:D
Remember when in the good old VFA, before the match all players both sides would line up on the field and the umpires would check their fingers for rings and boot stops in case well worn or too sharp stops had to be replaced. This all took time and later the umpires just came into the rooms before the match but it was a feature of the game in the 1950's.
Any other good VFA memories??
go zebs
zebra :wink:
When there was a desperate hard fought match which was known as the relegation match.
The loser of this match goes down to 2nd Division. The winner stays in 1st Division. Best of these matches was in 1976 where Sandringham took on Oakleigh. There was a crowd of over 10,000 and lots of brawls on and off the field.
Lightning premiership which was a shortened match. Short, sharp and sometimes fiery.
Centenary Cup which was held in 1977. I watched Northcote play Yarraville and had there score wiped off due to a player count. Northcote finished up with 3.2.20. For the record Port Melbourne beat Caulfield at Toorak Park in the final.
Remember when- memories that never fade.
Big relegation games on last game of season included Coburg Preston in 1973. Preston, with Ray Shaw in first season, won a high scoring game in front of 13,000 at Coburg. Next year Caulfield beat Sunshine last game of season in a direct relegation play off.
Introduction of coloured shorts in 1975 (instead of black for home and white away - Geelong West at home to Brunswick would have looked wierd) was fun. Northcote Sunshine was first televised game that year, and the 'cotes fronted up with green and gold stripes with gold shorts.
Willliamstown went for plain gold socks, but went back to blue and gold hoops by end of season.
The VFA made a fuss that the Grand Final record would have a colour photo on its cover - the photo was fairly dull being Dandeong Coburg, with both in red shorts. Danny Hibbert was one of the players.
Huge crowds at grand finals at junction oval, the best of all 32000 at both '76 Port Dandy and '78 Prahran Preston.