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Episode 38: 1934 The First Centenary Premiership

Episode 38: 1934 The First Centenary Premiership

Released Saturday, 6th April 2024
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Episode 38: 1934 The First Centenary Premiership

Episode 38: 1934 The First Centenary Premiership

Episode 38: 1934 The First Centenary Premiership

Episode 38: 1934 The First Centenary Premiership

Saturday, 6th April 2024
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Episode Transcript

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0:03

Hello, and welcome to Grand Final History. In this episode, we go back to 1934,

0:08

the 38th season of the VFL. Melbournians were celebrating the 100th anniversary of European settlement in

0:15

1934, promoting the image of Melbourne as the Garden City and the Queen City

0:21

of the South, while also dealing with the challenges of the ongoing depression. Prussian.

0:25

The celebrations made a hero of John Batman and ignored the dispossession of

0:31

the original inhabitants of the land. There were many events and activities held between October 1934 and June 1935,

0:40

some that are still with us today, such as the move of Captain Cook's parents'

0:45

cottage from Yorkshire to Fitzroy Gardens.

0:48

A small cottage that Captain Cook probably never saw, saw rebuilt in a part

0:53

of Australia that he never actually visited but you can still walk past it on

0:57

your way from the city to a game at the MCG.

1:01

Macpherson Robertson had made his fortune in confectionery and was one of the

1:06

many wealthy individuals that donated funds to the centenary celebrations.

1:11

Two examples of his benevolence were the building of the Mac Robertson Girls

1:16

High High School, still in South Melbourne, and the McRobertson Centenary Air

1:21

Race from Britain to Melbourne, one in a time of just under three days.

1:27

A similar race, held 15 years earlier, took 28 days just to reach Darwin.

1:33

Air travel was making great progress. Some footballers had even started catching planes to get to games.

1:40

1934 also saw the completion of the Shrine of Remembrance, which opened with

1:46

huge crowds in a solemn ceremony on Remembrance Day.

1:50

The memories of the First World War were still clear and present,

1:54

while the remainder of the 1930s would see the world move towards yet another disastrous conflict.

2:02

Many events during the year would have centenary versions, such as the Centenary

2:07

Melbourne Cup, the Centenary Royal Melbourne Show and the Centenary Art Exhibition.

2:12

The VFL season would be known as the Centenary Premiership.

2:18

1934 also saw the Australian cricket team having a successful tour of England,

2:22

regaining the Ashes 2-1 with radio broadcasts on the ABC,

2:27

using creative synthetic broadcasts, combining telegrams and sound effects,

2:33

combined with experience and intuition by a panel of commentators based in Sydney

2:38

to convey their impressions of how each test in England was unfolding.

2:43

In Australian politics, there was a federal election with Joseph Lyon's United

2:49

Australia Party winning with a reduced majority.

2:53

James Scullin stood down as the head of the Labor Party, and the new ALP leader

2:58

was former Brunswick VFA half-forward player John Curtin.

3:03

In other significant events during 1934, Mao Zedong and 100,000 soldiers commenced

3:10

their long march north in China,

3:14

while in Germany, Adolf Hitler combined the role of President and Chancellor

3:18

under the one title, Führer.

3:22

As international politics headed into uncharted territory, the Australian government

3:27

did its best to keep communists out. Egon Kisch was a Czechoslovakian activist,

3:34

anti-fascist and communist.

3:37

Imprisoned in Nazi Germany before ending up in Paris.

3:40

He travelled to Australia to end an anti-war conference held in Melbourne in November 1934.

3:47

I don't think they got centenary endorsement for their event.

3:51

The federal government declared him a prohibited immigrant and would not let him land in Fremantle.

3:58

But in Melbourne, he was given an enthusiastic dockside welcome and literally

4:03

jumped ship, breaking his leg.

4:05

The authorities rushed him back on board and, as the ship sailed to Sydney.

4:12

Legal actions taken on his behalf saw the prohibited immigrant ruling declared invalid.

4:18

The Immigration Department then sent an official to give the dreaded dictation

4:24

test test in any European language, a test that was built into the White Australia

4:29

Policy designed to keep non-whites out.

4:32

Nevertheless, a sophisticated Czech like Egon could speak many European languages.

4:39

What would the Immigration Department choose to trip up this undesirable,

4:43

multilingual, radical communist?

4:46

The immigration official read out the Lord's Prayer in Scottish Gaelic,

4:52

a language regularly spoken by about one in 600 people in Scotland at the time.

4:58

Egon failed the test and another legal challenge ensued.

5:03

Embarrassingly for the federal government, the courts ruled that Scottish Gaelic

5:07

was not a European language within the meaning of the Immigration Act.

5:11

All this effort by the federal government had two main effects.

5:15

Firstly, this charming, erudite, anti-war speaker and communist had been given

5:22

a huge amount of free publicity, generating much bigger audiences when he gave his speeches, and secondly,

5:29

fears had been raised that the Australian government was using the Immigration

5:33

Act to curtail free speech, just as free speech was being curtailed by fascist and communist governments in Europe.

5:41

Eventually, he was sent on his way in January 1935, and there have never been

5:46

any further problems with Australia's immigration system and the actions taken

5:50

by the Immigration Department. Newspapers in the 1930s often had stories about the English Football Association

5:56

and which of those famous soccer clubs were winning in their season.

6:01

But October saw a different type of story on English soccer that demonstrated

6:06

the prevailing attitudes of the era.

6:08

A shocking article, headline, Wives Who Cannot Cook,

6:13

described the terrible situation where professional footballers were eating

6:18

nothing but fish and chips and tinned foods because their wives had been working

6:23

in factories and had not learned to cook before they married these poor men.

6:27

An English league official was quoted as saying.

6:42

The Herald made no comment about whether local VFL players were at similar risk

6:48

of undernourishment because of their wives' lack of cooking skills.

6:53

Given women play professional soccer and footy in the modern era,

6:57

is anyone testing the cooking skills of their partners?

7:00

But let's focus on the VFL's 1934 season.

7:04

Collingwood supporters were thrilled in February when news broke that Sid Coventry

7:09

would be back for one more season.

7:12

He had announced his retirement at the end of the 1933 season,

7:16

but after some time off, he was ready to go once more and hoped to lead Collingwood

7:22

to the centenary Premiership.

7:25

Players, umpires and supporters would have to adapt to the reintroduction of

7:30

the flick pass for the season, where the ball could be flicked with an open

7:34

hand rather than just punched. Early previews identified the challenge where a flick could look much like a throw.

7:42

It would be something for the umpires to monitor. Recruitment of new players

7:46

was often a point of contention. In 1934, the player in the spotlight was Alan

7:52

LaFontaine, an outstanding university and amateur forward.

7:57

Footscray were convinced he should be playing for them on a residential basis,

8:01

but instead it was Melbourne who signed him up, claiming the student was living

8:07

at college at Melbourne University. There was a job lined up at the Vacuum Oil Company, a regular employer of Melbourne

8:14

players, but it was a signing that would be a source of ongoing tension between

8:19

Footscray and Melbourne. It won't be the last we hear of this star recruit.

8:25

The bigger issue with recruitment was the ongoing migration of interstate players to Victoria.

8:31

The Age reported that 34 interstate players played for league clubs in 1933,

8:37

and if all pending clearances were approved, another 30 would be joining them.

8:43

Employment plus the £3 per game was the magnet.

8:47

The interstate clubs complained, and various league officials made comments

8:52

about addressing trafficking of players for the good of the game.

8:57

But they all wanted the best players for their own club as well.

9:00

South Fremantle caught everybody by surprise when they demanded that Fitzroy

9:06

and St Kilda pay £100 each for the clearance of William Bell and Bill Shenfield, respectively.

9:13

The clubs refused, pointing out that this would contravene the Coulter Law.

9:17

South Fremantle probably considered that they had to look after themselves cells

9:21

as they saw their players moving east.

9:23

Another perspective on the issue of clearances and freedom of choice for players

9:28

to move clubs in search of a better deal was discussed in the Herald in April.

9:34

Addressing issues that would finally come to a head 50 years later in 1983 when

9:40

Silvio Faschini took the league to court to switch from South Melbourne to St Kilda,

9:44

the article in 1934 headlined Indented Labour in the Football Game.

9:52

It said the restriction on the right of footballers to gain the highest rewards

9:56

for their ability appears to many to be an official form of tyranny.

10:04

It would be decades before the clearance system would break as a result of legal

10:08

challenge, but some could mount the argument way back in the 1930s.

10:13

One of the recurring themes of league football is high-profile players getting

10:19

into trouble with the law when driving.

10:22

Whether it be driving when intoxicated, being involved in a bingle,

10:26

getting a speeding ticket, or even driving when disqualified for earlier offences.

10:31

It seems to happen every year.

10:33

It was even happening way back in 1934 when reigning Premiership Captain Coach

10:39

James Bissett was fined £2 and £1 costs when he did not stop to swap names and

10:46

render assistance after hitting a cyclist.

10:49

Bissett allegedly said why don't you look where you're going and drove off he

10:55

told the court he did not regard the accident as serious enough to report the

11:00

boy was not hurt and there appeared not to have been any damage.

11:04

One key difference to modern times was that the story was covered in just two

11:09

paragraphs on page 4 of the Herald, rather than the front page,

11:13

the back page and multiple other pages.

11:15

Maybe this season there'll be no modern players causing incidents with their driving.

11:20

Now that we've mentioned South Melbourne's coach, let's have a look at the coaching changes in 1934.

11:26

Five of the 12 clubs had new coaches, which was about average for this era.

11:31

Many clubs turned over coaches every season or two in search of success, but not Collingwood.

11:37

Jock McHale had been appointed in 1912 and was up to season 23,

11:41

and he had plenty more to come.

11:44

At Essendon, their playing coach, Garnett Campbell, had transferred to Sandringham

11:48

in the VFA, so Charlie May was promoted from seconds coach to the senior role.

11:53

In a non-playing capacity, Charlie had played in the VFA for a couple of seasons

11:58

before joining Essendon in 1922 and played in the back-to-back premierships of 1923 and 1924.

12:06

Perhaps he could bring back some of the success to a team that had been absent from the finals.

12:12

Fitzroy decided that they needed a playing coach to lead their team on the field,

12:18

so Frank Marr's time was up, despite the Maroons having had their best season in many years.

12:23

Jack Cashman returned from three years in Perth, where he had led West Perth

12:28

to a Premiership and third place. But his time at Fitzroy would be short and unhappy.

12:34

Richmond had made the Grand Final in 1933 with first-year coach Billy Schmidt,

12:40

but 1934 found Billy back at Warwick Mobile and Captain Percy Bentley taking

12:46

over as captain coach, perhaps, according to some, to ensure that Bentley stayed

12:51

at the club rather than taking a coaching role elsewhere. swear.

12:55

The Saints had welcomed their prodigal son, Colin Watson, back to the club in 1933.

13:01

He had won the Brownlow in 1925 as a 25-year-old, at the top of his game,

13:07

one of the best players in the league, but then shocked everybody when he left

13:13

St Kilda to play for store. St Kilda refused to clear him, and things went from bad to worse when,

13:21

after spending a year out of the game, He took over as Maryborough captain coach,

13:25

and the Ballarat League, perhaps thinking of the large gates at each game that he appeared,

13:31

allowed him to play without a clearance.

13:33

The VFL was incensed, and the entire Ballarat Football League was disqualified.

13:40

Watson resigned before the 1928 season. He took up professional running before

13:45

returning to the game in 1930 for the Western District, and then finally,

13:50

as a 32-year-old, returned to St Kilda in 1933,

13:55

and was appointed coach at the start of 1934.

13:59

Quite the journey. Hawthorne's coach had also taken a roundabout journey to return to the VFL.

14:05

Bill Toomey Sr. made his playing debut with Collingwood in 1918,

14:09

and quickly made an impression.

14:12

Quick was the operative word with Bill. Despite his on-field success built around

14:17

his speed, he wanted to win the Storwell gift.

14:21

So in 1923, he left the VFL, moved to Storwell, and won the gift in 1924,

14:27

along with many other professional races.

14:30

He kept playing and coaching country football alongside his running career before

14:35

taking over the Hawthorne job as a non-playing coach in 1934.

14:41

He'd been a premiership player in 1919.

14:44

Could he be the one to bring success to Glenferry Oval?

14:48

The previews before the season contained all the usual excitement of the return

14:53

of footy with the added enhancement of the centenary season to make 1934 even more special.

15:01

League Secretary Leek McBride wrote in the Sporting Globe before the opening

15:06

round, declaring, Our football is the only national winter game in Australia.

15:12

It had been a wet and cold pre-season, adding a degree of difficulty for those

15:17

new players looking to break into a league club.

15:20

But perhaps it was just as well to show their style in the conditions of the

15:24

winter game. The Herald reported that over 600 players that had attended the

15:30

initial training nights across the 12 clubs had been sent home.

15:34

Only about 35 new players were expected to debut, and most of those with the weaker clubs.

15:41

Previews of the opening round forecast big crowds and the sun had a front page

15:46

spread showing each of the 12 captains in their normal day jobs.

15:50

Clubs and supporters were all confident of success in the centenary premiership,

15:55

at least until round one was done.

15:57

A record 131,000 people went to the six games of the opening round.

16:02

The match of the day was expected to be at the Lakeside Oval,

16:06

where 40,000 people saw South Melbourne unfurl their Premiership flag in front

16:12

of the visiting Collingwood. The Magpies were used to this type of ceremony, but usually conducted at their

16:18

home ground, where they had the honour.

16:21

This was South Melbourne's day, with an easy 35-point win to start their Premiership defence. fence.

16:27

Bob Pratt scored 8 goals. Get used to hearing his name for this would be a remarkable season for the Swans full forward.

16:36

There was only one close game with Fitzroy getting home by 2 goals against North.

16:41

Otherwise it was big wins for Carlton over Hawthorne, Essendon too good for

16:46

Footscray, Geelong over St Kilda and Richmond much too strong for Melbourne.

16:51

Fitzroy lost to Footscray in round two and things got a bit heated at the Maroons.

16:57

When captain coach Jack Cashman went onto the field on Tuesday evening to lead

17:01

training, there were boos from the spectators.

17:06

There had already been a number of letters from anonymous supporters wanting to see him golf.

17:11

By Wednesday, Cashman announced his resignation.

17:15

Despite his career at the club from 1926 to 1931, his premiership success in

17:20

Western Australia Cashman was so disappointed he resigned as coach,

17:24

as captain and from the playing list altogether.

17:29

Cashman would be cleared to Carlton where he played for the rest of the season and into 1935.

17:35

One of the few players to have captain coach one team and played for another in the same season.

17:41

Len Wigraft, a former Best and Fairest winner, took over as non-playing coach.

17:47

In round three, South Melbourne's Bob Pratt kicked 15 goals against Essendon.

17:52

At one stage, he kicked eight goals in ten minutes, which must have been extraordinary to watch.

17:58

Unless you barracked for Essendon. Round five was the King's birthday split

18:02

round, and on the Monday, Geelong hosted Collingwood for a draw.

18:06

All, when the Cats' Lou Daly scored a point with the very last kick of the day.

18:11

But, more notable perhaps, was Gordon Coventry kicking his 1,000th goal.

18:17

While no one jumped the fence, nor swarmed onto the ground, Geelong had planned

18:22

for the occasion, and presented both Gordon and Sid with plaid travelling rugs,

18:27

made in Geelong with their initials in black and white.

18:30

The Mayor of Geelong also presented the brothers silver cigarette cases, with Geelong Crest.

18:38

Perhaps not the gift you would give in the modern era, but a way of noting Gordon's

18:43

milestone and the fine careers of both players after the game on the topic of reaching 1,000 goals.

18:50

Gordon commentary said in his own understated manner, Well, I don't feel any

18:55

different, but it's a grand thing to have done it.

18:58

Round six meant that the season was one third of the way through.

19:02

Richmond were on top of the ladder with five wins, closely followed by Collingwood,

19:06

back in familiar territory after a disappointing 1933 and South were third,

19:11

just ahead of St Kilda on percentage while Carlton was fifth.

19:16

Those three clubs had four wins under their belt. There were fears that the

19:20

season was beginning to become lopsided with the same weaker teams of recent

19:26

seasons unable to challenge the top clubs but at least St Kilda,

19:30

under returning hero Colin Watson Watson were giving their supporters some hope.

19:35

Watson was playing so well, he'd been selected for the interstate team.

19:40

Fitzroy had already lost their coach, and Footscray would sack Bill Cubbins

19:44

after not selecting him to play in round six.

19:47

He told his players that he had been, quote, stabbed in the back by a lot of

19:52

squealers, and he would not address them again.

19:55

Albert Morrison took over as captain coach for the remainder of the season.

20:00

Cubbins' 20-year playing career at St Kilda and Footscray was over.

20:05

The teams took a break after Round 6 for the interstate game against South Australia

20:09

in Adelaide, and a second Victorian team would take on the VFA in a charity fundraiser at the MCG.

20:16

There had been an interesting proposition down in Geelong, where the second-day

20:21

team, undefeated in six games, had challenged the senior Geelong team. game.

20:26

The league did not give permission for the challenge to proceed.

20:30

They did not want a distraction from the charity game against the VFA.

20:34

30,000 people were at the MCG to see the VFL defeat the VFA,

20:39

21 goals 17, 143, to 17 goals 8, 110.

20:45

While over in Adelaide, the main topic of conversation was the omission of Colin

20:50

Watson from the 18 selected to take the field against the South Australians.

20:56

He was named as 19th man. Some thought it might have been a hangover from the

21:01

time Watson played without a clearance, but surely not.

21:04

South Australia won the game, 21 goals 15, 141, to the Vicks on 18 goals 22, 130.

21:15

St Kilda officials were more upset by Watson's omission than the result of the

21:19

game, declaring that it was an insult to Watson, an insult to St Kilda,

21:24

and an insult to the Victorian team.

21:27

In round 8, Fitzroy travelled to the Lakeside Oval for their clash against the

21:31

Swans, and while South won to keep in touch with the top four,

21:36

the nine-point win was closer than it should have been.

21:39

South Melbourne's full-back Ron Helles had injured his groin and asked Laurie

21:43

Nash to kick out after a behind so no South Melbourne players dropped back to defend their goal.

21:50

Fitzroy's Colin Benham, a hard-working Ruffman, took the mark and had a shot after the bell.

21:56

His kick was wide and heading for a behind until it bounced off one of the young

22:02

boys who had run onto the ground to celebrate the South win.

22:05

The ball then went through the goals. No player from either team had actually touched it, so the goal umpire signalled a goal.

22:14

It did not change the result, but the final gap between the sides was reduced

22:19

and South had a slightly lower percentage because of their lack of concentration.

22:24

Colin Benham had one of the most unusual goals scored in league history.

22:29

Round 10 also saw the end of North Melbourne's playing coach Dick Taylor He'd been coached since 1932,

22:36

Six wins in his first season were followed by seven in the second But North

22:41

had not won a game in their ten rounds so far.

22:45

In the modern era, mid-season resignations are somewhat stage-managed affairs,

22:50

with statements such as, for the good of the club, and other PR-managed quotes.

22:55

Things were a bit more raw in 1934.

22:59

After North had lost to 11th-placed Hawthorne, Taylor made his feelings known to the press.

23:05

He said, He said, quote, I am

23:07

disgusted with the team and there is nothing else for me to do but resign.

23:12

What's the use of battling your heart out for a team like that?

23:16

I think the reason why certain of our players did not show up today was,

23:20

well, they could not do better. End quote.

23:24

Surprisingly, he did say he was willing to continue as non-playing coach, but the club let him go.

23:31

And former Essendon and Geelong Premiership player Tom Fitzmaurice took over

23:36

for the remainder of what would be a tough season.

23:40

The real controversy of Round 10 was the game between Collingwood and Carlton

23:44

which saw some of the most brutal and unattractive aspects of the game.

23:49

It was the most contentious game of the season and would still generate arguments

23:54

about who did what and who was at fault for years to come.

23:58

Rumours had circulated before the game that some players weren't marked men.

24:04

From the start of the game, it was obvious that there was more spite and niggle

24:08

than usual, even between these two bitter rivals.

24:13

It only got worse as the game went on. Veteran umpire Bob Scott,

24:18

so well regarded he'd been chosen for the last five grand finals,

24:22

had his hands full trying to manage the game.

24:25

He stopped playing twice in an attempt to cool bitter spirits.

24:31

But things got nasty again at the end of the second quarter.

24:33

The half-time bell provided the break that stopped the situation getting out of control.

24:40

In the third quarter, Collingwood's veteran skipper, Sid Coventry,

24:45

gave Gordon Mackey a whack on the neck.

24:48

Mackey's response was instant and brutal, punching Coventry until he was knocked

24:53

out, battering his face and giving him a fractured skull.

24:59

All players converged to the incident. Gordon Coventry, normally a mild and

25:04

quiet player, ran from one end of the ground to the other to take on Mackey.

25:09

It was an all-in brawl that could have easily incited the crowd,

25:13

though it was reported later that many of the players were doing their best

25:16

to separate combatants rather than land more blows.

25:20

Umpire Scott, the two boundary umpires, and one goal umpire,

25:25

tried to calm things down, but it was only with the help of police that the players separated.

25:31

Scott again held up play for two minutes as players returned to their positions.

25:36

Despite all the incidents, only three Carlton players were reported,

25:41

Mackey, Henry Maskell and Maury Mocker-Johnson.

25:47

Many thought other names should have gone into the umpire's report and Carlton

25:51

were incensed that only their players faced penalties.

25:54

In 1936, Bob Scott provided his perspective in an article in the Sporting Globe,

26:01

noting that what an umpire saw on the field often differed from what those on

26:05

the other side of the pickets perceived. Sid Coventry was taken off the ground, battered and concussed.

26:11

He would be out of the game for a month as he recovered.

26:15

Despite Carlton's call for further action, and the calls from all the newspapers

26:19

for something to be done to address the situation, The only consequences were

26:24

suspensions for Harry Maskell and the Blues captain Murray Johnson.

26:29

The umpires committee announced that the two boundary umpires and one goal umpire

26:34

had been suspended until the end of the season for their poor performance and neglect of duty.

26:42

Another brawl, another call for action, and yet more umpires were suspended than players.

26:49

It was a tough time to play football. At the end of July, the season was two-thirds

26:53

complete, and the lopsided nature of the competition was clear.

26:58

The five teams who had been regular finals participants in recent seasons were

27:02

again battling out for the top four, while the remaining seven clubs were well

27:07

out of contention yet again. Geelong and Collingwood had the top two spots on nine wins and a draw,

27:13

while South, Carlton and Richmond were all on nine wins, separated by percentage.

27:19

Richmond had a surprise loss to Melbourne in round 12 and dropped from second to fifth.

27:25

There were calls for pooling of gate receipts and equalising of revenue,

27:30

as well as restrictions on how the top teams recruited to help even the competition.

27:35

Nothing would come of these, and so the bottom teams had a very hard time getting

27:40

enough wins to attract more members and attendants, which would improve their financial position,

27:45

which would allow them to recruit better players, which would improve their

27:49

winning chances and allow the positive cycle to continue.

27:52

There was also a call on the Sporting Globe for an independent board of management for the league,

27:59

recognising the inconsistency of club delegates who were primarily interested

28:05

in the performance and benefits accruing to their individual club trying to

28:09

cooperate with other delegates that were also trying to promote the interests of their own club.

28:14

It would be another five decades and several expensive consultants reports before

28:20

an independent commission was implemented.

28:23

While Carlton and South may have been level on points, their round 13 game showed

28:28

how wide the gap between the two teams could be.

28:31

Up to half time, the Blues had been slightly in front, leading by eight points

28:35

at the long break. But then the game changed as the Swans put on an exhibition,

28:41

kicking 13 goals two behinds in the third quarter.

28:45

The age called it the most delightful play ever given by a southern combination.

28:51

During the flood, Pratt scored his 100th goal for the season in just round 13.

28:56

There was applause from all the spectators and handshakes from teammates and opponents alike.

29:01

But still, no spectators jumping the fence.

29:04

The 21-year-old Pratt was having a goal-kicking season like no other and finished

29:09

this game with another 11. Jack Worrell described Pratt as a freak footballer and one apparently made out of whalebone.

29:18

He can twist in the air at all angles, frequently marking the ball when out of position.

29:24

And he can kick either foot in any position, whether on the run or standing still.

29:30

Away from football, one of the most influential men of the league had to endure

29:35

one of the most challenging times of his life.

29:39

A few days after Collingwood beat Essendon in Round 13, Jock McHale's 17-year-old daughter, Jean, died.

29:46

She had been ill for two months before having a sudden heart failure while in hospital. at all.

29:52

Despite his highly public role as coach of the most successful team in the VFL,

29:57

the McHale family were very private and not much was said in public other than the funeral notice.

30:05

McHale was able to take some time to grieve as the following week was a bye

30:08

for the interstate game against South Australia.

30:11

From then on Jock would only ever wear a black tie as a mark of remembrance for his daughter.

30:18

Whether in the 1930s or in the modern era, we focus on the performance of players

30:22

and coaches, but they all have their personal lives and personal challenges

30:27

that are much more important than the game.

30:30

Back to the footy now. The interstate game was both an opportunity for the Victorian

30:35

team to avenge its unexpected defeat by South Australia earlier in the season,

30:40

and it also became the platform for one of the greatest feats of skill,

30:44

skill, performance and showmanship ever seen on the MCG.

30:50

Bob Pratt was ill and unable to play, so Laurie Nash was selected.

30:56

He played the first quarter at centre-half forward and picked up two goals,

31:00

and then moved to full forward in the second quarter, when the Saints' Bill

31:04

Moore went off the ground injured. Nash put on a masterclass. Seven goals in the third quarter,

31:11

six in the last. 18 goals in total in an unforgettable display of forward brilliance.

31:19

The Victorians had an easy win and Pratt had provided something for everybody to talk about.

31:25

Earlier in this episode we noted an example of the perennial issue of league

31:31

players getting into trouble with their driving.

31:33

Poor behaviour on football club trips is also a recurring theme no matter the era.

31:40

Hawthorne players may not have been making much impact on the field,

31:44

but during the bye week for the interstate game, the club had gone to the country

31:48

to play an exhibition match in Duney, New South Wales.

31:52

After the game, some of the players got back late to their hotel,

31:56

broke in and thought putting teammates into a bath would be fun. done.

32:02

The arrival of local police, eviction from the hotel and a £30 damages bill

32:07

would have taken some of the humour away for all involved.

32:11

But players never misbehave in the modern era, so this type of incident will never happen again.

32:16

As the season drew to a close, the imbalance of the competition was generating more discussion.

32:22

One option entering the mix was a potential Final Five, to be played after a

32:28

modified find-home-and-away season. The man behind the proposal was Kenneth McIntyre, the young mathematician who

32:35

had developed the Final Four system the league adopted in 1931.

32:39

It would not happen yet, but eventually, in another 40 years,

32:42

when the VFL had their own ground to stage finals, the Final Five would be implemented,

32:48

with two games played each of the first two weeks of the final series.

32:52

A good idea, but too soon in 1934.

32:56

While the league was worried about an uneven even competition,

32:59

the VFA was in a desperate state and there were real fears it would fall.

33:04

Crowd numbers were down, clubs could not cover costs, and the association sent

33:09

a desperate letter to the VFL proposing a merger with a new board of control

33:14

to establish competition for all 24 clubs.

33:19

There was also the implied threat that the VFA grounds could be used for some

33:24

other winter code in the next season.

33:28

Picking up on a threat-slash-idea floated in 1933 by the VFA president,

33:35

J.J. Liston, that association clubs could switch to either soccer or one of the rugby codes.

33:42

Reports in the following days suggested that the league did not take this threat

33:47

seriously and instead proposed that the association would be better focused

33:51

on getting their own house in order and perhaps reducing the number of their clubs.

33:56

In the modern era, the Brownlow medal count is the night of nights for the league,

34:01

with red carpet fashions and more.

34:04

But in 1934, it was the annual league ball, in its third year,

34:08

and the biggest one ever. Fitzroy alone had 100 people attending, and other clubs had similar numbers.

34:16

Dancing was from 8.30 until 2am, with cars provided travelling to every suburb

34:23

for no more than two shillings. It was a glamorous affair, and the Table Talk weekly paper provided detailed

34:31

descriptions of the many gowns and dresses worn on the evening,

34:35

but I'll leave that for you to follow up if you're interested.

34:38

With two weeks to go, the top four was locked in, but which club would finish

34:42

where was still very open.

34:45

Geelong was on top, two points clear of South Melbourne and Richmond,

34:48

and Collingwood was fourth.

34:51

The blockbuster game in round 17 was Richmond hosting South.

34:55

Whoever won was in line for the double chance and perhaps top spot.

34:59

It was close all day, with the Tigers holding on by one goal.

35:03

Geelong won easily as expected against Essendon, while Collingwood won after

35:08

a strong fight from old rivals Fitzroy.

35:11

The next Saturday was cold. The rain bucketed down and grounds were covered in water and mud.

35:18

Richmond and Collingwood had easy wins, but the big clash was south hosting Geelong.

35:24

And the Swans bounced back with a big win against the Cats, propelling Richmond to top of the ladder.

35:30

Geelong dropped to second, the Swans were third, and Collingwood were back in

35:34

the finals, two points behind South.

35:37

Carlton picked up the almost-us award for finishing fifth just outside the finals.

35:42

They had that spot locked in since round 13.

35:46

At the other end of the ladder, it had been a miserable season yet again for North.

35:51

They had not won a game, and collected another wooden spoon.

35:55

They had lost four games by less than a goal, and in a year of high scores,

36:00

they had a record first quarter against Melbourne when they kicked 10 goals

36:04

to 62, but only 5 goals and 12 behinds for the rest of the game, to lose by 2 points.

36:11

They would do better in the next centenary Premiership season,

36:15

but 1934 was a tough time for the boys from Arden Street.

36:19

A measure of how unbalanced the season was could be seen in the fact that the

36:24

top 5 sides across 18 rounds of football, only lost three games to the bottom seven teams.

36:32

But the home-and-away season was over, and now it was finals time.

36:36

The Wednesday night before the finals started, the umpire committee met to count

36:40

the Brownlow medal votes. The winner was a young Dick Reynolds, in just his second season with Essendon,

36:47

defeating dual Brownlow medalist Hayden Button by one vote.

36:52

The last three seasons had seen the Brownlow won by a first-year and then a

36:56

second-year player in Bunton, and now another second-year player had won.

37:01

The veterans of the game may have been wondering what the umpires were up to.

37:06

Essendon's delegate to the league had the happy task of travelling to the club's

37:09

annual ball and announcing the good news.

37:12

Bunton was the first to send a congratulatory telegram.

37:17

Next morning, Dick Reynolds was back at work at the William Pete Boot Factory

37:21

in Collingwood, when the Herald's reporter caught up with him.

37:24

Reynolds expressed delight and surprise at the honour.

37:27

Since his debut at the start of the 1933 season, he played 31 of a possible 33 games.

37:34

And, despite missing two matches this season, he still managed to poll the most votes.

37:40

A Brownlow medalist at the age of 19. As they reviewed the count,

37:44

the press asked how it was that key forwards like Pratt and Coventry could not

37:49

get more recognition from the umpires. Some are still asking that same question today.

37:55

The first semi-final was between Collingwood and South on Saturday the 22nd of September.

38:00

Collingwood supporters were thrilled to have Jack Regan returning to the fullback

38:04

spot after missing a week due to injuries received in a car crash.

38:08

Also returning to the team were the Collier brothers, Albert and Harry.

38:13

All three are members of the Collingwood Team of the Century,

38:16

So you can imagine the value they would add to a side learning to defeat the running premiers.

38:23

South were without Pratt, who had been suspended towards the end of the season and had one week to go.

38:29

Austin Robinson was also out with an injured knee, but Brighton Dickens was

38:33

back, and there was a handy bloke called Bob Pratt at full forward.

38:37

The Friday Night Herald preview had South as slight favourites,

38:41

but noted Collingwood had their best team in for the season.

38:44

The expert panel of current and former players and officials clearly favoured South.

38:49

52,000 spectators saw the Magpies get off to a good start picking up a four

38:55

goal lead by the end of the first quarter but the Swans regained their composure

39:00

in the second quarter kicking four goals and at half time Collingwood had just a four point lead.

39:07

It was anybody's game. Collingwood were the stronger team across the field in

39:11

the vital third quarter but there was one significant problem.

39:16

Instead of kicking goals goals, they insisted on scoring behinds.

39:20

Ten scoring shots for ten behinds.

39:24

South only had four shots at goal, but two goals and two behinds meant they

39:29

outscored the Pies, despite all their efforts.

39:32

The teams started the fourth quarter level.

39:34

Only one could proceed. The loser would be ending their season,

39:39

and both sides were obviously desperate for the win.

39:43

Collingwood finally managed to score a goal and broke the sequence of behinds.

39:47

They got a break on the Swans, but it was Sal winning the game with the last

39:52

three goals of the match. The last coming when a Collingwood player slipped, allowing Pratt to pick up

39:58

the loose ball and kick the winning goal.

40:01

The decider that ended the Magpies' year.

40:05

In a moment that summed up Collingwood's game, they did have an opportunity

40:09

to retake the lead in the final seconds, but the vital kick went out of bounds.

40:15

Perhaps Collingwood were unlucky to lose, but bad kicking is bad football.

40:20

South had managed to make it to the preliminary final with a three-point win.

40:24

Collingwood, 9 goals 21, 75, was too wasteful against South's 11 goals 12, 78.

40:32

Gordon Coventry said after the game, he could not explain the cause of his inaccuracy.

40:37

He was so disappointed he went to bed at 7pm on Saturday night.

40:41

He could only recall one similar experience, also in a semi-final,

40:45

against Geelong in 1925. But he hoped he would never repeat the experience. The loss meant the end for

40:53

Sid Coventry's illustrious career. He might have been a St Kilda player, having signed with them as a youngster

40:59

back in Diamond Creek. week. But a year in Tasmania, and another one out of football, left him clear to join

41:05

his younger brother at Collingwood, way back in 1922.

41:09

He was appointed captain in a shock decision at the start of the 1927 season.

41:14

A Brownlow medal, a Copeland medal, and a premiership in a standout season validated that decision.

41:22

Sid said his biggest thrill was leading Collingwood to an unmatched fourth premiership

41:27

in a row in 1930, when a stunning comeback in the third quarter blew Geelong

41:32

away, all while coach Jock McHale was in his sickbed at home.

41:37

In his eight years as captain, the Magpies only missed the finals once.

41:42

A fine career from an impressive leader who would go on to serve his club as

41:47

president when they were facing another crisis.

41:50

But that is a story for another episode.

41:53

Next up was the second semi-final between top-of-the-table Richmond and second-place Geelong.

41:58

The Tigers' punt road home was being reclaimed by the cricket club,

42:02

the centre wicket area roped off for top dressing.

42:05

So Tuesday training was at the Motor Drone, Richmond willing to pay the ground-hire

42:09

fee to train on an entire football field.

42:13

Hard to imagine cricketers pushing footballers off the oval when training for

42:16

finals in the modern era, but that was life in the 1930s and for many years to come.

42:22

The clubs had only met once this season, with the Cats having a win at home,

42:26

but the Tigers had done enough to finish on top of the ladder.

42:29

The clubs had also clashed in the 1933 preliminary final, a thrilling game won

42:36

in the final quarter by Richmond. This was a game anticipated by

42:40

many, but few were willing to predict the outcome in the press previews.

42:44

The Friday Herald's expert panel was evenly split between the two sides,

42:49

with many of the players or club officials settling for a 50-50 call saying either team could win.

42:55

There had been some warm days in September 1934 but the second semi-final day was cold and wet.

43:02

So wet that many sporting events, including the VFA Grand Final,

43:06

were postponed or cancelled. But the VFL went ahead with the semi-final. Only 35,000 sturdy souls braved

43:15

the elements hoping for another classic final between these two rivals.

43:19

The league might have been disappointed with the attendance,

43:23

the lowest since 1927, but delighted that their rain insurance investment paid off.

43:29

Geelong supporters might have been hopeful of a close game given all of the

43:32

previews of the match in the press, but once again, the Cats failed in a semi-final.

43:37

Prior to this season, Geelong had played in 12 semi-finals, but only won two.

43:43

1934 would not help this record. Richmond showed stronger defence and adapted

43:48

better to the wet conditions. Other than for one amazing four-minute burst in the second quarter,

43:54

which along kicked four goals and only trailed by three points, it was Richmond's game.

43:59

When the bell sounded for half-time, Richmond were up by six points,

44:03

and people may have discussed how the predicted close game was unfolding.

44:08

But the second half was one-way traffic. Maybe Geelong was put off by Richmond's unusual appearance.

44:13

As described in The Age, they had removed their wet jumpers and appeared dry

44:17

and warm in their scratch uniforms.

44:20

Basil McCormick donned an emerald green sweater set off with squares of white.

44:25

Jack Titus had patches of reddish-brown, and others displayed all manner of hues and tints.

44:31

One Geelong official described Richmond as more like a flock of Rosellas than a side of footballers.

44:38

The coloured jumpers were worn under the normal sleeveless Richmond jumper,

44:41

but it still would have been an odd sight.

44:44

Despite the poor conditions, the Tigers scored 14 goals to Geelong's two.

44:48

It was another long ride back to Corio and the train for the Cats.

44:53

They could regroup for the preliminary final, while the Tigers could rest up

44:57

for the centenary grand final.

44:59

In their jubilee year, Richmond 19 goals 20, 134 to Geelong 7-8-50.

45:06

The preliminary final had captured the imaginations of football supporters far and wide.

45:12

Two clubs had travelled all the way from Kalgoorlie.

45:16

They timed their holiday for the preliminary and grand final as part of the Big Trip East.

45:21

It would be the third match between the two well-performed teams.

45:25

Geelong had beaten South at Corio in June, but South won the last match of the

45:30

season, in the rain and the mud, by 42 points, points, giving them the confidence

45:35

that they would be going through to the grand final.

45:38

Geelong were hoping they might see a repeat of 1925, where they lost the semi-final,

45:43

but used their right of challenge to win the premiership.

45:46

It was a different final system now, but they still had a chance.

45:49

South would lose Brighton-Diggins after the semi-final, but got Laurie Nash

45:54

back in after his suspension, and with the Swans showing more skill and determination,

45:59

determination, it was another one-sided game after a close first half.

46:04

The weather was again poor, the ground was already wet, and the showers during

46:08

the afternoon meant a greasy ball and slippery conditions for the players.

46:13

Only 34,000 brave spectators ventured out into the wet and cold day,

46:18

and just as they had done in the final home-and-away game of the season in the

46:22

wet, the Swans were more at home than the Cats.

46:25

The gap at the big break was just a couple of goals, but after half-time Geelong

46:30

seemed to be spectators rather than participants while South Melbourne played

46:34

some brilliant football. It was not what the Geelong players or supporters wanted to see.

46:39

Geelong kicked three goals in the second half to South Melbourne's nine and

46:43

it would have been many more if they'd kicked straight.

46:46

The final scores were South Melbourne 15 goals 18, 108 to a disappointing Geelong

46:52

7 goals 6, 48. Pratt scored six goals to bring him within sight of an extraordinary 150 target.

47:02

And Nash sowed no ill effects of the four-week break, kicking four goals.

47:07

Richmond would be going into their fourth grand final in a row,

47:11

the last three with three different coaches, setting a unique league record.

47:15

This year it was Percy Bentley in his first year as captain coach in his tenth year at the club.

47:21

The strong, mobile Ruckman had been captain since 1932, winning the premiership

47:27

that season under Checker Hughes, and then runner-up to South Melbourne under Billy Schmidt.

47:33

He'd been a player under dual premiership coach Dan Minogue and Mel Morris,

47:37

providing a range of styles that he would adapt into his own as leader of the Tigers.

47:42

He would continue to guide the Tigers until 1940 when he retired as a player

47:47

and became non-playing coach at Carlton, leading the Blues to two premierships

47:52

and then becoming a long-standing committee member. But that's all in the future.

47:57

Percy Bentley was confident of success in 1934, telling the age,

48:02

We've had special training to fit us for the late finish to the season,

48:06

and we are certain to be well in it at the finish.

48:09

South Melbourne's captain coach, Jack Bissett, was a former Richmond Ruttman

48:13

and former team-mate of Percy Bentley. He was in the second year of his tenure as captain coach, having won the premiership,

48:20

beating the Tigers, in his first season in charge.

48:24

In the weeks and months after that grand final, he made it clear how pleased

48:29

he'd been to knock Richmond off in the 1933 decider.

48:32

He felt that he'd been unfamily blamed for the Tigers' loss in the 1931 grand final against Geelong.

48:39

And was happy to leave, especially as he was also able to get a full-time job

48:44

with Crofts Grocery Store, run by South Melbourne's businessman president, Charlie Crofts.

48:51

Umpire Jack McMurray Sr. might have been in the running for the 1934 Grand Final

48:56

after a well-noted first semi-final effort, but he injured his foot working

49:01

at the Dunlop Rubber Company in Port Melbourne.

49:04

An oil drum had dropped onto his foot, breaking his big toe.

49:09

Steel-kept safety boots were not yet a thing in 1934. The umpire would once

49:14

again be Bob Scott for his sixth grand final in a row.

49:18

Despite the outrage at the round-ten battle between Collingwood and Carlton

49:22

and the subsequent investigation of umpires, Scott clearly had the confidence

49:27

of the umpire's panel to once again take on the biggest game of the season.

49:31

In the papers, predictions were evenly divided, but the age had no doubt.

49:35

The centenary pennant was, quote.

49:47

There had been more rain in the week before the game,

49:50

but the VFL had done their bit to keep the MCG service in good nick by successfully

49:54

arranging the cancellation of a mass rehearsal for the schoolchildren who were

49:59

preparing to put on a centenary display the next Friday for the Duke of Gloucester. stunt.

50:04

South Melbourne made two changes for their team, bringing back stars Brighton

50:09

Dickens and Terry Brain, both veterans of the 1933 Premiership,

50:14

Wilbur Harris moved to 19th man and Alan Welsh, after playing every game of

50:19

the season, missed the grand final. While the change may have happened anyway, an injury to Welsh made sure that he would miss.

50:26

He would be back next season and played with South until 1937.

50:30

Richmond, with a week off after the second semi, took in an unchanged team.

50:36

The sides had played twice this year and Richmond had won both.

50:40

The first game at South was an easy win by Richmond, then at Punt Road.

50:44

The Tigers had several players out and trailed at half-time,

50:47

but showed their team's strength by coming from behind to win by a goal.

50:52

But now, South had their Laurie Nash and Brighton Diggins back,

50:57

and the side had dominated against Geelong in the preliminary final.

51:01

The Friday night Herald expert panel of current league players favoured the Tigers'

51:06

9 votes to 6, with several comments that

51:09

the Richmond back line would be too strong for Sal The keystone

51:12

to the Tigers back line was the full back

51:16

line of Martin Bolger Maurice Sheehan and Kevin O'Neill known in the press and

51:22

to supporters as the Three Musketeers But opposing them was Bob Pratt at full

51:27

forward having a season like no other already on 148 goals eclipsing all league records of the time.

51:36

In one game against the Magpies, Collingwood's full-back Jack Regan,

51:41

claimed by some, including Pratt, as the best full-back ever, was taken off Pratt.

51:46

As they passed each other to take up their positions, Regan asked Pratt how many goals he'd kicked.

51:52

Oh, about nine, was the answer.

51:55

Regan shook his head, disgusted. If you heard Jock McHale during the break, you'd think it was 19.

52:01

Bob Pratt was interviewed in 1995 in an article published in the Footy Almanac.

52:06

And even in his 80s, he could still show the body positioning and the moves

52:11

he made his own on the ground. Though the unrivaled leap had long gone.

52:17

Pratt made it clear, despite the reports of tension between he and Nash,

52:20

that the two very different personalities always got on.

52:24

He also pointed out that his 150 goals in 1934 came from just 21 games.

52:30

Whereas Peter Hudson, who also kicked 150 goals in 1971, had 24 games.

52:37

But perhaps the best summary came from his beloved wife, Olive,

52:41

who, in a brilliant summary, said, Well, I can only say this.

52:47

He led like Dunstall. He marked like Adler.

52:50

He kicked like Lockett. And best of all, he looked like Modra.

52:55

Pratt's lead up to the grand final was disturbing. During grand final week,

52:59

he was offered a £100 bribe to play dead, the equivalent of two seasons of match payments.

53:06

He reported it to Archie Cross, who told him not to tell his teammates.

53:11

Not the ideal preparation for the big game. 65,000 people were at the MCG,

53:16

10,000 down on the previous year, which may have been due to the fear of more

53:20

rain, or perhaps some people were tired of the squeeze in the ground that was

53:25

not yet built for this sort of crowd. In the curtain raiser, Melbourne won yet another 2nd 18 Premiership,

53:32

this time defeating Geelong. Melbourne 8 goals 13-60 to Geelong's 8 goals 5-53.

53:40

It was Melbourne's fourth successive Reserves Premiership. They might be developing

53:45

some foundations there. We'll see in the future episodes.

53:49

The 1934 Grand Final got off to a cracking start for Richmond.

53:52

From the beginning, it was clear that up forward, Richmond's skinny Jack Titus

53:57

would be able to get away from Jack Hostin.

53:59

While South Melbourne's record-breaking full forward, Bob Pratt was being squeezed

54:04

and contained by a coordinated approach from the Tigers' full-back line.

54:10

The Sun published a great photo of Pratt trying to mark the ball,

54:13

being guarded by three players. They just had him covered all day.

54:17

I'll put it on the grandfinalhistory.au website if you want to see how Richmond

54:21

blanketed the Swans champion. Richmond got away to an early break, leading four goals three to one goal one.

54:28

But then came South's best part of the game, with three goals before quarter

54:32

time, leaving Richmond ahead by just one point.

54:36

South supporters must have been feeling relieved. After an early scare,

54:40

things were moving back to normal, and now they would take control of the game from here.

54:45

But it was not to be. The second quarter started off as a tightly fought affair.

54:50

Goals to Titus for Richmond, and then Prats first for the game,

54:54

bought the score's level. But, as reported in The Age, from then on, Richmond applied the acid test, and South wilted.

55:04

The quality players in yellow and black began to shape the game.

55:08

Veteran Alan Geddes took control on the win and continuously sent the ball forward,

55:13

where Jack Titus was sure to collect, and, if not Titus, then small man Ray

55:18

Martin would crumb or get into position for the mark.

55:22

At half-time, Richmond were in a threatening position.

55:26

Ten goals eight to South Melbourne on six goals five.

55:30

But South Melbourne had put on so many big scores during the season Those stunning

55:35

quarters where goals seemed to rain down Surely they could get themselves back

55:39

into the game During halftime,

55:42

spectators were entertained by old and new technology.

55:46

Overhead, an autogyro flew, taking pictures for the Sun newspaper While on the ground,

55:52

an indigenous man climbed the fence And showed how a boomerang could also fly

55:57

around the ground The interest of the crowd seemed to be evenly divided between

56:02

the modern and ancient innovations on display.

56:05

In the third quarter, goals did rain down, but for the Tigers and not the Swans.

56:11

Richmond had pace, accurate passing and great marking, while South appeared

56:16

flat-footed and confused. They knew they could play better than this, and yet Richmond just would not allow it.

56:22

The only time Richmond's run was halted was when a spectator marked the ball

56:26

after a Tom O'Halloran goal and refused to return it.

56:30

A new ball was provided and the play continued in the same style.

56:35

The only moment for Swan supporters was the lone run by Wilbur Harris,

56:38

who went on a 60-yard dash to score a consolation goal.

56:42

The game was over, even with a quarter to play.

56:45

Richmond, 16 goals 11, to South Melbourne, 6 goals 11.

56:49

The last quarter was notable, but not for good play. Several footballs were

56:54

souvenired, perhaps by South supporters, looking for something to relieve the

56:58

disappointment of the game. Bob Pratt scored his second goal to reach 150 at an average of seven goals per

57:04

game and Richmond supporters could only manage jeers.

57:08

Perhaps they were angered by the undisguised violence being meted out by some

57:12

frustrated South Melbourne players. Swan's vice-captain, Peter Revel, had resolved that this would be his last game

57:19

and he decided to go out swinging.

57:22

He king-hit Richmond's Bert Taylor, broke Kevin O'Neill's nose and spent much

57:28

of the quarter diving into Pax knee or elbow first.

57:31

It wasn't one-way traffic. At one point, Martin Bolger had Revel on the ground,

57:36

holding him by the throat. The boundary umpire told him, play fair, which, by that point,

57:43

might have been what Bolger thought he was doing. Laurie Nash did have a bit of a go in the last quarter, kicking four goals in

57:49

an effort that would give him six for the day and some level of respectability for South Melbourne.

57:54

But the crowd were leaving the ground and the final scores told the story of

57:59

Richmond's dominant performance. In the club's 50th year, they had their jubilee centenary premiership.

58:06

19 goals 14, 128 to South Melbourne, 12 goals 17, 89.

58:14

The Richmond rooms were full of supporters and officials and players celebrating the win.

58:19

South Melbourne president Archie Cross conceded Richmond were the better team

58:23

on the day along with the usual speeches of congratulations.

58:26

The post-game tour in the Sharabank cars went through the city with cries of

58:31

What do we do? Eat them alive!

58:34

Bellowed out by Tiger players every few minutes. At the club dinner,

58:38

the Premiership cake was cut by Mr James Charles.

58:42

The 83-year-old was the club's first secretary, helping to found the Richmond

58:47

Club 50 years earlier and now able to celebrate the team's fourth Premiership celebration.

58:53

Were not just limited to local supporters.

58:57

At the dinner, a telegram was received by one supporter who listened to the

59:01

game on the radio in Scotland. The cable read in part, The broadcast was perfect.

59:07

Please convey my congratulations to my birth town club. The tradition of supporters

59:12

tuning into grand final broadcasts from all parts of the world had started and

59:17

continues today, even if the technology has changed.

59:22

It had been a remarkable year for the Tigers, perhaps underrated with the passage of time.

59:28

Between 1927 and 1934, the club had been in seven grand finals,

59:33

while they'd only won two, running into Collingwood at the peak of the machine's power did not help.

59:40

But it was undeniably a good time to be a Richmond supporter.

59:44

After dinner, it was time for more touring in the extended cars,

59:48

or shower banks as they were known at the time, and, in payback for 1933,

59:53

the Tigers toured South Melbourne,

59:56

serenading the locals with more eat them alive calls,

1:00:01

which were not appreciated by the locals before a much warmer reception in Richmond

1:00:06

at the Town Hall, cinemas and more.

1:00:08

The cavalcade ended up in Park Orchard where the dancing went on until daylight.

1:00:13

South Melbourne's change room after the game had turned nasty.

1:00:18

Pratt and Peter Revel confronted the teammates with allegations of bribery.

1:00:22

There were heated arguments and a punch-up.

1:00:25

Apparently, the fights against Richmond in the fourth quarter were not enough.

1:00:30

Several in the press condemned the violence yet again on display,

1:00:34

embarrassingly in front of special VIP centenary guests who were not given the

1:00:40

best advertisement for the national game, but rather brawls and punches.

1:00:44

The Herald called on the league to introduce an order of rule,

1:00:48

as other codes had, but we know that that would not happen.

1:00:51

The tribunal was in action a couple of weeks after the game.

1:00:55

Richmond's Kevin O'Neill was suspended for four weeks for striking revel,

1:00:58

A charge against Jack Baggett for striking was dismissed.

1:01:02

Peter Revel, despite his defence of being struck on the head and not knowing

1:01:07

what he had done, was suspended for the entire 1935 season.

1:01:12

It was reported that he had retired, but he did try to return for the 1936 season,

1:01:18

but South Melbourne knocked him back. So he went and played a season for Coburg in the VFA, winning the best and fairest

1:01:24

for the competition before joining Fitzroy for two seasons, which included a

1:01:28

best-on-ground against South. In an interview many years later, he said of their grand final fourth quarter

1:01:34

fights, I took them all on.

1:01:36

While Richmond and South enjoyed the benefits of finishing at the top of the

1:01:40

table, North Melbourne and Hawthorne had spent most seasons since crossing over

1:01:45

from the BFA in 1925 at the bottom of the ladder, North having yet another winless season.

1:01:52

Both clubs had loans from the BFL approved after the season in an attempt to

1:01:57

deal with cash flow challenges and help them get their clubs in order.

1:02:00

While the worst of the depression might have passed, the uneven results of 1934

1:02:05

showed that the clubs further down the ladder would struggle to get players

1:02:09

and regain their competitiveness. North Melbourne would have a better season the next time the league celebrated

1:02:15

a centenary premiership, but that is a way off yet. Not yet.

1:02:19

North's retiring president called for more frequent audits to ensure the Coulter

1:02:24

Law regarding limits to player payments was being observed.

1:02:28

He said the only clubs not breaking the Coulter Law were the ones who could not afford to.

1:02:35

There would be many more seasons before the eventual successor to the Coulter

1:02:38

Law, the salary cap, was properly enforced.

1:02:42

Well, leave the first centenary premiership there. The league would have its centenary in 1996.

1:02:48

Richmond had their centenary premiership in their jubilee year.

1:02:52

The players got special centenary medallions from the Melbourne City Council.

1:02:57

But now the focus was turning to season 1935. Discussions on possible new fixtures were being presented.

1:03:04

New coaches were being appointed And new

1:03:07

hopes were being entertained By 12 teams and

1:03:10

their supporters For better results So join

1:03:13

me next time to see how 1935 unfolds If

1:03:17

you've enjoyed Grand Final History Leave a review wherever

1:03:20

you get your podcasts from The more goals we kick The easier it is for others

1:03:24

to find the podcast If you have questions or want to leave feedback Please email

1:03:29

me at info at grandfinalhistory.au or check out the grandfinalhistory.au website

1:03:35

or Facebook and Twitter for more Grand Final History.

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