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  1. #1
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    Western Oval Memories

    Does anyone remember the famous peanut seller ? "peanuts, shilling a bag!" I think he was at every Williamstown game as well. He strolled around the outer with his big brown bag over his shoulder.
    I also remember the league trying to kick him out for selling food and not having the rights to, but the people kicked up a stink they gave in and let him back.
    Other memories, drinking cans quickly so u could stack them up to stand on them and get a better view.
    Running onto the ground at quarter time breaks , having a kick or milling around the players and listen to the coaches speech.
    I remember not paying to sit in the stand, first in best seat.
    As a 12 year old me and my best freind Zeno kicking goals from centre half forward after a game until it got dark.
    Standing in the outer watching fans scream at Mick Malthouse after he just moved to Westcoast and he had to hide in that box upstairs.
    Trying to ring the Coon Dog back in 77 to go watch bulldogs and saints, couldnt get hold of him so went to see polly woodside with parents, Templeton kicked 15, i will never forgive you for not answering your phone Coon Dog!

  2. #2
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    Re: Western Oval Memories

    I went to that game against the Saints! Bloody ripper too, funny, I've never been to the Polly Woodside.

    Remember a game against the Saints when Robert Elphinstone walked past & being a young smartarse I told him Templeton was going to carve him up. KT, playing at CHF took 20 marks (not uncontested ones you see these days) & had 30 kicks.

    I used to catch the bus in South Road, Braybrook & get off on the corner of Barkly Street & Gordon Street, buy the footy record on the way in & race up into the EJ Whitten Stand, where as you rightly point out, seating was free.

    I used to love to go the the souviner stall under the stand & buy the iron on names for my duffel coat.

    These were the days when the reserves played so you got there early (there was a reason), & watched the seconds, as well as hanging around the entrance between the 2 stands so that when the senior players came in you could get their autograph.

    I remember sliding down the stones on cardboard boxes.

    I once watched a game from the coaches box used by Michael Malthouse. A friend of mine hired it out for a couple of seasons. Great view, but bloody scary going up & down the ladder.

    Who could ever forget the Hyde Street School Band? They used to go around at half time along with a group who had a huge blanket. People used to throw coins onto the blanket.

    It was a great bus trip home if we won, not so good if we lost!

    Sorry I didn't answer the phone!
    Last edited by The Coon Dog; 28-10-2009 at 12:15 PM.

  3. #3
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    Re: Western Oval Memories

    Quote Originally Posted by ledge View Post
    As a 12 year old me and my best freind Zeno kicking goals from centre half forward after a game until it got dark.
    That wouldn't be a much-loved (now) former full-back by any chance? Surely there aren't that many Zenos floating around outside of Athens?

    I used to really enjoy the crowd banter at WO, never heard anything that compares. I also remember the Hyde Street band carrying the blanket, although a few of them probably needed crash-helmuts on the outer against the rowdier opposition (as 50c coin in the noggin must hurt like buggery).

    One of my favourite memories was the "bouncers" who used to guard the players race after a game to stop fans from getting into the rooms too early. My dad's friend leant over one game and yelld "righto, let em in" and the bouncers did, realising their mistake just a fraction of a second too late. The look on his face was priceless!

    The Glen Coleman goalpost incident was another favourite, as was Jason Watt's late goal against Freo (also a cultural day from memory) which gave us a win.

    Another goal I'll never forget was Osbourne from around the players race. He motioned for someone to lead, but no forward get a clear run. He just ran back and unleashed a mighty torp that sailed straight through.

    One of the sadder memories was Choco on crutches at the start of a game, waving the crowd goodbye stranded on 199 games, 299 goals. Most people would've had him carried out there just to get to his 200, but like Bubbha's retiremnet decision on 298 games with finals to play, Chocho was never that selfish (when a shot on goal wasn't concerned!)

  4. #4
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    Re: Western Oval Memories

    Yeah Moffra it was our old full back, Zeno, CoonDog and i all went to primary school together, we were pretty close all through out.We also all played cricket at Totty along with a few others who went on to play at the doggies... Phil Okeefe, Brian Wilson,Hugh Litchfield, Alistair Ford and Darren Brown.
    Maybe even a couple of others whos names escape me, but maybe not.

  5. #5
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    Re: Western Oval Memories

    Quote Originally Posted by ledge View Post
    Yeah Moffra it was our old full back, Zeno, CoonDog and i all went to primary school together, we were pretty close all through out.We also all played cricket at Totty along with a few others who went on to play at the doggies... Phil Okeefe, Brian Wilson,Hugh Litchfield, Alistair Ford and Darren Brown.
    Maybe even a couple of others whos names escape me, but maybe not.
    John Simmons (Simmo, real original huh?) played cricket with us. His brother Grant wore #29 in the early 70's & got so badly cleaned up by Leigh Matthews at Waverley, he thought he'd killed him. He was convulsing on the field.

    I remember playing cricket against Colin Dell, Robert Saggers, Ian Fairley & Tony Pastore.

  6. #6
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    Re: Western Oval Memories

    Best memory was meeting the same mates in the same spot ie between the players and umpires race. Most of the guys were ex school mates. We got to know a lot of people around us because I think most supporters went to the same spot each week.

    Slowly the guys got married and started dropping off, so a few of us joined the social club and met at the can bar Great view from up there.

  7. #7
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    Re: Western Oval Memories

    Quote Originally Posted by Mofra View Post
    I used to really enjoy the crowd banter at WO, never heard anything that compares. I also remember the Hyde Street band carrying the blanket, although a few of them probably needed crash-helmuts on the outer against the rowdier opposition (as 50c coin in the noggin must hurt like buggery).
    We played a pre-season charity match v Collingwood at Waverley to raise money for the Ash Wednesday bushfire victims in 1982. I was roped into helping carry the blanket for donations and copped a 50c piece above my left eye. 6 stitches, thanks for helping.

  8. #8
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    Re: Western Oval Memories

    Quote Originally Posted by ledge View Post
    Yeah Moffra it was our old full back, Zeno, CoonDog and i all went to primary school together, we were pretty close all through out.We also all played cricket at Totty along with a few others who went on to play at the doggies... Phil Okeefe, Brian Wilson,Hugh Litchfield, Alistair Ford and Darren Brown.
    Maybe even a couple of others whos names escape me, but maybe not.
    O'Keefe, he was a forward with tattoos was he not? Certainly remember Al Ford

  9. #9
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    Re: Western Oval Memories

    Quote Originally Posted by Mofra View Post
    O'Keefe, he was a forward with tattoos was he not? Certainly remember Al Ford
    Yup he was.

    Once told me that Terry Wallace addressed all the younger guys & said there's 3 reasons you need to succeed at AFL level. 1. You owe it to your families who have been there with you all the way, 2 you owe it to your team mates who go out to war with you every week & 3 think about how many roots you'll get!

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  11. #10
    katemeehan Guest

    Re: Western Oval Memories

    Wow...reading this makes me really wish I was alive back in those days, sounds awesome!

  12. #11
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    Re: Western Oval Memories

    Quote Originally Posted by The Coon Dog View Post
    I went to that game against the Saints! Bloody ripper too, funny, I've never been to the Polly Woodside.

    Remember a game against the Saints when Robert Elphinstone walked past & being a young smartarse I told him Templeton was going to carve him up. KT, playing at CHF took 20 marks (not uncontested ones you see these days) & had 30 kicks.

    I used to catch the bus in South Road, Braybrook & get off on the corner of Barkly Street & Gordon Street, buy the footy record on the way in & race up into the EJ Whitten Stand, where as you rightly point out, seating was free.

    I used to love to go the the souviner stall under the stand & but the iron on names for my duffel coat.

    These were the days when the reserves played so you got there early (there was a reason0, & watched the seconds, as well as hanging around the entrance between the 2 stands so that when the senior players came in you could get their autograph.

    I remember sliding down the stones on cardboard boxes.

    I once watched a game from the coaches box used by Michael Malthouse. A friend of mine hired it out for a couple of seasons. Great view, but bloody scary going up & down the ladder.

    Who could ever forget the Hyde Street School Band? They used to go around at half time along with a group who had a huge blanket. People used to throw coins onto the blanket.

    It was a great bus trip home if we won, not so good if we lost!

    Sorry I didn't answer the phone!
    Not everyone used to throw coins, hey I was a fair bit younger

  13. #12
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    Re: Western Oval Memories

    Quote Originally Posted by Sockeye Salmon View Post
    We played a pre-season charity match v Collingwood at Waverley to raise money for the Ash Wednesday bushfire victims in 1982. I was roped into helping carry the blanket for donations and copped a 50c piece above my left eye. 6 stitches, thanks for helping.
    Be grateful, you join Twodogs in the elite group that has shed blood on the Whitten Oval.

  14. #13
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    Re: Western Oval Memories

    Quote Originally Posted by westdog54 View Post
    Be grateful, you join Twodogs in the elite group that has shed blood on the Whitten Oval.
    What about shedding blood in the stands? I tore the sleeves out of 5-6 jackets on the rusty barbed wire over the players race (and on a couple of occasions, my arms as well); I used to stand on the concrete rise so I was head-height with the adults.

  15. #14
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    Re: Western Oval Memories

    [QUOTE=The Coon Dog;27428]I went to that game against the Saints! Bloody ripper too, funny, I've never been to the Polly Woodside.

    Remember a game against the Saints when Robert Elphinstone walked past & being a young smartarse I told him Templeton was going to carve him up. KT, playing at CHF took 20 marks (not uncontested ones you see these days) & had 30 kicks.

    I used to catch the bus in South Road, Braybrook & get off on the corner of Barkly Street & Gordon Street, buy the footy record on the way in & race up into the EJ Whitten Stand, where as you rightly point out, seating was free.

    I used to love to go the the souviner stall under the stand & but the iron on names for my duffel coat.

    These were the days when the reserves played so you got there early (there was a reason0, & watched the seconds, as well as hanging around the entrance between the 2 stands so that when the senior players came in you could get their autograph.

    I remember sliding down the stones on cardboard boxes.

    I once watched a game from the coaches box used by Michael Malthouse. A friend of mine hired it out for a couple of seasons. Great view, but bloody scary going up & down the ladder.

    Who could ever forget the Hyde Street School Band? They used to go around at half time along with a group who had a huge blanket. People used to throw coins onto the blanket.

    It was a great bus trip home if we won, not so good if we lost!

    Sorry I didn't answer the phone! [/Mocca Dunstan kicked 7 that day also and Ian Morrison kicked one running the length of the ground from full back. Does anyone remember the ground being invaded by fans and coaches before the siren went?]

  16. #15
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    Re: Western Oval Memories

    When the Hyde Street School Band came around, the trick was to position yourself just short of the single row seat that went around the perimeter of the fence and catch all the short throws coming from the back of the terrace. We used to stand in the drill hall pocket where the bar was just behind us and all the pissed blokes would unleash their change at half time and almost always it wall fall a long way short of the tartan blanket. Happy days

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