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1971 HEINZ 'BIG RED' NIGHT PREMIERSHIP

*The Demons return to the winner's circle - seven seasons after their glory era ended, Melbourne finally won another flag. The 1971 decider was their third straight Night Series Grand Final and first night premiership.


*Prizemoney - this was the first year that all prizemoney was provided by the sponsor of the series. From 1964 (the first year of sponsorship) to 1970 the VFL had paid 35% of the winner's cheque and 38% of the runner-up's cheque.


*Bulldogs and Lions slug it out - the first semi-final between Fitzroy and Footscray ground to a halt due to an all-in brawl involving 28 players. It's not known who won the fight, but Fitzroy won the match comfortably.


*No coach, no worries - Melbourne’s senior coach Ian Ridley missed their Grand Final victory due to a work-related holiday in Fiji; assistant coach Bernie Massey led the team in Ridley’s absence.


Picture
Action from the opening round Carlton-Essendon clash (1972 VFL Year Book)
*The end of an era - this was the last series played during the first era of the night premiership. Dwindling crowds were the main factor contributing to the series' demise. Since 1966 attendance had dropped every season (other than 1970) and the growing lack of interest from football fans had not gone unnoticed at League headquarters.

In 1972 the VFL expanded the final series from four teams to five, leaving just 7 clubs to compete in the night premiership. This was an unworkable number and the night series ended with little fanfare.


ROUND 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DATE

TEAMS

1/4

1/2

3/4

FINAL

MARGIN

VENUE

DAY/TIME

CROWD

Sep-02

Footscray (8)

3.6 (24)

7.12 (54)

8.17 (65)

11.25 (91)

21

Lake Oval, South Melbourne

Thu (8:00pm)

10,028

South Melbourne (12)

2.3 (15)

3.4 (22)

8.6 (54)

10.10 (70)

Sep-07

Fitzroy (6)

4.3 (27)

7.8 (50)

10.8 (68)

14.16 (100)

42

Lake Oval, South Melbourne

Tue (8:00pm)

7,280

North Melbourne (9)

4.1 (25)

5.3 (33)

8.6 (54)

8.10 (58)

Sep-09

Carlton (5)

3.2 (20)

5.4 (34)

8.12 (60)

9.15 (69)

9

Lake Oval, South Melbourne

Thu (8:00pm)

7,328

Essendon (11)

2.0 (12)

5.3 (33)

6.5 (41)

9.6 (60)

Sep-14

Melbourne (7)

2.2 (14)

10.6 (66)

15.10 (100)

19.20 (134)

60

Lake Oval, South Melbourne

Tue (8:00pm)

8,108

Geelong (10)

4.3 (27)

7.4 (46)

11.7 (73)

11.8 (74)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEMI FINALS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DATE

TEAMS

1/4

1/2

3/4

FINAL

MARGIN

VENUE

DAY/TIME

CROWD

Sep-16

Fitzroy (6)

4.4 (28)

7.10 (52)

11.13 (79)

16.17 (113)

35

Lake Oval, South Melbourne

Thu (8:00pm)

12,124

Footscray (8)

3.3 (21)

4.5 (29)

5.9 (39)

11.12 (78)

Sep-21

Melbourne (7)

2.3 (15)

6.8 (44)

9.11 (65)

14.16 (100)

26

Lake Oval, South Melbourne

Tue (8:00pm)

11,919

Carlton (5)

3.2 (20)

6.5 (41)

8.7 (55)

11.8 (74)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GRAND FINAL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DATE

TEAMS

1/4

1/2

3/4

FINAL

MARGIN

VENUE

DAY/TIME

CROWD

Sep-27

Melbourne (7)

3.2 (20)

5.5 (35)

11.6 (72)

12.7 (79)

16

Lake Oval, South Melbourne

Mon (8:00pm)

21,169

Fitzroy (6)

0.2 (2)

2.3 (15)

6.7 (43)

9.9 (63)

 


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 2

FOOTSCRAY

3.6 (24)

7.12 (54)

8.17 (65)

11.25 (91)

SOUTH MELBOURNE

2.3 (15)*

3.4 (22)

8.6 (54)

10.10 (70)

BEST PLAYERS:

Footscray

Bisset, Salmon, Quinlan, Dempsey, Magee, McGowan

South Melbourne

Hoffman, Bedford, Ball, Murphy, Doyle, McHenry

GOALKICKERS:

Footscray

Dempsey 3, Quinlan 2, Bishop 2, Dell 2, Salmon 2

South Melbourne

Hoffman 4, McHenry 2, Pavone, Bedford, Doyle, Prentice

REPLACEMENTS:

Footscray

(none)

South Melbourne

Robertson replaced Pitura (selected side)

Pavone replaced Robertson (second quarter)

UMPIRE:

Sheen

CROWD:

10,028

SOURCE:

AGE/SUN/Football Record

SCORE DISCREPANCY:

South Melbourne's 1/4 time score in The Football Record = 2.3 (The Age has 2.2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Match 2 - Tuesday, September 7

FITZROY

4.3 (27)

7.8 (50)

10.8 (68)

14.16 (100)

NORTH MELBOURNE

4.1 (25)

5.3 (33)

8.6 (54)

8.10 (58)

BEST PLAYERS:

Fitzroy

Murray, Zunneberg, Murphy, Molloy, Brown, Wall, Shanahan

North Melbourne

Hodgetts, Redenbach, Doolan, Dench, Feltham

GOALKICKERS:

Fitzroy

Shanahan 5, Murphy 2, Wilson 2, Irwin, Richards, Padley, Brown, Crow

North Melbourne

Hodgetts 4, Redenbach, Baker, Muir, Lasslett

REPLACEMENTS:

Fitzroy

Newton replaced Shanahan (last quarter)

North Melbourne

unknown

UMPIRE:

Coates

CROWD:

7,280

SOURCE:

AGE/SUN/Football Record

NOTES:

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Match 3 - Thursday, September 9

CARLTON

3.2 (20)

5.4 (34)

8.12 (60)

9.15 (69)

ESSENDON

2.0 (12)

5.3 (33)

6.5 (41)

9.6 (60)

BEST PLAYERS:

Carlton

Jesaulenko, Doull, Southby, Jones, Quirk, Robertson, O’Connell

Essendon

Fields, Noonan, Schultz, Williams, Smith, Davis, Cassin, Daniel

GOALKICKERS:

Carlton

Jones 4, Gallagher, Collins, Barrot, Jesaulenko, Robertson

Essendon

Fields 2, Payne 2, Noonan 2, Moloney, Cassin, Graco

REPLACEMENTS:

Carlton

unknown

Essendon

unknown

UMPIRE:

Matheson

CROWD:

7,328

SOURCE:

AGE/SUN/Football Record

NOTES:

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Match 4 - Tuesday, September 14

MELBOURNE

2.2 (14)

10.6 (66)

15.10 (100)

19.20 (134)

GEELONG

4.3 (27)

7.4 (46)

11.7 (73)

11.8 (74)

BEST PLAYERS:

Melbourne

Osborne, Wells, Davis, Callery, McKenzie, Clark

Geelong

Strahan, Scarlett, Hampshire, Closter, Ryan

GOALKICKERS:

Melbourne

Osborne 6, Wells 3, Callery 3, Dillon 2, McKenzie, Alves, Townsend, Tilbrook, Molloy

Geelong

Ryan 2, Strahan 2, Linke 2, Newland, Blake, Hampshire, Gilmore, Yeates

REPLACEMENTS:

Melbourne

unknown

Geelong

unknown

UMPIRE:

K. Smith

CROWD:

8,108*

SOURCE:

AGE/SUN/Football Record

CROWD DISCREPANCY:

The Football Record has a crowd of 8,108, The Age (15-9-1971) has 8,105

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEMI-FINALS

Match 5 - Thursday, September 16

FITZROY

4.4 (28)

7.10 (52)

11.13 (79)

16.17 (113)

FOOTSCRAY

3.3 (21)

4.5 (29)

5.9 (39)

11.12 (78)

BEST PLAYERS:

Fitzroy

Wilson, Murphy, Zunneberg, Padley, Molloy, Murray

Footscray

Dempsey, Magee, Merrington, Bisset, Austin

GOALKICKERS:

Fitzroy

Shanahan 4, Wilson 3, Irwin 3, Murphy, Ruscuklic, Padley, Lloyd, Crow, Wall

Footscray

Bishop 3, Sandilands 2, Salmon 2, Austin 2, Quinlan 2

REPLACEMENTS:

Fitzroy

unknown

Footscray

unknown

UMPIRE:

Sleeth

CROWD:

12,124

SOURCE:

AGE/SUN/Football Record

NOTES:

The match was delayed during the third quarter by a brawl involving 28 players.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Match 6 - Tuesday, September 21

MELBOURNE

2.3 (15)

6.8 (44)

9.11 (65)

14.16 (100)

CARLTON

3.2 (20)

6.5 (41)

8.7 (55)

11.8 (74)

BEST PLAYERS:

Melbourne

Wells, Davis, Keenan, Townsend, Clark, Molloy, Sinclair, Callery, Tilbrook

Carlton

Keogh, Southby, Robertson, Barrot, Jones

GOALKICKERS:

Melbourne

Sinclair 3, Dillon 2, Townsend 2, Wells 2, Osborne 2, McKenzie, Keenan, Callery

Carlton

Doull 2, Armstrong 2, Robertson 2, Jackson, Keogh, Gallagher, Jones, McKay

REPLACEMENTS:

Melbourne

Sinclair replaced Alves (selected side)

Carlton

Walsh replaced Jesaulenko (half-time)

Quirk replaced Hirst (third quarter)

UMPIRE:

Jolley

CROWD:

11,919

SOURCE:

AGE/SUN/Football Record

NOTES:

-

 

1971 VFL NIGHT PREMIERSHIP - GRAND FINAL

MELBOURNE

FITZROY

Bernie Massey*

COACH

Graham Donaldson

 

Bourke

Biffin

Walker

BACKS

Molloy

Merrigan

Lloyd

Sullivan

Hardeman

Davis (C)

HALF-BACKS

Zunneberg

Searl

Sykes

Alves

Tilbrook

Rollinson

CENTRES

Sault

Padley

Rhodes

McKenzie

Molloy

Clark

HALF-FORWARDS

Wall

Ruscuklic

Irwin

Osborne

Dillon

Townsend

FORWARDS

Crow

Shanahan

Wilson

Keenan

Wells

FOLLOWERS

Brown

Murray (C)

Callery

ROVER

Murphy

 

P. Sinclair

McSpeerin

RESERVES

L. Robertson

Thompson

Hodges

Leary

EMERGENCIES

Richards

Ellis

Herrod

*Melbourne’s coach Ian Ridley was in Fiji on a work-related holiday; assistant coach Bernie Massey led the team in Ridley’s absence

 

Match 7 - Monday, September 27

MELBOURNE

3.2 (20)

5.5 (35)

11.6 (72)

12.7 (79)

FITZROY

0.2 (2)

2.3 (15)

6.7 (43)

9.9 (63)

BEST PLAYERS:

Melbourne

Townsend, Callery, Wells, Keenan, Bourke, Molloy

Fitzroy

Rhodes, Searl, Wilson, Sault, Zunneberg

GOALKICKERS:

Melbourne

Dillon 3, Townsend 3, Callery 2, McKenzie, Wells, Alves, Molloy

Fitzroy

Wilson 2, Murphy, Irwin, Sault, Ruscuklic, Thompson, Brown, Wall

REPLACEMENTS:

Melbourne

unknown

Fitzroy

unknown

UMPIRE:

Deller

CROWD:

21,169

SOURCE:

AGE/SUN/Football Record

NOTES:

This was Melbourne's third-straight night Grand Final and first night title.

 


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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© David Eastman, 2013-19. All rights reserved.
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