Grand Final History

The VFL celebrates its 50th Jubilee season with the return of the MCG and the Brownlow and some changes including the addition of a 20th man. The game has become a “Gigantic Industry’ according to VFL Secretary Like McBrien but clubs are still having trouble getting enough jumpers and balls with rationing still in place. Goal kicking legend Bob Pratt’s comeback would end after one game, some players would return to VFL footy after the trauma of being POW’s at Changi and the Burma Railway and some future champions would make their debut’s. The finals were thrilling, the second drawn semi final had the MCG curators fretting and the Grand Final would define what a “Premiership Quarter” looked like.

Ted Whitten said it was the best game he ever saw, several of the players had no memory of what happened, a suspended player got reported and Ted Whitfield’s pre-match routine was to drink 6 beers with a top up at halftime. The Bloodbath was an extraordinary Grand Final played shortly  after the end of World War II where a football match occasionally broke out between the fights. 1945 was a pivotal year, supporters were back watching footy and the country waited for the end of hostilities, mourned the death of the US president and an Australian Prime Minister then saw the dawn of the Atomic Era. Listen to the episode to see how the 1945 season unfolded and how the legend of the Bloodbath began.

Supporters were “Up the Junction” in 1944, making their way to the Junction Oval, hosting the Grand Final for the first time since 1899, baked by hot winds on a 30C day with trams and busses on strike. It had been another tough wartime season, so tough even Jack Dyer got suspended, for the only time in his career. Some had suggested that anyone who hit Dyer deserved a Victoria Cross. The Tigers had considered a boycott in protest against a teammate's suspension but were in their third Grand Final in a row against Fitzroy, back in the Grand Final 22 years after their last premiership. As the Allies progressed through Europe and the Pacific, football administrators grappled with the future of football, would their be peace in our time between the VFL and the VFA?

Join us as we delve into the stories of resilience, sportsmanship, and historical significance that shaped the 1944 VFL season.

Eleven teams started the 1943 season but only ten made it to the final round. To ensure only one bye per team, the club on the bottom of the ladder after round eleven was eliminated! The earliest Wooden Spoon ever! The war meant everything was different, US Marines were at the MCG, they even played a gridiron game, the American football code as a rare game on the G once it was occupied for the war. The Americans even took on the Australians in a hybrid football game described as ‘aerial bombardment”. All the while the VFL season unfolded, with challenges of player availability and news of loss at the front line. Still plans were being prepared for peace time, would the VFL be expanding?

This episode delves into a unique chapter of football history set against the backdrop of World War II. Discover the remarkable story of the Changi Australian Football Association and the creation of the Changi Brownlow Medal within the brutal confines of Changi Prisoner of War Camp in Singapore. Despite being far from home in a hostile environment, Australian POWs found solace and a sense of normalcy through a makeshift football league. Learn how this extraordinary season symbolised the enduring spirit and camaraderie of the players amidst adversity, and how it left an indelible mark on the history of the sport. With insights from Roland Perry's book, "The Changi Brownlow," and historical records this is a story that honours the legacy of resilience of the prisoners at Changi and the unifying power of the Australian Game.

In 1942 the Americans were taking over the city and were amazed by the footy and yet some wanted to Americanise the local game to help it expand north and internationally. But there were bigger problems north of Australia with the Japanese advancing through the Pacific.

Not all the teams played, the MCG was a not so secret military base and Sunday football became a regular event but not for the VFL. The ordinary way of life was gone, the government was taking everyone’s binoculars but footy provided some comfort and normality in a season like no other.

A world in turmoil, a world at war and some want to play football on Sundays, undermining the nation’s spiritual and moral foundations and risking national destruction, there was a lot going on in 1941. Melbourne were aiming for their third premiership in a row while others wondered if football should be played at all. The VFA were stealing star players while others were in military camps, unsure how many games they would play while some were paying the ultimate price.

https://grandfinalhistory.au/episode-45-1941-a-greater-job-than-football/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/163ZFhqcO1xV8i5IaGN0BA?si=qlpgtv4iQJ6otVSGNeH9yA

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/episode-45-1941-a-greater-job-than-football/id1532640129?i=1000688747583

The greatest shirtfront ever delivered occurred in possibly the toughest season ever, with more players reported in 1940 than ever before. The drama and shocks on the field were matched by the turmoil and challenges off the field as the VFA looked to recruit the biggest stars of the day and many players made the biggest decisions of their lives to enlist in the armed services. St Kilda won their first premiership (The Patriotic Premiership with a Flag and a Cup) while Jack Dyer and Norm Smith clashed on the MCG.

Tune in for a look at how the year 1940 was a pivotal turning point for Australian football, shaping the future of the game both on and off the field.

https://grandfinalhistory.au/episode-44-the-greatest-shirtfront-ever/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ym4iWZiu1Ct2NK9lGxMEZ?si=z6BzlMZPSdOli-dL3LzJkw

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/episode-44-1940-the-greatest-shirtfront-ever/id1532640129?i=1000682306940

Welcome to 'Grand Final History,' where we delve into the tumultuous events of 1939, the 43rd season of the VFL, amid a backdrop of global and local crises. Experience how devastating bushfires scorched Victoria, culminating in the infamous Black Friday, and how the VFL played a role in providing solace through sport.

Join us as we navigate through a year marked by political upheaval, with the death of Australian Prime Minister Joseph Lyons and global tensions mounting towards World War II. Discover how the VFL operated amidst recruiting battles with the VFA and changes to game rules aimed at enhancing the pace and spectacle of Australian football.

Witness the shifting dynamics of the VFL clubs, with Collingwood's dominance under scrutiny and Melbourne's eventual triumph. Relive the dramatic moments of the finals, set against the backdrop of cinematic breakthroughs and innovations like the twist tie. This episode captures a pivotal moment in football history, reflective of a world on the brink of war.

https://grandfinalhistory.au/episode-43-1939-my-melancholy-duty/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6r8OmAjYorJ7Ce2R7q7lRN?si=w3A0lUp1ThicMuPJHmpftw

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/episode-43-1939-my-melancholy-duty/id1532640129?i=1000679020146

The VFL was “The rebellious child of the Association” and it could not dictate how football was going to be played in 1938. There was a split in Australian Football, the Association were changing the rules, allowing throwing the ball and more as they looked to attract more spectators to their games, so “Who cares what the League thinks” was their motto. 1938 was a dramatic year on and off the field, bribery attempts by gambling cartels, new teams in the finals and doping to help win a grand final. All this and more in the latest episode of Grand Final History.