Resource History Thread - Footscray Football Club and Western Bulldogs newspaper archive

[Freshwater]

‎Kick to Kick on Apple Podcasts

‎Sports · 2021

podcasts.apple.com

Great in-depth history of each VFL/AFL year. They are up to 1954. There is also a Footscray episode which delves into our VFA history and our entry into the VFL in 1925.

I will give this a listen for sure.

 

[Fossie 32]

I've got that one too Fossie 32, but in a box somewhere. Didn't Leunig title it something like "Footscray training night 1954"?

Yes, its also in a book he did - called 'Ducks for Dark Times' I think

 

[Vinegar Mess]

1976 - Round 21
at VFL Park, Waverley [21 August 1976]

Footscray 4 - 11 - 35
Fitzroy 3 - 16 - 34

This infamous match in late 1976 kept us in touch with a finals berth (which we ultimately secured with a shaky draw against Carlton in R22). Sports journalist Tony Peek (reporting for both The Sun and Sunday Press) noted that the game was riddled with “every mistake imaginable and then some”. Meanwhile, Ken Piesse in The Age referred to it as a “debacle” and “paddock football”.

Alan Stoneham kicked a goal after the siren to pinch the game. What the reports don’t describe is the very acute angle he was on; hard in the forward pocket, wrong side for a right-footer.

I was only aged nine at the time and my memory is a little sketchy but I recall the disbelief that we’d won. My Dad would retell how a bunch of Fitzroy supporters sitting immediately behind us had been giving him crap all day. When the siren sounded their ring-leader stood up, offered a patronising handshake and “ah well, it was a really pathetic game”. Dad responded “yeah it was – pity you lost”. The guy hadn’t seen the late goal and his face-drop was priceless as his brain scrambled to process what had happened”.


Sunday Press - 22 Aug 1976



The Age - 23 Aug 1976



Sun News-Pictorial - 23 Aug 1976



Sun News-Pictorial - 23 Aug 1976



Sun News-Pictorial - 23 Aug 1976



Sun News-Pictorial - 23 Aug 1976

 

[Fossie 32]

1976 - Round 21
at VFL Park, Waverley [21 August 1976]

Footscray 4 - 11 - 35
Fitzroy 3 - 16 - 34

This infamous match in late 1976 kept us in touch with a finals berth (which we ultimately secured with a shaky draw against Carlton in R22). Sports journalist Tony Peek (reporting for both The Sun and Sunday Press) noted that the game was riddled with “every mistake imaginable and then some”. Meanwhile, Ken Piesse in The Age referred to it as a “debacle” and “paddock football”.

Alan Stoneham kicked a goal after the siren to pinch the game. What the reports don’t describe is the very acute angle he was on; hard in the forward pocket, wrong side for a right-footer.

I was only aged nine at the time and my memory is a little sketchy but I recall the disbelief that we’d won. My Dad would retell how a bunch of Fitzroy supporters sitting immediately behind us had been giving him crap all day. When the siren sounded their ring-leader stood up, offered a patronising handshake and “ah well, it was a really pathetic game”. Dad responded “yeah it was – pity you lost”. The guy hadn’t seen the late goal and his face-drop was priceless as his brain scrambled to process what had happened”.


Sunday Press - 22 Aug 1976
View attachment 1585886


The Age - 23 Aug 1976
View attachment 1585887


Sun News-Pictorial - 23 Aug 1976
View attachment 1585885


Sun News-Pictorial - 23 Aug 1976
View attachment 1585884


Sun News-Pictorial - 23 Aug 1976
View attachment 1585890


Sun News-Pictorial - 23 Aug 1976
View attachment 1585888

I was there, memorable finish to the game not only as we pinched the win but Stoneham kicking the winner was great, as he was from Sunshine where we lived. I thought he was more than 5 yards out? I recall he didn't take much time lining it up, just ran straight in and jagged it.

 

[Dogs 13]

I was there, memorable finish to the game not only as we pinched the win but Stoneham kicking the winner was great, as he was from Sunshine where we lived. I thought he was more than 5 yards out? I recall he didn't take much time lining it up, just ran straight in and jagged it.

I was there too and it was a perfect, still and sunny day for footy. As I recall we kicked our first goal in the opening minutes and, of course, our last after the final siren. So in 105 mins of football we managed 2 goals and 3 for them.

We were all literally laughing at the ineptitude of both sides. I remember going to the toilet and to get food during play, something I would never do usually, and took my time. When I got back to my seat nothing had changed.

I can picture Stoneham's celebration after that last goal, we weren't overly confident after the "skills" on display that day. I can picture he was right on the boundary line.

Tony Peek says it's hard to imagine us beating Carlton (who were on top of the ladder) next week, and he was right. As history shows we drew with them to hold 5th place and hold out a fast finishing Melbourne. It took us a while to realise that a draw was enough.

 

[Vinegar Mess]

I’m glad you guys have commented on where Allan Stoneham kicked it from. The news report suggests it very close to goal and makes no mention of the acute angle or the fact that he had to go back over the mark. I was starting to doubt my own recollection. It was a difficult shot - pity it’s not on film.

 

[Dogs till i die]

Went to both the Fitzroy and Carlton games, the Fitzroy game was remarkable for how poor it was, but does anybody recall Bernie Quinlan' s game and finals saving mark v Carlton in the last game?

Had never seen it before and haven't seen it since - we'd led most of the day and Carlton were coming hard. Big Bernie took a late defensive mark from behind the goal post with his arms wrapped around the post but marking it without it hitting the post.

Anyone remember that or was it a dream of mine?

 

[Fossie 32]

Went to both the Fitzroy and Carlton games, the Fitzroy game was remarkable for how poor it was, but does anybody recall Bernie Quinlan' s game and finals saving mark v Carlton in the last game?

Had never seen it before and haven't seen it since - we'd led most of the day and Carlton were coming hard. Big Bernie took a late defensive mark from behind the goal post with his arms wrapped around the post but marking it without it hitting the post.

Anyone remember that or was it a dream of mine?

I remember the mark .....

 

[Bulldog rick]

Bernie Quinlan was such a brilliant footballer. A pity he couldn't stay at the dogs.

 

[Leon]

Here’s a random one.

Does anyone have any pictures of the old away change rooms in the Whitten Stand?

I saw virtually every corner of that ground back in the day - I sat in the Whitten Stand for some games, stood at the scoreboard end, Barkly St end, was on the Hawkins Wing for the final game bs WCE, sat in the Gent Stand for a grand total of one game, and managed to get into our change rooms on multiple occasions post game - but I never saw the small away rooms in the forward pocket of the Barkly Street end.

It‘s for no other purpose other than my curiosity.

Thanks in advance

 

[True Dog]

Went to both the Fitzroy and Carlton games, the Fitzroy game was remarkable for how poor it was, but does anybody recall Bernie Quinlan' s game and finals saving mark v Carlton in the last game?

Had never seen it before and haven't seen it since - we'd led most of the day and Carlton were coming hard. Big Bernie took a late defensive mark from behind the goal post with his arms wrapped around the post but marking it without it hitting the post.

Anyone remember that or was it a dream of mine?

What a game it was.

 

[Dogs 13]

Went to both the Fitzroy and Carlton games, the Fitzroy game was remarkable for how poor it was, but does anybody recall Bernie Quinlan' s game and finals saving mark v Carlton in the last game?

Had never seen it before and haven't seen it since - we'd led most of the day and Carlton were coming hard. Big Bernie took a late defensive mark from behind the goal post with his arms wrapped around the post but marking it without it hitting the post.

Anyone remember that or was it a dream of mine?

Pretty sure that was a different game, you can see the "mark" at the very beginning of this video. Only the first 25 secs are with the Dogs the rest with the Roys, obviously.

What a magnificent footballer.

 

[Dogs till i die]

Pretty sure that was a different game, you can see the "mark" at the very beginning of this video. Only the first 25 secs are with the Dogs the rest with the Roys, obviously.

What a magnificent footballer.

Thanks Dogs 13, your video was at WO with the Dogs wearing black shorts. Looks early 70s prior to our garish red shorts.

My recollection, and I concede we are talking nearly 50 years ago, was Superboot took the mark I'm talking of at Princes Park in that frantic last quarter in 1976.

I could be wrong, of course, anybody remember the mark at Princes Park?

 

[Spiritof82]

Here’s a random one.

Does anyone have any pictures of the old away change rooms in the Whitten Stand?

I saw virtually every corner of that ground back in the day - I sat in the Whitten Stand for some games, stood at the scoreboard end, Barkly St end, was on the Hawkins Wing for the final game bs WCE, sat in the Gent Stand for a grand total of one game, and managed to get into our change rooms on multiple occasions post game - but I never saw the small away rooms in the forward pocket of the Barkly Street end.

It‘s for no other purpose other than my curiosity.

Thanks in advance

From what I can remember the change room in the Whitten Stand closest to Barkly St was for the umpires, the opposition teams used the old rooms (with no hot water) in the John Gent Stand.

 

[gordo2016]

I’m glad you guys have commented on where Allan Stoneham kicked it from. The news report suggests it very close to goal and makes no mention of the acute angle or the fact that he had to go back over the mark. I was starting to doubt my own recollection. It was a difficult shot - pity it’s not on film.

I have this distant memory of it being about 15-20 metres out. Didn't go to the game, but very vaguely remember listening to it on the radio. I'm sure I have seen some film of it too , maybe on World of Sport? Unless I dreamt it. Anyway, I have this image in my head of it being near the boundary line , but he had heaps of space to thread it , so 15-20 metres out would by my guess.

 

[Vinegar Mess]

From what I can remember the change room in the Whitten Stand closest to Barkly St was for the umpires, the opposition teams used the old rooms (with no hot water) in the John Gent Stand.

This is correct. I attended games at WO for most of the life of the Whitten Stand - umpires always in the northern (Barkly Street) change rooms.

I remember as a kid going into the Footscray change rooms before games and watching the players warm-up. It smelt of liniment. To get there you’d walk through an entrance at the southern end of the Whitten Stand near the men’s dunnies; inside there was an area that was cordoned off for spectators to immerse themselves in the pre-game vibe. Usually had to clear out around 30 mins before game time.

 

[Vinegar Mess]

Thanks Dogs 13, your video was at WO with the Dogs wearing black shorts. Looks early 70s prior to our garish red shorts.

My recollection, and I concede we are talking nearly 50 years ago, was Superboot took the mark I'm talking of at Princes Park in that frantic last quarter in 1976.

I could be wrong, of course, anybody remember the mark at Princes Park?

No mention of it in The Age article. Next time I'm at the State Library I'll check out the reports in The Sun and Sunday Press.

 

[Vinegar Mess]

1978 - Round 13
at Western Oval, Footscray [1 July 1978]

Footscray 33 - 15 - 213
St Kilda 16 - 10 - 106

Given the induction of my childhood hero into the AFL Hall Of Fame this week – and given that we are bereft of partisan football this weekend – it’s timely to celebrate one of the most memorable days in our Home & Away history.

To provide some background here, 1978 had a torrid start. Coach Bill Goggin departed after Round 1 necessitating former player and incumbent reserves coach Don McKenzie to step as caretaker coach seemingly indefinitely. At the conclusion of Round 8 we were languishing at the bottom of the ladder with a 1 win – 7 loss record and a percentage of 77. Somehow a form reversal kicked in and we won three of the next four matches, including a solid victory over reigning premiers North Melbourne at Arden Street in Round 12. Then something remarkable happened.

The team we fielded to take on St Kilda in Round 13 was significantly less experienced than our opponents. Only captain Gary Dempsey had played more than 200 VFL games; most of our players that day were in their early 20s or late teens (including future club legend Doug Hawkins in only his 10th game). St Kilda’s line-up included premiership hero Barry Breen, remorseless thug Carl Ditterich, prospective fisherman Rex Hunt, future 300-gamer Russell Greene, interstate recruit Gary Sidebottom and several other prominent 1970s mainstays.

As you’ll note from the following newspaper articles, the Bulldogs busted open a hitherto even contest by slamming on 10 second-term goals to race to a 43-point half-time lead. Both sides added six majors in the third term and by three-quarter-time Footscray full-forward Kelvin Templeton had slotted seven goals (from fourteen shots!).

The last quarter was next-level mania. Bulldog on-ballers including Ian Dunstan (who kicked a career-high seven goals), Alan Stoneham, Ted Whitten jr, Geoff Jennings and Jack DiNatale (in only his second match) led an onslaught of what would now be termed ‘inside 50s’. Templeton capitalised by marking everything in sight – including several glancing touches that merely ‘identified’ as marks – and saw off several direct opponents, most notably Saints champion Trevor Barker who was summoned from the forward line in an attempt to halt the carnage.

By the time Templeton took his sixteenth mark, word had filtered around the ground that the Bulldogs’ score was only a shade under the all-time VFL record. It was inevitable that pandemonium broke loose. Excited fans spilled over the fence and mobbed their hero who endeavoured to focus on the big sticks. All manner of crazy stuff was going on: mounted police tried haplessly tried to disperse the crowd; coach Don McKenzie was seen on the ground giving advice to Templeton; several St Kilda players even left the playing field believing that the game was over. When the extended final term eventually concluded… well, read on for the happy ending.

 

[Vinegar Mess]

1978 - Round 13
at Western Oval, Footscray [1 July 1978]

Newspapers – The Sunday Press [2 Jul 1978]

Front page



Report




Report




Newspapers – The Sunday Observer [2 Jul 1978]


Report



Report



Photograph




Newspaper Reports – The Sporting Globe [late edition 1 Jul 1978]

Report


Yes, the cretins at The Sporting Globe used “Kevin” in their Saturday afternoon haste.

 

[Vinegar Mess]

1978 - Round 13
at Western Oval, Footscray [1 July 1978]


Newspapers – The Age [3 Jul 1978]


Report




Report






Newspapers – Sun News-Pictorial [3 Jul 1978]


Report




Report




Centre spread


I’m interested to know the name of the trainer attending to Kelvin’s cramp. He looks like the bloke our family dubbed ‘World of Sport Wood-Chopper’ due to his burly physique.



VFL Scoreboard

 

[Vinegar Mess]

1978 - Round 13
at Western Oval, Footscray [1 July 1978]


Anecdotes and Aftermath

In the curtain-raiser, Footscray reserves defeated St Kilda reserves by 106 points… only to be bettered by the seniors by a further one point. The Bulldogs ‘twos’ included future VFL/AFL coaches Ian ‘Bluey’ Hampshire and Jeff Geischen, future Footscray club captain Jim Edmond, future Brownlow medallist Brian Wilson, future AFL Tasmania Hall-of-Famer Wayne Fox, and cult figure ‘Fabulous’ Phil Bradmore.

Remarkably, two of our senior team that day – Garry Wheeler and Glen Scanlon – only played one more VFL match (both the following week against Melbourne in a match we also won).

Two club stalwarts were also nearing the end of their Bulldog careers. Captain Gary Dempsey appeared in only six more matches before his unfortunate move to North Melbourne, while Peter Welsh played a further four games before finally being forced into retirement as injuries plagued his later career.

On the following Monday evening the team were given a mayoral reception at the Footscray Town Hall. Kelvin Templeton was appointed ‘honorary mayor’ for the night.

The Age – 4 Jul 1978




Sun News-Pictorial – 4 Jul 1978




The previous record score was held by Carlton for more than nine years. Prior to that Richmond held the record for almost 50 years! Yet the Bulldogs’ stint in the record books lasted less than 13 months: in July 1979 Fitzroy pantsed Melbourne 238 – 48 with the record margin of victory still standing at the time of this post.


The Sporting Globe – 5 Jul 1978

 

[Fossie 32]

 

[Vinegar Mess]

View attachment 2025942

Love that you had this at your fingertips, Fossie.

In the Monday edition of the Herald, they gave the 3-2-1 to Templeton, Dunstan and… Phil Stevens of St Kilda! Clearly didn’t attend the game.

 

[Fossie 32]

Love that you had this at your fingertips, Fossie.

In the Monday edition of the Herald, they gave the 3-2-1 to Templeton, Dunstan and… Phil Stevens of St Kilda! Clearly didn’t attend the game.

Hah that's a bit random!

 

[Fossie 32]

From memory they used to like to give one vote to a player from the losing team but that is just extreme BS M Davis rated Stevens 5/10 and all but one of our team were over 5