Waverley Park Memories

[Henry Jr]

So many wonderful memories but one in particular I tear up anytime I think of it,

1. HALF A DOZEN HOT JAM DONUTS

Would be lucky to get change from a 20 these days.

 

[Henry Jr]

Yes many of the highlights have been covered in the above posts.

Car Parking was not an issue for me - I always parked in Safeway car park and walked to the ground. After the game walked back to Safeway's jumped in the car - straight onto the freeway and home

PS - didn't tell too many people of my private car space

My final memory was our last game there v Sydney - great win yet I left the ground with a lump in my throat.

Did you find the half price pies after the game X?

 

[lyger]

I have fond memories of getting to the ground.

At the time I was underage so I would travel to Nunawading station by public transport and then catch a bus to Waverley.

The bus would drive along Jells Road and I vividly remember seeing heaps of fans clad in Hawthorn gear marching to the ground.

It used to give me a real buzz and it felt as if the Hawthorn army was gathering from all points of compass to go into a battle and in those days we smashed our opponents more often than not.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Who can forget the Hudson comeback game in 1972.

I think you may have ... it was 1973

 

[the walloper]

Lots of great footy memories...some include...
The all-star game in benefit for the late Peter Crimmins, Huddo playing for the all-stars and kicking a bag

The record crowd vs Collingwood in '81

The occasions when Hudson got double figures, 1970 vs doggies, vs St Kilda '77

Running out on the park when Hudson kicked his 100th

Winning the night GF vs Port where they nearly went goalless for a game.

Living in Clayton at the time it was easy getting to and fro.

Leigh Matthews busting up Carlton

Michael Byrne's debut kicking a lazy 8 after being dumped by Barassi

lots more, i'll think of at cricket training tonight.

 

[langers1971]

it was a great place to go to watch footy!

i saw my first vfl game ever at vfl park, 1978, so excited by being there, i threw up - i was only 7! hawks beat the tigers that day.

1981 v collingwood, as a 10 year old, it was truly something being there that day.

the old night series games on a tuesday night in front of about 2000 people, sometimes less

those were good days!

 

[hawker11]

Going to a game of footy with your family or mates, all sitting together in decent seats without any fuss. And a kick on the ground after the game.

I miss waverley

 

[beta_condition]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4tygaDM3_c&feature=BFa&list=FLIsNVa2u3qXLj8Xhg1qxpxg&lf=mh_lolz

Quite a nice video to remember the great park.

 

[mrcurly]

Many memories of Waverley,mainly the huge trek to get out there from Hawthorn, pretty daunting for a kid, the train trip(s) followed by the sardine special buses - being borderline claustrophobic i could hardly wait to get off.

Saw some great games out there, and always guaranteed a seat.
Moncrieff kicking 7.1 against StK - think we may have lost. Gladys V Collingwood taking the greatest mark of his career - pretty much full stretch standing on the fullbacks head from a perfectly placed Leon Rice drop punt (think we ended up losing that one too!).

But funny enough the matches that stand out the most were actually a couple of reserves grade games.

One was a reserves final in '75, and Crimmo was playing (from memory) as 19th man for the seconds. Don't think he played for much of the game, think he was brought on toward the end, but he pushed his hardest for the minimal time he was on the ground to prove he was fit enough for a game in the seniors. The rest is history, it was a futile attempt to get a game in the ill fated '75 GF team. That is my last memory of the little guy, he had that look of resignation about him, but went down swinging.

The other reserves game at Waverley was just a club (maybe Richmond) game, we were getting completely murdered in the first half....until, somebody had a brainstorming session over the half time oranges and decided to shift the little back pocket into the centre. I reckon he sharked just about every hitout in the second half, continually pumping the ball forward, and we romped it in. I remember thinking what the hell is this guy doing playing in the seconds, was a cut above anybody else out there, it was of course the little dynamo Peter Welsh. Was a shame he followed Rowlings to Richmond and became a core member of their dominant centre line on the early eighties. Sadly he is no longer, passed away way too young in '08.

..and yes it was always cold even when the sun was out, wind chill factor -10!

 

[dickbobson]

It was the only ground where I watched a game from a Corporate Box. A mate worked for a company that had one and invited me to a night game between Hawthorn and North Melbourne. What a fantastic way to see a game. All the food and drink was provided, we won the match and when we were finally the last to leave the ground at some incredible hour of the morning we were escorted out by security guards with Rottys.
Fortunately a cab was also provided by his employer!!!!!

 

[Slika]

Living down the road i went there almost every week and can honestly say it was far more dry & sunny than it was wet & rainy.

Big memories for me:

The final game there against Sydney

Jason Dunstalls final match

The draw then loss against North in the final there

The record (at the time) turn around margin win against St Kilda

The painted seats over rotting wood

 

[Gaborone]

The most significant thing about Waverley Park was that it was the place we forged a new and much bigger membership base.

I will always believe that the reason that the Carlton pack pushed so hard for Etihad was that at Waverley Hawthorn was threatening to take over the whole east and south of Melbourne. Had St Kilda not gone weak at the knees in the face of AFL pressure (they played at Waverley as a home ground too but didnt have half the attraction) we would still be there and had more members than Collingwood. As it is the initiative to go to Waverley was inspired and set us up for the future.

 

[cutterman]

Richo man that day - sensational given the sheet water on the ground

More Buddy then Buddy in his early years

Sorry to intrude but seeing a Waverley threadI had to jump in. That day on Easter Sunday 1995 was a defining moment of my life. I was an impressionable little tacker and the whole family decided to spend the day at the footy. I was a Carlton kid following my old man, and all my uncles are Richmond mad.

All the fans crammed under that tiny undercover area, the atmosphere was electric. All day the uncles taught me the Richmond theme song, trying to convert me. Well the Richo man and the final score converted me - Richmond 4.16.40 to Hawthorn 5.4.34.

Will never forget Waverley Park or that scoreline for the rest of my life. The day my Carlton mad father lost me.

 

[Big A]

Lots to remember.

My first match there was Geel V Coll prelim where I think Pies won by 2 points. 1979??

I was underage around 79-83. The two trains and bus from Richmond was a day out.
Earliest memory is Crackers Keenan giving Don Scott one in a final. 1977?
1981 92k V Coll. I remember people were standing in the aisles everywhere. Huddo 9.
1982 Losing to Carlton in the second semi, Wayne Johnston owning us like usual.
Bruce Doull losing his headband and having a fit.
Robert Klomp winning a TV for bog with 4 possies in a nab cup game.
Lou Richards and Peter Landy calling the games - they were a great team.
Coming home highlights of the match of the round ch7 and the Winners (ABC).
Wasn't the game of the round played there?
Gary Ablett Snr taking a sublime speccy in a reserves game for us. Thinking wtf?
Kelvin and Lethal lining up in the goalsquare together V (Geelong?) Police Rd end.
Sheedy claiming we were sniffing drugs during a game there on eve of 84 finals.
Us beating North by 40 to go thru to the GF I think in 84. Demetriou playing for North.
Peter Bosusto's goal of the year.
Dermie belting the Bombers.
Us belting the Swans by 99 in QF and Capper taking a sideways speccy on Langers head.
2 pt win over Cats in 89 semi.
Essendon belting Collingwood by 133 in a prelim.
Belting the Dogs by 143.
Dunstall cracking his skull against Melbourne in 92? - we still won I'm sure.
Crawf's first game for us in a Nab game in 92? Remember thinking he's gonna be good.
The draw/loss to North 94 EF.
Remember when Pizza Hut first brought out their pizza's. I loved it!

 

[The BIG X]

Twist Lord Mud's arm hard enough and he will give us many memories of Huddo's games at Waverley Park

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Twist Lord Mud's arm hard enough and he will give us many memories of Huddo's games at Waverley Park

How's this one then?

Round 16, Waverley Park, 18th July 1970 v Footscray.

Peter Hudson booted 11 goals, his 6th goal was his 100th for the season, his 4th goal was his 400th for Hawthorn.

Couldn't resist it

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Being first through the gate at the final game there (at 10am)

The hawks (or rather judge) being the pioneers of the current rotation structure (in that game), remember players running to the bench at nausium. The last quarter would have been over 40 changes on its own

 

[The BIG X]

Yes - Judge played man on man tactics - and if the opposition went off so did our player who was covering him - and if one of our players were to come off individually our entire interchange went to the boundary line so the opposition did not know who was coming on.

 

[Mervyn Beasley]

-Dermie v Vanda
-91 GF
-Johnny Plattens first game (BOG) against Carlton - They had Motley Dorotich and Bradley playing their first games as well - and the bastards had tried to steal Platten from under our nose as well.
-Last game - dug up some turf and grew it in a pot for years.
-The day Crawf played on Hird and smashed him.
-Buckenara and Stynes drama.

Otherwise what I remember most was the need to use binoculars

 

[Lord Mud of Glenferrie]

What I remember most about Waverley Park was the unjustified hype associated with it’s birth by one football administration and then it’s deliberately cultivated death by another administration.

According to the first administration, Waverley Park was going to be the greatest football stadium in the world with a proposed ground capacity of 157000, the largest playing field of 200 mtrs by 160mtrs, the best surface, and the best supporter facilities. It was going to be serviced by a purpose built railway a freeway and even a tram service.

One could close one’s eyes and visualise being transported to the ground in an air conditioned electric train, ushered to an armchair with a million dollar view, central heating, valet service for food and beverages, a fairy tale finish to every game where your team always won by a point with a goal after the siren (always against Collingwood ,Essendon or Carlton) and then ferried back home by helicopter. Such was the crap pushed by a shortsighted administration and shouted by a sympathetic media.

My first adventure to this Shangri La (and it was an adventure to get there) was a never to be forgotten experience.

Getting to the ground necessitated a crash course in logistics, mastering several train, tram and bus timetables and rediscovering the lost art of managing a baggage train laden with essential supplies.

Of course one could drive there, but these were the days before SatNavs. Out dated street directories were as much assistance as the crayon drawings that well intentioned (but equally lost) newspaper journalists passed off as maps. The only hope in finding the ground was to follow other lost souls in ever decreasing circles and thus finally arriving at where one always arrives when moving in ever decreasing circles.

After forking out the hard earned and entering this A$#@>?* of a joint one was bedazzled by it’s utilitarian opulence. Waves of concrete encircled a blotch of greenery almost the size of Tasmania. In the centre of this wasteland was a circle where a mob of short people was doing something with a pea.

Uncomfortably seated on the 4 slabs of 3in by 2in timber bolted to concrete blocks, the unpacking of the baggage train began. Groundsheets, overcoats, long underwear, scarves, umbrellas, beanies, hot lemon drinks and moonshine were spread out in the endless space surrounding each unfortunate. It was then discovered that little Johnnie or the missus forgot to pack the most important piece of equipment – the bloody telescopes.

Groups of feet stomping desperates huddled around burning football records and listened to transistor radios keeping up to date with the progress of the game – I imagine there was a game, like why else would we be there?

After two hours of putting up with Jack Dwyer, the few remaining shuffled their way to the exit and, avoiding the ambulances rushing the pneumonia cases to hospital, disappeared into the gloom.

With a bit of luck, most would now gather that I was not exactly Waverley Park’s biggest fan. I hated the place.

Yet this wasteland eventually became a well-facilitated home ground for the Hawthorn Football Club. In doing so it signed it’s own death warrant.

Just as Hawthorn started to benefit from it’s efforts in promoting Waverley and attracting decent 30000 plus home game crowds (and, dare I say making money) a new administration rediscovered the initial criticism and controversy and used that to achieve it’s new vista of Shangri La far away from those maddening football supporters. Such is life.

Most of my memories of games have been previously mentioned, ‘though I am not sure if this little bit of trivia has been noted.

At Waverley, In 1972 Michael Tuck played his first VFL game. I was fortunate enough to witness that. Playing at Centre Half Forward, this skinny kid created a club record by kicking three goals with his first three kicks, only one short of an AFL/VFL record. This feat, combined with his reserve grade goal kicking feats in 1971, gave us all hope that we had seen Hudson’s natural replacement. Well, he was not Huddo, but then Huddo was not Tucky.

I am not too sure if it has been mentioned that
Hawthorn and Collingwood hold the record attendance of 92395.
Hawthorn had the best win loss ratio both before and after it became their home ground
Critics claimed that Full Forwards would never kick a bag of goals because the ground was too big. 17 goals by an ex Queenslander not a bag?