1984 AFC STERLING CUP

David Eastman   //   February 15, 2017

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*Bombers win the double - having suffered a record 83-point thrashing in the 1983 VFL Grand Final the Bombers entered the 1984 Night Series final seeking redemption. Their 51-point win in the Sterling Cup final restored their belief, and just two months later they became the first club to win the night and day double.


*Cup presentation goes underground - in a controversial move the AFC chose to move the Grand Final post-match presentation ceremony from an on-field podium to the winning team's dressing rooms. This was done after problems with rowdy fans who had jeered administrators the previous year. After a backlash from fans and media alike the ceremony returned to its traditional location out on the ground for the 1986 series.


*Now you see it, now you don't - an unfortunate side-effect of the in-rooms presentation was the subsequent theft of the trophy. Photos exist of Essendon captain Terry Daniher holding the Sterling Cup (see below) but somewhere in the chaos of the celebrations, with jubilant club patrons and fans filling the rooms, the cup vanished and has never been seen again.

Club historian, Barb Cullen launched a search for the trophy in 2001 but it remains missing, with the club having a replica made to fill the void in the trophy display at their Hall of Fame.


*Swans still on the bench - Swan Districts (1983 WAFL Premiers) again qualified for the series by winning the WAFL premiership, but were forced to serve the final year of their two-year ban for playing a Reserves/Colts side against Richmond in the 1982 series. They were replaced in the competition by South Fremantle (1983 WAFL 3rd).

1984 Sterling Cup programme (private collection)

*Sydney grounded - the Swans' opening match in the series on April 17 had to be cancelled 90 minutes before the opening bounce due to their flight to Melbourne being heavily delayed. Had they eventually boarded the flight the Swans would have arrived at Waverley at half-time. The match was played on May 22nd instead.


*Adelaide nights - the 1984 season was the first to feature night matches at Football Park. Two opening round matches were played under the SANFL's newly-constructed light towers: West Adelaide vs Footscray on April 3rd and Sturt vs Melbourne on May 29th.


*Queensland so close - a qualification match was played in Brisbane between Queensland (the winner of the 1983 Escort Shield contested by the developing states – TAS, QLD, NSW, ACT) and St Kilda (the last-placed team in the 1983 VFL premiership). St Kilda scraped-in by just 11 points and advanced to the first round of the Night Series.


*Interstate teams crash - the 1984 series was the first since the 1981 Escort Championships to have no SANFL or WAFL teams advance to the quarter finals.


*Leading goalkicker of the series - Tony Lockett (St Kilda) led all scorers with 10 goals from 3 games.

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QUALIFYING
DATE	TEAMS	1/4	1/2	3/4	FINAL	MARGIN	VENUE	DAY/TIME	CROWD
Mar-18	St Kilda	2.3 (15)	6.8 (44)	9.10 (64)	12.14 (86)	11	Keath Beavis Oval, Windsor	Sun (D)	8,000
	Queensland	1.3 (9)	1.4 (10)	5.6 (36)	11.9 (75)
ROUND 1
DATE	TEAMS	1/4	1/2	3/4	FINAL	MARGIN	VENUE	DAY/TIME	CROWD
Mar-06	Essendon	4.5 (29)	5.7 (37)	7.14 (56)	15.20 (110)	63	VFL Park, Waverley	Tue (8:40pm)	9,178
	North Melbourne	2.2 (14)	4.2 (26)	6.5 (41)	7.5 (47)
Mar-13	Collingwood	2.2 (14)	4.4 (28)	8.8 (56)	12.12 (84)	36	VFL Park, Waverley	Tue (8:40pm)	4,194
	Claremont (WA-2)	2.1 (13)	3.8 (26)	3.16 (34)	5.18 (48)
Mar-20	Hawthorn	3.2 (20)	6.8 (44)	12.9 (81)	18.13 (121)	47	VFL Park, Waverley	Tue (8:40pm)	7,813
	Richmond	3.2 (20)	4.2 (26)	7.5 (47)	11.8 (74)
Apr-03	Footscray	1.6 (12)	6.9 (45)	11.12 (78)	11.21 (87)	27	Football Park, Adelaide	Tue (8:06pm)	3,291
	West Adelaide (SA-1)	1.5 (11)	3.6 (24)	7.9 (51)	8.12 (60)
May-01	St Kilda	2.3 (15)	4.6 (30)	8.11 (59)	15.12 (102)	15	VFL Park, Waverley	Tue (8:40pm)	3,206
	South Fremantle (WA-3)	2.3 (15)	3.7 (25)	9.9 (63)	12.15 (87)
May-08	Carlton	1.1 (7)	2.2 (14)	7.5 (47)	10.6 (66)	1	VFL Park, Waverley	Tue (8:40pm)	7,898
	Geelong	2.2 (14)	4.6 (30)	6.9 (45)	9.11 (65)
May-22	Sydney	1.2 (8)	4.7 (31)	10.11 (71)	14.17 (101)	69	VFL Park, Waverley	Tue (8:40pm)	3,873
	Fitzroy	3.1 (19)	3.3 (21)	4.5 (29)	4.8 (32)
May-29	Melbourne	2.2 (14)	6.7 (43)	9.8 (62)	16.10 (106)	9	Football Park, Adelaide	Tue (8:06pm)	3,709
	Sturt (SA-2)	1.6 (12)	1.9 (15)	9.15 (69)	13.19 (97)
QUARTER FINALS
DATE	TEAMS	1/4	1/2	3/4	FINAL	MARGIN	VENUE	DAY/TIME	CROWD
Jun-05	Essendon	3.3 (21)	5.7 (37)	9.11 (65)	12.14 (86)	51	VFL Park, Waverley	Tue (8:40pm)	13,776
	Collingwood	0.1 (1)	0.2 (2)	2.3 (15)	5.5 (35)
Jun-12	Sydney	2.3 (15)	3.5 (23)	9.8 (62)	12.13 (85)	39	VFL Park, Waverley	Tue (8:40pm)	3,521
	St Kilda	4.0 (24)	5.0 (30)	5.2 (32)	7.4 (46)
Jun-19	Hawthorn	1.4 (10)	3.9 (27)	9.11 (65)	14.20 (104)	31	VFL Park, Waverley	Tue (8:40pm)	3,763
	Footscray	3.2 (20)	4.4 (28)	5.4 (34)	11.7 (73)
Jun-26	Carlton	2.2 (14)	5.4 (34)	8.6 (54)	14.9 (93)	15	VFL Park, Waverley	Tue (8:40pm)	5,779
	Melbourne	4.3 (27)	7.4 (46)	10.9 (69)	11.12 (78)
SEMI FINALS
DATE	TEAMS	1/4	1/2	3/4	FINAL	MARGIN	VENUE	DAY/TIME	CROWD
Jul-03	Essendon	1.2 (8)	1.3 (9)	8.3 (51)	10.12 (72)	15	VFL Park, Waverley	Tue (8:40pm)	5,849
	Hawthorn	2.4 (16)	4.6 (30)	5.12 (42)	7.15 (57)
Jul-10	Sydney	2.4 (16)	4.5 (29)	10.11 (71)	15.12 (102)	21	VFL Park, Waverley	Tue (8:40pm)	5,303
	Carlton	4.1 (25)	8.3 (51)	11.4 (70)	12.9 (81)
GRAND FINAL
DATE	TEAMS	1/4	1/2	3/4	FINAL	MARGIN	VENUE	DAY/TIME	CROWD
Jul-24	Essendon	1.2 (8)	4.6 (30)	7.9 (51)	13.11 (89)	51	VFL Park, Waverley	Tue (8:40pm)	30,824
	Sydney	1.4 (10)	1.5 (11)	2.6 (18)	5.8 (38)
FIXTURE NOTES
Mar-27	No night series match due to the opening round in the VFL premiership competition
Apr-10	No night series match because Sydney played a premiership match two days earlier on Sunday, April 8
Apr-17	Sydney-Fitzroy cancelled 90 minutes before the start due to the Swans' flight to Melbourne being delayed (played May 22 instead)
Apr-24	No night series match due to the Easter split-round in the VFL premiership competition
May-15	No night series match due to the South Australia vs Victoria state game played that day in Adelaide
Jun-12/19	Hawthorn-Footscray was originally scheduled for June 12 and Sydney-St Kilda was June 19. These matches were inversed because
	Hawthorn and Footscray played on the Monday of the Queen's Birthday VFL Split Round (June 11).

 

Action from the 1984 Sterling Cup Grand Final - at left, Sydney's Wayne Carroll outmarks Essendon's Steve Carey. At right, Essendon rover Tony Elshaug heads goalward. (Inside Football)

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MATCH REPORTS

Listed below are match reports for all 16 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 Age and The Sun News Pictorial newspapers.

QUALIFYING

Match 3 - Sunday, March 18

ST KILDA

2.3 (15)

6.8 (44)

9.10 (64)

12.14 (86)

QUEENSLAND

1.3 (9)

1.4 (10)

5.6 (36)

11.9 (75)

BEST PLAYERS:

St Kilda

Burns, Crow, Sarau, Elphinstone, Mace, Cross

Queensland

O'Neill, O'Keefe, Maddison, McIvor, Beckett, Morrison, Magarey

GOALKICKERS:

St Kilda

Cross 2, D. Cunningham 2, G. Cunningham 2, Foschini 2, Cowie, Lane, Lockett, Sarau

Queensland

Housley 4, Maddison 2, McIvor, Pie, Morrison, Gibson, Smith

UMPIRES:

unknown

CROWD:

8,000

SOURCE:

AGE/SUN/ Courier Mail

NOTES:

Qualification match between the winner of the 1983 Escort Shield (played between the "developing states" – TAS, QLD, NSW, ACT) and the

last-placed team in the 1983 VFL premiership. The winner of this match advanced to the first round of the Night Series.

ROUND 1

Match 1 - Tuesday, March 6

ESSENDON

4.5 (29)

5.7 (37)

7.14 (56)

15.20 (110)

NORTH MELBOURNE

2.2 (14)

4.2 (26)

6.5 (41)

7.5 (47)

BEST PLAYERS:

Essendon

Hawker, Daniher, Watson, Buhagiar, Salmon, Madden

North Melbourne

Smith, Ramsay, Cowton, Dench, Dunstan, McCann

GOALKICKERS:

Essendon

Buhagiar 4, Salmon 2, Daniher 2, Hawker 2, Neagle, Dunell, Williams, Copping, Madden

North Melbourne

Glendinning 2, P. Krakouer, Kelly, McCann, Fairley, Jonas

UMPIRES:

Cameron, Morrow

CROWD:

9,178

SOURCE:

SUN/AGE

NOTES:

-

Match 2 - Tuesday, March 13

COLLINGWOOD

2.2 (14)

4.4 (28)

8.8 (56)

12.12 (84)

CLAREMONT

2.1 (13)

3.8 (26)

3.16 (34)

5.18 (48)

BEST PLAYERS:

Collingwood

Browne, Russell, Fellowes, Morwood, Phillips, G. Shaw, Cloke, Barham, Williams

Claremont

Malaxos, M. O'Connell, Daniels, Barns, Kickett, Monteath

GOALKICKERS:

Collingwood

Russell 4, Daicos 3, Cloke, Fellowes, Williams, G. Shaw, M. Beers

Claremont

Kickett 2, Daniels, Monteath, Rowe

UMPIRES:

Johnson, Sawers

CROWD:

4,194

SOURCE:

SUN

NOTES:

-

Match 4 - Tuesday, March 20

HAWTHORN

3.2 (20)

6.8 (44)

12.9 (81)

18.13 (121)

RICHMOND

3.2 (20)

4.2 (26)

7.5 (47)

11.8 (74)

BEST PLAYERS:

Hawthorn

Matthews, Tuck, Judge, Mew, Wallace, Kennedy

Richmond

Jess, Landy, Walsh, Rioli, Lee, Roach

GOALKICKERS:

Hawthorn

Matthews 5, Judge 4, Tuck 3, McCarthy 2, Wallace, Greene, Shields, Kennedy

Richmond

Roach 2, Pickering 2, Landy 2, Rolfe 2, Williams, Walsh, Rioli

UMPIRES:

unknown

CROWD:

7,813

SOURCE:

SUN/AGE

NOTES:

-

Match 5 - Tuesday, April 3

FOOTSCRAY

1.6 (12)

6.9 (45)

11.12 (78)

11.21 (87)

WEST ADELAIDE

1.5 (11)

3.6 (24)

7.9 (51)

8.12 (60)

BEST PLAYERS:

Footscray

Sewell, Edmond, Purser, Kellett, Royal, Wallis, Egan

West Adelaide

Falting, Conlen, Watson, Grosser, Herbert, Kantilaftas

GOALKICKERS:

Footscray

Edmond 3, Dunne 2, Bennett 2, Royal 2, N. Cordy, Groenewegen

West Adelaide

Falting 2, Patterson 2, Davoren, Grosser, Conlen, Herbert

UMPIRES:

R. Kinnear (SANFL), N. Nash (VFL)

CROWD:

3,291

SOURCE:

SUN/Advertiser

NOTES:

Played under the newly installed lights at Football Park in Adelaide.

Match 6 - Tuesday, May 1

ST KILDA

2.3 (15)

4.6 (30)

8.11 (59)

15.12 (102)

SOUTH FREMANTLE

2.3 (15)

3.7 (25)

9.9 (63)

12.15 (87)

BEST PLAYERS:

St Kilda

Burns, Lockett, Smith, Foschini, Cowie, Pirrie

South Fremantle

Hart, Hardie, Vigona, Dorotich, Borthwick, Gillies

GOALKICKERS:

St Kilda

Lockett 6, Foschini 4, D. Cunningham 2, Burns, Smith, Muir

South Fremantle

Vigona 4, Hart 3, Dorotich 3, Hardie, Gillies

UMPIRES:

T. Bryant (VFL), M. Ball (WAFL)

CROWD:

3,206

SOURCE:

SUN

NOTES:

-

Match 7 - Tuesday, May 8

CARLTON

1.1 (7)

2.2 (14)

7.5 (47)

10.6 (66)

GEELONG

2.2 (14)

4.6 (30)

6.9 (45)

9.11 (65)

BEST PLAYERS:

Carlton

Johnston, Rohde, Reid, Doull, Blackwell

Geelong

Reed, Williams, Yeates, Bright, Bews, Bourke

GOALKICKERS:

Carlton

Johnston 3, McConville 2, Blackwell, Howell, Austin, Murphy, Rohde

Geelong

Williams 3, Bright, Turner, Bolton, M. Jackson, D. Jackson, Bews

UMPIRES:

Howe, Rich

CROWD:

7,898

SOURCE:

SUN

NOTES:

-

Match 8 - Tuesday, May 22

SYDNEY

1.2 (8)

4.7 (31)

10.11 (71)

14.17 (101)

FITZROY

3.1 (19)

3.3 (21)

4.5 (29)

4.8 (32)

BEST PLAYERS:

Sydney

Davis, Hawke, Rhys-Jones, Capper, Round, D. Carroll, Chilcott, Braddy

Fitzroy

Pekin, Cooper, Lokan, Roos, Coleman, Carlson

GOALKICKERS:

Sydney

Davis 4, Braddy 3, Rhys-Jones 2, Capper 2, Round, Whitzell, Condon

Fitzroy

Roos 2, Scott, Gotch

UMPIRES:

Robinson, Vasiliou

CROWD:

3,873

SOURCE:

SUN

NOTES:

Originally April 17 but postponed due to a flight delay which would have caused the Swans to arrive 90 minutes late.

Match 9 - Tuesday, May 29

MELBOURNE

2.2 (14)

6.7 (43)

9.8 (62)

16.10 (106)

STURT

1.6 (12)

1.9 (15)

9.15 (69)

13.19 (97)

BEST PLAYERS:

Melbourne

Smith, Cordner, Greg Healy, Icke, Williams, O'Sullivan, Tossol

Sturt

Hargraves, Motley, Fielke, Derrington, Heinrich, Paynter

GOALKICKERS:

Melbourne

Cordner 6, Greg Healy 4, Williams 3, Battiston, Tossol, Gerard Healy,

Sturt

Fielke 4, Barbary 2, Smith 2, Brown 2, Davies 2, Derrington

UMPIRES:

D. Foster (SANFL), P. Howe (VFL)

CROWD:

3,709

SOURCE:

SUN

NOTES:

Played at Football Park, Adelaide

QUARTER FINALS

Match 10 - Tuesday, June 5

ESSENDON

3.3 (21)

5.7 (37)

9.11 (65)

12.14 (86)

COLLINGWOOD

0.1 (1)

0.2 (2)

2.3 (15)

5.5 (35)

BEST PLAYERS:

Essendon

Elshaug, Daniher, Waterson, Thompson, Duckworth, Wood

Collingwood

Abernethy, Kelly, T. Shaw, N. Shaw, Browne

GOALKICKERS:

Essendon

Elshaug 3, Eustice 2, Salmon, Daniher, Merrett, Madden, Watson, Waterson, Duncan

Collingwood

Kelly 2, Abernethy, T. Shaw, Woodhall

UMPIRES:

unknown

CROWD:

13,776

SOURCE:

AGE

NOTES:

-

Match 11 - Tuesday, June 12

SYDNEY

2.3 (15)

3.5 (23)

9.8 (62)

12.13 (85)

ST KILDA

4.0 (24)

5.0 (30)

5.2 (32)

7.4 (46)

BEST PLAYERS:

Sydney

Evans, Smith, Scott, Capper, Frangalas, Condon

St Kilda

Cronan, Odgers, Morwod, Temay, Frawley, Cunningham

GOALKICKERS:

Sydney

Capper 5, Braddy 2, McBroom, Evans, Smith, Scott, Davis

St Kilda

Lockett 3, Temay 2, Grant, Jenkin

UMPIRES:

unknown

CROWD:

3,521

SOURCE:

AGE

NOTES:

-

Match 12 - Tuesday, June 19

HAWTHORN

1.4 (10)

3.9 (27)

9.11 (65)

14.20 (104)

FOOTSCRAY

3.2 (20)

4.4 (28)

5.4 (34)

11.7 (73)

BEST PLAYERS:

Hawthorn

Tuck, Dipierdomenico, Schwab, Polkinghorne, Loveridge, Greene

Footscray

Williams, Sewell, Kennedy, Egan, N. Cordy, Gorozidis, Baxter

GOALKICKERS:

Hawthorn

Tuck 3, Dipierdomenico 3, Flintoff 3, McCarthy 2, Byrne, Loveridge, Curran

Footscray

Williams 3, Sewell 2, Bennett 2, Kennedy, Atkins, Gorozidis, R. Macpherson

UMPIRES:

unknown

CROWD:

3,763

SOURCE:

SUN

NOTES:

-

Match 13 - Tuesday, June 26

CARLTON

2.2 (14)

5.4 (34)

8.6 (54)

14.9 (93)

MELBOURNE

4.3 (27)

7.4 (46)

10.9 (69)

11.12 (78)

BEST PLAYERS:

Carlton

Kourkoumelis, Meldrum, Montgomery, McConville, Gumley, Muller

Melbourne

Connolly, Boland, Dickson, Williams, Bailey, Gerard Healy

GOALKICKERS:

Carlton

Meldrum 2, Muller 2, Alvin 2, Honybun, Kourkoumelis, McConville, Robertson, Williams, Madden, Gumley, Kennedy

Melbourne

Connolly 2, Gerard Healy, Giles, Williams, Battiston, Richards, Bailey, Boland, Reynolds (missing 1)

UMPIRES:

K. Smith, Mitchell

CROWD:

5,779

SOURCE:

AGE/Football Record

NOTES:

-

SEMI FINALS

Match 14 - Tuesday, July 3

ESSENDON

1.2 (8)

1.3 (9)

8.3 (51)

10.12 (72)

HAWTHORN

2.4 (16)

4.6 (30)

5.12 (42)

7.15 (57)

BEST PLAYERS:

Essendon

Williams, Van der Haar, Harvey, Parker, Dunell, Bradbury, Merrett, Thompson

Hawthorn

Matthews, Mew, Tuck, Brereton, Curran, Ayres, Schwab

GOALKICKERS:

Essendon

Van der Haar 3, Neagle, Clarke, Parker, Williams, Kink, Harvey, Ezard

Hawthorn

Curran 2, Matthews, Brereton, Schwab, Greene, Judge

UMPIRES:

Howlett, Robinson

CROWD:

5,849

SOURCE:

SUN

NOTES:

-

Match 15 - Tuesday, July 10

SYDNEY

2.4 (16)

4.5 (29)

10.11 (71)

15.12 (102)

CARLTON

4.1 (25)

8.3 (51)

11.4 (70)

12.9 (81)

BEST PLAYERS:

Sydney

Morwood, Daniher, Smith, Whitzell, Browning, Holden

Carlton

Madden, Hartney, Kourkoumelis, Ashman, Hunter, Doull

GOALKICKERS:

Sydney

Morwood 4, Smith 2, Mitchell 2, Daniher 2, W. Carroll, Holden, Foy, Whitzell, Siddons

Carlton

Hunter 2, Ashman 2, Murphy 2, Madden 2, Johnston 2, Montgomery, Kourkoumelis

UMPIRES:

Nolan, Bryant

CROWD:

5,303*

SOURCE:

SUN

NOTES:

*AFL has a crowd of 5,303, The Sun has 5,503

 

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1984 AFC NIGHT SERIES - GRAND FINAL

ESSENDON						SYDNEY SWANS
Kevin Sheedy				COACH		Ricky Quade
		Actual line-up not announced pre-match.		BACKS		Actual line-up not announced pre-match.
		Squad of 28 published in The Sun:		HALF-BACKS		Squad of 24 published in The Sun:
				CENTRES
		Baker, Banfield, Bradbury, Clark, Carey,		HALF-FORWARDS		Ackerley, Braddy, Browning (C), Capper, D. Carroll,
		T. Daniher (C), Duckworth, Dunell, Elshaug,		FORWARDS		W. Carroll, Carter, Condon, Daniher, Evans, Foy,
		Eustice, Ezard, Hannebery, Harvey, Hawker,		FOLLOWERS		Frangalas, Hawke, Holden, Kruse, Mitchell,
		Madden, Merrett, Neagle, Parker, Thomson,		ROVER		Morwood, Rhys-Jones, Roberts, Siddons, Smith,
		Thompson, Van der Haar, Walsh, Waterson,				Taubert, Whitzell, Wright
		Watson, West, Williams, Winton, Wood		INTERCHANGE
				EMERGENCIES

 

Match 16 - Tuesday, July 24
ESSENDON	1.2 (8)	4.6 (30)	7.9 (51)	13.11 (89)
SYDNEY	1.4 (10)	1.5 (11)	2.6 (18)	5.8 (38)
BEST PLAYERS:
Essendon	Ezard, T. Daniher, Clarke, Neagle, Thompson, Carey, Duckworth, Merrett
Sydney	Evans, W. Carroll, Holden, Wright, Hawke, Roberts
GOALKICKERS:
Essendon	Merrett 3, Baker 3, Ezard 2, Neagle, Elshaug, Eustice, Thompson, Madden
Sydney	Hawke, Wright, Mitchell, Rhys-Jones, Capper
UMPIRES:	Sawers, James
CROWD:	30,824
SOURCE:	SUN
NOTES:
In a break from tradition, the trophy presentation took place in the dressing rooms rather than on a
podium out on the field.

 

Terry Daniher with the 1984 Sterling Cup (Pinterest)

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MATCH FOOTAGE

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1985 AFC NIGHT SERIES

Last updated 17/11/2018

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