Grand Final #5 - 1964

[Harrysz]

Grand Final No. 05 – 1964

Melbourne 64 defeated Collingwood 60

The first Grand Final that I attended was the 1964 Grand Final. It’s hard to believe that it’s almost 60 years ago. Things were so different. Bob Menzies was Prime Minister. There was no colour television and entrepreneur Ken Brodziak had booked a new group from England to come to Australia in 1964. That group was known as The Beatles.

1964 saw the appointment of Bobby Rose as coach of Collingwood. He was a former Collingwood champion. Collingwood had spent a miserable three years showing the occasional glimmer of potential but always missing the finals. That changed in 1964. Collingwood won 4 of the first 5 games, then lost to Essendon by 4 points. They then had a huge win by 108 points against a surging North Melbourne. Collingwood was drawn to play Melbourne on Queen’s Birthday Monday, the only match between the two sides in the home and away season. That was a long weekend and it was when The Beatles arrived in Melbourne. They gave a press conference and one of the inane questions was, ‘What do you think of Australian Football?’ They answered that they hate sport. The media contingent was nonplussed and had difficulty coming up with the next question. On the Sunday, Bobby Rose was interviewed with Melbourne coach Norm Smith. They were asked if they’d heard that The Beatles might attend the match at the MCG the next day. Bobby Rose said that would be exciting, although he didn’t know whether The Beatles would be admitted to the Collingwood dressing rooms. Norm Smith tersely said that he wouldn’t allow anything to distract his players. Of course, The Beatles went nowhere near the MCG. Melbourne won a tough game by 10 points but Collingwood lost no friends with its performance.

Collingwood won the next 6 games and looked finals-bound and was then drawn to play Carlton in round 16. I went to that match at Princes Park. I was unprepared for the experience. I was at the Carlton end of the ground. 23 goals were scored and only one was scored at my end and it was a Carlton goal. It was Adrian Gallagher’s first game. He would subsequently play in three premierships. I was shocked by the vitriol hurled at Collingwood players by Carlton supporters. Perhaps the same happened to Carlton supporters when Carlton played at Victoria Park but if so, I hadn’t noticed. Although Carlton was having its worst season, the game was a draw, 79 points each. Collingwood won its last two games and due to a draw between Geelong and Essendon, they leapfrogged those sides and finished second, drawn to play Melbourne in the 2nd semi final. Melbourne had beaten Collingwood in the Grand Finals of 1955, 1956 and 1960. Collingwood had won the 1958 Grand Final. Ron Barassi was interviewed on World of Sport and asked about Melbourne playing Collingwood again in a final and he said, ‘It’ll be like old times’.

In the second semi-final, Collingwood kicked 2 goals 2 before Melbourne scored. Collingwood supporters were wild with excitement and had already begun thinking about buying Grand Final tickets. But, Collingwood looked to be a jaded side at quarter time and a well-beaten side by half time. Melbourne rover John Townsend kicked 6 goals and Melbourne won by 89 points. A huge thrashing.

Collingwood then had to play Geelong in the preliminary final. Geelong had won the premiership in 1963 and had been tipped to play Melbourne in the 1964 Grand Final. No one, apart from Allen Aylett gave Collingwood a chance. Lou Richards writing in The Sun headed his preview with ‘Polly (champion ruckman Graham Farmer) to sweep up Magpie dust’. This was a tough game in rainy conditions. Rover Mick Bone was named 19th man and he came on after halftime and had an influence. With Collingwood leading by a few points in the last quarter, Geelong had several chances to kick a goal and win the game. Full forward Doug Wade was the worst offender, missing two goals from close in. When the siren went, Collingwood supporters could hardly believe that Collingwood had won – by 4 points.

Collingwood was the rankest of rank outsiders against Melbourne in the Grand Final. Alf Brown writing for The Herald wrote a long piece as to why Melbourne would win easily. His article was headed ‘Faster, Fresher, Fitter’.
So I trundled along to the Grand Final with hope in my heart but little expectation of a win. I was there with my friends near the city end goals in standing room. I don’t know how we survived standing room. Collingwood attacked and Terry Waters took a mark on the boundary line near where we were standing. He was one of my all-time favourite players. I went to his 1st match against North Melbourne and he kicked 5 goals. Melbourne supporters tried to put him off by waving streamers in his face. I yelled out, ‘Stop doing that, you bad sports.’ OK, I was naïve in those days. Terry Waters slotted the goal. Remember, in those days there was no ‘kicking the ball around the corner’. It was a straight set shot. Then John Lord kicked a goal for Melbourne which was followed by another from John Townsend. Just before the end of the first quarter, Collingwood kicked a goal and trailed by 1 point.

In the second quarter, Melbourne seemed to be getting on top but Collingwood rallied and after a flurry of goals, led by 2 points at half-time. However, the third quarter belonged to Melbourne who kicked 2 goals 3 and Collingwood only managed 2 behinds. That last behind resulted from Kevin Rose spinning out of a pack just before the three-quarter time siren and the ball sailed towards goal but unfortunately hit the post on the way through. At three-quarter time Melbourne led by 11 points.

The epic last quarter contained famous incidents of which most are aware. What a pity that proper videotape of this match has not survived. Melbourne scored the first 3 behinds and led by 14 points but then, Des Tuddenham kicked a goal and it was 8 points the difference. Melbourne scored a behind but then giant ruckman Ray Gabelich grabbed the ball from a boundary throw in and kicked the ball through for a goal – Melbourne by 3 points. Then came one of the most famous goals in VFL/AFL history. Des Tuddenham got the ball near the centre and passed to unattended Ray Gabelich. There was a huge distance between him and the nearest Melbourne player. So he set off towards goal in the hope of getting there and kicking a goal to put Collingwood in front. This he managed to do, but he nearly lost control of the ball with a near-fatal second last bounce. As the ball went through the goals at the Punt Road end, Melbourne players were just about to catch him. Collingwood by 3 points.

Melbourne was not to be denied and best on the ground Brian Dixon kicked the ball forward and Hassa Mann took a mark within easy kicking distance. He missed. Collingwood by 2 points. The ball was kicked in and a pack formed. Somehow, the ball came off the pack to Melbourne back pocket player Neil Crompton who slammed the ball onto his boot and the ball sailed through for a goal – Melbourne by 4 points. This was extraordinary. In those days, players stayed in their positions. A back pocket player kicking a goal was unheard of. But Bobby Rose had decided to put two rovers on the ball (Mick Bone and Dennis Dalton) and Crompton decided he didn’t want to stand around doing nothing. So he went forward and the rest is history. Collingwood attacked and Melbourne full forward Barry Burke who had been moved to full back took a towering mark. Collingwood attacked again and full forward Ian Graham was severely manhandled without the ball,in front of umpire Brophy near Collingwood’s goal. You can talk about Wayne Harmes or Dom Sheed but no one ever mentions this incident. This was clearly a free kick to Ian Graham but it wasn’t paid. Instead, the umpire blew the whistle for a ball up. The siren went and Melbourne won the premiership by 4 points. We was robbed! Definitely!

After the game, Ron Barassi said, and this is pretty close to verbatim, ‘I hope that I never have to leave Melbourne but if I do, then Collingwood would be the team that I would like to join.’ A few weeks later he was at Carlton.

A couple of things about the 1964 team; Des Tuddenham was a brilliant player, Ted Potter a capable full back, Ian Graham a mercurial full forward. Terry Waters a brilliant high-marking utility player, Laurie Hill a tough, speedy half—back, Kevin Rose a dour tough ruck rover and John Henderson was a capable centreman.. But, this was not a team loaded with stars. John Mahon was a very short centre halfback. The less said about Duncan Wright the better. Kevin McLean was a makeshift centre half-forward. David Norman was a goal-kicking rover who was a trier. I say, respectfully, that this was the least talented Grand Final team in my time as a Collingwood supporter and yes, I’m including 1980. But this makeshift team came within 4 points of beating the mighty Melbourne.

After the game one of the girls in my group couldn’t stop crying. I remember thinking this was a magnificent effort by Collingwood and no doubt multiple premierships were just around the corner. Unfortunately Collingwood would have to suffer a quarter century of pain and heartache after this, but The Beatles went from strength to strength.

[Harrysz]

I should add that whilst I was somewhat critical of Bobby Rose in that in my opinion, he didn't get the best out of his teams in 1966 and 1970, he certainly got the best out of his team in 1964.