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1969 GOLDEN FLEECE NIGHT PREMIERSHIP

*Hawthorn goes back-to-back - the Hawks made up for lost time, winning their second consecutive night flag (and third senior trophy overall). They joined South Melbourne (1956-57), Footscray (1963-64) and North Melbourne (1965-66) as the only teams to win successive titles.


*An unusual delay - the opening round Fitzroy-Essendon match ground to a halt in the third quarter when spectators on the wing threw cans at the umpire and players stepped in to support him, throwing the cans back at the crowd. The situation quickly escalated with both parties hurling cans back and forth for several minutes until order was restored and play resumed.


*Huddo kicks another bag - Hawthorn's Peter Hudson continued to torment full-backs across the league, kicking 8 goals against Fitzroy in the second semi-final.


*Leading goalkicker of the series - Hudson again led the goalkicking, this time with 17 goals from his 3 night matches; one shy of the series record he equalled the previous year.


Picture
1969 Night Series Grand Final programme (private collection)
*Alves promoted - Melbourne's captain Bob Johnson was unavailable for the Grand Final due to injury. In his absence vice-captain Stan Alves led the Demons.


*Crowds plummet - night crowds had steadily declined since peaking at 153,635 fans in 1965. The 1968 series had attracted a little under 90,000 people; the second worst total in series history. The situation deteriorated further in 1969 with just 79,631 spectators passing through the turnstiles. 


ROUND 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DATE

TEAMS

1/4

1/2

3/4

FINAL

MARGIN

VENUE

DAY/TIME

CROWD

Sep-04

Footscray (11)

2.3 (15)

6.6 (42)

10.13 (73)

13.13 (91)

10

Lake Oval, South Melbourne

Thu (8:00pm)

13,917

South Melbourne (9)

2.4 (16)

8.4 (52)

10.5 (65)

12.9 (81)

Sep-09

Melbourne (12)

0.3 (3)

3.7 (25)

9.11 (65)

11.16 (82)

13

Lake Oval, South Melbourne

Tue (8:00pm)

9,059

St Kilda (7)

0.5 (5)

2.11 (23)

3.16 (34)

8.21 (69)

Sep-11

Fitzroy v Essendon moved to Sept.12 due to inclement weather

Sep-12

Fitzroy (10)

4.4 (28)

4.6 (30)

11.8 (74)

15.11 (101)

6

Lake Oval, South Melbourne

Fri (8:00pm)

5,432

Essendon (6)

2.2 (14)

9.3 (57)

11.10 (76)

14.11 (95)

Sep-16

Hawthorn (5)

5.4 (34)

11.10 (76)

14.16 (100)

16.21 (117)

30

Lake Oval, South Melbourne

Tue (8:00pm)

10,287

North Melbourne (8)

1.5 (11)

4.10 (34)

6.12 (48)

11.21 (87)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEMI FINALS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DATE

TEAMS

1/4

1/2

3/4

FINAL

MARGIN

VENUE

DAY/TIME

CROWD

Sep-18

Melbourne (12)

2.4 (16)

3.6 (24)

6.9 (45)

7.14 (56)

5

Lake Oval, South Melbourne

Thu (8:00pm)

12,516

Footscray (11)

1.3 (9)

5.8 (38)

6.10 (46)

6.15 (51)

Sep-23

Fitzroy v Hawthorn moved to Sept.24 due to inclement weather

Sep-24

Hawthorn (5)

5.7 (37)

9.8 (62)

13.9 (87)

18.12 (120)

2

Lake Oval, South Melbourne

Wed (8:00pm)

7,353

Fitzroy (10)

3.2 (20)

9.4 (58)

11.7 (73)

18.10 (118)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GRAND FINAL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DATE

TEAMS

1/4

1/2

3/4

FINAL

MARGIN

VENUE

DAY/TIME

CROWD

Sep-29

Hawthorn (5)

2.4 (16)

4.7 (31)

9.11 (65)

10.17 (77)

5

Lake Oval, South Melbourne

Mon (8:00pm)

21,061

Melbourne (12)

1.7 (13)

5.10 (40)

7.16 (58)

9.18 (72)

 


MATCH REPORTS

Listed below are match reports for all 7 games played during the series. This is the first time these reports have been collated and published online or in print.
Unless otherwise noted the information was sourced from The Football Record and The Age newspaper.

ROUND 1

Match 1 - Thursday, September 4

FOOTSCRAY

2.3 (15)

6.6 (42)

10.13 (73)

13.13 (91)

SOUTH MELBOURNE

2.4 (16)

8.4 (52)

10.5 (65)

12.9 (81)

BEST PLAYERS:

Footscray

Bisset, Haynes, Welsh, Round, Delmenico, Jillard

South Melbourne

Harrison, Rantall, Baskin, McAuliffe, Haenan, Hoffman

GOALKICKERS:

Footscray

Bisset 3, Bryant 2, Round 2, Darcy 2, Dempsey 2, Thorpe, Casey

South Melbourne

Baskin 2, Bedford 2, McAuliffe 2, Hoffman 2, Gates 2, Haenan, Leahy

REPLACEMENTS:

Footscray

Bryant replaced Skreja (half-time)

South Melbourne

(none)

UMPIRE:

Huggins

CROWD:

13,917

SOURCE:

SUN/Football Record

NOTES:

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Match 2 - Tuesday, September 9

MELBOURNE

0.3 (3)

3.7 (25)

9.11 (65)

11.16 (82)

ST KILDA

0.5 (5)

2.11 (23)

3.16 (34)

8.21 (69)

BEST PLAYERS:

Melbourne

Clark, Townsend, Bourke, Sullivan, Alves, Parke, Feldmann

St Kilda

Ditterich, Smith, Bonney, Roberts, Cooper, Davis

GOALKICKERS:

Melbourne

Townsend 3, Clark 2, Bourke 2, Alves, Dillon, Parke, Wells

St Kilda

Griffiths 3, Breen 2, Bonney, Smith, Elliott

REPLACEMENTS:

Melbourne

unknown

St Kilda

unknown

UMPIRE:

Jolley

CROWD:

9,059

SOURCE:

AGE/SUN/Football Record

NOTES:

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Match 3 - Friday, September 12

FITZROY

4.4 (28)

4.6 (30)

11.8 (74)

15.11 (101)

ESSENDON

2.2 (14)

9.3 (57)

11.10 (76)

14.11 (95)

BEST PLAYERS:

Fitzroy

Murphy, Murray, Newnham, Andrews, Peoples, Searl

Essendon

Fletcher, Blethyn, Davis, Stephenson, Pryor

GOALKICKERS:

Fitzroy

Murphy 5, Searl 5, Ruscuklic 2, Peoples, Newnham, Brown

Essendon

Blethyn 4, B. Lake 2, Sproule 2, E. Lake 2, I. Payne, Daniel, Ellis, Collins

REPLACEMENTS:

Fitzroy

unknown

Essendon

unknown

UMPIRE:

Coates

CROWD:

5,432

SOURCE:

AGE/SUN/Football Record

NOTES:

Originally scheduled for Sept.11 but postponed due to inclement weather

The game was delayed during the third quarter when spectators on the wing threw cans at the umpire; players threw the cans back

at the crowd and the situation escalated with both parties hurling cans back and forth for several minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Match 4 - Tuesday, September 16

HAWTHORN

5.4 (34)

11.10 (76)

14.16 (100)

16.21 (117)

NORTH MELBOURNE

1.5 (11)

4.10 (34)

6.12 (48)

11.21 (87)

BEST PLAYERS:

Hawthorn

Crimmins, Heath, Beck, Matthews, Wilson, Olsson, Keddie

North Melbourne

Goodingham, Dowdle, McCarthy, Taylor, Steward, Johnstone

GOALKICKERS:

Hawthorn

Hudson 6, Crimmins 3, Keddie 2, Heath 2, Meagher, Matthews, Angus

North Melbourne

Dowdle 4, McCarthy 2, Taylor 2, D. Farrant 2, O’Brien

REPLACEMENTS:

Hawthorn

Angus replaced Growcott (last quarter)

North Melbourne

Scholes replaced Dimattina (third quarter)

D. Farrant replaced Heywood (last quarter)

UMPIRE:

Crouch

CROWD:

10,287

SOURCE:

AGE/SUN/Football Record

NOTES:

The Sun has Hawthorn’s final score as 16.20 (116), The Age and the Football Record have the correct score of 16.21 (117)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEMI-FINALS

Match 5 - Thursday, September 18

MELBOURNE

2.4 (16)

3.6 (24)

6.9 (45)

7.14 (56)

FOOTSCRAY

1.3 (9)

5.8 (38)

6.10 (46)

6.15 (51)

BEST PLAYERS:

Melbourne

Davis, Parke, Bourke, Feldmann, Hardeman, Rollinson

Footscray

Jillard, Bisset, Dempsey, Quinlan, Magee

GOALKICKERS:

Melbourne

Parke 2, Townsend 2, Dillon 2, Bourke

Footscray

Quinlan 2, Round 2, Darcy, Casey

REPLACEMENTS:

Melbourne

unknown

Footscray

unknown

UMPIRE:

Sheales

CROWD:

12,516

SOURCE:

AGE/SUN/Football Record

NOTES:

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Match 6 - Wednesday, September 24

HAWTHORN

5.7 (37)

9.8 (62)

13.9 (87)

18.12 (120)

FITZROY

3.2 (20)

9.4 (58)

11.7 (73)

18.10 (118)

BEST PLAYERS:

Hawthorn

Hudson, Heath, Keddie, Olsson, Angus, Tipping, Beck

Fitzroy

Ruscuklic, Zunneberg, Shearer, Lazarus, Herrod, Andrews, Murray

GOALKICKERS:

Hawthorn

Hudson 8, Matthews 3, Keddie 2, Angus 2, Knights, Olsson, Law

Fitzroy

Ruscuklic 5, Searl 4, Padley 2, Murphy 2, Murray, Robertson, Newnham, Brown, Shearer

REPLACEMENTS:

Hawthorn

unknown

Fitzroy

unknown

UMPIRE:

Artso

CROWD:

7,353

SOURCE:

AGE/SUN/Football Record

NOTES:

Originally scheduled for Sept.23 but postponed due to inclement weather

 

1969 VFL NIGHT PREMIERSHIP - GRAND FINAL

HAWTHORN

MELBOURNE

John Kennedy

COACH

John Beckwith

 

Parkin (C)

Bremner

Blood

BACKS

Davis

Rowlands

Jones

Wilson

Bussell

Chiron

HALF-BACKS

Feldmann

Hardeman

Sullivan

Angus

Murphy*

Meagher

CENTRES

Rollinson

Clark

Jennings

Olsson

Keddie

Heath

HALF-FORWARDS

Alves (C)

Parke

Wells

Matthews

Hudson

Knights

FORWARDS

Callery

Dillon

Bourke

Beck

Scott

FOLLOWERS

Walker

Hone

Crimmins

ROVER

Townsend

 

Morton

Fisher

RESERVES

Letcher

Stone

Law*

Ferguson

EMERGENCIES

Rhoden

Forster

*Murphy was a late withdrawal from Hawthorn's selected team (Law was promoted to the starting 18)

 

Match 7 - Monday, September 29

HAWTHORN

2.4 (16)

4.7 (31)

9.11 (65)

10.17 (77)

MELBOURNE

1.7 (13)

5.10 (40)

7.16 (58)

9.18 (72)

BEST PLAYERS:

Hawthorn

Matthews, Knights, Beck, Bussell, Keddie, Heath, Fisher

Melbourne

Sullivan, Feldmann, Hardeman, Walker, Dillon, Parke, Rowlands

GOALKICKERS:

Hawthorn

Hudson 3, Knights 3, Matthews 2, Keddie, Crimmins

Melbourne

Callery 3, Dillon 2, Alves 2, Clark, Stone

REPLACEMENTS:

Hawthorn

Morton replaced Angus (second quarter)

Melbourne

(none)

UMPIRE:

Sleeth

CROWD:

21,061*

SOURCE:

AGE/Football Record

NOTES:

Melbourne’s captain Bob Johnson was unavailable due to injury, in his absence Melbourne was led by Alves (VC).

CROWD DISCREPANCY:

Current AFL records have the crowd for this match as 21,067

The Football Record (28-9-1970) says it was actually 21,061

 

 


Written and researched by David Eastman
First published 15/2/2017
Last updated 17/11/2018

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The author is a proud member of the Australian Football Heritage Group (AFHG), which is dedicated to preserving Australian football's history.

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