1970 VFL Grand Final

The 1970 Victorian Football League Grand Final was held on 26 September 1970 between Carlton and Collingwood. It is widely considered to be the epitome of a classic Australian Football Grand Final and the "birth" of the modern Australian game as we know it. The crowd of 121,696 in attendance remains an enduring record for any VFL/AFL match.

Grand Final Teams

Aussie rules team old| title = Carlton
backpocket1 = Barry Gill
fullback = Kevin Hall
backpocket2 = Vin Waite
halfbackflank1 = John Goold
centrehalfback = David McKay
halfbackflank2 = Barry Mulcair
wing1 = Garry Crane
centre = Ian Robertson
wing2 = Phillip Pinnell
halfforwardflank1 = Brent Crosswell
centrehalfforward = Robert Walls
halfforwardflank2 = Syd Jackson
forwardpocket1 = Peter Jones
fullforward = Alex Jesaulenko
forwardpocket2 = Bert Thornley
ruck = John Nicholls (c)
ruckrover = Sergio Silvagni
rover = Adrian Gallagher
reserve1 = Neil Chandler
reserve2 = Ted Hopkins
coach = Ron Barassi

Aussie rules team old| title = Collingwood
backpocket1 = Colin Tully
fullback = Jeff Clifton
backpocket2 = Peter Eakins
halfbackflank1 = Denis O'Callaghan
centrehalfback = Ted Potter
halfbackflank2 = Lee Adamson
wing1 = Robert Dean
centre = Barry Price
wing2 = John Greening
halfforwardflank1 = Max Richardson
centrehalfforward = Len Thompson
halfforwardflank2 = Con Britt
forwardpocket1 = Ross Dunne
fullforward = Peter McKenna
forwardpocket2 = Wayne Richardson
ruck = Graeme Jenkin
ruckrover = Terry Waters (c)
rover = Des Tuddenham
reserve1 = Bob Heard
reserve2 = Ricky Watt
coach = Bob Rose

Umpire - Don Jolley

Match Summary

Carlton played poorly in the first half and many thought the game was as good as finished by the half time siren; perhaps it could have been, had Collingwood's scoreline read more accurately than 10-13-73. At the half-time break Carlton trailed by a seemingly overwhelming 44 points. During the break, champion Carlton coach Ron Barassi instructed his players to handball and play on at all costs, instituting a strategy to try and nullify Collingwood's long kicking game. A key positional move was the introduction of little-known Ted Hopkins, a small rover, as a substitute for Bert Thornley in the second half. [ [http://abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/sportsf/sstories/sf970829.htm The Architecture of Triumph and Tragedy: the 20th Century Sports Stadium] The Sports Factor, ABC Radio National Transcripts, August 29, 1997]

These changes were highly effective and Carlton scored seven goals to one behind in the first thirteen minutes of the third quarter, almost completely erasing Collingwood's lead. Ted Hopkins lively contribution made a major contribution to the Carlton revival, highlighted by 4 inspirational goals.

Collingwood fought back strongly towards the end of the third quarter, leading by seventeen points at three-quarter time, and the game remained in the balance well into the final quarter. Late in the last quarter - Carlton leading by less than a goal - Alex Jesaulenko snatched the ball on the half forward line and sent a left foot kick bouncing towards goal. With no one guarding the goals, the ball bounced through for a goal, sealing the game for Carlton. Carlton completed a remarkable recovery, to triumph by 10 points, 17.9 (111) to 14.17 (101).

The game also featured the perhaps the most iconic mark in VFL/AFL history, taken by Alex Jesaulenko in the 28th minute of the second quarter. The mark prompted commentator Mike Williamson to make the now famous call "Jesaulenko, you beauty!" which is frequently repeated or paraphrased today. The mark is credited with the initiation of the Mark of the Year competition, and the medal associated with the award now carries Jesaulenko's name.

Perspective

It is often stated that the style of play, featuring frequent hand ball and open fast running play, displayed that day by Carlton was a precursor to the modern style of play, although Ron Barassi himself credits the idea to his own mentor and former Melbourne coach Norm Smith.

Although the match is justly famous for the contributions of many now legendary players of that era, Brent Crosswell (Carlton) was contemporaneously generally regarded as the best player of the day for his four quarter contribution, especially in the first half when many Carlton players were not playing well.

Interestingly Ted Hopkins played only one further game for Carlton, soon quitting football to pursue other interests.

The 44-point half-time deficit overcome by Carlton was then the second-largest half-time deficit ever overcome in VFL history. The only larger deficit overcome before this was 52 points, by Collingwood against St Kilda in Round 10 of the same year (which remains the record today). [http://stats.rleague.com/afl/teams/allteams/gamer.html#16]

Result

AFLScorecard2006
team1 = AFL Car
team1 abbr = AFL Car
team1 q1 = 0.3 (3)
team1 q2 = 4.5 (29)
team1 q3 = 12.5 (77)
team1 total = 17.9 (111)
team2 = AFL Col
team2 abbr = AFL Col
team2 q1 = 4.8 (32)
team2 q2 = 10.13 (73)
team2 q3 = 13.16 (94)
team2 total = 14.17 (101)
time = 2:30pm
venue = Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
date = September 26, 1970
attendance = 121,696
umpires = Don Jolley
team1 goals = 4: Hopkins
3: Jesaulenko
2: Crosswell, Gallagher, Nicholls, Walls
1: Jackson, Silvagni
team2 goals = 6: McKenna
2: Dunne, Thompson, Tuddenham
1: Britt, Richardson
team1 best =
team2 best =
reports = nil
injuries = nil
coin toss =
tv =

See also

* 1970 VFL season

References