Rare 5 min footage of Doggies 1953 Semi Final

[Bulldog4life]

http://boxscorenews.com/rare-film-of...-p91401-68.htm


2014 - The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) has discovered, preserved and released a rare five-minute film of a 1953 Victorian Football League (VFL – now AFL) final, featuring one of its greatest players, Essendon forward John Coleman.


Curator Simon Smith said: “This film is the last known surviving footage of Coleman, playing in the VFL First Semi-Final on 5 September 1953. He played only six more times before sustaining a career ending knee injury midway into the following season, on 5 June 1954.”

The film shows Coleman playing on arguably his toughest opponent, Footscray full back Herb Henderson. It also features early footage of Footscray greats Ted Whitten and Charlie Sutton as well as Essendon champion Bill Hutchison.

Coleman is still considered by many football experts to be the greatest VFL/AFL full forward of all time. The annual AFL Coleman Medal for the leading seasonal goal-kicker is awarded in his name, and his bronze statue was recently unveiled outside the MCG. There is virtually no footage of his pre-television six-season career (1949-54). Prior to the NFSA’s discovery, there were known surviving fragments from 5 games, all filmed during his first two seasons– approximately two minutes in total of Coleman in action.

“Coleman combined a very high goals per game ratio with an incredible highlights reel of ‘screamers’ (high marks), all of which fail to survive on film, if indeed they were ever filmed,” explained Smith. “This footage was filmed in glorious colour on 16mm film. Cinesound/Movietone newsreels would barely include 90 seconds of black and white football coverage and even then, usually only filming each season’s grand final, so we’re lucky to have these very clear images of Coleman – including some scenes in slow motion.”

The NFSA acquired the title in late 2013 as part of a collection of approximately 80 cans of 35mm and 16mm film via the deceased estate of a Melbourne collector. It is believed that the film was shot specifically for screening at Melbourne’s The Star Newsreel Theatrette (currently the site of an adult cinema on Elizabeth Street in the CBD). In the early 1950s the Theatrette struggled to acquire local newsreels so they sometimes commissioned or acquired locally shot footage.

The film has been preserved and digitised, and is now available on the NFSA’s YouTube channel:


As an aside Herb Henderson always had Coleman's measure. Fairly certain the most goals Coleman kicked against Herb was only 3 or 4. Always wondered if Herb was ever considered as AFL/VFL the full back of the Century. He should have been.

[bornadog]

Thank you for posting B4L

I enjoyed watching this

[soupman]

That kickout should have been a ballup. He clearly stepped on the line

[Bulldog4life]

Thank you for posting B4L

I enjoyed watching this

Thank you Bad for uploading video. As you can gather I wasn't sure how to do it.

[bornadog]

For those interested, Bulldogs won 6.13.49 to 5.11.41

Players that day were:

1	Kerr, John
3	Whitten, Ted
5	Box, Peter
6	Sutton, Charlie
7	Duffy, Roger
8	Ollington, Lionel
9	Ross, Don
10	Harper, Roy
17	Stockman, Ron
18	Bryden, Dave
20	Warren, Allen
21	Edwards, Arthur
21	Jones, Tom
22	Donald, Wally
25	Henderson, Herb
30	Abbey, Angus
32	Stevens, Harvey
33	McCarthy, Ron
34	Gilmore, Brian
35	Trusler, Alan

[Bulldog4life]

The nucleus of our !954 premiership team.

[craigsahibee]

After watching that you get a better understanding of why the drop kick no longer has a place in our game.

[Twodogs]

I hate to ask but do you have access to the Essendon teams numbers as well please BAD? Number 13 for them shirked a few contests.

[bornadog]

I hate to ask but do you have access to the Essendon teams numbers as well please BAD? Number 13 for them shirked a few contests.

1	Clarke, Jack
3	Gill, John
4	McDonald, Norm
7	Hutchison, Bill
8	Thaw, Alan
9	Bigelow, Doug
9	Sewell, Greg
10	Coleman, John
13	Gallagher, Fred
16	OSullivan, Peter
18	Gardiner, Les
23	Harrington, Jack
24	Jones, Jack
25	McConnell, Roy
26	Syme, Bob
29	Monks, Ian
30	Leek, Geoff
32	Mann, Lance
33	Towner, John
34	Pascoe, Mal

[Greystache]

6 goals to 5, this never happened back in the golden era of the 20's!

There needs to be rules changes made otherwise in 20 years soccer will be the number one sport in the country. The sport I grew up supporting never had games like this!

[Daughter of the West]

Thanks for posting that gentlemen, it was great to watch!

One silly thing that struck me watching the footage - fences without advertising plastered on them, it looks so different!

[Scorlibo]

Thank you B4L and BAD. Just the 1 goal for Coleman that day - you'd have to say Herbie got the better of him.

[bornadog]

Look out for number 32 - Grandfather of young Talia.

[Webby]

I mainly kept an eye out for EJ, then on spotting thought "Hey, EJ in long sleeves!" Then I looked around and realised that at least 80% of the players wore long sleeves. Thick, matted woollen jumpers, on what looked like a mild spring day, too..

From memory, in the '54 footage I've seen, most players had ditched the long sleeves and by '57 or so, the club had issued standard red shoulder cuffs - ie. they began to be made sleeveless from the get-go, rather than players simply removing their own by preference.

Must've been a bit of a shift in during the '50's.. Anyway, probably just another useless observation...!

[Webby]

Look out for number 32 - Grandfather of young Talia.

I heard a vicious rumour that Talia grew up a Carlton supporter - despite the fact his grandpa Harvey is Footscray's only premiership ruckman... Say it ain't so!