billythekid wrote
Quote:.. .... Collingwood won their only VFA flag in 1896. I've seen many VFA finals; however I am glad I was not around to see C'wood win a VFA flag
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Yep then they ratted off and helped form the VFL while playing in the VFA GF.Some things never change.
My first VFA GF I can just recall is Port vs Yarraville in 1953 at the Junction.
Billy the Kid-
What kind of supporter base did Yarraville have compared to Port ?
Also did you go to the 1961 Willamstown v Yarraville GF ?
Must have been a huge turnaround in the third quarter when yarraville booted 11 goals. Wasn't it a very warm day ?
I am not as old as you and my first Grand Final dates back to 1970.
Williamstown did vey well to come from 2nd division winning the flag (Division 2) to come runners up to Prahran in 1970.
How many Grand Finals have you gone to from 1953 ?
Did you go in 1965 where Waverley upset Port ?
Rapid rise for the panthers as they only got promoted in the 1964 season due to Moorabbin. Wouldn't be a fairy tale story if Moorabbin reformed and aligned with North to be called Moorabbin Kangaroosand played at a revamped Moorabbin Oval. Million to one shot though but the thought is good.
Yarraville were quite well supported in those days as many Footscray people had the Eagles as their second team but a large percentage of the crowd at most VFA GFs in those days were not supporters of either club and quite a few were VFL fans having a last footy hit as the VFA GF was always on the sat after the VFL GF.
I did see the 1961 GF and it was bloody hot about 30+ c Ted Whitten was stand in (his brother Don played for Yarraville) coach for the day as Yarravilles' coach ex saint Keith Drinan was called OS by Mobil who he worked for.The Yarra boys were given oxygen at half time and after the game this was claimed as the reason they won.
The Waverley 1965 premiership was played at Port and CC Laurie Mithen during the second quarter decided to do a "Barry Harrison" on some of the star Port players this took the Port players focus on the game away esp with the feral Port crowd calling for Mithens blood and the rest as they say is history Port won easily the next year at the Junction Oval.
Have missed about 10 live at the ground mostly the last few years but still watch them on TV.
I also went to the first night game the VFA played for points at the old South Melb ground on a wednesday in 1957 and the first Sunday game at Brunswick I think it was 1961 the ground was packed and the Sun had an aerial shot of the crowd in the middle pages.
The crowd was estimated at 17,000 but I reckon there was many more as heaps got in for free.
Sandringham also played a game against Moorabbin at the MCG on Anzac Day in the early 1960s that I attended The first VFA match at the G since 1941.
Did you get to a game at the old Dandenong showgrounds pre Shepley Oval days ?
What about watching a game at either Selwyn park Sunshine (pre Skinner reserve days) or at Elsternwick Park for a Brighton game.
Obviously you would have gone to home games at the Junction Oval where sandringham played there in 1974.
Coburg played at Port Melbourne in 1965 where North played at Coburg in 1965.
I went to 2 vfa matches at lakeside Oval.
Ardath Cup night match between Coburg and East Perth where Coburg won. Also a day game between Dandenong and Central Districts where the redlegs won by about 10 goals. Centrals had a cheer squad at the game and chanted Ceeeeentrals. They have a lot more supporters largely due to their current success and Elizabeth is also an English area.
Port melbourne did quite well to reach the semi's in one year to lose to Southy Adelaide where they ended up winning the final.
Funny that some VFA clubs beat the SA and WA teams yet SA and WA teams beat VFL teams. I remember a game in 1976 where Norwood 22.14.146 trounced Carlton 5.10.40 at Norwood oval with Jim Michaelanny booti9ng 10 goals.
Saw a lot of games at the old Dandy Showgrounds the
dressing sheds were actually just that an old tin shed that was also used during the Dandenong Show for exhibits and was about 80 metres from the Oval which was encircled by a sand bike track. It had a real hicksville feel to it.
Never went to Selwyn Park but did see games at Elsternwick Park when it was Brightons home ground.
Sandringham played all its home games at the Junction in 1966 and didnt make the finals..
Preston also played a season in the 1950s at Coburg and Oakleigh used Box Hill for a season about the same time.In the 1950s - 60s all the northern grounds were bogholes for most of the winter moths.Northcote which was topped mostly with Merri Creek black clay was a shocker.