1977 VFL Grand Final
Encyclopedia
The 1977 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football
game contested between the North Melbourne Football Club
and the Collingwood Football Club
, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
in Melbourne
on 24 September 1977. It was the 81st annual Grand Final
of the Victorian Football League
, staged to determine the premiers for the 1977 VFL season
.
The game ended in a draw
, leading to a replay between the two teams one week later, on 1 October 1977 again at the MCG. North Melbourne won the replay by a margin of 27 points, marking that club's second premiership victory.
in the 1970 VFL Grand Final
. It had last tasted premiership success nineteen years earlier, when it won the 1958 VFL Grand Final
. In contrast, North Melbourne had contested the previous three premiership deciders, winning the 1975 VFL Grand Final
but finishing runners-up in the 1974
and 1976
Grand Finals.
At the conclusion of the regular home-and-away season
, Collingwood, under former Richmond
coach Tom Hafey
, had finished first on the ladder with 18 wins and 4 losses. They had amazingly risen from last place in the 1976 season. North Melbourne had finished third (behind Hawthorn
), with 15 wins and 7 losses.
In the finals series leading up to the Grand Final, North Melbourne lost to Hawthorn by 38 points in the Qualifying Final before defeating Richmond
by 47 points in the First Semi-Final. They then met Hawthorn once again in the Preliminary Final, this time winning comfortably by 67 points to advance to the Grand Final. Collingwood advanced straight to the Grand Final on the back of a thrilling two-point win over Hawthorn in the Second Semi-Final.
The Magpies were without Phil Carman
for the Grand Final, who had been suspended for two matches after he was found guilty of striking Hawthorn's Michael Tuck
in the Second Semi-Final.
The game, which was attended by 108,224 spectators, was just the second of three Grand Finals in VFL/AFL history to be drawn, the others being the 1948 VFL Grand Final
and the 2010 AFL Grand Final
. Collingwood led by 27 points at three quarter time, helped by North Melbourne's inaccuracy in front of goal which saw them kick 13 successive behinds from the 24-minute mark of the first quarter. North's Arnold Briedis
had a game to forget, kicking seven behinds for the match. Amazingly, the Kangaroos did not kick a goal in the second and third quarters.
But the Kangaroos came back in the final period to kick five unanswered goals, helped by coach Ron Barassi
's move of defender Darryl Sutton
to full-forward, who kicked the first goal of the term. A disastrous handpass by Collingwood's Phil Manassa
to North's David Dench
in the goal square led to another Kangaroos goal. Then in the dying minutes of the game, two goals to Phil Baker
gave North the lead but they couldn't hold on, as Ross Dunne
marked directly in front for Collingwood and goaled with just 40 seconds remaining to level the scores.
Barassi said later "We should have won the game. I know that is a brave statement, but we did have five more scoring shots than Collingwood."
Coincidentally, on the same day as this match took place, the grand final replay for the 1977 NSWRFL season was held. The grand final, held the week before, finished in a 9-9 draw between St. George and Parramatta. Thus both major Australian football codes had a drawn grand final followed by a replay in 1977.
The replay, attended by 98,366 spectators, was North’s fifth consecutive finals match. It saw the Kangaroos leading throughout the match, with Briedis managing to turn things around to kick five goals.
North opened up a six goal lead before a ten minute burst by Collingwood reduced their half time lead to just 11 points. The Kangaroos then took a firm grip on the game in the third quarter.
Collingwood's Phil Manassa scored a memorable goal, running down the wing from the half-back line, bouncing the ball four times. He left Brownlow medallist, Malcolm Blight in his wake. This goal has since been commemorated by the AFL by awarding the Phil Manassa Medal to the winner of each year's Goal of the Year
.
Peter Moore kicked five goals in this game for the Magpies, following his four goals in the first Grand Final.
This was Collingwood's fifth loss in a Grand Final since their last win in 1958.
by the Seven Network
, drawing the greatest daytime audience in Australian television history at the time.
* Chris Perry replaced Doug Gott (knee) for the Grand Final Replay
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 North Melbourne Football Club
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
and 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...
, 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 24 September 1977. It was the 81st 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 1977 VFL season
1977 VFL season
Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1977.-Grand final:North Melbourne drew with Collingwood 9.22 to 10.16 , in front of a crowd of 108244 people. A replay was held, and North Melbourne defeated Collingwood 21.25 to 19.10 in front of a crowd of 98366 people...
.
The game ended in a draw
Draw
Draw, draws or drawn may refer to:* The act of drawing, or making an image with a writing utensil* A part of many card games* A part of a lottery* Wire drawing...
, leading to a replay between the two teams one week later, on 1 October 1977 again at the MCG. North Melbourne won the replay by a margin of 27 points, marking that club's second premiership victory.
Background
Collingwood entered the game after having last appeared in a Grand Final seven years earlier, when it was defeated by CarltonCarlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
in the 1970 VFL Grand Final
1970 VFL Grand Final
The 1970 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Carlton Football Club and Collingwood Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 26 September 1970. It was the 74th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine...
. It had last tasted premiership success nineteen years earlier, when it won the 1958 VFL Grand Final
1958 VFL Grand Final
The 1958 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Melbourne Football Club and Collingwood Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 20 September 1958. It was the 62nd annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the...
. In contrast, North Melbourne had contested the previous three premiership deciders, winning the 1975 VFL Grand Final
1975 VFL Grand Final
The 1975 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the North Melbourne Football Club and Hawthorn Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 27 September 1975. It was the 79th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to...
but finishing runners-up in the 1974
1974 VFL Grand Final
The 1974 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Richmond Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 28 September 1974. It was the 78th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to...
and 1976
1976 VFL Grand Final
The 1976 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 25 September 1976. It was the 80th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to...
Grand Finals.
At the conclusion of the regular home-and-away season
1977 VFL season
Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1977.-Grand final:North Melbourne drew with Collingwood 9.22 to 10.16 , in front of a crowd of 108244 people. A replay was held, and North Melbourne defeated Collingwood 21.25 to 19.10 in front of a crowd of 98366 people...
, Collingwood, under former Richmond
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
coach Tom Hafey
Tom Hafey
Thomas Stanley Raymond Hafey is a former Australian rules football Victorian Football League player and coach. Hafey played for Richmond between 1953 and 1958, and coached four clubs—Richmond, Collingwood, Geelong and Sydney—between 1966 and 1988, leading teams to a total of four premierships...
, had finished first on the ladder with 18 wins and 4 losses. They had amazingly risen from last place in the 1976 season. North Melbourne had finished third (behind Hawthorn
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
), with 15 wins and 7 losses.
In the finals series leading up to the Grand Final, North Melbourne lost to Hawthorn by 38 points in the Qualifying Final before defeating Richmond
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
by 47 points in the First Semi-Final. They then met Hawthorn once again in the Preliminary Final, this time winning comfortably by 67 points to advance to the Grand Final. Collingwood advanced straight to the Grand Final on the back of a thrilling two-point win over Hawthorn in the Second Semi-Final.
The Magpies were without Phil Carman
Phil Carman
Phil Carman is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Victorian Football League .Carman had a difficult time in the VFL, with clearances and submissions being delayed causing controversy. Collingwood had shown plenty of interest in him, but Carman didn't like the football lifestyle...
for the Grand Final, who had been suspended for two matches after he was found guilty of striking Hawthorn's Michael Tuck
Michael Tuck
Michael Tuck is a seven time premiership winning player, Australian rules footballer with the Hawthorn Football Club in the Victorian Football League / Australian Football League , where he is the games record holder....
in the Second Semi-Final.
First Grand Final
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne North Melbourne Football Club The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world... |
4.4 | 4.10 | 4.15 | 9.22 (76) |
| Collingwood Collingwood Football Club The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League... |
1.5 | 4.8 | 9.12 | 10.16 (76) |
The game, which was attended by 108,224 spectators, was just the second of three Grand Finals in VFL/AFL history to be drawn, the others being the 1948 VFL Grand Final
1948 VFL Grand Final
The 1948 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Melbourne Football Club and Essendon Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 2 October 1948. It was the 52nd annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for...
and the 2010 AFL Grand Final
2010 AFL Grand Final
The 2010 AFL Grand Final is either of two Australian rules football contests between the Collingwood Football Club and the St Kilda Football Club. Together they are considered the 114th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League, and were staged to determine the...
. Collingwood led by 27 points at three quarter time, helped by North Melbourne's inaccuracy in front of goal which saw them kick 13 successive behinds from the 24-minute mark of the first quarter. North's Arnold Briedis
Arnold Briedis
Arnold Briedis is a former Australian rules footballer who played for North Melbourne in the VFL during the 1970s.A centre half forward, Briedis was a member of North Melbourne's inaugural premiership side in 1975, kicking 5 goals in the grand final...
had a game to forget, kicking seven behinds for the match. Amazingly, the Kangaroos did not kick a goal in the second and third quarters.
But the Kangaroos came back in the final period to kick five unanswered goals, helped by coach Ron Barassi
Ron Barassi
Ronald Dale Barassi, Jr AM is a former Australian rules football player and coach. During a long and decorated career, Barassi has been one of the most important figures in the history of Australian football. His father, Ron Barassi, Sr., was the first Australian footballer killed at Tobruk during...
's move of defender Darryl Sutton
Darryl Sutton
Darryl Sutton is a former Australian rules footballer who played for North Melbourne, Richmond and Sydney in the VFL.Sutton was a utility player and was recruited to North Melbourne from Tasmania, a state he would later captain at State of Origin football...
to full-forward, who kicked the first goal of the term. A disastrous handpass by Collingwood's Phil Manassa
Phil Manassa
Phil Manassa is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the Collingwood Magpies in the VFL.He is famous for a goal on the run from the half back flank, which he kicked in the 1977 Grand Final replay. The Phil Manassa Medal is awarded to the winner of the AFL Goal of the Year.-External...
to North's David Dench
David Dench
David Dench is a former Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League. He played his whole career with North Melbourne Football Club at one of its most successful periods....
in the goal square led to another Kangaroos goal. Then in the dying minutes of the game, two goals to Phil Baker
Phil Baker (footballer)
Phil Baker is a former Australian rules footballer who played for North Melbourne and Geelong in the Victorian Football League during the 1970s....
gave North the lead but they couldn't hold on, as Ross Dunne
Ross Dunne
Ross 'Twiggy' Dunne is a former Australian rules footballer who appeared regularly for the Collingwood Magpies in the VFL from 1967 to 1978....
marked directly in front for Collingwood and goaled with just 40 seconds remaining to level the scores.
Barassi said later "We should have won the game. I know that is a brave statement, but we did have five more scoring shots than Collingwood."
Coincidentally, on the same day as this match took place, the grand final replay for the 1977 NSWRFL season was held. The grand final, held the week before, finished in a 9-9 draw between St. George and Parramatta. Thus both major Australian football codes had a drawn grand final followed by a replay in 1977.
Grand Final replay
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne North Melbourne Football Club The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world... |
5.5 | 9.12 | 15.19 | 21.25 (151) |
| Collingwood Collingwood Football Club The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League... |
3.4 | 8.7 | 12.7 | 19.10 (124) |
The replay, attended by 98,366 spectators, was North’s fifth consecutive finals match. It saw the Kangaroos leading throughout the match, with Briedis managing to turn things around to kick five goals.
North opened up a six goal lead before a ten minute burst by Collingwood reduced their half time lead to just 11 points. The Kangaroos then took a firm grip on the game in the third quarter.
Collingwood's Phil Manassa scored a memorable goal, running down the wing from the half-back line, bouncing the ball four times. He left Brownlow medallist, Malcolm Blight in his wake. This goal has since been commemorated by the AFL by awarding the Phil Manassa Medal to the winner of each year's Goal of the Year
Goal of the Year (Australia)
The Goal of the Year is a competition for the best goals kicked in the VFL/AFL during that season. It is run in conjunction with the Mark of the Year competition and is currently sponsored by Panasonic. The award is also known as the Phil Manassa Medal....
.
Peter Moore kicked five goals in this game for the Magpies, following his four goals in the first Grand Final.
This was Collingwood's fifth loss in a Grand Final since their last win in 1958.
Television coverage
This was the first Grand Final to be televised live in VictoriaVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
by the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
, drawing the greatest daytime audience in Australian television history at the time.
Teams
Grand Final
North Melbourne
|
Collingwood
|
Grand Final Replay
North Melbourne
|
Collingwood
|
External links
- Article on the 1977 Grand Final at The Roar
See also
- 1977 VFL season1977 VFL seasonResults and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1977.-Grand final:North Melbourne drew with Collingwood 9.22 to 10.16 , in front of a crowd of 108244 people. A replay was held, and North Melbourne defeated Collingwood 21.25 to 19.10 in front of a crowd of 98366 people...