rather than do nothing.
Conferences and standing committee with league delegates were no good if individual

(28:18):
league clubs were going to continually damage the prospects of VFA teams.
Options included a ban on transfers to the league and also working with local
councils to force local clubs to align with the VFA or be evicted.
Councils might even consider giving their sporting grounds to other foreign codes.

(28:40):
A milestone was set in round 15 when Gordon Coventry became the first player
to complete 300 league games.
It was a veterans 18th season and the Magpies celebrated with a comfortable
win over Footscray at the Western Oval.
The Footscray team lined up before the game to cheer Coventry and were backed

(29:01):
by Bulldog supporters keen to honour the veteran champion.
Coventry scored a modest two goals and was presented with the match ball by
Footscray which would in time be cleaned, mounted and signed by all players.
If you worry about Coventry's goal-kicking capability in this his final season,
a week earlier he'd scored nine goals against North in his 299th game and the

(29:24):
two against Footscray took him to 46 for the season so far.
Not a bad contribution in 13 games at more than three and a half goals per game.
Round 16 was split over two weekends.
About 100 players left Victoria while the first state team took the long train
journey to Perth joining up with the South Australians in Adelaide to travel

(29:44):
across the Nullarbor Plain for the triennial Interstate Carnival.
A second Victorian 18 was also heading across to Adelaide for a state game against
South Australia, who had also sent their best players to Perth.
Collingwood and Geelong took
advantage of the break to travel to Tasmania for some exhibition games.
The Saturday night ferry from Melbourne delaying its departure so Geelong and

(30:07):
Collingwood could get aboard after their games.
Interstate trips were one of Jock McHale's favourite ways to bond a side together.
Meanwhile, Melbourne headed to Sydney to play NSW to promote the game in that northern capital.
Tasmanians were delighted to be visited by two of the top teams in the VFL.
Collingwood were on top of the ladder by a percentage from Geelong,

(30:30):
both on 12 wins from 15 games.
Geelong had beaten the Magpies a few weeks earlier. The trip provided some first-class
football for the southern state and allowed Geelong and Collingwood to size
each other up in preparation for the likely finals match-up.
In the game at Devonport, Collingwood won by 11 points.

(30:51):
There was plenty of fun on the trip. Jock McHale surprised many by winning an
old-time waltz dance competition and then won a golf game at Risdon Golf Links.
But the prize of three bottles of whisky wasn't much help for Jock who only drank beer.
The club confirmed that the bottles would find a good home.

(31:12):
The Magpies visited a wallaby farm and McHale offered two shillings to each
player who could catch a wallaby.
No OH&S issues in 1937.
The money was looking safe as the Wallabies outshone the Magpies until a coordinated
effort of teamwork resulted in two players being rewarded.
Players from both clubs got along well during the trip.

(31:35):
Harry Collier went out with some Geelong players and had a few drinks and at
some point during the evening made a few suggestions on which Geelong players
were being played in the wrong positions and how the team should line up.
Nothing wrong with giving your opponents a bit of advice, is there?
Over in Perth, Victoria won the championship,

(31:56):
defeating Western Australia by one goal in the final match, in front of an unprecedented
crowd of 40,000 people, basically 10% of the state's population.
Before the Victorian team returned to Melbourne, Hayden Bunton gave a radio
interview on the Saturday evening after the game.

(32:17):
Radio station 6PR recorded the interview on some new technology where the sound
was captured onto a Leica disc a bit like a blank record rather than a blank tape.
Remarkably, the disc survived and were found when the AFL was doing a bit of
a clean up of some old boxes during COVID-19 lockdown.

(32:39):
The audio was restored and is the only known recording of Hayden Bunton.
I will include a link to the National Film and Sound Archive site on this episode
on www.grandfinalhistory.au.
The newspapers provided terrible news for Fitzroy supporters.
Hayden Button confirmed that he would be taking up an offer to play in Western Australia.

(33:03):
After years of seeing their best players head east, WA was getting some revenge,
with both triple brownlow medalist Bunton and Carlton's Keith Shea both confirming
they would be heading West in 1938.
Meanwhile, six teams were going to play three games on the 7th of August,
while the remaining six would play the following Saturday.

(33:25):
Things were not so happy for the Magpies after they returned from Tasmania for
the Round 16 game against Melbourne.
Collingwood were 31 points up, with 10 minutes to go.
A comfortable position, you'd think, and many Melbourne supporters were leaving the ground.
But the Red Demons then went on a goal-kicking spree to win by 10 points.

(33:46):
Their first win at Victoria Park since 1921.
Melbourne kicked 11 goals in the last quarter alone with scores of 22 goals 21 to 21 goals 16.
It was one of the highest scoring games in league history.
The age noted that even some persons in the press box usually models self-possession

(34:09):
found it impossible to suppress their excitability and there they were,
caught by the general infection.
Barracking, vociferously.
When the split round 16 was finally complete, there were two rounds left before
the finals, and a number of changes on the ladder.
Geelong held top spot, Melbourne's win had them second, and Collingwood dropped

(34:32):
to third. Richmond held on to fourth spot.
The top three were assured of finals, but the order could still change,
while Carlton and St Kilda were a game and a half behind Richmond.
They wanted to believe they could make it but only if Richmond would drop both games.
The Tigers were no match for Geelong who won their 11th game in a row in round 17,

(34:55):
and St Kilda had a percentage boosting win when they thrashed North Melbourne
and in an upset Carlton beat Collingwood by 10 points.
Two losses in a row for the Magpies and Carlton and St Kilda still hoping they
could sneak into the finals.
St Kilda had the harder path, playing Collingwood at Victoria Park.

(35:16):
They did their best, but the Magpies, with finals about to begin,
got their system back and won comfortably, leading all day.
The Blues travelled to the Western Oval and trailed by four points at three-quarter
time, but they knew they had to win and a seven-goal last quarter gave them hope for the finals.

(35:37):
Spectators waited to see the scores posted from Richmond's home game against Hawthorne.
They were not confident. The Tigers had been up by four goals three-quarter
time, and it was only Hawthorne.
Yet, the Mayblooms had won seven games so far in their best ever season.
The scores went up, and there was a gasp.
Richmond had only scored one goal and one behind in the last quarter.

(36:01):
Hawthorne had kicked four goals forward, pencils on paper to do the maths, and then a groan.
Richmond had won by five points. The Blues' season was over.
One more goal from Hawthorne could have got them into the fall, but it was not to be.
Collingwood would take on what looked to be a shaky Richmond for the first semi-final,

(36:22):
and Geelong would play Melbourne in the second semi-final.
Carlton won the 1937 almostus for just missing out on the finals.
It was close, but Richmond's narrow win against Hawthorne left the Blues out by half a game.
St Kilda finished 6th, having challenged during the season, but fallen away.

(36:43):
Fitzroy had become the Gorillas before the start of the season and moved from
last in 1936 on only two wins to 7th, winning 7 games.
Quite an improvement. movement. Hawthorne had had their best season yet,
also with 7 wins, finishing 8th.
South had started the season badly, suffered injuries and were without Brighton

(37:06):
Diggins, leaving them with only 6 wins and 9th spot.
Essendon, Footscray and North were the remaining teams.
North had won 3 games, but that was not enough to avoid yet another familiar wooden spoon.
During August, the league proposed increasing the price for finals tickets.

(37:26):
However, just as they could not change the rules of the game on their own,
that power being delegated to the Australian Football Council,
nor could the league set pricing for the finals at the MCG.
That power sat with the MCG Trust, a board of trustees appointed by the state

(37:46):
government to manage the MCG, with most administrative matters then allocated
to the Melbourne Cricket Club.
Changes in admission prices had to be approved by the Trust,
and they did not always approve what the League requested, much to the VFL's frustration.
As with any price increase, especially when the League was asking for virtually

(38:09):
a 100% increase from one shilling and one pence to two shillings,
there was no shortage of knockers.
Forward, in the age, praised the Trustees in their efforts to resist the price
increase, crease, representing the real people who support the game.
Like many politicians before and after this time, Mr Bill Barry from the ALP,

(38:31):
representing the Electoral District of Carlton,
knew he was onto a good thing, and may have also been genuinely outraged,
when he criticised the VFL for their new form of robbery, a new tax on the football public.
While the players has got nothing. The fans were packed in like sardines,
and league executives were spending time in their palatial headquarters in the

(38:55):
city, entertaining celebrities in an atmosphere of aristocracy.
Politicians criticising the league has a long history.
By the end of August, the pricing situation was resolved, with a new innovation.
Reserve seats were made available for the first time in a VFL final,
for the cost of 7 shillings and sixpence, up from 3 shillings and sixpence for

(39:20):
early entry the year before.
The new price of 7 shillings and sixpence would be about $42 in today's money.
General admission to the outer was increased from one shilling and one penny
to one shilling sixpence, which is about $8 in today's money.
Try getting into a grand final today for $8.
Children were admitted for half adult prices.

(39:42):
If you're wondering how the reserved seats were bought in a pre-internet era,
supporters had to go to the Allens Music Store in Collins Street,
where a grid outlining the available seats was used to sell the tickets.
The league secretary, Mike McBride, was quick to point out that the additional
staff required to manage the reserve seating and the larger southern stand would

(40:06):
consume any additional revenue, and the league was not going to get a windfall.
League head office have always been good at justifying a price increase.
Collingwood made it clear that they were against the increase,
and Labor MP Bill Barry continued to make speeches in Parliament against the
price rise, and the fact that parkland around the MCG and Princess Park were

(40:30):
no longer available for play on game days,
but were revenue-raising car parks for Melbourne City Council.
It was only 1937, but the rise of the car was having a a ubiquitous impact on life.
On the Wednesday after the end of the home-and-away season, the Brownlow medal votes were counted.
Dick Reynolds of Essendon won

(40:51):
his second award, four votes clear of South Melbourne's Herbie Matthews.
Reynolds was at a club dance when the results were phoned through.
And he was immediately surrounded by teammates offering congratulations.
He said it was nice to win the Brownlow, but that Herbie Matthews is a little unlucky to miss out.
The first thing Reynolds did after finding out about his win was to telephone

(41:14):
his mother to share the news.
He told the Herald that his parents had played a big part in keeping him fit.
The non-smoker and teetotaler was also fussy about his diet,
cutting out cakes and pastries on Thursdays and Fridays, Hayes,
but eating plenty of chocolate.
While Fitzroy missed out on a Brownlow win this year, perhaps they could get

(41:36):
some joy from the fact that they headed the other 11 clubs with the greatest aggregate of votes.
But I reckon the Guerrilla supporters would prefer more wins and to make the
finals. The first semi-final was an elimination game.
Collingwood were favoured to win by most, given their return to form in the
last game of the the season and Richmond's struggles against Hawthorne.

(41:59):
Only 42,000 were at the game, well down on the first semi-final the year before,
but an analysis of the crowd supported the point made by Mike McBride that it
was a fear of infantile paralysis,
or the polio epidemic as we call it now, not the increase in price causing the lower numbers.
There was almost a complete absence of children at the game.

(42:23):
The game itself did not achieve great heights.
Richmond tried to rely on force and vigour, but Collingwood were a team that
knew how to take a knock and give more in return.
The Tigers tried to emulate Collingwood's passing game, rather than rely on
long kicking and high marking, where they seemed to have more of an advantage.
Their passes went astray, and Collingwood took the advantage.

(42:46):
The Tigers tried hard, but they were not in the game.
Collingwood achieving a solid win, 18 goals, 12, 120 points to Richmond 10-9, 69.
Richmond's year was over. Maybe they'd done well to make the finals.
Collingwood were in the preliminary final to play the loser of the second semi,
and Gordon Coventry's final season was not done yet.

(43:11):
The second semi-final was, as forward in the age noted, between the two oldest
football clubs in the country, Melbourne and Geelong.
The article provided some snapshots of earlier days, thanks to a scrapbook provided
by the grand old man of the game, Con Hickey, a cutting from 1869,

(43:32):
noted, quote, an increasing savageness from young players and that this should
be eliminated from the game.
Just as well they dealt with that violence problem early in the game's development, isn't it?
The Herald's preview had Melbourne favoured to win the game.
Their forward strength and ruck vigour would endanger Geelong.

(43:52):
Geelong had a notorious semi-final record
in the BFL 13 times they had made a semi-final but only won two and they were
playing on Melbourne's home ground The Red Demons played on the MCG every second
week during the season other clubs just once until the finals arrived However,

(44:14):
Geelong had beaten Melbourne earlier in the season on this ground 47,730 were at the MCG.
Again, well down on the 55,000 seen the year before.
However, revenue was up with the increased prices.
2,808 pounds being the best return for a semi-final since 1931.

(44:34):
It was a thrilling game of football, worthy of the top two teams for the season.
Geelong, however, played the better football. Melbourne showed some hesitation
with the wet ground and slippery ball, whereas Geelong were more direct,
making more determined efforts for marks and making sure there was a man backing
up if the ball slipped through.

(44:55):
They handled the ball more cleanly, with more purpose in every movement.
Melbourne had tried to surprise Geelong by moving Jack Mueller from half-back
to the forward line, but the move was anticipated and did not prove to be a success.
Mueller got the ball, but his goal-kicking was inaccurate.
The game was a mix of contradictions in some ways. Brilliant passages of play,

(45:17):
followed by scrambling attempts to move the ball, that achieved little.
Geelong led for most of the day, but in the fourth quarter, Melbourne shuffled their team around.
Mulelot went to the more familiar half-back line, Bluey Truscott went to the
centre, and Alan Lafontaine moved forward.
The Red Demons got the crowd cheering as they drew within 14 points,

(45:38):
but that was as close as they got. Geelong steadied to hold Melbourne off.
Geelong winners on 19 goals 11, 125, to Melbourne 16 goals 17, 113.
It had been the highest scoring final in league history, and Melbourne's score
would have won many previous semi-finals.

(45:58):
Yet they were off to a preliminary final against Collingwood,
and Geelong, after a rare semi-final win, had a week off to prepare for the grand final.
Melbourne had defeated Collingwood twice this season, by four goals at the MCG
and the stunning come-from-behind last quarter game at Victoria Park in round 16.

(46:19):
But they were coming off a disappointing loss to Geelong where the tactics of
the selection committee and the coach had been seriously questioned.
Finalising Melbourne's team for their preliminary took some time and debate
at the selection committee.
The end result saw Muller back at his usual half-back line spot.
The captain Lafontaine, under an injury cloud with a bad rib,

(46:42):
was pronounced fit and was selected.
Meanwhile, over at Collingwood, the selection process took less than 30 seconds.
Doc Seddon, chairman of the selectors, proposed the same team as the semi-final being selected.
This was agreed, and the meeting was done. While Collingwood were favoured by
many, Melbourne also had their backers, and, despite poor weather,

(47:04):
over 55,600 were at the game,
up on the previous preliminary finals, so perhaps the high prices were not keeping people awake.
There was a gale wind blowing across the MCG, goalposts were rocking and the
ball was moving in unexpected directions.
The first half of the game saw close football and plenty of fighting.

(47:25):
As described in the Argus, there may have been some spectators who wanted to see rough football.
If so, they were well catered for, as rarely has there been a better exhibition of stadium tactics.
It began with sly elbows and wild careless kicks.
Finally, the players came out in the open, and straight out and well-directed

(47:45):
punches were given and received.
There was doubt about which side would win the football and which would win the fight.
At half-time, there was only one point separating the two teams.
As far as the football went, after a downpour of rain half-time,
the second half saw Collingwood dominate while the fighting fell away.
The Magpies kicked ten goals to one in a half of football that reminded everybody

(48:09):
The Red Demons had no answer.
Collingwood's strong, team-oriented game style left Melbourne players floundering
as they were eliminated, losing two finals in a row.
Collingwood were through to another grand final as they attempted a hat-trick of premierships.

(48:29):
The violence in the first half saw three players reported.
Collingwood's Jack Knight was
suspended for six weeks for striking Jack Mueller in the second quarter.
Melbourne's John Lewis was reported for striking Albert Collier.
But there was much conflicting evidence, and he was let off,
given the benefit of the doubt.
The biggest charge of the night was the reporting of Gordon Coventry on the

(48:52):
eve of his 306th and final game, just needing four goals to reach 1,300 career goals.
Having missed the 1936 Premiership after a controversial suspension,
Gordon would have been forgiven for approaching the Tribunal with some trepidation.
Yet, it was good news for the veteran.

(49:14):
The report of deliberately charging Percy Beams was withdrawn.
The evidence showed that Beams was at the other end of the ground at the time.
Given the facts of the report were flawed, the case was dismissed,
and the 36-year-old Coventry, his birthday was the Wednesday before the big game,
would play the last game of his very long career in the 1937 Grand Final.

(49:39):
Collingwood would once again be led by Harry Collier in his seventh grand final
and third season as captain.
He'd grown up with his brother Albert in the shadow of Victoria Park and become
a central part of the Collingwood machine as they attempted their seventh premiership in 11 years.
Collingwood's coach was the seemingly everlasting Jock McHale.

(50:01):
In his 26th season, with eight premierships from 14 grand finals.
This was familiar territory for the master coach, but he would be satisfied
with nothing less than success.
Geelong were led by captain coach Reg Hickey. He had made his debut in 1926,
missing Geelong's 1925 premiership by one year.

(50:24):
1937 would be his third grand final, after the loss against Collingwood in 1930
and the 1931 premiership, defeating Richmond under the one-season coach, Charlie Climo.
Hickey had taken on the captain coach role in 1932, after Climo left,
but handed the coaching duties back to Arthur Coghlan the following season,

(50:45):
focusing on his role as a player and captain.
He was ready for the dual role in 1936, When Charlie Dibbs resigned mid-season
due to health issues, the team recovered their form under his leadership and
were unlucky to miss the finals.
In 1937, Geelong had an easy decision, converting the caretaker appointment

(51:08):
to a permanent one, and the team had topped the ladder, only losing three games.
Two of his uncles had played for Fitzroy, and Reg was born in Clifton Hill.
If not for a decision of his father to buy a farm in Cressy, not far from Colac,
Red might have been playing for the Maroons, or maybe for the Magpies,

(51:31):
and Geelong would have missed out on one of their all-time champions and leaders.
As it was, Reg went to Geelong to look for work in the wool trade,
and maybe to pick up a game or two.
He did more than that, playing 245 games and coaching for 304.
We'll be hearing his name in plenty more episodes. The umpire for 1937 was Gordon Bath.

(51:54):
He had started his VFL umpire career back in 1930, and now he was in his mid-30s,
and this was the first season he had ever umpired any finals,
having done the first semi and the preliminary final.
He would only ever officiate this one grand final, but the insurance company
employee had now reached the pinnacle that all umpires aim for.

(52:19):
Neither team seemed to be favoured in the newspaper predictions.
The Herald surveyed the captains of the 12 VFL clubs.
Seven favoured Collingwood, while five went for Geelong. The Cats were looking
for their 14th win in a row.
Collingwood, their third premiership in succession. When the teams were selected,
there was one change for each side.

(52:41):
Collingwood's ruckman, Jack Knight, had played every game of the season,
but that suspension after the preliminary final meant that he would miss out on the biggest game.
His replacement was halfback Fred Froud. He'd been on the bench for the preliminary
final and Len Murphy was added to the team as 19th man.

(53:01):
At Geelong, the unlucky man was Norm Glenister, who had a poison hand replaced
by Alan Everett, recovered from the injury that kept him out of the semi-final.
Glanister had been one of Geelong's best players in the
semi-final but infections could be devastating
in an era before antibiotics so he

(53:21):
missed this grand final after playing 16 games
and kicking 25 goals for the season Both players would return for the following
season hoping for another chance to play in the biggest game of the season There
had been some uncertainty about the expected crowd out after the increased prices
and the fears of the polio epidemic,

(53:42):
but nobody predicted the record 88,540 people.
The New Southern Stand helped to accommodate some of this huge number,
but as in many previous grand finals, people spilled out onto the ground,
this time during the curtain raiser, filling the space between the boundary line and the fence.

(54:03):
Aisles were packed and over Over 10,000 people were left outside when the gates
were shut on the orders of the Health Department.
It would lead to official investigation of how the MCG was coping with crowds
and genuine safety issues with the risk of people being crushed.
Who was responsible? The league? The police? Or the Melbourne Cricket Club?

(54:26):
At halftime during the curtain raiser, there was a unique kicking contest on display.
The Sporting Globe had coordinated a kicking challenge against Stanford University,
with Carlton representing the VFL.
Players had to kick an Australian football and an American ball using a punt
kick, a drop kick and a place kick.

(54:46):
Horry Clover was to have done the place kick, not often seen in the VFL in this
modern 1937 era, but he withdrew after injuring his knee.
Stanford did their kicks on October 13th with an Australian ball that had been
sent to them and their own gridiron ball.
When the records were tallied, it was a win for Colton, even with the forfeit and the place kick.

(55:09):
It was an interesting example of international cross-code cooperation,
but not the tipping point in taking the Australian game to international success.
Perhaps, though, it was an early indicator of the role that Australians would
find as kickers in the American Code many decades later.
The Curtain Razor match itself was an extraordinarily bitter game.

(55:33):
It was the second 18 preliminary final between Collingwood and Carlton.
There were brawls, punches, kicking and allegations a Collingwood player had been bitten.
The Herald said, spiteful playing, vicious hits and trips continued until the
bell terminated one of the most disgraceful exhibitions of football witnessed this season.

(55:57):
Collingwood won the nasty games by 19 points.
One Carlton player and two Collingwood players were reported and suspended at
the tribunal the following Tuesday.
One of the players appearing at the tribunal, but just as a witness this time,
was a young Carlton player, Bob Chitty. he would be a frequent guest at tribunal
hearings in years to come.

(56:19):
Rumours abounded that Collingwood would forfeit the Reserves Grand Final in
protest of the timing of the game.
Geelong had the week off, and now Collingwood had to play Geelong on the show
day holiday, just five days later, after a bruising, brutal game.
But they did play on that Thursday show day holiday, where Geelong beat the

(56:40):
Magpies for the Reserves Premiership.
After all the drama of the curtain raiser, it was now time for the VFL Grand Final.
Harry Collier won the toss and kicked with a slight breeze.
Geelong's captain coach, Icky, went to fullback to man up the dangerous veteran,
Gordon Coventry, in his last ever game.

(57:00):
Joe Selwood took on the young Ron Todd at centre-half forward,
and the magpie forward soon made his presence felt.
Geelong started nervously, while Collingwood were full of confidence and pace.
The lead quickly blew out to 27 points.
Ron Todd had two goals and was looking unstoppable. Coventry,

(57:20):
Doherty and Panham all had goals as well.
Collingwood's Jack Regan at full-back was all over Geelong's full-forward Les Hardiman.
Hickey knew something had to be done to stop Collingwood running away with the game.
He moved Les Hardiman from full-forward to half-back to stop the young Ron Todd.
Selwood went to the forward pocket. Then Jack Evans goaled for Geelong And the

(57:44):
Cats settled At quarter time Geelong was in striking distance Collingwood 6
goals 3, 39 To Geelong 3 goals 3, 21.
Hickey made more changes at quarter time Doherty was now at full forward Selwood
at centre half forward A number of players would get runs in the ruck Including
Gordon Abbott Who had started at centre half forward,

(58:07):
And ruckman Jack Abbott Would take breaks at full forward In an era where teams
were selected in position on Thursday night and played in that spot till the end of the game,
this type of reshuffle in a grand final was as unexpected as it was brilliant.
Perhaps only one other man on the field would have thought of similar moves.

(58:29):
Harry Collier initially laughed at the changes, thinking Geelong were unsettled.
He might have started to regret his friendly advice about how Geelong should
position their players, offered over drinks during that mid-season trip to Tasmania.
Even with this re-shuffled Geelong line-up, Collingwood started the second quarter

(58:50):
with 15 minutes of attacking football that could have given them a solid position
if they'd been able to take advantage of the opportunities.
Coventry was one of the chief offenders, missing several shots at goal.
At least Hardeman was keeping Todd quiet after his electric first quarter.
After the 15-minute mark, the pendulum started to swing Geelong's way.

(59:11):
The half-forward flanker, Clive Coles, got their first goal for the quarter.
Then Jack Edmonds kicked another, and just before the half-time bell,
Joe Selwood kicked a 70-yard beauty,
curling the wall to get another that almost brought the house down.
It was time for the players to have a break, and for supporters to absorb the
astonishing play that had Collingwood ahead by just five points,

(59:35):
eight goals ten to eight goals five.
Spectators would not be distracted during the halftime break.
The league having made the decision that no marching bands were required to
provide music for this grand final, league secretary Blake O'Brien saying,
we believe the crowd do not want music and they would prefer to relax.
Times have changed. Sometimes a grand final can have a close first two quarters

(59:59):
and then blow out in the second half. But not in 1937.
The third quarter saw an excellent game become even better.
The age described it as some of the best football seen in 40 years.
The ball moving rapidly by hand and foot, sweeping from one end to the other,
high marks and courageous spoils, solid muscular exchanges without a hint of

(01:00:24):
bitterness or thuggery that had so often clouded the game this season.
Perhaps the only missing element was Coventry's efforts.
For 1,300 career goals, as his normal accuracy went astray, kicking points when goals were needed.
For Geelong, Jack Evans was taking marks, but sometimes hitting the post,

(01:00:45):
sometimes getting goals.
Albert Collier was coming out of packs smoking hot. And then,
towards the end of the third quarter, Coventry finally broke away from the bias-like
grip of Reg Hickey to get two goals.
The bell rang and the players took a moment to rest. The scores tied.
Collingwood, 11 goals 14, 80. Geelong, 12 goals 8, 80.

(01:01:08):
The final quarter was about to begin in what had been an extraordinary game. It was a special moment.
The spectators knew it. as did the players.
Folklore says that just before the umpire bounced the ball, players from both
sides crossed the ground, shook hands and wished their opponents well.
It may have happened, and even if it didn't, it was a game that was played in

(01:01:33):
excellent spirit. One quarter to go.
One quarter to decide the premiership. Collingwood was first into their forward
line when Peter Collier kicked long, but it was to the safe,
reliable hands of Reg Hickey taking the mark.
Then a rapid string of passes to Doherty, to Slake, to Jack Metherall,
who kicked the opening goal of the last quarter, giving Geelong that much-needed start.

(01:01:56):
The Cats did not look back. They had prepared all season to be ready for this
point. They had the stamina and the momentum.
A six goals to one last quarter delivered a 32-point victory.
It was described by all the reporters and the players and the spectators as an extraordinary game.
The greatest game of all. Ron Todd declared, It was the greatest game in which I played.

(01:02:22):
Reg Hickey said, I have never played in a match in which the football was of
a higher standard or cleaner.
Brownlow medallist, Premiership captain and journalist Ivor Warne-Smith said
it was perhaps the greatest grand final in the history of the league.
Hugh Buggy, writing 13 years later, said it was the greatest game of all.

(01:02:44):
Gordon Coventry would be forever stuck on 1,299 goals.
The magic 1,300 would not be broken for another six decades.
Reg Hickey said after the game, he wished Coventry the best,
and he was sorry he did not get to 1,300, but he could not take the advice of
a spectator over the fence and let Gordon get that extra goal.

(01:03:08):
Coventry, who played 306 games over 18 seasons, said, it was the greatest game I've played in.
I thought we had the game won at half-time, but we finished in a walk.
Joe Selwood, who started the game at centre-halfback, before being moved in
Hickey's inspired shake-up of the team was interviewed 70 years after the match

(01:03:29):
when the then 96-year-old took part in the launch of the 2007 AFL season.
He said that Hickey was a very good conditioner who placed an emphasis on long
kicking and focused the side on a team-first approach.
Once Hickey took over in round 8 of 1936, Geelong had won 25.

(01:03:51):
Out of 31 games. He focused on physical fitness, using the methods that Jock
McHale had implemented at Collingwood for decades.
There was strenuous match practice on training nights, then setting up scenarios
that would be encountered in games.
In the rooms after the games, Collingwood president Harry Curtis offered his
congratulations to the winners, saying, Why can't we have such games every week?

(01:04:15):
Several Collingwood players went over to the Geelong rooms to have a drink and
offer their congratulations.
They were genuinely amused when Geelong's Les Hardiman was putting the finishing
touches to the combing of his hair.
Players had been grooming themselves for decades.
Hardiman said, What a great game it was. There was not one atom of dirt.

(01:04:36):
Why, I did not even get one elbow in the ribs. Sometimes I get a hundred.
One man who did not go to the Geelong rooms was Collingwood coach Jock McHale.
It might have been a wonderful game, but he still hated losing.
The Geelong players took the train home with continuous whistling from North
Geelong to the Geelong station.
They were welcomed by more than 12,000 people but the team was not ready to

(01:05:01):
be presented to the crowd.
Just as Reg Hickey would not take to the field shorthanded he demanded they
wait for two players that had missed the special train in Melbourne.
Perhaps they were celebrating too long between the MCG and Spencer Street so
the players remain on the station overhead bridge until the ordinary train brought
the two unnamed latecomers and the group could proceed together.

(01:05:25):
The St Augustine's Boys Band led the throng to the town hall where everyone chanted for Reg Hickey.
After the speeches came the celebrations, which continued into the following week.
Sunday morning saw the ceremonial funeral of the magpie, with a bird,
not clear if it was a real magpie or a stuffed toy, in a miniature coffin buried

(01:05:48):
in the centre of Corio Oval,
with more than 1,000 people in attendance at the not-so-solemn ceremony.
Even the base team, Eridina, was sporting a blue and white flag and sounding
its siren frequently as it came into port.
Wednesday afternoon, the team were guests at the Geelong Race Club's spring
meeting, followed by dinner on the Wednesday night at the ABC Café,

(01:06:12):
sponsored by an anonymous supporter. quarter.
Hopefully the players did not go too hard at the races before they had to show up for dinner.
Thursday was Melbourne show day which brought even more celebrations when the
Geelong second 18 had an easy win over Collingwood for the reserves premiership.
They too were welcomed by crowds and then given a reception at the Geelong West Town Hall.

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It was the first time that one
club had won both the senior and second 18 premiership in the same season.
While Collingwood did not have of a premiership to celebrate,
they did have a surprise winner of the Copeland Trophy.
Despite missing the first six games of the season, despite being the newest
member of a team studded with champions, despite only being 16 in his first

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game in Round 7, Des Fothergill won the Copeland Trophy.
Watch out for his impact in the coming seasons. By the time he was 20,
he'd won three Copeland trophies in four seasons and a round load.
Many players would be happy to make their debut at 20.
In a less celebratory mood was the Health Commission, who decided that the Melbourne

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Cricket Club and the VFL should show cause why they should not be prosecuted
for the unsafe overcrowding on grand final day.
In the end, a commitment by the MCC to the Health Commission to ensure every
precaution would be made to carry out the Health Commission's requirements saw
the prosecution deferred.

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Meanwhile, a storm was brewing at the VFA, which would have repercussions for decades to come.
As discussed in this episode and previous episodes, the VFA had been struggling.
And gate receipts were down, and the much-discussed merger with the VFL was
not going to happen, and there was even talk of clubs from the northern suburbs
breaking away from the VFA.

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But the VFA had plans to make their game more attractive to spectators,
not just following the rules laid out by the Australian Football Council.
This would not go down well with the league, but the VFA was focusing on what
it needed to do to control its own destiny.
Proposed changes included reducing the sides to 16 players by taking out two of the ruck positions.

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This would reduce congestion and lower player payments for clubs.
Chuck McHale had been advocating the same reduction for years.
Second, elimination of centre-bounces to start the game and after goals,
replaced by a kick-off by the centre-man.
Third, reversion to the traditional out-of-bounds rule with the ball being thrown
in by the umpire, rather than providing a free against the team that last touched the ball.

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Fourth, throwing the ball to be allowed. Fifth, providing three points when
the ball hit the goalpost instead of just one.
In November, the VFA agreed to end the agreement with the league and go their own way.
While the change of rules was still to be finalised, the kick-off replacing
the centre bounce was not popular.
The commitment by the association to stand on their own was clear.

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It might create problems for players looking to play in other competitions There
would be no protection from raids by BFL clubs looking for players But maintaining
the status quo was not an option,
Providing a more attractive football code And building their own game was the way forward,
there would be no more VFL, VFA representative games for some time.

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Not only would the VFA be breaking from Australian football,
as played in the VFL in the rest of the country,
a breach with the Australian Football Council meant that players could be recruited
from the VFA without a clearance, but the VFA could also chase league players without a clearance.
It would be back to the high money recruit stakes that were seen before the

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league and the VFA agreed on the need for clearances.
But VFL clubs were bound by the obligations on the quarter rule,
limiting how much they could pay players.
We will see how this unfolds in the next episodes.
October and November saw the football world in mourning.
First, the death of one of the stalwarts of the game, Mr Con Hickey.

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Recruited to Fitzroy by Jack Worrell in 1887, he played at half-back.
At the end of his playing career, he moved into administration and was the Maroons'
secretary and delegate to the BFA and then the BFL.
When the league was first established, he was the inaugural treasurer for the
league, when the financial amounts were much smaller than what the BFL was turning over in 1937.

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But he helped lay the foundation for what the AFL has become today.
Then in November, Jack Worrell, whose journalism has been a key resource for
this podcast, and who was the first coach in the VFL, the first coach to lose
a grand final and the first to win a premiership, getting three in a row at Carlton.

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And then the first reigning premiership coach to be sacked, for the good of
the club, before he went to Essendon to win two more flags.
Both Hickey and Worrell deserve to be better known for their roles in laying
the foundations of Australian football and the VFL AFL.
Jack Worrell is in the Australian Football Hall of Fame, Con Hickey is one of

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many former pioneer players and administrators who seem to be missing from that honour.
There was a proposal in 1937 that part of the new Southern Standard,
the MCG, be named after Jack Morrill.
It did not happen. Perhaps it should have.
December. Saw a very happy AGM at Geelong. No reform groups campaigning to unseat

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the committee at this club.
Just a celebration of the premierships for the seniors and the reserves.
And optimism for even better days ahead.
The premiership flag and medallions for players were presented by the league
president, Dr McLellan.
And the Premiership ball, mounted in scribe and in a special case,
was presented to Red Hickey.

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The Geelong president, Samuel Jacobs, presented the club with a unique photo
of both the first and second 18 Premiership players together in a group.
I wonder if Geelong still has it.
The year ended with the Olympics again in the news.
The Herald reported that Japan was sticking to their plans to host the Winter
and Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1940 as scheduled.

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You.