Grand Final #10 - 1970

[Harrysz]

Carlton 111 defeated Collingwood 101

It is tempting to simply write: “In 1970, Carlton defeated Collingwood by 10 points in the Grand Final – THE END” and leave it at that.
But, to get on with it… Collingwood finished on top of the ladder, 2 games and percentage ahead of Carlton. In round 8 at Princes Park, Collingwood beat Carlton by 23 points. In round 19, at Victoria Park Collingwood beat Carlton by 77 points. Peter McKenna kicked his 100th goal for the season. Collingwood looked unbeatable for the Premiership. The two sides met in the second semi-final which was much closer. Collingwood won by 10 points. There were a couple of issues arising out of that match. Firstly, Colin Tully was in the Collingwood side in the back pocket. He had previously been a wingman. He was an exceptionally long kick and in 1966 playing against Richmond, I saw him drop-kick a goal from the centre of the MCG. It’s one of the best goals I’ve seen. I doubt that it’s on video. Tully was an OK wingman but not a good back pocket player. In the second semi-final of 1970, Carlton coach Ron Barassi put his 19th man on after halftime, a player called Ted Hopkins. Hopkins ran rings around Tully, kicking two goals and being involved in a couple of others. This was a warning sign which was ignored. Collingwood’s usual back pocket player was Brian McKenzie who had been injured but was now fit. For the Grand Final, the match committee had a choice of persevering with Tully or selecting McKenzie. They went with Tully. Secondly, Collingwood half back flanker Lee Adamson and Carlton half-forward flanker Syd Jackson were reported for striking each other. At the tribunal hearing, Adamson’s case was heard first and he was acquitted. Jackson pleaded guilty but said that he had struck Lee Adamson under severe provocation because Adamson had racially vilified him. The tribunal found Jackson guilty but gave him a severe reprimand. He was cleared to play. Afterwards, Adamson denied racially vilifying Jackson.

And now to the Grand Final. Much was made of Alex Jesaulenko’s fabulous mark in the second quarter. It was a great mark but it had no influence on the game. Collingwood was 10 goals 13 at halftime to Carlton’s 4 goals 5, a lead of 44 points. Collingwood’s domination in the first half was huge. I remember thinking at halftime that we should be way further ahead. But I remember thinking we’ve won the premiership anyway so who cares! Well, only having 10 goals out of 23 scoring shots came back to bite. Carlton was down and out. They needed a miracle. Enter Ron Barassi.

Pivotal to the miracle was Ron Barassi’s instruction to the Carlton team during the halftime break to ‘handball, handball, handball’. Early in the third quarter Peter Jones took a mark at centre half back and then instead of going back and taking his kick, he handballed over the man on the mark to a Carlton player who ran on. Collingwood was nonplussed and didn’t know how to deal with this different style of play. Once again, Carlton made a change at halftime when Barassi put Ted Hopkins on. Once again, Hopkins ran rings around Colin Tully. He kicked 2 quick goals and finished with 4 for the match. Syd Jackson chimed in with an incredible goal from the boundary line and suddenly the difference was only 26 points. Robert Walls ran riot. Brent Croswell was brilliant. Carlton kicked 7 goals in 11 minutes, leaving Collingwood stunned.

Still, Collingwood kicked the last 3 goals of the quarter and looked as if they’d steadied the ship. Their lead at three-quarter time was 17 points. Carlton had given Collingwood a tremendous fright but perhaps they’d run their race. But Barassi had one more trick up his sleeve. At three-quarter time, in borrowing a phrase from radio commentator Harry Beitzel, he told the Carlton players, ‘Even if you lose, I’ll be proud of you.’ Some of the Carlton players said after the game that this was enormously inspirational. How could he suggest that they might lose!

Carlton kicked the first 2 points of the last quarter but then Len Thompson kicked a goal and Collingwood led by 21 points. That should have been enough. But, although Collingwood had steadied the ship in the third quarter, the ship was sinking. Carlton kept attacking and when Des Tuddenham crudely tackled Brent Croswell and gave away a free kick, Croswell kicked the goal and Carlton lead for the first time. I had tears in my eyes. With Carlton leading by 5 points, Collingwood went into attack and the ball was passed towards Peter McKenna. He took the mark; or he was punched in the back of the head by Wes Lofts? Either way, it should have been a kick to McKenna near the Collingwood goal. Most of the players stopped but umpire Don Jolly didn’t blow the whistle. Somehow the ball got to Jesaulenko who roosted the ball which bounced and bounced for a long, long way and bounced through for a goal. Game over! If Brian McKenzie had played, if Syd Jackson hadn’t played, if Des Tuddenham hadn’t accidentally ironed out Peter McKenna before halftime, then we would have won: or maybe not. Collingwood always seemed to be able to find new ways of losing.

I’ve always believed that Collingwood lost this match because of the influence of one person – Ron Barassi. He got his team to win against a team which had more talent and which was a mile in front at halftime. Bobby Rose resigned as Collingwood coach at the end of 1971. He coached Collingwood for seven seasons during which time Collingwood would participate in 13 finals for 3 wins.

When I started this project I was going to put this match last. If emotional response was my sole criterion, then this match definitely would have been last. I have never been so upset at any match. Collingwood lost by 10 points but the losses in 1964 and 1966 had been more narrow so why the extra heartache with this result? Well, Collingwood led by 44 points at halftime and still managed to lose. In those days a 7-goal lead was insurmountable. Today, teams overcome such deficits. But in 1970, it was unheard of.

So why didn’t I rank this loss as Collingwood’s worst Grand Final since 1958? I think that the 1970 Collingwood side is the best that I have seen. This takes into account different eras, different styles and different expectations. Look at that centre line. John Greening would be a champion in any era. Barry Price was one of the most skilful players I have seen. Robert Dean was a tall pacy wingman who in most other sides would have been a key position player. Des Tuddenham was a dangerous and aggressive half forward with a very good finals record. Peter McKenna was the best kick for goal that I have seen. Len Thompson was a brilliant mobile ruckman and a future brownlow medalist. Wayne Richardson was the new type of midfielder. No mere “rover” was he. He was a tall skilful midfielder. Ross “Twiggy” Dunne was an elusive tall onballer who was hard to match up on.

Many have said that Collingwood choked. I disagree. That’s disrespectful. A little more accuracy in the first half would have put the match beyond reach. Collingwood was blown away in the second half by a team and style of play that changed Australian football forever, masterminded by arch nemesis Ron Barassi. Collingwood couldn’t cope. No team could have.

[Pies4shaw]

^ A good summary. This was the only Collingwood team I have seen that was better than the 2011 team.

I think they actually lost the game in the first half. They owned the ball but missed way too many shots for goal. I don't really recall Carlton getting the ball on their side of the centre in the first 20 minutes of the game. It should have been a rout - but Collingwood depended way too much on McKenna's incredible accuracy. On the simple stats, it sometimes looks like he wasn't that much better a shot for goal than many other good forwards over the years but he so often kicked from the boundary line or near it that I can't think of another player I have seen who could have finished that career on that game-style with a 50/50 goal-kicking record.

The sad thing about the 1970 result is that the game at Victoria Park in round 19 was beyond complete domination - but, even that day, there were signs that they might have taken on board - 13.23 to 2.12 but only 4 Collingwood goalkickers (and 5 other players who only scored behinds). Macca kicked 9 of the 13. Carlton's inaccuracy was the usual inaccuracy you see when a team is totally thrashed and tries to take half-chances from limited opportunities. In the Second Semi-Final it was "close" - a 10-point margin - but only on the scoreboard. Carlton's accuracy (17.6 to 17.16) kept them in the game. In fact, only 2 Carlton players scored behinds that day (Hopkins and Jackson). Macca kicked more than half of Collingwood's goals and Tuddy butchered the ball on his way to 1.6. At the other end, Jesaulenko kicked 8.0 - indeed, apart from Hopkins and Jackson (who managed 3.7 between them), the other Carlton forwards produced 14.0. The Grand Final comeback was only possible because Carlton kicked so well for goal, comparitively: 8.0 in the third quartern was the problem. If they'd kicked, say, 4.4 to our 3.3, it would still likely have been a bridge too far for Carlton.

I rank this the third-worst Collingwood GF I have witnessed. Really, Collingwood should have won this game comfortably. The 1977 last quarter in the draw was worse and 2018 is the one that continues to annoy me most - that West Coast team was average, with a thin midfield - yet, somehow Collingwood contrived to allow itself to be beaten in the midfield, despite a great advantage in class and a dominant ruckman. Mostly, though, 2018 was like a car crash in slow motion - after quarter time, it never felt like Collingwood would win but they remained in front - despite that feeling - for so long that it was awful when they finally lost the lead. It's all very well to talk about bad umpiring and so on but 2018 was a coaching disaster. The decision to try to hold the lead from quarter time, rather than open it up and try to kill the game, was a tragedy.

Still, 1970 ruined my early years - and those of many other Collingwood tragics. Some things are formative experiences, from which you don't really ever recover. 1970 was that for me.

[Harrysz]

Thanks for your comments Pies4shaw. I agree with your comments. I will write about 1977 and 2018 down the track.

[piedys]

[Boot]

Still, 1970 ruined my early years - and those of many other Collingwood tragics. Some things are formative experiences, from which you don't really ever recover. 1970 was that for me.[/quote]

So true. I spent the half time kicking the footy around my front lawn confident that the mighty Pies would be winners only to watch Bobby Rose in tears at the end of the game. What a disaster! It has entrenched a life long hatred of Carlton. Knocking Carlton out of the finals in 2022 was good revenge and I'm looking forward to revenge in a Grand Final maybe in 2024?

[Kingsofclutch]

A stain on creation and proof there is no god.

[warburton lad]

Ive written more on this subject elsewhere, but a player who was not even on our list (or Carlton's) cost us the 1970 Grand Final.

A lad from Edenhope chose to go to Norwood instead of Collingwood (to whom he was zoned) began a SANFL career in 1970.

Had this 188cm and 87kg key forward come to Collingwood in 1970, I am certain he would have made a great side even better.

His name?? Phil Carman...

[skaman]

Brilliant Harrysz! Summed it up beautifully. Enjoy your posts!

[Harrysz]

Thank you skaman.

[Piethagoras' Theorem]

[lazzadesilva]

[What'sinaname]

The entire 1970s should be erased from history.

[Piesnchess]

[Piesnchess]

[Harrysz]

I understand the comments of Piesnchess, I really do. It was painful to write, but perhaps I needed the cathartic experience. Collingwood's history is littered with heartache, but there were some good moments which I will come to in due course.