The Good 'ol days when every game had the same conditions

[tigermike]

Today is a lovely Saturday afternoon and some teams are playing but we are not, we're playing tomorrow in wet and greasy conditions. Back in my teens we had 12 VFL teams and all games were on Saturday afternoon, in Victoria, in much the same weather and ground conditions. So all results were affected in much the same way in terms of high or low scoring and percentages. Yes there were some pretty ordinary games played in the mud and I know the footy looks better when played at Marvel stadium and other good grounds but is it fairer?
In 2019 percentages will play a big part in the final positions on the ladder and I just wonder if Brisbane and Geelong who are playing interstate today (Brisbane 26 deg. sunny) might have an advantage in gaining some extra % points compared to those playing in the wet tomorrow when high scoring will be more difficult.
Yes, I get that we can't put the genie back in the bottle but I was just thinking how good it would be to be playing today and maybe Stacky would be on the MCG as well!

 

[year of the tiger]

Today is a lovely Saturday afternoon and some teams are playing but we are not, we're playing tomorrow in wet and greasy conditions. Back in my teens we had 12 VFL teams and all games were on Saturday afternoon, in Victoria, in much the same weather and ground conditions. So all results were affected in much the same way in terms of high or low scoring and percentages. Yes there were some pretty ordinary games played in the mud and I know the footy looks better when played at Marvel stadium and other good grounds but is it fairer?
In 2019 percentages will play a big part in the final positions on the ladder and I just wonder if Brisbane and Geelong who are playing interstate today (Brisbane 26 deg. sunny) might have an advantage in gaining some extra % points compared to those playing in the wet tomorrow when high scoring will be more difficult.
Yes, I get that we can't put the genie back in the bottle but I was just thinking how good it would be to be playing today and maybe Stacky would be on the MCG as well!

In principal I agree but looking at the scoreboard in Brisbane it could be wet weather footy.

I agree there are to many variables these days to say it’s an even playing field.

 

[Bernie]

Today is a lovely Saturday afternoon and some teams are playing but we are not, we're playing tomorrow in wet and greasy conditions. Back in my teens we had 12 VFL teams and all games were on Saturday afternoon, in Victoria, in much the same weather and ground conditions. So all results were affected in much the same way in terms of high or low scoring and percentages. Yes there were some pretty ordinary games played in the mud and I know the footy looks better when played at Marvel stadium and other good grounds but is it fairer?
In 2019 percentages will play a big part in the final positions on the ladder and I just wonder if Brisbane and Geelong who are playing interstate today (Brisbane 26 deg. sunny) might have an advantage in gaining some extra % points compared to those playing in the wet tomorrow when high scoring will be more difficult.
Yes, I get that we can't put the genie back in the bottle but I was just thinking how good it would be to be playing today and maybe Stacky would be on the MCG as well!

I understand the sentiment there Mike, but just reflect back on the conditions at Glenferrie and Western Oval, not to mention the disparity in suburban ground sizes.
All things were not equal as far as the conditions faced on Saturday arvo in the VFL. That’s possibly why we made the decision to be the first co tenant at the MCG.

 

[tigermike]

I understand the sentiment there Mike, but just reflect back on the conditions at Glenferrie and Western Oval, not to mention the disparity in suburban ground sizes.
All things were not equal as far as the conditions faced on Saturday arvo in the VFL. That’s possibly why we made the decision to be the first co tenant at the MCG.

Yep that move to the MCG in 1965 for our home matches was a big factor in our 4 premierships from 1967 to '74 and Runners-up in '82. One of the reasons to justify the move was that Punt road was going to be widened which would mean the ground would have to be made smaller...and Punt Rd is still the same width 54 years later! The other reason was that our coach Len Smith wanted to play a long-kicking, play-on game style that needed a bigger ground so we recruited players to suit bigger grounds. Well done to Ray Dunn and Graeme Richmond for getting that move approved.
https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2015-05-08/50-years-of-mcg-memories-first-home-game

 

[frickenel]

I was thinking of my footy routine in the 70's just the other day.

I was pretty young back then and lived on a cherry orchard in the outer east. You'd watch League Teams on a Thursday night, read the team sheet in the Sun when you got home from school.

Saturday, get through the farm chores and go through the paper to see which adio station we were on and the experts selections. The choices were 3ZK with the Captain and the Major, 3AW with Harry and that really really old dude crossing from other grounds, 3LO and 3GL. Then of course there were 3DB and 3UZ which gave you a glimpse between horse races (hated those stations).

Then i'd head off with my brothers to a quiet coirner of the farm, usually where the old barn was. The old barn was in ruin, but had a massive over grown garden around it. We'd settle in there and ride every bump.

After the game, bearingin mind this meant all games were finished, i'd run down to Wandin to get the Sporting Globe straight off the press. Can still remember Roach's mark filling the front page.

That night you'd sit and watch the Winners etc.

Sunday you'd walk to Wandin for the Sunday PRess and the Sunday Observor.

Then Monday, hang sh!te on all your mates, or get it hung on you depending on the results, swap Scanlons Footy cards and kick the footy all lunch time.

Get home and read the Sun and check the Sunscore.

Those were the days!

Of course the routine was a little different when i'd get to games, if an older brother was driving down. That would happen 6 or 7 times a year.

 

[CarnTheTiges]

I was thinking of my footy routine in the 70's just the other day.

I was pretty young back then and lived on a cherry orchard in the outer east. You'd watch League Teams on a Thursday night, read the team sheet in the Sun when you got home from school.

Saturday, get through the farm chores and go through the paper to see which adio station we were on and the experts selections. The choices were 3ZK with the Captain and the Major, 3AW with Harry and that really really old dude crossing from other grounds, 3LO and 3GL. Then of course there were 3DB and 3UZ which gave you a glimpse between horse races (hated those stations).

Then i'd head off with my brothers to a quiet coirner of the farm, usually where the old barn was. The old barn was in ruin, but had a massive over grown garden around it. We'd settle in there and ride every bump.

After the game, bearingin mind this meant all games were finished, i'd run down to Wandin to get the Sporting Globe straight off the press. Can still remember Roach's mark filling the front page.

That night you'd sit and watch the Winners etc.

Sunday you'd walk to Wandin for the Sunday PRess and the Sunday Observor.

Then Monday, hang sh!te on all your mates, or get it hung on you depending on the results, swap Scanlons Footy cards and kick the footy all lunch time.

Get home and read the Sun and check the Sunscore.

Those were the days!

Of course the routine was a little different when i'd get to games, if an older brother was driving down. That would happen 6 or 7 times a year.

I remember those days with footy on the radio. You dreaded getting the DB or UZ broadcast, because it was wall to wall racing with a very rare football break. I think the really old bloke on AW was Tommy Lahiff. He was always good for a laugh, Tommy. The best was KZ for Jack, he was as biased towards the Tigers as you could ever get.

 

[TigerForce]

I used to fixture and play my own VFL for about 5 years (10yo - 14yo) at 12:00pm in the big backyard we had and finishing at 2:00pm for the radio.

Funnily enough, I always played Richmond games and they won 5 GFs in a row.....how did that happen?...

 

[23.21.159]

Saturday, get through the farm chores and go through the paper to see which adio station we were on and the experts selections. The choices were 3ZK with the Captain and the Major, 3AW with Harry and that really really old dude crossing from other grounds, 3LO and 3GL. Then of course there were 3DB and 3UZ which gave you a glimpse between horse races (hated those stations).

Tommy Lahiff.

 

[TrialByVideo]

The choices were 3ZK with the Captain and the Major, 3AW with Harry and that really really old dude crossing from other grounds

Harry..... "Let's cross down to the rooms.... Are you there Tommy?.... Tommy, have we got you there? Tommy?" ........ Lonnnnng pause!

Tommy. .... "Harry, are you there Harry?.......... Harry, come in Harry!"....... Another long pause

Harry. ..... "Well listeners it appears Tommy's having trouble with his earpiece..... let's go around the grounds..... have we got you there at Moorabbin, Gary Brice?"

 

[gold1]

what I dreaded back then was a 3AW broadcast mainly because the signal was poor and the game aired we tended to lose. Hawthorn at Glenferrie cow paddock,and Fitzroy in front of the Queen.
Having said that League Teams on a Thursday was a highlight.

 

[TigerForce]

Saturday, get through the farm chores and go through the paper to see which radio station we were on

I used to look forward to reading through the Green Guide in The Age to see who broadcasted which game, and got upset when 2 stations did the same game with us missing out.

 

[22nd Man]

Even though 3GL only did Cats games the other stations would often double up so for one game you only had around the grounds scores only...KZ was the best.
I could never work out why teddy Whitten was on GL...
Does GL think it became bay rock still exist and do cats games?

And for a long time LO would also do the Mel and Syd races. DB and Uz covered Adel,and bris as well but there weren't as many meetings as RSN broadcasts these days so there was Time for a few minutes a quarter but they would cut off the footy as soon as a race jumped.

 

[TigerForce]

Even though 3GL only did Cats games the other stations would often double up so for one game you only had around the grounds scores only...KZ was the best.
I could never work out why teddy Whitten was on GL...
Does GL think it became bay rock still exist and do cats games?

And for a long time LO would also do the Mel and Syd races. DB and Uz covered Adel,and bris as well but there weren't as many meetings as RSN broadcasts these days so there was Time for a few minutes a quarter but they would cut off the footy as soon as a race jumped.

Didn't that give me the *smile* especially towards the end of close games.

 

[Sammy Cougar]

3AW Football from 1981

 

[Ian4]

I've been saying for years now that 6 of the 9 games should be played on saturday.

1 x Friday 7:30pm.
2 x Saturday 2pm.
2 x Saturday 4:45pm.
2 x Saturday 7:30pm.
1 x Sunday 2pm.
1 x Sunday 4:45pm.

 

[Sammy Cougar]

John Vertigan 3UZ

https://soundcloud.com/radio927%2Faircheck-j-vertigan-sports-scoreboard-1968

 

[frickenel]

John Vertigan 3UZ

https://soundcloud.com/radio927%2Faircheck-j-vertigan-sports-scoreboard-1968

I can remember them crossing to races and there'd be horses not going into barriers. I'd curse those horses, breaking ouit in a sweat until they crossed back to the footy.

 

[frickenel]

Off topic a fraction, i remember the test match we lost to the Poms by i think 4 runs, when Border and Jeff Thompson made a last stand that almost got us over the line.

As the game was in Melbourne (Boxing Day Test) there was limited TV coverage, but whilst in the packing shed on the cherry ortchard, we managed to pick up a fuzzy broadcast from a Gippsland TV station and watch the finish of the test.

 

[tigertim]

Off topic a fraction, i remember the test match we lost to the Poms by i think 4 runs, when Border and Jeff Thompson made a last stand that almost got us over the line.

As the game was in Melbourne (Boxing Day Test) there was limited TV coverage, but whilst in the packing shed on the cherry ortchard, we managed to pick up a fuzzy broadcast from a Gippsland TV station and watch the finish of the test.

20 odd years ago when living in frankston the house had a “country” tv aerial so we were able to watch the first 2 sessions of Boxing Day test (3rd session was broadcast in Melbourne) and the Melbourne one dayers.

 

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

Off topic a fraction, i remember the test match we lost to the Poms by i think 4 runs, when Border and Jeff Thompson made a last stand that almost got us over the line.

As the game was in Melbourne (Boxing Day Test) there was limited TV coverage, but whilst in the packing shed on the cherry ortchard, we managed to pick up a fuzzy broadcast from a Gippsland TV station and watch the finish of the test.

Three runs. Wanted to go (free entry) but my parents talked me out of it ("It'll be over in five minutes"). Normally the last session in the host city was televised, but on that day they covered events from the start of play. I recall the tension starting to kick in when the target got into the low 40's.