NON-PREMIERSHIP MATCHES

1977 AMCO-HERALD CUP

RESULTS
ABOUT
TEAMS / FORMAT
EVENTS
MATCH REPORTS
RESULTS

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

Date

Teams

1/4

1/2

3/4

Final

Margin

Venue

Day/Time

Crowd

ROUND 1

May-03

Collingwood

1.2 (8)

1.8 (14)

4.13 (37)

9.18 (72)

56

Lake Oval,*

Tue

4,805

Richmond

5.3 (33)

8.6 (54)

14.11 (95)

19.14 (128)

South Melbourne

(7:45pm)

May-10

Carlton

3.2 (20)

7.6 (48)

11.9 (75)

12.17 (89)

10

Lake Oval,*

Tue

4,118

St Kilda***

1.5 (11)

1.10 (16)

4.15 (39)

10.19 (79)

South Melbourne

(7:45pm)

May-17

North Melbourne***

2.3 (15)

5.4 (34)

8.6 (54)

11.8 (74)

34

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue

8,468

Fitzroy

2.1 (13)

4.5 (29)

10.11 (71)

16.12 (108)

(8:40pm)**

May-24

Footscray

2.1 (13)

4.2 (26)

6.6 (42)

8.9 (57)

47

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue

3,475

South Melbourne

5.2 (32)

9.4 (58)

11.11 (77)

15.14 (104)

(7:50pm)

May-31

Geelong

0.0 (0)

0.2 (2)

2.4 (16)

6.6 (42)

42

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue

2,743

Hawthorn

2.3 (15)

5.4 (34)

10.6 (66)

13.6 (84)

(7:50pm)

Jun-07

Melbourne

4.4 (28)

6.6 (42)

9.8 (62)

10.11 (71)

32

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue

10,036

Essendon

1.1 (7)

1.4 (10)

2.6 (18)

5.9 (39)

(7:50pm)

***St Kilda and North Melbourne advanced as the two losing teams in Round 1 with the highest percentage

QUARTER FINALS

Jun-21

South Melbourne

4.3 (27)

5.5 (35)

7.9 (51)

12.14 (86)

42

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue

5,123

St Kilda

5.2 (32)

5.8 (38)

16.14 (110)

19.14 (128)

(7:50pm)

Jun-28

Hawthorn

0.4 (4)

2.6 (18)

5.9 (39)

7.10 (52)

11

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue

3,346

North Melbourne

0.4 (4)

1.5 (11)

2.9 (21)

5.11 (41)

(7:50pm)

Jul-05

Melbourne

3.5 (23)

5.8 (38)

10.11 (71)

11.15 (81)

22

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue

6,841

Carlton

4.4 (28)

8.9 (57)

9.12 (66)

15.13 (103)

(7:50pm)

Jul-12

Richmond

4.1 (25)

6.2 (38)

11.5 (71)

15.11 (101)

30

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue

8,169

Fitzroy

2.2 (14)

6.5 (41)

9.10 (64)

10.11 (71)

(7:50pm)

SEMI FINALS

Jul-19

St Kilda

5.4 (34)

7.6 (48)

7.13 (55)

10.15 (75)

24

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue

9,232

Hawthorn

3.2 (20)

6.6 (42)

10.13 (73)

14.15 (99)

(7:50pm)

Jul-26

Carlton

3.2 (20)

3.7 (25)

5.10 (40)

6.13 (49)

19

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue

6,056

Richmond

2.2 (14)

2.2 (14)

4.3 (27)

4.6 (30)

(7:50pm)

GRAND FINAL

Aug-02

Hawthorn

3.7 (25)

6.8 (44)

10.11 (71)

14.11 (95)

24

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue

27,407

Carlton

5.1 (31)

7.3 (45)

9.3 (57)

11.5 (71)

(7:50pm)

FIXTURE NOTES

May-03

*Richmond-Collingwood was originally scheduled for VFL Park, transferred because the new light towers were not completed

May-10

*Carlton-St Kilda was originally scheduled for VFL Park, transferred because the new light towers were not completed

May-17

**First night match at VFL Park: the start was delayed by 55 minutes due to a power failure just before the opening bounce

Jun-14

No match due to the VFL Queen's Birthday split-round (a Herald Shield double-header was played at VFL Park instead)

 

ABOUT

ABOUT THE 1977 SERIES

The first VFL Night Series ran from 1956 to 1971 and was brought to an end by dwindling crowds and the League's move to a Final Five. It seems hard to believe in today's multimedia world but matches in those series at Lake Oval were not televised.

It took the strong ratings and advertising revenue generated by the 1976 NFL Wills Cup to finally alert football administrators to the potential benefits of football broadcast live on network television.

The 1976 NFL series was planned as a forerunner to a full-scale national competition in 1977 that would feature all VFL, SANFL and WAFL clubs plus representative teams from Tasmania, Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT. [Canberra Times, 15-4-1976]
Picture
Night football at VFL Park makes its debut in front of 8,468 enthusiastic fans
However, the NFL's plans for 1977 were thrown into disarray when the VFL announced they were withdrawing from the national competition to form their own rival night series, the Amco-Herald Cup. The series would be based at the League's headquarters, VFL Park with new light towers constructed specifically for the event at a cost of a million dollars.

Live telecasts of the rival competitions went head-to-head from 7:30pm each Tuesday night with the VFL series broadcast nationally on the Seven network and the NFL series on the ATV-0 network.
TEAMS / FORMAT

PARTICIPATING TEAMS

The original VFL night series had been a consolation tournament featuring only the eight teams that missed the VFL finals* and was played in September/October. In contrast, the 1977 series featured all 12 clubs and was played mid-week throughout the VFL premiership season. 

*(all but one series during the 1956-71 era was contested only by the bottom-8 sides of the season. The 1957 Night Series was the exception, featuring all 12 VFL clubs; with each of the top-4 sides moving to the night competition as their VFL Finals Series commitments ended)

SERIES FORMAT

A twelve-team competition meant only six teams would advance to the quarter finals instead of the required eight, so a 'lucky-loser' system was adopted.

This resulted in the two defeated teams from Round 1 with the highest percentage (St Kilda and North Melbourne) also advancing to the quarter-finals.

The quarter-finals draw was then determined by ladder position:

(1) Hawthorn vs (8) North Melbourne
(2) South Melbourne vs (7) St Kilda
(3) Melbourne vs (6) Carlton
(4) Richmond vs (5) Fitzroy

From the quarter-finals stage onward all matches were played on a knockout basis.

EVENTS

NOTABLE EVENTS

*Yellow is the new white - ever since the first matches were played under lights in 1879, a white football had been the norm for night play. The 1977 VFL Night Series was the first to use a yellow football and, although the rival NFL series continued to use a white ball until at least 1978, yellow quickly became the standard for night matches Australia-wide.

Footnote - the only documented use of a yellow ball prior to 1977 was a Western Australian state team practice match played before the 1950 National Carnival; on that occasion the yellow ball was trialled for a half and "seemed to suit the players far better than the white ball". [West Australian 15-6-1950]


*Lake Oval's last hurrah - construction delays meant the $1 million light towers at VFL Park were not ready for the series-opener on May 3rd.

Rather than postpone their heavily-promoted new series, the League transferred the Richmond-Collingwood (May 3) and Carlton-St Kilda (May 10) matches to Lake Oval in South Melbourne, the former home of the VFL Night Premiership from 1956 to 1971 and the only other venue in Melbourne with lighting up to television broadcast standards.


*Lights out - on May 17th the first night match to be played at VFL Park was delayed by 55 minutes due to a massive power failure. At 7:20 pm a fuse blew in an S.E.C. feeder pole in nearby Wellington Road, cutting a third of the power to the stadium's new lighting system.

Five minutes after the scheduled start time of 7:45 pm restless fans started jeering and slow-clapping, leading to an announcement over the public address system asking fans to be patient.

At 8:05 pm all power to the ground had to be cut-off so repairs could be made. Everyone at the ground sat in near-total darkness for the next 18 minutes with the only lighting provided by a back-up generator. Finally, at 8:40 pm night football's new era at Waverley made its belated debut. [The Age 18-5-1977]


*Fitzroy fined for wrong shorts - The Lions wore their home shorts for their series-opener, causing a colour clash with North Melbourne who also took to the field in royal blue shorts.

The VFL subsequently fined them $5000 ($250 per player) despite the Lions pointing out that the League's official match programme listed them as the home team and advised fans that they would be in blue shorts and North Melbourne in white.

Regardless, the VFL enforced the fine; maintaining that Fitzroy were the away team and noting that the Lions had used the visitors rooms for the match.  [The Age 20-5-1977]


*Frozen Cats and Hawks - the Geelong-Hawthorn match on May 31st was played in constant rain and freezing winds on Melbourne’s coldest day in 81 years. Geelong's Kevin Sheehan reportedly tried to call out for the ball during the second half only to realise his jaw had locked due to the cold.
Picture
Temporary camera platforms were set-up for Lake Oval's final fling (Football Record 10-5-1977)
Picture
Not happy, Jack! A furious VFL General Manager Jack Hamilton waits for power to be restored prior to the opening night match at Waverley (The Age 18-5-1977)
Picture
Tandberg's view on Fitzroy's $5000 fine (The Age 20-5-1977)
*Lights out, again! - During the curtain-raiser played before the Carlton-Melbourne match on July 5th a ten-minute blackout occurred causing the match to be shortened. VFL officials feared another power failure like that of May 17th had occurred.

They were relieved to find the problem was merely due to a technician in the control booth accidentally knocking out the plug to their $1 million dollar lighting system. [The Age 6-7-1977]


*The 'Flying Doormat' goes berserk - Carlton's Bruce Doull was known as an unflappable defender who had calmly and consistently shut-down opposition forwards throughout the 1970s. That all changed when Hawthorn's Kevin Ablett ripped off Doull's trademark elastic headband and ran away with it in the 1977 night series Grand Final. The normally emotionless Doull went ballistic, charging after Ablett and swinging punches wildly.

It took six seasons until an opponent was game enough to try it again, with cheeky Essendon rover Tony Buhagiar stealing the headband during the 1983 VFL Elimination Final and throwing it into the crowd. This time a better-prepared Doull called his opponent's bluff, calmly reaching into his sock and producing another headband, much to the amusement of teammates and opponents alike.

Picture
Night football's new era is delayed 55 minutes due to a power failure (The Age 18-5-1977)
MATCH REPORTS

MATCH REPORTS

Listed below are match reports for all 13 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
LADDER
QTR FINALS
SEMI FINALS
G.F. TEAMS
GRAND FINAL
ROUND 1

ROUND 1

Collingwood v
Richmond
Carlton v
St Kilda
North Melbourne v
Fitzroy
Footscray v
South Melbourne
Geelong v
Hawthorn
Melbourne v
Essendon
Collingwood v
Richmond

ROUND 1 – Tuesday, May 3 at 7:45 pm

 

COLLINGWOOD

1.2 (8)

1.8 (14)

4.13 (37)

9.18 (72)

 

 

RICHMOND

5.3 (33)

8.6 (54)

14.11 (95)

19.14 (128)

 

BEST PLAYERS

 

COLLINGWOOD

Manassa, Cooper, Clifford, Worthington, Kink, Anderson

 

RICHMOND

Sheedy, Jess, Raines, Dickson, Roach, Dunne

GOALS

 

COLLINGWOOD

Picken 3, Perry 2, Anderson 2, Manassa, Kink

 

RICHMOND

Dickson 5, Dunne 3, Noonan 3, Heard 2, Monteath 2, Jess 2, Cumming, Scrimshaw

 

UMPIRES

Fellows, Sutcliffe

 

 

CROWD

4,805* at Lake Oval, South Melbourne

 

 

SOURCE

The Football Record

 

 

This match was originally scheduled to be played at VFL Park but was moved because the light towers were not completed.

*CROWD DISCREPANCY:
  • The Football Record (May 7) lists an estimated crowd of 4,700
  • The 1977 Night Series Grand Final edition revises this to 4,805
Carlton v
St Kilda

ROUND 1 – Tuesday, May 10 at 7:45 pm

 

CARLTON

3.2 (20)

7.6 (48)

11.9 (75)

12.17 (89)

 

 

ST KILDA

1.5 (11)

1.10 (16)

4.15 (39)

10.19 (79)

 

BEST PLAYERS

 

CARLTON

Maclure, Doull, Ohlsen, Walls, Bedford, Buckley

 

ST KILDA

Barker, G. Elliott, Neale, Duperouzel, R. Greene, Lofts

GOALS

 

CARLTON

Ohlsen 3, McKenna 2, Walls 2, Keogh 2, Buckley 2, McConnon

 

ST KILDA

Young 3, Neale, O’Keefe, R. Greene, Stevens, Lofts, Hughes, Duperouzel

 

UMPIRES

Quinn, Chapman

 

 

CROWD

4,118 at Lake Oval, South Melbourne

 

 

SOURCE

The Football Record

 

 

This match was originally scheduled to be played at VFL Park but was moved because the light towers were not completed.
North Melbourne v
Fitzroy

ROUND 1 – Tuesday, May 17 at 8:40 pm*

 

NORTH MELBOURNE

2.3 (15)

5.4 (34)

8.6 (54)

11.8 (74)

 

 

FITZROY

2.1 (13)

4.5 (29)

10.11 (71)

16.12 (108)

 

BEST PLAYERS

 

NORTH MELBOURNE

Schimmelbusch, Gumbleton, Frazer, Sutton, Byrne, Dawson

 

FITZROY

Wilson, Irwin, Parke, Johnston, Murphy, Alexander

GOALS

 

NORTH MELBOURNE

Frazer 5, Sutton 2, Schimmelbusch 2, Byrne, Dawson

 

FITZROY

Johnston 4, Parke 4, Christou 2, Irwin, O’Keeffe, McMahon, Whitford, Macleod, Wilson

 

UMPIRES

Nash, Dye

 

 

CROWD

8,468 at VFL Park, Waverley

 

 

SOURCE

The Football Record

 

 

*The first night match to be played at VFL Park was delayed by 55 minutes due to a massive power failure. At 7:20 pm a fuse blew in an S.E.C. feeder pole in nearby Wellington Road, cutting a third of the power to the stadium's new lighting system.

Five minutes after the scheduled start time of 7:45 pm restless fans started jeering and slow-clapping, leading to an announcement over the public address system asking fans to be patient.

At 8:05 pm all power to the ground had to be cut-off so repairs could be made. Everyone at the ground sat in near-total darkness for the next 18 minutes with the only lighting provided by a back-up generator. Finally, at 8:40 pm night football's new era at Waverley made its belated debut. [The Age 18-5-1977]
Footscray v
South Melbourne

ROUND 1 – Tuesday, May 24 at 7:50 pm

 

FOOTSCRAY

2.1 (13)

4.2 (26)

6.6 (42)

8.9 (57)

 

 

SOUTH MELBOURNE

5.2 (32)

9.4 (58)

11.11 (77)

15.14 (104)

 

BEST PLAYERS

 

FOOTSCRAY

Murrie, Wheeler, Dempsey, Reid, Perrusich, Edmond

 

SOUTH MELBOURNE

Young, Goss, Brice, Blair, Zantuck, Teasdale, Jamieson

GOALS

 

FOOTSCRAY

Edmond 2, Quinlan, Reid, Sandilands, Whitten, Dempsey, Wheeler

 

SOUTH MELBOURNE

Young 3, Blair 3, Zantuck 2, Jamieson 2, Teasdale 2, Goss, Round, Pagan

 

UMPIRES

Robinson, James

 

 

CROWD

3,475 at VFL Park, Waverley

 

 

SOURCE

The Football Record

 

 

Geelong v
Hawthorn

ROUND 1 – Tuesday, May 31 at 7:50 pm

 

GEELONG

0.0 (0)

0.2 (2)

2.4 (16)

6.6 (42)

 

 

HAWTHORN

2.3 (15)

5.4 (34)

10.6 (66)

13.6 (84)

 

BEST PLAYERS

 

GEELONG

Clarke, Card, Cassidy, B. Nankervis, I. Nankervis, Sheehan

 

HAWTHORN

Hudson, Hendrie, K. Matthews, Trott, O’Halloran, Scott

GOALS

 

GEELONG

Ruscuklic 2, Witcombe, I. Nankervis, Clarke, Cassidy

 

HAWTHORN

Hudson 5, Hendrie 3, K. Matthews 2, Rice, Rowlings, Murphy

 

UMPIRES

Morgan, Polites

 

 

CROWD

2,743 at VFL Park, Waverley

 

 

SOURCE

The Football Record

 

 

Played in constant rain and freezing winds on Melbourne’s coldest day in 81 years.

Geelong's Kevin Sheehan reportedly tried to call out for the ball during the second half only to realise his jaw had locked due to the cold.
Melbourne v
Essendon

ROUND 1 – Tuesday, June 7 at 7:50 pm

 

MELBOURNE

4.4 (28)

6.6 (42)

9.8 (62)

10.11 (71)

 

 

ESSENDON

1.1 (7)

1.4 (10)

2.6 (18)

5.9 (39)

 

BEST PLAYERS

 

MELBOURNE

R. Flower, Wells, Campbell, Biffin, Fowler, Tippett

 

ESSENDON

Scanlon, Watson, Fletcher, Close, Primmer,
Van der Haar, Andrews

GOALS

 

MELBOURNE

Walters 3, T. Flower, R. Flower, Tippett, Cook, Wells, Biffin, Fowler

 

ESSENDON

Crow, Scanlon, Foulds, Crow, Primmer

 

UMPIRES

James, Nash

 

 

CROWD

10,036 at VFL Park, Waverley

 

 

SOURCE

The Football Record

 

 

LADDER

ROUND 1 LADDER

 

TEAM

W

L

For

Against

%

 

Hawthorn

1

-

84

42

200.0

 

South Melbourne

1

-

104

57

182.5

 

Melbourne

1

-

71

39

182.1

 

Richmond

1

-

128

72

177.8

 

Fitzroy

1

-

108

74

145.9

 

Carlton

1

-

89

79

112.7

 

St Kilda*

-

1

79

89

88.8

 

North Melbourne*

-

1

74

108

68.5

 

Collingwood

-

1

72

128

56.3

 

Essendon

-

1

39

71

54.9

 

Footscray

-

1

57

104

54.8

 

Geelong

-

1

42

84

50.0

 

*St Kilda and North Melbourne advanced to the next round as the two losing teams with the highest percentage.

The quarter-finals draw was determined by ladder position:
 (1) Hawthorn vs (8) North Melbourne
(2) South Melbourne vs (7) St Kilda
(3) Melbourne vs (6) Carlton
(4) Richmond vs (5) Fitzroy
QTR FINALS
South Melbourne v
St Kilda
Hawthorn v
North Melbourne
Melbourne v
Carlton
Richmond v Fitzroy
South Melbourne v
St Kilda

QUARTER-FINAL – Tuesday, June 21 at 7:50 pm

 

SOUTH MELBOURNE

4.3 (27)

5.5 (35)

7.9 (51)

12.14 (86)

 

 

ST KILDA

5.2 (32)

5.8 (38)

16.14 (110)

19.14 (128)

 

BEST PLAYERS

 

SOUTH MELBOURNE

Lambert, Morrison, Zantuck, Daniher, Evans, Carter

 

ST KILDA

Tweeddale, Lofts, Perovic, Williams, Barker, Ditterich

GOALS

 

SOUTH MELBOURNE

Morrison 3, Gull 2, Daniher 2, Evans 2, Browning, Carter, Hounsell

 

ST KILDA

Lofts 4, Tweeddale 4, Williams 4, Breen, Stevens, Duperouzel, R. Elliott, Callery, Carlon, Bond

 

UMPIRES

K. Smith, Henry

 

 

CROWD

5,123 at VFL Park, Waverley

 

 

SOURCE

The Football Record

 

 

Hawthorn v
North Melbourne

QUARTER-FINAL – Tuesday, June 28 at 7:50 pm

 

HAWTHORN

0.4 (4)

2.6 (18)

5.9 (39)

7.10 (52)

 

 

NORTH MELBOURNE

0.4 (4)

1.5 (11)

2.9 (21)

5.11 (41)

 

BEST PLAYERS

 

HAWTHORN

Rowlings, Tuck, Scott, O’Halloran, Polkinghorne, Knights

 

NORTH MELBOURNE

Dench, Tanner, Cassin, Henshaw, Moore, Baker

GOALS

 

HAWTHORN

Hendrie 2, Hudson 2, Bennett, Trott, Rowlings

 

NORTH MELBOURNE

Baker 2, Crosswell, Briedis, Byrne

 

UMPIRES

Dye, Sawers

 

 

CROWD

3,346 at VFL Park, Waverley

 

 

SOURCE

The Football Record

 

 

Melbourne v
Carlton

QUARTER-FINAL – Tuesday, July 5 at 7:50 pm

 

MELBOURNE

3.5 (23)

5.8 (38)

10.11 (71)

11.15 (81)

 

 

CARLTON

4.4 (28)

8.9 (57)

9.12 (66)

15.13 (103)

 

BEST PLAYERS

 

MELBOURNE

Norsworthy, McKellar, Hardeman, Coles, Smith, Fowler, Flower

 

CARLTON

Byrne, Canfield, Doull, Jesaulenko, Mangels, Walls

GOALS

 

MELBOURNE

Biffin 4, Coles 3, Brewer 2, Fowler, Norsworthy

 

CARLTON

Ashman 4, Walls 3, Jesaulenko 3, Armstrong 2, Canfield 2, McConnon

 

UMPIRES

Quinn, Robinson

 

 

CROWD

6,841 at VFL Park, Waverley

 

 

SOURCE

The Football Record / The Sun / The Age

 

 

NOTE: The Football Record lists only 14 of Carlton’s 15 goals, crediting Canfield with one goal instead of two.

------------------

During the Herald Shield curtain-raiser a 10-minute blackout occurred causing the match to be shortened. VFL officials feared another power failure like that of May 17 had occurred.

They were relieved to find the problem was caused by a technician in the control booth accidentally knocking out the plug to their $1 million dollar lighting system! [The Age 6-7-1977]
Richmond v Fitzroy

QUARTER-FINAL – Tuesday, July 12 at 7:50 pm

 

RICHMOND

4.1 (25)

6.2 (38)

11.5 (71)

15.11 (101)

 

 

FITZROY

2.2 (14)

6.5 (41)

9.10 (64)

10.11 (71)

 

BEST PLAYERS

 

RICHMOND

Monteath, McGhie, Pitura, Bourke, Sheedy, Roach, Cloke

 

FITZROY

Irwin, Serafini, Hansen, Shepherd, Merrigan, Thompson

GOALS

 

RICHMOND

Monteath 6, Noonan 4, Hummel 2, Pitura 2, Lynch

 

FITZROY

Thompson 2, Hansen, McMahon, Harris, Austen, Wilson, Linton, Serafini, Chapman

 

UMPIRES

Deller, Lyons

 

 

CROWD

8,169 at VFL Park, Waverley

 

 

SOURCE

The Football Record