NON-PREMIERSHIP MATCHES
1978 AMCO-HERALD CUP
SUMMARY OF RESULTS
Date |
Teams |
1/4 |
1/2 |
3/4 |
Final |
Margin |
Venue |
Day/Time |
Crowd |
ROUND 1 |
|||||||||
Mar-03 |
Collingwood |
2.0 (12) |
5.0 (30) |
7.2 (44) |
10.8 (68) |
58 |
VFL Park, Waverley |
Fri |
18,585 |
South Melbourne |
3.0 (18) |
6.3 (39) |
14.8 (92) |
19.12 (126) |
(8:30pm) |
||||
Mar-10 |
Footscray |
4.5 (29) |
5.6 (36) |
6.7 (43) |
9.9 (63) |
17 |
VFL Park, Waverley |
Fri |
10,136 |
North Melbourne |
3.1 (19) |
5.7 (37) |
6.12 (48) |
11.14 (80) |
(8:30pm) |
||||
Mar-17 |
Geelong* |
1.3 (9) |
1.4 (10) |
6.10 (46) |
8.14 (62) |
1 |
VFL Park, Waverley |
Fri |
10,321 |
Carlton |
2.7 (19) |
4.10 (34) |
5.13 (43) |
8.15 (63) |
(8:30pm) |
||||
Mar-23 |
Tasmania |
1.6 (12) |
3.7 (25) |
9.8 (62) |
10.10 (70) |
18 |
VFL Park, Waverley |
Thu |
5,136 |
Fitzroy |
2.2 (14) |
3.4 (22) |
7.7 (49) |
13.10 (88) |
(8:30pm) |
||||
Apr-04 |
Richmond |
2.3 (15) |
5.6 (36) |
8.7 (55) |
13.10 (88) |
51 |
VFL Park, Waverley |
Tue |
15,764 |
Essendon |
2.0 (12) |
2.1 (13) |
4.4 (28) |
5.7 (37) |
(8:30pm) |
||||
Apr-11 |
Melbourne |
5.4 (34) |
5.5 (35) |
7.7 (49) |
8.9 (57) |
39 |
VFL Park, Waverley |
Tue |
8,867 |
St Kilda |
1.1 (7) |
4.8 (32) |
9.11 (65) |
14.12 (96) |
(8:30pm) |
||||
*Geelong advanced as the losing
team in Round 1 with the highest percentage |
|||||||||
Hawthorn (winners of the 1977
series) received a first-round bye and advanced directly to the quarter
finals |
|||||||||
QUARTER FINALS |
|||||||||
Apr-18 |
South Melbourne |
2.3 (15) |
3.6 (24) |
6.10 (46) |
9.14 (68) |
24 |
VFL Park, Waverley |
Tue |
5,822 |
Fitzroy |
3.0 (18) |
5.4 (34) |
10.5 (65) |
14.8 (92) |
(8:30pm) |
||||
May-02 |
Richmond |
2.2 (14) |
3.2 (20) |
13.6 (84) |
15.10 (100) |
17 |
VFL Park, Waverley |
Tue |
12,061 |
Carlton |
0.3 (3) |
3.9 (27) |
4.10 (34) |
11.17 (83) |
(8:30pm) |
||||
May-09 |
Hawthorn |
1.1 (7) |
2.3 (15) |
5.5 (35) |
5.6 (36) |
31 |
VFL Park, Waverley |
Tue |
8,146 |
Geelong |
1.1 (7) |
4.1 (25) |
6.4 (40) |
10.7 (67) |
(8:30pm) |
||||
May-16 |
St Kilda |
3.5 (23) |
5.5 (35) |
7.7 (49) |
8.8 (56) |
4 |
VFL Park, Waverley |
Tue |
20,694 |
North Melbourne |
1.5 (11) |
2.7 (19) |
6.10 (46) |
8.12 (60) |
(8:30pm) |
||||
SEMI FINALS |
|||||||||
May-23 |
Fitzroy |
3.2 (20) |
5.6 (36) |
7.10 (52) |
10.14 (74) |
16 |
VFL Park, Waverley |
Tue |
8,172 |
Richmond |
1.4 (10) |
1.7 (13) |
2.8 (20) |
8.10 (58) |
(8:30pm) |
||||
May-30 |
Geelong |
3.0 (18) |
6.2 (38) |
8.4 (52) |
9.5 (59) |
39 |
VFL Park, Waverley |
Tue |
6,590 |
North Melbourne |
4.0 (24) |
5.1 (31) |
7.3 (45) |
15.8 (98) |
(8:30pm) |
||||
GRAND FINAL |
|||||||||
Jun-13 |
VFL officials decided at 8am on the
day of the match to postpone the Grand Final to June 20 due to torrential
rain |
||||||||
Jun-20 |
Fitzroy |
2.3 (15) |
3.5 (23) |
10.13 (73) |
13.18 (96) |
76 |
VFL Park, Waverley |
Tue |
26,420 |
North Melbourne |
2.1 (13) |
2.5 (17) |
2.6 (18) |
2.8 (20) |
(8:30pm) |
||||
FIXTURE NOTES |
|||||||||
Apr-25 |
No match due to the Anzac Day split-round in the VFL premiership
competition |
||||||||
Jun-06 |
No match due to the Queen's Birthday split-round in the VFL
premiership competition |
ABOUT THE 1978 SERIES
Also, in addition to the usual venues in Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne, some matches would be played in Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Darwin to promote Australian football. The VFL rejected the NFL's plans and proposed that the last 15 games of the series should be played at VFL Park, Waverley. They refused to participate if the VFA was involved and did not see any need for the Australian Amateurs to be included. |
The SANFL and WAFL rejected the VFL's proposals and the stand-off continued. However, the first signs of a breakaway appeared with the Tasmanian Football League choosing to participate in both the NFL and VFL competitions - making them the first non-VFL team to play in the Victorian League's series.
The rival VFL and NFL competitions again went head-to-head nationally on the Seven and ATV-0 networks. On two occasions games were played in the same city, on the same night:
- May 9: Geelong v Hawthorn at VFL Park drew a crowd of 8,146 / Port Melbourne v N.S.W. at Lake Oval drew a crowd of 3,682
- May 23: Fitzroy v Richmond at VFL Park drew a crowd of 8,172 / Sandringham v A.C.T. at Lake Oval drew a crowd of 2,680
PARTICIPATING TEAMS
The first four matches (played during the VFL pre-season) were held on Thursday or Friday nights, the rest of the matches were played on Tuesday nights throughout the VFL premiership season.
SERIES FORMAT
Geelong advanced to the quarter-finals as the losing team from Round 1 with the highest percentage.
The quarter-finals draw was then determined by ladder position:
(1) Hawthorn v (8) Geelong
(2) Richmond v (7) Carlton
(3) South Melbourne v (6) Fitzroy
(4) St Kilda v (5) North Melbourne
From the quarter-finals stage onward all matches were played on a knockout basis.
NOTABLE EVENTS
*A glimpse of the future - although the term "Australian Football Championships" appeared on the cover of the Football Record throughout the 1978 Amco-Herald Cup (see right), the competition was organised and run entirely by the VFL. In June 1978 the VFL announced their plans to form a new company to oversee a night series that would be broadcast nationally and Australian Football Championships Pty. Ltd. was incorporated on July 28, 1978 to run the new national night competition. The VFL were joined by the WAFL, TANFL, ACTAFL and NSWAFL in the joint venture. However, the SANFL rejected the VFL's overtures, choosing to remain aligned with the NFL instead. They were joined by the VFA and QAFL in a greatly-reduced NFL series in 1979. *No gloves, no worries - the May 9th Hawthorn-Geelong match was played in wet, greasy conditions and four Hawthorn players wore gloves throughout the match; a first for Australian football. The following day The Age reported that the Hawks were defeated by the "kittens without mittens". |
However, their respective win-loss records did not tell the full story. Seven of the Lions' losses had been by 10-points or less and North, after a strong start to the season, had tapered-off in the month before the Night Grand Final, posting two lucky 3-point wins (one of which was against Fitzroy) as well as copping a 59-point thrashing from Carlton.
The pundits were a little surprised at Fitzroy's six-point half time lead but were left stunned at what followed. The Lions unleashed a fifty-point onslaught in the third-quarter, kicking 7.8 to a solitary point by North Melbourne. By the final siren Fitzroy had outscored the Kangaroos by 73 to 3 in the second half to claim just their second senior flag since the 1944 VFL Premiership (the other was the 1959 Night Premiership).
*Wilson raises the trophy - Fitzroy’s captain Harvey Merrigan was unavailable for the Grand Final due to injury, and in his absence vice-captain Garry Wilson led the team to victory.
*Leading goalkicker of the series - Fitzroy's Bob Beecroft led all scorers with 13 goals from 4 games.
MATCH REPORTS
The Age (Melbourne)
The Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne) The Mercury (Hobart) The Football Record (AFL) |
ROUND 1
Richmond
St Kilda
Fitzroy
South Melbourne
Hawthorn
Essendon
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 |
|
*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
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 |
|
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 |
|
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]
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 |
|
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 |
|
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.
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, |
||||
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 |
|
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 |
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 |
St Kilda
North Melbourne
Carlton
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
------------------
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]
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 |
|