1964 VFL Grand Final
Encyclopedia
The 1964 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football
game contested between the Collingwood Football Club
and Melbourne Football Club
, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
in Melbourne
on 19 September 1964. It was the 68th annual Grand Final
of the Victorian Football League
, staged to determine the premiers for the 1964 VFL season
. The match, attended by 102,469 spectators, was won by Melbourne by a margin of 4 points, marking that club's 12th (and to date, most recent) premiership victory.
who kicked the first goal of the term.
17 minutes into the quarter Collingwood trailed by 9 points but were within a kick when Ray Gabelich
kicked goal from a boundary throw in. Gabelich kicked another to put them in front soon afterwards, a goal that is now regarded as one of the most famous in grand final history. He had received the ball near centre half forward and due to Melbourne having spent the previous minutes in their own forwardline and Collingwood moving the ball upfield quickly, there were no defenders ahead of Gabelich. A 109 kg ruckman, Gabelich ran towards the goal, bounced the ball four times, nearly losing it on each occasion, and with Melbourne players gaining on him put it through the big sticks.
Collingwood were now 3 points up and time on was nearing. After the restart Melbourne's Barry Bourke
kicked the ball into their 50 and it was marked by rover Hassa Mann
. He was directly in front and only 20 metres out but his shot for goal came off the side of his boot and he could only manage a behind. Melbourne had another chance to win the game however when they kicked the ball towards the goalsquare. A big pack of players went for the ball but it spilled to the ground where Melbourne defender Neil Crompton
gathered the ball and kicked a goal. It was his only goal of the season and he had only been forward because he'd followed his opponent up field.
Just over 5 minutes remained and Collingwood had the ball in their forward line during the final minutes.Collingwood's Ian Graham had a chance to goal with a difficult snap from the boundary but missed. Melbourne held on against intense pressure from Collingwood until the siren sounded leaving Melbourne winners by 4 points.
Collingwood:
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
game contested between the Collingwood Football Club
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
and Melbourne Football Club
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
on 19 September 1964. It was the 68th annual Grand Final
AFL Grand Final
The AFL Grand Final is an annual Australian rules football match, traditionally held on the final Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia to determine the Australian Football League premiership champions for that year...
of the Victorian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
, staged to determine the premiers for the 1964 VFL season
1964 VFL season
Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1964.-Premiership season:In 1964, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...
. The match, attended by 102,469 spectators, was won by Melbourne by a margin of 4 points, marking that club's 12th (and to date, most recent) premiership victory.
Background
Melbourne were competing in the finals for the 11th consecutive season. They were also playing in their eighth Grand Final in 11 seasons and fighting for their sixth Premiership in that time.Match summary
With Melbourne leading by 11 points at the final break the match is remembered for its thrilling last quarter. In the early stages Melbourne had plenty of opportunities to kick goals but could only manage behinds and it was Collingwood's Des TuddenhamDes Tuddenham
Desmond Vincent Tuddenham is a former Australian rules footballer who played during the 1960s and 1970s. He was a half forward flanker....
who kicked the first goal of the term.
17 minutes into the quarter Collingwood trailed by 9 points but were within a kick when Ray Gabelich
Ray Gabelich
Ray Gabelich was an Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood in the Victorian Football League .He came to Collingwood from Western Australia as a centre half-forward in 1954 too late to be listed...
kicked goal from a boundary throw in. Gabelich kicked another to put them in front soon afterwards, a goal that is now regarded as one of the most famous in grand final history. He had received the ball near centre half forward and due to Melbourne having spent the previous minutes in their own forwardline and Collingwood moving the ball upfield quickly, there were no defenders ahead of Gabelich. A 109 kg ruckman, Gabelich ran towards the goal, bounced the ball four times, nearly losing it on each occasion, and with Melbourne players gaining on him put it through the big sticks.
Collingwood were now 3 points up and time on was nearing. After the restart Melbourne's Barry Bourke
Barry Bourke
Barry Bourke is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the Victorian Football League ....
kicked the ball into their 50 and it was marked by rover Hassa Mann
Hassa Mann
Harold Peter "Hassa" Mann is a former Australian rules footballer who played for and captained Melbourne in the VFL during the 1960s. He earned the name Hassa when he was a toddler, from his cousin and future Melbourne footballer Len Mann.A centreman, Mann was recruited from Rutherglen, Victoria...
. He was directly in front and only 20 metres out but his shot for goal came off the side of his boot and he could only manage a behind. Melbourne had another chance to win the game however when they kicked the ball towards the goalsquare. A big pack of players went for the ball but it spilled to the ground where Melbourne defender Neil Crompton
Neil Crompton (footballer)
Colin Neil Crompton was an Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the Victorian Football League ....
gathered the ball and kicked a goal. It was his only goal of the season and he had only been forward because he'd followed his opponent up field.
Just over 5 minutes remained and Collingwood had the ball in their forward line during the final minutes.Collingwood's Ian Graham had a chance to goal with a difficult snap from the boundary but missed. Melbourne held on against intense pressure from Collingwood until the siren sounded leaving Melbourne winners by 4 points.
Teams
Umpire - Ron BrophyScore
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne Melbourne Football Club The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria.... |
2.6 | 5.7 | 7.10 | 8.16 | 8.16 (64) |
| Collingwood Collingwood Football Club The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League... |
2.5 | 5.9 | 5.11 | 8.12 | 8.12 (60) |
Goal kickers
Melbourne:- Townsend 3
- Lord 2
- Bourke 1
- Crompton 1
- Mann 1
Collingwood:
- Gabelich 2
- Waters 2
- Bone 1
- Dalton 1
- Steer 1
- Tuddenham 1
External links
See also
- 1964 VFL season1964 VFL seasonResults and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1964.-Premiership season:In 1964, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...