2014 Round 15, Three quarter time.

21st June Birthdays.

 

Chance Bateman 1981, Shane Molloy 1949, Ryan Neates 1991,
 Byron Schammer 1985, Nigel Lappin 1976.

 PLAYER OF THE DAY. Joel Bowden, born 21st June 1978.

Joel was a loyal player for Richmond over 14 seasons from 1996 to 2009 in 265 games, kicking 174 goals.

Having spent most of his younger years in the Northern Territory it came as a shock when he arrived in Melbourne and faced the training schedule at an AFL club. This resulted in him taking some time to get his game up to speed and he was played in a number of positions around the ground. 

He really hit his straps by about 2002 and won the club Best and Fairest in 2004 and 2005 and was All Australian in 2004 and 2006.

Source: The Encyclopaedia Of AFL Footballers.

GROUNDS.

Because the origins of the game came from England it followed that it was played on a rectangular field (with a round ball).  These ‘fields’ were anywhere up to 600 meters long (the MCG is about 173 meters long) and would often have trees and ditches spread through them making playing  not only difficult but a real hazard.

At one stage there was a rectangular football ground developed next to the MCG and a grand stand was built that could be moved to face either ground depending on which game was being played.

As the idea of the game was to keep cricketers fit over winter, it was to be expected that eventually the games would find their way onto cricket grounds and hence forth  an oval field.

Over time specific football grounds were constructed but eventually, due to their low capacity and the cost of upkeep, most were either shut down or no longer host first grade games.  A number of them however are still used as training grounds by the clubs that call them ‘home’.

Source: More Than A Game & A National Game. 

Ian Stewart – Triple Brownlow Medalist.

Some players never get a Brownlow vote so how good must you be to win 3 Brownlow Medals?

Ian Stewart joined St. Kilda in 1963 and spent 8 seasons there for 127 games and 25 goals. Whilst coming to the club without any great plaudits, people soon got to know who he was as he dashed around the wing or on the ball, passing to team mates with pin point accuracy.

Winning the club Best and Fairest in 1964 he went one better in 1965 and won his first Brownlow.  Then in 1966 he won another club Best and Fairest, a Premiership medallion, a second Brownlow and All Australian selection.

By 1970 things had started to sour at the Saint’s and he found himself in a trade to Richmond where he played 78 games from 1971 to 1975 and kicked 55 goals.

Just to show that he was still a fine player he won his third Brownlow and club Best and Fairest in 1971.  He was also part of another flag wining side with his new club in 1973.

Source: The Encyclopaedia Of AFL Footballers.

Grand Finals.

In the early 1960’s some clubs were in the position of having astute administrators and thus had a system that was well worked and attracted some good players and coaches.

Some clubs reaped the rewards from this foresight with the fact that from 1967 to 1983 (17 seasons) only 4 teams won Premierships.

Carlton won 6, Richmond 5, Hawthorn 4 and North Melbourne 2, with one of them being the drawn 1977 Grand Final where they defeated Collingwood in the replay.

 Source: The Old Dark Navy Blues by Lionel Frost.

 

Coach Kennedy.

John Kennedy Snr knew what he was talking about.  After all he had played 164 games for the Hawthorn Football Club and kicked 29 goals from 1950 to 1959.

He was a good speaker and was able to get his message across to the players who were happy to follow his leading.

Though he filled in as coach for 1 match in 1957, he officially took over the coaching reins at Hawthorn in 1960.  He had a tough start when they lost their first 5 matche, but over time he was able to build what was probably the fittest and strongest team in the league. 

They won their first flag in 1961 under him and made the Grand Final again in 1963 and then he took a break from the club. Returning in 1967 he was there until 1976 and in that time they won another 2 Premierships, 1971 and 1976.

 

Just when everyone thought he had closed the book on a great career, North Melbourne were able to coax him out of retirement to lead their team from 1985 to 1989.

The statistics for his coaching are:

Hawthorn 1957 1 game – 1 loss

Hawthorn 1960-1963.  77 games –  46 wins 1 draw 30 losses. 1 Premiership.

Hawthorn 1967-1976. 221 games – 135 wins 1 draw 85 losses. 2 Premierships.

North Melbourne 1985-1989. 113 games – 55 wins 3 draws 55 losses.

 

 

Source: The Encyclopaedia Of AFL Footballers & AFL Record Season Guide 2013.