1973 - A RETROSPECTIVE by Whispering Jack

[Demonland 72,210]

The tired old football cliché of next year was in the air as the Melbourne Football Club entered 1973 with high hopes. Former Saint Carl Ditterich the star recruit had been lured to the club at the cost of $82,000 and there were the usual young hopefuls including a bespectacled callow wisp of a lad named Robert Flower waiting in the wings. The main loss was that of injury prone key forward Ross Dillon who crossed to Norwood (SA).

As was becoming the norm, things simply didn't work out although, after a slow start the Demons were on six wins from eleven games and were a chance of making the final five after three consecutive victories. Alas, they won only one remaining game, finished a dismal 10th and Ian Ridley resigned with several players threatening to quit the club for what they considered poor treatment of the former coach.

The matter was eventually smoothed over and the "rebel" players remained. Bob Skilton was appointed the new coach for 1974 - the first time since the 1930s and the days of Checker Hughes that the club had made an outside appointment for the senior coaching role.

THE DETAIL

Coach: Ian Ridley
Captain: Stan Alves
Finishing Position: 10th
Best and Fairest: Carl Ditterich
Leading Goalkicker: Ross Brewer (32)
Best First Year Player: Robert Flower

PREMIERSHIP SEASON

ROUND BY ROUND

1 St. Kilda 9.12.66 - 14.14.98 Loss
2 Hawthorn 13.22.100 - 14.14.98 Win
3 Carlton 11.9.75 - 11.16.82 Loss
4 Fitzroy 13.16.94 - 13.9.87 Win
5 Richmond 13.13.91 - 16.14.110 Loss
6 Collingwood 10.16.76 - 15.10.100 Loss
7 South Melbourne 17.10.112 - 12.11.83 Win
8 Essendon 10.11.71 - 12.9.81 Loss
9 Footscray 10.14.74 - 9.14.68 Win
10 Geelong 20.19.139 - 11.15.81 Win
11 North Melbourne 13.12.90 - 12.9.81 Win
12 St. Kilda 6.18.54 - 11.14.80 Loss
13 Hawthorn 15.15.105 - 15.22.112 Loss
14 Fitzroy 19.20.134 - 14.13.97 Win
15 Carlton 12.9.81 - 18.14.122 Loss
16 Richmond 9.19.73 - 16.14.110 Loss
17 Collingwood 12.15.87 - 17.24.116 Loss
18 South Melbourne 11.12.78 - 12.14.86 Loss
19 Essendon 15.11.101 - 17.13.105 Loss
20 Footscray 10.13.73 - 17.8.110 Loss
21 Geelong 14.14.98 - 17.11.113 Loss
22 North Melbourne 9.12.66 - 11.5.71 Loss

LADDER

Collingwood 19 3 0 125.5% 76
Richmond 17 5 0 117.6% 68
Carlton 15 7 0 126.6% 60
Essendon 13 9 0 104.4% 52
St. Kilda 12 10 0 105.3% 48
North Melbourne 11 10 1 97.6% 46
Hawthorn 11 11 0 109.6% 44
Fitzroy 9 13 0 90.7% 36
Footscray 7 14 1 88.2% 30
Melbourne 7 15 0 91.8% 28
Geelong 6 16 0 78.4% 24
South Melbourne 4 18 0 79.0% 16

PLAYING LIST [Number, Player, Games, Goals]

2 Robert Flower 13 4
3 Trevor Rollinson 4 0
4 Tony Sullivan 21 0
5 John Clennett 8 3
6 Frank Davis 18 1
7 Graham Osborne 21 13
8 Peter Keenan 15 13
9 Stephen Kerley 18 2
10 Carl Ditterich 22 5
11 Greg Wells 21 20
12 Mike Collins 2 1
14 Barry Bourke 210
15 Stan Alves 22 29
17 Denis Clark 14 3
18 John Tilbrook 21 24
19 Ray Biffin 22 5
20 Shane McSpeerin 4 5
21 Graham Molloy 4 4
22 Henry Ritterman 9 5
23 Shane Fitzsimmons 14 2
24 Wayne Delmenico 7 1
26 Greg Parke 21 21
27 Ross Brewer 18 32
28 Tony Dullard 3 5
29 Noel Leary 7 0
30 Peter Williamson 7 2
33 Gary Hardeman 21 6
34 Mal Owens 3 0
35 Paul Callery 22 28
36 Glenn Swan 13 21
39 Peter Dilnot 4 3
40 John Cumming 4 0
42 John Morgan 4 0
43 Frank Giampaolo 3 4
45 Greg MacDonald 4 6
49 Ian McGuinness 2 0
54 Neil Chamberlain 3 3

BEST & FAIREST

Seniors:

Best and Fairest (Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy) - Carl Ditterich
Runner-up Best and Fairest (Sid Anderson Memorial Trophy) - Greg Wells Third Best and Fairest (Ron Barassi Senior Memorial Trophy) - Barry Bourke Fourth Best and Fairest - Stan Alves Fifth Best and Fairest - Paul Callery
Sixth Best and Fairest - Ray Biffin
Best First Year Player - Robert Flower

Reserves:

Best and Fairest (Stan Brownbill Memorial Trophy) - Noel Leary Second Best and Fairest - John Cumming Outstanding Service Trophies - Wayne Delmenico, Ian McGuinness, Henry Ritterman

Under 19s:

Best and Fairest (Ray Reid Memorial Trophy) - Robert Meades Second Best and Fairest - Ray Potter Outstanding Service - Neil McMullin, James Ahern, Barry Lierich

Under 17s:

Best and Fairest - Shane Young
Second Best and Fairest - Robert Santagada Outstanding Service - Glen Campbell, David Gough, Greg Pimm

THE PASSING PARADE

Legendary coach Norm Smith passed away in 1973.

THE BOTTOM LINE

A profit of $4,382 was announced, thanks mainly to a larger dividend from the VFL as a result of extra revenue due to a draw in the finals series.

ANNUAL REPORT 1973

In presenting the Annual Report for season 1973, we record a drop from eighth to tenth position on the V.F.L. list. Since our last premiership win in 1964, the highest position we have occupied on the premiership ladder is seventh, and to find the team recording another disappointing year is both hurtful and discouraging. We won only seven matches this year after a reasonable beginning in winning six out of our first eleven matches. However, in winning one match in the last eleven games played, we failed to flatter in any degree.

This dismal effort has saddened all connected with the club, but we are not sitting down in despair: we are trying to do something about it within the limits laid down by the rules. We need many more better players than were on our list in 1973, but this is easier said than done, because we are restricted to recruit within our metropolitan and country zoned areas, and are permitted to sign only two interstate players per year. We have exhaustively surveyed the country areas zoned to us by the V.F.L. and it does not appear to offer the quantity and the quality of players we require immediately. Undoubtedly there are a few youngsters who show promise and they will be encouraged, but the ready made players are not there. A similar picture is in evidence as far as our metropolitan zone is concerned, with the differ­ence being an increase in the number of good juniors available from our local district, but still no instant league players.

Limited as we are in acquiring interstate ready made players, it would appear therefore that our greatest hope of progress lies with our local metropolitan junior players and they must be given the maximum assistance, and encouragement, to develop as senior players in the shortest possible time.

We have been faced with the resignation of our Senior Coach, fan Ridley, and the Committee feels it better to advertise the Coaching positions of all our other eighteens and this we have done in an endeavour to find the best talent in this area. We must have the best coach available to spearhead our advance if we are to be as successful as we all would wish.

More will be said about the service of Ian Ridley in a later part of the Report but it is quite obvious that the road ahead is going to be both lone and difficult. The Victorian Football League has always been a most highly competitive athletic competition and all league clubs approach their task in a dedicated manner backed with a planned business approach, and your Committee is doing this also.

It is a simple matter to criticize committees and the people that comprise them and this will always be so. One can only assure our members that their committee is devoting hours of time and study to the running of our Club. The number of occasions that various sub­committees are called upon to meet throughout the year is most surprising and it is a job only for the enthusiast to undertake. As a consequence, the time they spend away from their families with no financial gain whatsoever is very considerable, and yet when success fails to arrive, they are immediately criticized. It would be a far better action for the critics to present themselves for election at this annual meeting rather than to criticise from afar and yet make no endeavour to undertake the work load that a Committeeman must undertake.

For some years, our recruiting has been under the control of a member of Committee in Ken Carlon who would barely see one or two matches in Melbourne each season. Every other weekend he is touring our country areas viewing potential players in the country matches he attends. It is no fault of Ken's that at the present moment, there are very few real possibilities as players for 1974, in either the Goulburn Valley League, the Kyabram District League, the Waranga North Eastern League or the Riddell League. Our relations with these leagues are very good. Indeed, a letter of thanks received from the Waranga N.E. League at the conclusion of Season 1973, was lodged with the Victorian Country Football League as evidence of the most cordial co-operation that exists between that League and our Club and we are proud of this. But the fact still remains that the four leagues are not producing players quickly enough to immediately uplift our position.

Our metropolitan zone presents the best possible source of talent and we were delighted in 1973 to have the City of Chelsea allotted to our metropolitan area and all the clubs contained in that city.

It is our intention to increase even further our metropolitan recruiting staff so that we can cover the whole of our local zone even more thoroughly.

The only problem that we have in relation to the interstate scene is in the selection of the two players that we are permitted to sign. The recommendations are very numerous and having regard to the priorities set down by our Match Committee, this position is at times, quite difficult. As evidence of our judgement in this regard, early in 1973 we signed Peter Carey of the Glenelg Football Club who is now hailed as the brightest youngster in Australian football. Whilst Glenelg cannot be expected to hand Carey to us on a plate, we are hopeful of securing his services in the not too distant future.

On the administration side, we are taking steps to relieve the work load of our present Secretary, Mr. Jim Cardwell, and to use more fully the years he has with the Club before his retirement. To this end, we have advertised the position of Administrative Manager and we hope to have the services of this new official in January of 1974. Jim Cardwell can then return to recruiting and team managership and players' welfare with more time to attend to these problems and not be diverted by administrative matters which are ever increasing as football expands in the manner it is.

In short, there is nothing more that this Club can do to try and obtain success. Our efforts are solely directed to this end. Your Club offers inducements to players that are in excess of those offered by other V.F.L. Clubs. The benefits and the privileges our players enjoy in many regards are second to none. Our winning Incentive Plan is generous, our Provident Fund equally so and yet we have the situation of this team winning only one of its last eleven encounters and this is not nearly enough. Ian Ridley continually appealed to the players to support him at the finish of the season and this they failed to do by not winning matches.

Our new coach must face this task supported only by the faith of the people behind him and the hope that the players must and will support him. You can be quite certain that each and every player who will occupy a position on the final list of the Melbourne Football Club in 1974, will be dedicated and possess the required determination to materially improve our position. We can do no more than this.

With the resignation of Ian Ridley as senior coach, your Commit­tee is actively canvassing the field for a suitable replacement. However, we are conscious that this will not be an easy task. Ian's record as a player is truly great. He joined the Club in 1954 and played 130 matches during which he kicked 302 goals. He played in five premiership teams for Melbourne and after he left the Club, won a premiership with Ringwood in the Eastern Suburban League. After acting as Assist­ant Secretary for some three years, in 1968, he was appointed as Coach of the Reserves and won two premierships in 1969 and 1970. It is unfortunate that Ian has seen fit to resign but it is our sincere wish that he should continue with our Club in some capacity and we are making strenuous efforts at this stage, to retain his services.

Bernie Massey has acted as Reserve Eighteen Coach this year and, after an excellent beginning, the team slumped somewhat to finish in seventh position with nine wins, twelve losses and one drawn game. Bernie has proved himself to be a most conscientious coach and has also proved of great assistance to Ian Ridley. Bernie Massey's record as a player with Melbourne is well known and we are grateful for his continued support over what has been a far from easy year for him.

Brian Gray was again coach of our Under Nineteen team for 1973 and proved satisfactory in this position. Our Under Nineteen's finished in sixth position, winning eleven games and losing eleven. This team, similar to the situation with our Reserve Eighteen team, was continually altered each Saturday by the demands made on them from the higher grade team because of injury and found difficulty in settling down as a permanent combination each Saturday.

The brightest spot in the M.F.C. activities was the success of our under seventeen team which won a premiership within its competition. They defeated another local district team in St. Mary's, in a section of the Melbourne Boys' League. This made their third successive Premiership and the team was coached by Gordon Duff who has built up a wonderful record with this team. A proposal from the Hawthorn Foot­ball Club was put before the Victorian Football League, contemplating the formation of an under seventeen competition within the League. Our Club has supported this for a number of years and we sincerely trust that the other league clubs have enough commonsense to support this proposal.

This year, we again conducted our Best and Fairest voting in public at the M.C.G. This proved to be even more successful than the original evening in 1972. From the outset of counting, it was obvious that Carl Ditterich would be the winner of our Best and Fairest award. Praise must be given to this great footballer and clubman. His play through­out the year was an example to all and we were very pleased with his performance in every respect. Carl faced many difficulties in trans­ferring from St. Kilda to Melbourne. The publicity at that time placed a tremendous load on him but he showed from the beginning the foot­ball we hoped he would produce. To win the Best and Fairest award as he did, was a fitting climax to a splendid season. Our runner-up Best and Fairest, Greg Wells, again enjoyed a splendid year in which he polled heavily in all major awards. Greg is a brilliant player but has yet to realize his true potential. It is to be hoped that he will be allowed to settle into a permanent position where it is certain, he will delight football followers for many years to come. Third Best and Fairest was won by Barry Bourke and his was truly an outstanding performance. When one considers the injuries which Barry had to struggle against throughout the entire season and the manner in which he overcame them, one can only express extreme gratitude to Barry for the long and dedicated service he has given the Melbourne Football Club. Unfortunately, at the conclusion of the season, he suffered an adverse medical report that will virtually compel him to hang up his boots and retire as a player. He will shortly enter hospital for surgical treatment which will force him to be immobilized in plaster for many weeks. We sincerely trust that he will be permitted to serve the Club in other capacities and we will not lose the support of this very valuable clubman.

Our fourth Best and Fairest player, Stan Alves, had a year made difficult by his being appointed as Captain and with the added respon­sibilities of the position, Stan's form was a little below that of 1972 when he was the winner of our Best and Fairest trophy. Stan, however, displayed great team spirit and was always a very difficult player for his opponent. He well deserves his high place in our voting award.

In Paul Callery and Ray Biffin, who were fifth and sixth Best and Fairest players respectively, we had two most valuable players. Paul, who for the second time in a row was fifth in our Best and Fairest voting, was a great favourite with all and thoroughly deserved this position. The same remarks can be expressed about Ray Biffin who is a most valuable member of the team.

Our Best First Year player is Robert Flower who is probably the most brilliant youngster in the V.F.L. He deserves great praise for an unswerving display of courage and skill of the highest order.

Our Club had another reasonably successful financial year but we again express the hope that when the gradual curtailment and easing of the financial strain in developing V.F.L Park at Mulgrave beings to take effect, all club finances will be immeasurably improved. It is high time that the clubs that comprise the V.F.L should gain more assistance from that body in our efforts to meet the increased payments to players that we are called upon to meet.

CAPTAIN AND VICE-CAPTAIN

Special thanks must be conveyed to Stan Alves and Gary Hardeman who were our leaders on the field. Stan, by his example and his great club spirit, led the team most successfully whilst Gary Hardeman, with his dashing play and his youthful approach, caused the players to gather behind both he and Stan and we are most grateful to them for their leadership. They are both fine young men and typical examples of the players that represent our Club.

OUR COMMITTEE

Dr. D. G. Duffy again presided as Chairman of the football club for season 1973, It is unfortunate that our progress was not as success­ful as it might have been because the time and effort that our Committee puts into its work for the football club deserves more success than has been enjoyed over the past few years. Football committees are invariably criticised when the team fails to perform but very often the reasons for this failure are beyond its control.

During the year, certain changes were made in Committee and the Rev. P. K. Melville was elected as a replacement for Mr. F. V. (Checker) Hughes who retired. With the retirement of Mr. Hughes, our club was indeed the poorer. Checker, who has carried on almost since he first came to Melbourne in 1933 has been associated with our Committee for a long while and we were very sorry to see him retire. He will, however, continue to visit us and he was tendered a complimentary dinner by the Committees of the Melbourne Cricket Club and the Melbourne Football Club which was a great privilege for those members fortunate to be in attendance. Mr. Hughes's place on Committee has been taken by another old player, P. K. Melville. Ken, who was a magnificent vice-captain of our club, and a member of premiership teams, is a most welcome addition to our committee. He brings with him the youthfulness of approach and an experience of football that will be of great benefit.

Representing M.F.C. Members: Messrs. G. A. Lenne, J. P. McGrath.

Co-opted Official: Mr. G. M. Swan.

The work of the respective chairmen of our sub-committees must be mentioned. These include Noel McMahen (Match Committee), G. W. Patterson (Business Committee), G. A. Lenne (Finance), K. Carlon (Recruiting), G. M. Swan (Organization and Entertainment), A. L. King (League Director), all these gentlemen deserve special mention. Our sub-committees meet constantly throughout the season, sometimes as often as twice weekly and great demands are made on their time. In the case of Mr. King as League Director, one who also controls our membership ticket sales as well as our final series reserved ticket sales, it is quite remarkable the time he devotes to football club affairs. We are sincerely grateful to all gentlemen who serve on our Committee.

CONGRATULATIONS

We are again pleased to report that the Hon. Sir Henry Bolte, K.C.M.G., again consented to act as our Number 1 ticket holder for 1973. Sir Henry Bolte has been in attendance on many occasions during the season and was supported as our Number 2 ticket holder by Cr. Allan Whalley as Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne. We are very pleased to record the enthusiasm and support of these two distinguished gentlemen and are proud to have them associated with our Club.

Our congratulations must also go to the Richmond Football Club, its Coach Tom Hafey and its hard working officials headed by President Al Boord and Secretary Allan Schwab. Richmond's outstanding per­formance in winning premierships in all sections that its teams competed, made it a wonderful year for that Club. Its performance in winning the V.F.L. senior Grand Final brought great credit to the members of the team. There were many who considered Carlton to be the most professional team in the V.F.L. Richmond dispelled this in the final series by the manner in which it set about its task. With dedication and skill, and led unswervingly by Tom Hafey, it set a standard that other clubs found impossible to reach and in a most decisive manner, proved itself to be the best team in the competition. The team reached even greater heights in Adelaide in the Australian Championships which were held the following week when in an outstanding performance, it overhauled a seven goal deficit to defeat Subiaco and become Australian Champions. Congratulations mi the success they enjoyed.

Congratulations are conveyed to Keith Greig of North Melbourne for his win in this year's Brownlow Medal Count. It might also be in order to congratulate the whole of the North Melbourne Football Club for its rejuvenation.

Congratulations must go to our interstate representatives in Greg Wells, Gary Hardeman and Paul Callery. They were most worthy players and represented our club with distinction.

CHAIRMAN'S ADDENDUM

The lack of team improvement in 1973 was as surprising as it was unexpected and so much the reverse of the reasonable expectations we confidently held at the opening of the season.

In such circumstances, widespread criticism is to be expected from frustrated and disappointed supporters who naturally cast about for some clearly identifiable reason for such failure. The Committee, coach and players must all face, in some measure, the brunt of this storm which is not only a natural reaction but also serves as a stimulus to the administration to do something about the situation. If they are slow to do so they should be opposed at the ballot box.

Success can only come from the endeavour of players on the field and the winning of games no other way.

The committee of the club must acquire the right sort of players in sufficient numbers to do the job and insofar as we have not been successful in this direction, we are open to serious criticism by our supporters.

The committee fully realises its responsibility and is already taking steps to review the entire structure and methods of operation in the Melbourne Football Club.

We have appointed a deputy chairman who will provide greater supervision of sub-committee work and liaison between them. It is probable that the experimental reduction in match committee numbers will be scrapped and the five member committee reinstituted.

The appointment of an administrative secretary will allow Mr. Jim Cardwell to move more fully into the team management and recruiting field where his proven talents will be of greater service to the club.
We are looking more closely than ever at the possibility of recruit­ment from other clubs in the V.F.L. while continuing to develop our country and metropolitan zones.

Our supporters can be assured that the Melbourne Football Club has been a very happy club for some years but this desirable situation has not resulted in success on the field nor has the provision of incentive payments been sufficient to lift the team higher up the ladder.

There is only one answer to our problem and that is more and better players.

[Lord Byron 32]

It reads like the Committee was fairly full of themselves in those days.

[Supermercado 2,797]

Does anyone have any information on the Fourths? I've picked up a little bit over the years (http://demonwiki.org/fourths) but it's seemingly not a competition that had very good records kept. It might not have even stopped at the 4ths, in a mid-50's Football Record I saw a reference to the Footscray Fifths (!).

[Whispering_Jack 30,169]

Does anyone have any information on the Fourths? I've picked up a little bit over the years (http://demonwiki.org/fourths) but it's seemingly not a competition that had very good records kept. It might not have even stopped at the 4ths, in a mid-50's Football Record I saw a reference to the Footscray Fifths (!).

I don't think there was ever an official VFL fourths competition and I believe that Melbourne Fourths played for some time (circa 60's/70's) in a competition called the Melbourne Boys League. They played on Saturday mornings and, I can recall as a 14 year old playing a junior game for East Brighton that was a curtain raiser to a Melbourne fourths game. That's about all I remember about that although I also later attended a game between Melbourne Fourths and Port Colts which was pretty fiery.

I don't know what happened to the Melbourne Boys League but there could be some records around in old newspapers.

[Big Col 1,347]

Mr. Hughes's place on Committee has been taken by another old player, P. K. Melville. Ken, who was a magnificent vice-captain of our club, and a member of premiership teams, is a most welcome addition to our committee

Jeremy Howe is probably the best #38 since Kenny Melville,