Golden eras of footy

[Prem87]

Late 1990's and early 2000's watching the footy in Melbourne on Ch7 live from Subiaco on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Saw my hero's in Matera Kemp Manwairing Cousins etc. almost every week.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

80s to early 90s for me despite the fact the Eagles beat Geelong more often than not. Having the line for 30 minutes just to get a ticket to a first semi final between West Perth and East Fremantle (which was a draw). That was pre-sale too. The KFC and jugs of booze at the old Subiaco standing room was always good too.

I'm old.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

80s to early 90s for me despite the fact the Eagles beat Geelong more often than not. Having the line for 30 minutes just to get a ticket to a first semi final between West Perth and East Fremantle (which was a draw). That was pre-sale too. The KFC and jugs of booze at the old Subiaco standing room was always good too.

I'm old.

 

[PieNSauce]

Echo Echo Echo...

 

[Goldhawk]

Obviously if your a Hawthorn supporter then the 70s and 80s have been the Golden era's.

Hawthorn played in 7 consecutive Grand Finals winning 4 of them.

A feat that will probably never happen again with the Draft system in place now.

 

[Wallaby]

I think the mid-80s SOO were the best I ever saw.

Consistently close games, and usually televised either Teusday arvo (the Perth games) or Tuesday night (Adelaide).

I remember the Perth game (84) where the Vics brought in Gary Ablett (apparently coach Alan Jeans pushed hard for him). Most of us had hardly heard of him (that's what playing for Geelong will do for you).

By half time we were all in awe of the bloke. You could see then he was just a level above everyone else - at the highest possible level.

 

[krisholio14]

I think the mid-80s SOO were the best I ever saw.

Consistently close games, and usually televised either Teusday arvo (the Perth games) or Tuesday night (Adelaide).

I remember the Perth game (84) where the Vics brought in Gary Ablett (apparently coach Alan Jeans pushed hard for him). Most of us had hardly heard of him (that's what playing for Geelong will do for you).

By half time we were all in awe of the bloke. You could see then he was just a level above everyone else - at the highest possible level.

Allan Jeans didn't want him. Ted Whitten was the one who insisted he play.

My golden era would have been from 77, when I first started really watching footy, to 92, when the suburban element of footy was really starting to go out of it.

Loved a bit of biffo, loved the unique atmosphere each suburban ground had, loved when the Big V played WA or SA and you'd get to see guns from those states that weren't playing here. Loved when we used to get WAFL and SANFL highlights and games over here pre 87. Loved it when VFL games weren't staggered to suit TV time slots. I also loved watching a slog of a game in ankle deep mud, unlike the bowling greens they play on now.

It's all long gone now though

 

[Johnson#26]

J26 you certainly seem to have a fixation on nostalgia.

Oh, every now and then.

 

[gaelictiogar]

The 70s. I'm Richmond so of course I say that but its true.

Richmond, Carlton and Collingwood finalling regularly. The build up to those season defining games when they clashed. The Tiger's beating the Pies again and again in the noisiest series of finals matches ever played. The game still a real hard man's game. No nancying or bullsh1t. The 70s.

 

[MightyIrons]

http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/stories/s280599.htm

COMPERE: One of the ugliest incidents ever to emerge from an ugly macho side of the game of Australian Rules football.

In a highly unorthodox training session it appears the Brisbane Bears' players formed a circle, put on boxing gloves and one by one purposely thrashed and pummelled a fellow player until he was bloodied and bruised.

The former Bears coach, Rob Walls, says he ordered the punch-up because one of his players, Shane Strempel, "needed to be taught a lesson". The bizarre training session only ended when another player said they should stop, or Strempel might be killed.

The incident which has only just come out in public, happened 10 years ago but as Luisa Saccotelli reports for The World Today, those involved have never forgotten it.

Golden eras 8)

 

[fairlight_cmi]

For both your side, and others.

Reading some posts about how Sydney can really pack out the SCG made me think back to the Lockett and Kelly days, when Seven would telecast the match on a Sat night live into Melbourne, and the place would be buzzing. Gun players such as the aforementioned, a young O'Loughlin, the likes of Wade Chapman, Stefan Carey, Brad Seymour - all household Swans names back in the days circa 96-97.

Another favourite is Essendon from a similar era. Watching them on a Friday night would be a beauty. Mercuri was purring circa 99, Smoking Joe Misiti, and the odd glimpse of magic from Hird. Also had a guy named Fletcher some may recall. Sheedy'd also have his battlers, or his plug-n-play types (would play 15odd games for the year and make a real fist of it, often went missing for big patches of the year but would come roaring back the next season) such as Ben Doolan, Calthorpe, Dunnybrush Denham, Berbakov and Lalich.

What I'm getting at here is footy as you really enjoyed it, for whatever reasons. For me, in this period, it was growing up as a little kid and idolising every player who took to the field, and taking pride in knowing the facts about each and every one of them. Add to that the way the game was played, end to end footy, hard, uncompromising and with that balance (in hindsight - rose coloured, maybe) between being clean but hardly PC. Also think that the commentators of the day are underappreciated - less formal, less stats (Bruce aside) and certainly no Quartermain 'OH! BARRY HALL! HAS WHACKED STAKER! THAT IS RIDICULOUS BARRY HALL WE DO NOT WANT THIS IN OUR GAME!' sort of reactions to everything that goes on. Robbo was pretty old school with his commentary but was always good when the whips were cracking late in a close game. Peter Landy and Sandy Roberts, too, had that grandfatherly way of describing the game, using a lot of older terminology and idioms of a previous era. Watching the highlights of Essendon-Footscray from R22 1996 on Year of the Dogs certainly brought this home. The game was a lot purer; maybe because it was seen through innocent eyes, but give me a replay from 1997 or 1999 ahead of one from 2005 or 2008.

Thoughts on this, if at all? When did you really enjoy watching footy? What players, no matter how obscure, did you always take note of?

Same era as you. Love mid-late 90's, some absolute champion players: Carey, Ablett, Hird, Voss, Buckley all emerging, Harvey, Kouta, Crawf, Lockett and so many more.

I don't know if it's just because you always look on the past and think of the good things, but this era cannot be beaten. So much excitement, I love watching the old replays. Classic.

 

[RisingPhoenix]

This. +several.

We must be around the same vintage. It was a great time for footy in WA.

I think the 79 grand final was the pinnacle for WA footy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2YI99KXKpc

 

[Bully187]

Yeh the 90s and early 2000s, basically when the skill level was high but the AFL hadnt ****ed with the rules and made the game soft yet.

 

[Crow_Magnon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2YI99KXKpc

70's for the SANFL...(well, even 60's...and given I'm a mad Double Blues fan...6 GF's in a row and 5 wins..including 3 in succession over Port Adel)...but the 70's was a great era too. 76 GF the ultimate...67000 in the ground and another 15000 who couldn't get in!

90's for the AFL...not as sanitised as now, and some great talent on show...now it's more tactics, and fitness!

 

[tazaa]

Maxfield's goal, plus the commentary 'BOND comes in and does it magnificently...Dundas' little give to Bond - HERE'S A GO! BOND TO MAXFIELD - GO AND KICK THE GOAL STEWEY! STRAIGHTEN IT UP, BANG IT HOME...IT'S A BEAU-TY! THEY'RE IN FRONT THE TIGES!'. Bruce Brett Peaking.

I still love Bruce, he's still the best, but compare that with his commentary of Leon's goal in the last qtr of the draw last year 'Davis, well...this would be ironic...'. C'mon Bruce. I'd have expected commentary of Maxfield-proportions for that sort of stuff. It's too controlled these days. It's all too controlled!

I have been saying this for 5 years now. Bruce unfortunately is finished as a commentator.
His voice isnt as passionate or deep or perhaps the word is simply younger. Maybe Commetti and him their voices dont sync well.
I for one would like to see Sandy Roberts back. Hes still got it.

 

[anchor man]

Have to say that the 60 to mid eighties(pre Eagles)was my favourite time.Who could ever forget that Battle between The mighty Red and White Bulldog and the mob from the other side of Fremantle,What great battles,what great players,Michael(best I have EVER seen)Peake,Big Bad Basil Campbell(ask Don Scott about his water melon smile)Maurice Rioli,Benny Vigona( if he had the dedication he could have been better than Michael and Rioli).
Other greats like Moss,tough man Ron Boucher,Austin Robertson,the list goes on.Melrose Green,Budgie,Purser etc.As I said the list goes on.
I never had a Victorian team as such prior to the Eagles,but supported any West Aussie who went to Melbourne to play,and there were many of them.Loved to pick up the Sunday Times and read to see how the West Aussie boy went.I still do even now.
Once the Eagles came into being our competion here faded,and has never recovered.It was just beginning to get back on its feet when the Dockers were formed.
The same is going to happen again now with the advent of the Suns and the Giants.