Does anyone remember the Lightning Premiership?

[Adnar]

I remember as a kid watching this but no one has ever talked about it and I am not comletley sure this isn't a figment of my imagination. I recall about 10 years ago in preseason there was a weekend competion at waverley in which all the teams (and maybe some other ones) competed with bizzaro rules and jerseys, I think the games might have been shorter and the cup was won on the second day?

 

[you idiot sheehan]

I remember as a kid watching this but no one has ever talked about it and I am not comletley sure this isn't a figment of my imagination. I recall about 10 years ago in preseason there was a weekend competion at waverley in which all the teams (and maybe some other ones) competed with bizzaro rules and jerseys, I think the games might have been shorter and the cup was won on the second day?

Haha yes I remember it. 2 x 15 minute halves I think. Collingwood beat Fitzroy, which they called an upset because none of our players actually played. It was over like 3 day period in a knock-out format similar to the current pre-season comp. Essendon won it and they thought they'd win the treble - Lightning Premiership, Pre-season comp, and the Premiership.

 

[Kenny Hunter]

Won by Essendon

 

[jonesy86]

all i remember of it was that they were short games and about 3 or 4 games per night and one of the rules was that when ever the ball went out of bounds it was a free kick against the team that touched it last

 

[HBF]

Didn't it involve Carlton, Collingwood & Essendon out at Waverley Park?

 

[Cuzz09]

Essendon defeated Brisbane in the Grand Final @ Waverley in 1996.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

All i remember about it is that it was a one-off in 1996 to celebrate the "centenary" (actually 99th birthday, but the 100th year) of VFL/AFL.
That year was also used as an excuse to put State of Origin "on hold for a year". That's now 11 years.

 

[Cuzz09]

OK here we go.....

Friday nights games:

Game 1: Nth Melb 3.5 def Melb 3.4
Game 2: Collingwood 6.4 def Fitzroy 2.5
Game 3: St.Kilda 7.8 def Hawthorn 3.2
Game 4: Brisbane 6.4 def Carlton 3.8
Game 5: Richmond 6.1 def West Coast 4.8
Game 6: Fremantle 8.7 def Adelaide 6.6
Game 7: Essendon 10.7 def Geelong 6.7
Game 8: Sydney 6.6 def Footscray 6.4

Saturdays games:

1st Qual: Collingwood 6.7 def Nth Melb 5.6
2nd Qual: Brisbane 6.7 def St.Kilda 3.3
3rd Qual: Fremantle 8.13 def Richmond 5.1
4th Qual: Essendon 7.13 def Sydney 3.10

Sundays games:

1st Semi: Brisbane 7.13 def Collingwood 4.2
2nd Semi: Essendon 6.11 def Fremantle 5.8

Grand Final: Essendon 6.2.38 def Brisbane 2.9.21

 

[Father Jack]

didnt it rain like a bastard that weekend and more or less ruin the whole thing?

 

[bradrowe#32]

The only I can recall is Bradley Plain kicking the winning goal against North in the qualifying final.

 

[SorryIHammerChicken]

That year was also used as an excuse to put State of Origin "on hold for a year". That's now 11 years.

The last state of Origin game was '98 or '99 wasn't it

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

So it was. my memory is failing, i could have sworn 1995 was it.
Mind you, once the allies started up origin was dead for me anyway.

 

[Altum Volantes]

I remember watching the Eagles game. It was an utter waste of time though, even more so than the then 'Ansett Cup' (now there's a name that feels like a million years ago).

 

[windyhill]

Hahah, I went , the Final finished on Sunday evening, Gary O`Donnell`s acceptance speech went through to Monday morning.

 

[Lucev23]

Has any1 got any pictures of the jumpers they wore or are they just normal?

 

[HorseHead]

I remember as a kid watching this but no one has ever talked about it and I am not comletley sure this isn't a figment of my imagination. I recall about 10 years ago in preseason there was a weekend competion at waverley in which all the teams (and maybe some other ones) competed with bizzaro rules and jerseys, I think the games might have been shorter and the cup was won on the second day?

I think the original lightning premiership games were played in the 1950s or 1960s. I remember reading about them somewhere a while ago. Maybe an older poster could help me out...

 

[Marstermind]

Has any1 got any pictures of the jumpers they wore or are they just normal?

I think they all wore the jumpers they were going to use for the Ansett Cup. Nothing too special. The Friday night games were played in deplorable weather. The first game between Melbourne and North was the worst - absolutely teemed down! That game was actually tied but they went to the "next score wins" rule and Brett Allison kicked a point.

It was to "celebrate" the opening of the Centenary season early in February and was inspired by three lightning games held in the '95 pre season between Collingwood, Carlton and Essendon.. These games were a bit of a success with around 30,000 showing up on a Sunday afternoon at Waverley. The AFL thought they were onto a winner but unfortunately it was a disaster in 1996. Even though the weather was shocking for the first 4 games, the public didn't respond to any session - lucky to have more than 10,000 to any session. The public voted, and the lightning premiership was scrapped.

 

[Hap Hapablap]

id like to see how the lightning premierhsip would go now. would it follow the 20/20 formulae to success (even though the AFL is already quite successful) or would it flop?

 

[Marstermind]

id like to see how the lightning premierhsip would go now. would it follow the 20/20 formulae to success (even though the AFL is already quite successful) or would it flop?

It'd flop. The crowds might like it but the clubs and players would hate it. We only have about 4 sides a year taking the NAB Cup at all seriously. I don't what they'd think of this.

 

[Fire]

All i remember about it is that it was a one-off in 1996 to celebrate the "centenary" (actually 99th birthday, but the 100th year) of VFL/AFL.
That year was also used as an excuse to put State of Origin "on hold for a year". That's now 11 years.

It was the 100th Birthday. Where did you get 99 from?

 

[Marstermind]

It was the 100th Birthday. Where did you get 99 from?

If I was born in 1897, I'd celebrate my 99th birthday in 1996. But I'd start my 100th year.

Confusing? I think Ross Oakley just wanted to have the centenary year in his cap before he gave it away. Blame him.

 

[btdg]

I'd love to see the Lightning premiership come back to replace the pre-season comp. Its got the perfect feel for a pre-season warm-up 4 weeks before the season - short games, so players can play intense football in bursts, without having to worry about lasting out a full 100 minutes in 30-degree Febuary heat. Plus going to the MCG to see 4 Lightning premiership games in a night would be awesome - a great opportunity to check out half the league in one hit, see what other teams are looking like for the season. Much better than watching your team's reserves go through the motions against someone elses reserves in the first week of Feb.

 

[Fire]

If I was born in 1897, I'd celebrate my 99th birthday in 1996. But I'd start my 100th year.

Confusing? I think Ross Oakley just wanted to have the centenary year in his cap before he gave it away. Blame him.

I see where you are coming from.

But the celebrations were for '100 years of VFL/AFL football', which 1996 was.

Still, having it in 1996 made more sense than in 1997 as thew 1996th cup was the 100th title given out.

 

[Marstermind]

I see where you are coming from.

But the celebrations were for '100 years of VFL/AFL football', which 1996 was.

Still, having it in 1996 made more sense than in 1997 as thew 1996th cup was the 100th title given out.

Hey, you're preaching to the choir here mate...Love that Golden Cup in our trophy cabinet!!

 

[Father Jack]

I'd love to see the Lightning premiership come back to replace the pre-season comp. Its got the perfect feel for a pre-season warm-up 4 weeks before the season - short games, so players can play intense football in bursts, without having to worry about lasting out a full 100 minutes in 30-degree Febuary heat. Plus going to the MCG to see 4 Lightning premiership games in a night would be awesome - a great opportunity to check out half the league in one hit, see what other teams are looking like for the season. Much better than watching your team's reserves go through the motions against someone elses reserves in the first week of Feb.

What about the rest of the country???