1971 AT NIGHT - A DISTANT MEMORY

1971 AT NIGHT - A DISTANT MEMORY by Whispering Jack

The appearance of the Western Bulldogs in this year's NAB Cup Grand Final is that club's first such appearance in four decades since way back in 1970 when they were known as "Footscray" and they edged out Melbourne by two points in the night grand final. In those days the night series was played at the end of the season at South Melbourne and was contested by the sides that missed out on being in the top four teams that made the finals.

While the focus this week has been on 1970 when the Demons failed to bring home the silverware, it was a different story in 1971 when they did triumph against the Lions to win the first of three such flags, the others coming in 1987 and 1989.

Season 1971 was for Melbourne a tiny oasis in one of the bleakest periods of the club's history. The once mighty powerhouse that ruled the competition for a decade from the mid 50s started falling apart after winning the first eight games of 1965. Just half a season after winning their 12th premiership the Demons imploded with the disastrous sacking of legendary coach Norm Smith heralding a long period of instability, decline and ultimately, decay. Smith was reinstated after a week of turmoil but the writing was on the wall. He was gone at the end of 1967 and by 1969, the team had completely fallen apart, winning just three games and taking out the wooden spoon under former premiership captain John Beckwith.

Ian Ridley, a five-time premiership player, took over the coaching reins at the beginning of 1971 with the promise that a new era of success for football's oldest club was just around the corner. The former champion rover was a slick talking car salesman whose hot gospelling coaching style seemed to suit a Melbourne side that had gone into its shell after so many years at the top and had struggled to overcome a massive inferiority complex when confronted by the competition's new powerhouse clubs. Ridley's aim was to instil self-belief back into the playing group.

Melbourne opened the season with a home game against Norm Smith's South Melbourne, fresh from its first finals appearance in two and a half barren decades. The Swans were blown off the MCG by a whopping 105 points with the Demons producing their most devastating performance in years. The self-belief was back with a vengeance. Skipper Frank Davis, full forward Barry Bourke and rover John Townsend were the only remnants of premiership days in the team. The goals were shared around while diminutive rover Paul Callery was the team's best that day.

The good times continued with another four wins on end and stretched out to eight wins from the first nine games before petering out with a fall to just but seventh place with eleven and a half wins. At least there was still a night series to contemplate before entering into another long, hot summer.

The Demons comfortably overcame their first hurdle under lights when they thrashed the Cats by ten goals with Graham Osborne booting six from a forward pocket. Callery and ruck rover Greg Wells each scored three goals while Callery, wingman Trevor Rollinson and Bobby McKenzie Jnr. were named in the best.

Melbourne easily accounted for Carlton in the semi final by 26 points. The Blues were among the favourites for the flag so it was a wonderful achievement. Full forward Ross Dillon kicked three goals and Wells, Townsend and expensive South Australian recruit John Tilbrook, who missed half a season during a clearance wrangle with Sturt, were the team's best on the night.

The grand final team to take on Fitzroy was:

Backs B Bourke R Biffin M Walker

Half Backs F Davis © G Hardeman A Sullivan

Centreline T Rollinson J Tilbrook S Alves

Half Forwards D Clark G Molloy R McKenzie

Forwards G Osborne R Dillon J Townsend

Followers P Keenan G Wells P Callery

19/20 N Leary P Sinclair

The Demons won a hard fought battle by 16 points, 12.7.79 to 9.9.63 with Dillon and Townsend each scoring three goals. Townsend, Wells and Davis were the best players.

Wells narrowly took out the Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy for best and fairest ahead of Callery with Davis coming third. The Demons were assembling a good young team and had a solid spine with Ray Biffin and Gary Hardeman in defence and marking forwards in Greg Parke and Dillon. Stan Alves was one of the competition's leading wingmen while Peter Keenan was rapidly developing as a ruckman. Wells was on his way to elite status as a centreman - he was runner up in the following year's Brownlow Medal count. The Reserves made the Finals and the Under 19's and Under 17's both won their respective premierships. The 19's had several promising players including Ross Brewer, Stephen Kerley and a handful of others who later made it to the seniors. The 17's best clubman was a young, bespectacled Robert Flower.

The team's overall improvement in 1971, the night premiership and the youthful talent at the club left many confident of facing the coming seasons. However, for a number of reasons, further improvement remained illusory and the club struggled for over a decade and a half before it was able to play in any final of any nature. In 1987, Melbourne won the night premiership and made it all the way to a day preliminary final but, by then, 1971 was a distant memory.