Earliest surviving VFL footage

[Moonshadow 17,470]

Found this on youtube. Given it's currently the off season, thought it might be worth a look.

1909 Grand Final. Carlton vs Sth Melb. Not Melbourne, but interesting nonetheless. Great shots of the crowd and the action. If you look carefully you might see old dee behind the goals.

One for the Aussie Rules history buffs.

[monoccular 17,305]

Interesting that this is available but not the truly wonderful GFs including 1948, 55, 56, 57, 59, 60 & 64 ?

The crowd was just so uniform: suits/coats, ties, hats/caps according I guess to social class, but no trackydax and no footy jumpers !

[ignition. 1,454]

Fantastic footage!

The kick at 3:55 and the handball after it are certainly interesting.

Also love all the nodding of the hats.

I would love to see the club dig up some of our old stuff (not to emphasize on it) but have an archive on youtube and through the website for any of those interested in looking.

[chook fowler 19,248]

Fantastic to watch. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

Was that Dustin Fletcher at full back?

[gsmith12 491]

Enjoyable clip, must say the handballing was suspect and the goal umps showed scant respect for the flags

A 2 point win to the bloods was a fitting result.

[McQueen 17,864]

Fantastic to watch. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

Was that Dustin Fletcher at full back?

I couldn't tell either.

HD quality was really poor back then wasn't it.

[bush demon 1,989]

The crowd scenes show how we have changed as a society. There is a togetherness that is totally absent in today's selfish world. Everyone seems to belong to the same family in these shots. It is the same with 60's youtube footage of the kop, Liverpool's home ground.

[wattsup 470]

Looking at the crowd all I could think was, if you had a hat shop back then you would have cleaned up

[John Crow Batty 8,764]

Fantastic to watch. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

Was that Dustin Fletcher at full back?

No. He was suspended for kneeing.

[daisycutter 29,296]

looked like one of eddie betts' ancestors must have been the official shorts supplier

did you notice 3 bloods players had the diagonal sash running the wrong way......wonder if vfl fined them in those days

think the handball rule must have been different then

that cast iron fencing looked lethal esp with little space past boundary line

[jazza 1,323]

It is OD,notice he is smoking back in those days and has already developed grey hair.

Still he's got the same suit apparently,wears it on special occasions.

BBO centre of screen 1.05=1.15 identified by TCO.

Edited November 18, 2014 by jazza

[Jesse Christ 2,884]

Anyone else get a phone call after watching that saying they've got 7 days to live? Bizarre!

[John Crow Batty 8,764]

A couple of points.

There must have been a lot hat rage in the crowd. How could anyone see anything but hats back from the fence.

Kevin Bartlett bouncing the ball is ubiquitous. He was everywhere that day.

Edited November 18, 2014 by america de cali

[gsmith12 491]

The crowd scenes show how we have changed as a society. There is a togetherness that is totally absent in today's selfish world. Everyone seems to belong to the same family in these shots. It is the same with 60's youtube footage of the kop, Liverpool's home ground.

My thoughts too BD, imagine the aggro if hats like that were worn today or umbrellas' utilised.

[Salems Lot 2,470]

Is it me or was Carlton playing in 2 totally different jumper designs?

[Bergly Sanders 45]

Fantastic footage!

The kick at 3:55 and the handball after it are certainly interesting.

...

Yes, they look a lot more "gaelic" than today's skills. The handball looks straight out of hurling!

[FarNorthernD 5,861]

I really enjoyed watching that. Thankyou Moonshadow.

Obviously much has changed after 100 years of evolution but some things remain eternal; dodgy interpretation of the dropping the ball rule (8.50 minute mark), problems with too many players around the ball and Boomer Harvey playing for a free in the goal square (6.14)

[Supermercado 2,784]

I would love to see the club dig up some of our old stuff (not to emphasize on it) but have an archive on youtube and through the website for any of those interested in looking.

Not sure there is any footage of old games kept. They've been kind enought to let me into their archives as part of my research for Demonwiki and it's basically pictures/books/programs/memorabilia etc.. I've never seen any rogue VHS' or film reels in there (unless they're well hidden).

They must get this stuff from somewhere for tribute videos and the like but I suspect it has to come from the broadcaster or the AFL rather than our own collection.

What they could do is make a playlist out of all the MFC games other people have uploaded and embed it on the website. There are heaps of clips of anywhere between two minutes and entire matches that have been uploaded in various places across YouTube.

[Webber 10,433]

Great stuff, Moonshadow. Interesting to see the 'place-kick' used, I'd forgotten about it in Australian Rules footy. Would love to see it come back, other than for controversy and freak value. It's much more accurate, and would be further advantaged by our ball turning end over end better than a Rugby ball, and reduces the distance on account of the 'placed' ball being allowed on the actual mark. No playing on though. One for those who struggle with consistent accuracy in goal kicking, such as Richo did. Jake Spencer could become the place-kick KING!

[gsmith12 491]

Great stuff, Moonshadow. Interesting to see the 'place-kick' used, I'd forgotten about it in Australian Rules footy. Would love to see it come back, other than for controversy and freak value. It's much more accurate, and would be further advantaged by our ball turning end over end better than a Rugby ball, and reduces the distance on account of the 'placed' ball being allowed on the actual mark. No playing on though. One for those who struggle with consistent accuracy in goal kicking, such as Richo did. Jake Spencer could become the place-kick KING!

On that subject, when did the place kick disappear ?

I have a hazy recollection of seeing it employed in the Ballarat FL in the early fifties.

[daisycutter 29,296]

• Towards the end of the round 4 match between Fitzroy and Geelong at the Brunswick Street Oval Fitzroy full-forward Tony Ongarello was so upset with his own inaccurate kicking that, upon taking a mark, he indicated to the field umpire that he was going to kick a place-kick. He scored a goal. He was so impressed that he kicked one more goal in that match (lost by Fitzroy) with a place kick. Although he made several attempts to kick goals with place-kicks in other matches during 1955, he was not successful again. Although it has never been (and is still not) against the rules to do so, he is on record as the last player ever to score a goal with a place kick in a senior VFL match.

[Deecisive 1,709]

oh to have been a hat manufacturer in those days.

[daisycutter 29,296]

hats were still very popular post war and well into the 50's

[Salems Lot 2,470]

On that subject, when did the place kick disappear ?

I have a hazy recollection of seeing it employed in the Ballarat FL in the early fifties.

Sure I saw John Rantall do one at the Lakeside Oval around 72'

[gsmith12 491]

• Towards the end of the round 4 match between Fitzroy and Geelong at the Brunswick Street Oval Fitzroy full-forward Tony Ongarello was so upset with his own inaccurate kicking that, upon taking a mark, he indicated to the field umpire that he was going to kick a place-kick. He scored a goal. He was so impressed that he kicked one more goal in that match (lost by Fitzroy) with a place kick. Although he made several attempts to kick goals with place-kicks in other matches during 1955, he was not successful again. Although it has never been (and is still not) against the rules to do so, he is on record as the last player ever to score a goal with a place kick in a senior VFL match.

Good get Daisy.