I was only a lad in short pants.

Last round before finals.

Many interesting Facts about this game.

I will start with one. We had to win to make finals for the first time since 1964.

Melbourne did win.

I was at that match and also in short pants. It was at Victoria Park. We also needed Footscray to lose but they got two points by drawing with someone who I can’t remember. My dad was hob-nobbing with the committee or some such and had left me by myself in the stand.

I got confused and thought we were in the finals as Footscray didn’t actually win but then the Collingwood supporters around me were laughing at Melbourne and saying they didn’t care about winning as long as we didn’t get in. 

That started my life long dislike of Collingwood 

I was there that day and it was a terrific win but soured by the fact that the Bulldogs drew with the Blues in controversial circumstances. A late shot for goal by a Carlton player was deemed touched on the line. It was apparently a close thing whether it was touched at all or that the ball was already through.

As it was, we had to wait another 11 years to make the finals.

The consolation was that Carlton who were red hot flag favourites at the time, were dumped from the finals in straight sets.

It's great to read these memories. I was 4 years old in 1976. Was there in 1987, and only knew we hadn't been in finals since 1964. Fills the black hole a bit- my earliest memories are of Robbie playing in a team that never got near the finals, and hadn't since 1964. So, not quite true.

We're there other years between 1964 and 1987 that others remember the Dees being close to finals.

It was a sad day as Skilton had the team up and running. We only beat the filth by 11 or 13 points but bloody Carlton. I remember beating the dogs by about 40 odd points one or two weeks earlier. That day pizzed me off for years.

14 minutes ago, MarkMacca said:

It's great to read these memories. I was 4 years old in 1976. Was there in 1987, and only knew we hadn't been in finals since 1964. Fills the black hole a bit- my earliest memories are of Robbie playing in a team that never got near the finals, and hadn't since 1964. So, not quite true.

We're there other years between 1964 and 1987 that others remember the Dees being close to finals.

I sought of remember 1987, i was a teenager almost adult, it was heart breaking we lost the GF but like most dee fans thought the next year was going to the big GF win, so fingers and every thing else crossed it's not too far away?

Interesting to see whether The Filth raise the elbow next Saturday and risk some suspensions. 

They sure as hell do not want us to play in a final series

1976 i always felt really sorry for Skilts. He was a great coach who should have coached a final series

35 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Interesting to see whether The Filth raise the elbow next Saturday and risk some suspensions. 

They sure as hell do not want us to play in a final series

1976 i always felt really sorry for Skilts. He was a great coach who should have coached a final series

I don't think so. Bucks will get next year if Ross doesn't jump ship. He can ill afford having players out for the first few weeks. 

My concern is the pies have been playing ok, whilst we have struggled. In saying that I believe Goodwin is not a one trick pony. 

Went to the Mother's Day clash in 2007 where we won, after that it all fell apart. Win this one and we not only make finals we will attract  players to come to the mighty red and blue. 

First visit to Victoria Park and we stood on beer cans. Colin Graham played a great game but we relied on another game' results which didn't go our way. Ten years of darkness followed.

4 minutes ago, Dirts said:

I don't think so. Bucks will get next year if Ross doesn't jump ship. He can ill afford having players out for the first few weeks. 

My concern is the pies have been playing ok, whilst we have struggled. In saying that I believe Goodwin is not a one trick pony. 

Went to the Mother's Day clash in 2007 where we won, after that it all fell apart. Win this one and we not only make finals we will attract  players to come to the mighty red and blue. 

Hope you are right. There is REAL hatred between The MFC and the Filth. It comes to the fore when any success is up for grabs

5 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Hope you are right. There is REAL hatred between The MFC and the Filth. It comes to the fore when any success is up for grabs

Very true. We win we're in, lose and we wait till 5.20 pm wst to see if we make it. I think I will be a crows and docker supporter this weekend.

it will be a long week!

One of the few times my dad took me to Victoria Park and there was a real meathead mentality that has been lost today with our sanitised PC family attendees.

I seem to recall Laurie Fowler getting KO'd - may be confused with another game. Ex-Pie Henry Coles was huge for us back then as well as CHF Steven Smith and we all thought Peter Keays had arrived as a player - think he did his knee the next year. That was also the last year that our best ever centreline of Alves, Wells and Flower took the field together.

The Pies won the spoon (no tanking back then) and ditched their coach for Hafey and ended up in a GF the next year.

We won four in a row and became the popular tip to make finals the next year with Skilton the messiah. But  Alves jumped ship and we barely won a game in 1977 ... that's footy.

 

4 minutes ago, Deespicable said:

One of the few times my dad took me to Victoria Park and there was a real meathead mentality that has been lost today with our sanitised PC family attendees.

I seem to recall Laurie Fowler getting KO'd - may be confused with another game. Ex-Pie Henry Coles was huge for us back then as well as CHF Steven Smith and we all thought Peter Keays had arrived as a player - think he did his knee the next year. That was also the last year that our best ever centreline of Alves, Wells and Flower took the field together.

The Pies won the spoon (no tanking back then) and ditched their coach for Hafey and ended up in a GF the next year.

We won four in a row and became the popular tip to make finals the next year with Skilton the messiah. But  Alves jumped ship and we barely won a game in 1977 ... that's footy.

 

Yeah we lost Crackers as well that summer, the main reason i have always hated Nought Melb so much

I was at the game as well.  I went with the old men who was 6 foot 6 inches tall and this ensured that the pie fans did not give any lip. It shows how things have changed as Sam Weidman's grandfather was coaching Collingwood in this game.

Love these old stories! This time we only have to hope the top side wins if we lose! 

32 minutes ago, Deespicable said:

One of the few times my dad took me to Victoria Park and there was a real meathead mentality that has been lost today with our sanitised PC family attendees.

I seem to recall Laurie Fowler getting KO'd - may be confused with another game. Ex-Pie Henry Coles was huge for us back then as well as CHF Steven Smith and we all thought Peter Keays had arrived as a player - think he did his knee the next year. That was also the last year that our best ever centreline of Alves, Wells and Flower took the field together.

The Pies won the spoon (no tanking back then) and ditched their coach for Hafey and ended up in a GF the next year.

We won four in a row and became the popular tip to make finals the next year with Skilton the messiah. But  Alves jumped ship and we barely won a game in 1977 ... that's footy.

 

you're right Ronny Wearmouth knocked him out, think it was off the ball., was having a great season too.

2 hours ago, Deespicable said:

One of the few times my dad took me to Victoria Park and there was a real meathead mentality that has been lost today with our sanitised PC family attendees.

 

 

Gold.

here it is, enjoy

 

I think our victory over the Mudpies in that last round in '76 made them Wooden Spooners for the first time in their history.

Like with "fndee" above, my mates and I were mocked by their supporters when the Footscray/Carlton result came through.

We were behind the goals at the Yarra Falls end.......where were you," fndee"?

It's not relevant, but interestingly the Demons won their last three games at Victoria Park.....such joy for us Demon fans! I remember Sean Charles getting 5 in one of them, Dirty Dave Williams getting about 6 or 8 in another, and a young Schwarta marking everything in the last.One of the games was Rob Flower's 250th.

In the Norm Smith biography, "The Red Fox", Norm is quoted as ordering his players to play around the outer wing, rather than the Coll. Members' wing, since he felt the Umpires were unduly influenced by the Coll. crowd. Things haven't changed!

Edited August 21, 20178 yr by Jumping Jack Clennett
Added afterthought

12 hours ago, fndee said:

I was at that match and also in short pants. It was at Victoria Park. We also needed Footscray to lose but they got two points by drawing with someone who I can’t remember. My dad was hob-nobbing with the committee or some such and had left me by myself in the stand.

I got confused and thought we were in the finals as Footscray didn’t actually win but then the Collingwood supporters around me were laughing at Melbourne and saying they didn’t care about winning as long as we didn’t get in. 

That started my life long dislike of Collingwood 

Similar memory. The game finished 15 mins before the Carl v Footscray game. Most supporters stay around listening to their transister radios. I havea lasting memory of the Coll supporters singing the Footscray theme song before the game was over.

It sticks with you.

Murray Weideman was their coach and they won their first wooden spoon.

They went on to play in the drawn Grand Final in 1977 under Tom Hafey. Barassi sorted that game out.

I was there as an 11 year old with my Dad, a mad Melbourne supporter who sadly died the following year. Somehow he managed to get tickets to the stand behind the goals at the railway end (Sherrin Stand?). I'm pretty sure we were the only Melbourne supporters in that whole stand and my Dad gave me strict instructions to barrack quietly!

Its all a bit hazy now but I remember Laurie Fowler, a fearless defender, getting KO'd and Henry Coles playing a blinder.  We waited to hear the result of the Dogs game and like others I clearly remember the Collingwood members abuse once we heard Melbourne hadn't made the finals. 

8 hours ago, daisycutter said:

here it is, enjoy

 

Moore and carman both went to melbourne

 

Yes I remember this one. It hurt. The Footscray draw with Carlton was ridiculous.  Glad the Blues did nothing in the finals.  

I think we would have kept Alves if we had made finals.  He would have dreamed of leading the Dees in finals. 

Hated Collingwood then and still do. At least we  gave them the wooden  spoon.

We had beaten Geelong only two weeks prior and would have played them in the elimination. Such great names and tough players back then.  

Hope we smash the Pies again. 

17 hours ago, daisycutter said:

here it is, enjoy

 

Why was Kurt Angle's theme music playing in the background?