Interview With Laurie Sandilands

[The Coon Dog]

TCD: G’day Laurie & welcome to WOOF.

LS: Thanks, it’s a pleasure. I saw the interview you did with Rick Kennedy. An old mate of mine who posts on WOOF keeps me up to date on the AFL.

Where are you living these days?

We moved up to the Gold Coast in July last year.

I’ll come back to the Gold Coast then a little later. When did you first play footy?

I was born in & Seddon & lived in Maidstone, between Essex Street & Ballarat Road. I started playing footy at North Footscray Primary School, but really got into it with West Footscray in the U16’s. In the afternoons I’d then play with the U18’s. I was residentially zoned to Footscray & was invited down to train with the U19’s in 1965 & played the last 7 or 8 games that year in the thirds.

Two of my best mates in those days were Lindsay James who captained coached Footscray in the district cricket & Rex Whitehead, who umpired international cricket.

Did you barrack for Footscray as a kid?

My word! I come from a family of Bulldogs.

When did you make your senior debut?

In 1966 I started in the reserves & with 6 games left I was selected against North Melbourne at Arden Street. It was funny as John Waddington played that day for North & he was a teacher at my Primary School when I was there. He just looked at me with a shocked expression & I remember saying to him that I bet he feels old. I was 19th man & Dave Darcy got injured so I went on for the second half. I wore number 36.

When did you revert to number 9?

In 1967, Barrie Beattie had finished so I got his number.

Where did you play?

I was mainly played in defence in my early years until Bobby Rose came to the club in 1972 & turned me into a forward.

You were captain of the club from 1974-76. During that period Neil Sasche sustained a horrific injury where he broke his neck & became a quadriplegic (WOOF article on the incident). Did that affect you?

Yes, very deeply. I was devastated. I was the most shocking injury to have happened on the field to a VFL footballer & I don’t think I really ever got over it during my playing days.

In your early days you spent a bit of time on the sidelines due to the tribunal.

Yes, I was reported 8 times, funny though, the ones in the seniors I was cleared on all 4 occasions (but there were many others incidents that the umpires didn’t see), but still spent 13 weeks on the sidelines.

Any you look back on & laugh at?

Yeah, in the reserves we played Hawthorn & I swore at Leigh Matthews. The boundary umpire overheard me & reported me for obscene language. I got 2 weeks. I can still recall the look of horror as my Mum ripped through me, sating that she was embarrassed & hadn’t brought up her son to act in that manner & how was she going to be able to look at her friends from church?

Who were some of the better players you played with?

• Ted Whitten Snr. - How lucky was I? I barracked for Footscray, had Teddy’s number on my back as a kid & I got to play with him. He was the best I ever saw, just brilliant
• John Schultz – Kept every ruckman honest & was one of the few who had the wood over Polly Farmer. A gentleman & a great clubman.
• Bernie Quinlan – Just had the most natural ability.
• Georgie Bissett – A great character who should have won a Brownlow Medal (he was reported in the final round in 1969. In those days you couldn’t get votes if reported. He was subsequently cleared & the umpire acknowledged he was best afield. Kevin Murray won by one vote).

What about those you played against?

• Doug Wade – One of the greatest full forwards ever, just a tough man to mind.
• Jezza – Had a low centre of gravity (like young Gary Ablett now) & never lost his footing.
• David Dench – Fast & tight & one of the first backman to run off his opponent & kick goals.
• Kelvin Moore – A tight player & made you work for every kick.

A funny story, which I know is true as I was there on holiday with my parents. The club’s end of season trip in 1974 was to the Gold Coast. Do you remember much of it?

That night it poured with rain, something like 8 inches fell. At 10am we were told the ground was flooded & the game was off. We all headed back to the bar. A bit later we were then told it was back on. I was as drunk as I’d ever been & had no idea how I managed to play footy that day.

How did you go?

I kicked 9 goals!

Now, what most people will be intrigued in. Why did you leave the club you loved to go to Collingwood?

Well, I stupidly got involved in club politics & was far from happy about the way things were being run & blasted the club in the media at the end of the 1977 season. I had decided to retire but kept my options opened & applied for an open clearance.

Tommy Hafey was coaching Collingwood & he kept ringing me. I decided to go there & played 4 games in 1978. I didn’t do a pre season & tore my hamstring.

Do you regret leaving Footscray?

Yes, very much so, it’s the biggest single regret in my life.
Was your move well received on the home front?


No way!! Mum & Dad threatened to write me out of the will & Dad said ‘I’ll be buggered if I’m going to Victoria Park to watch you & be spat on’.

So you retired in 1978.

Yes, then Charlie Sutton was club President & he enticed me back as Chairman of Selectors in 1979.

Did you keep involved with football after that?

Yes, in 1980 I started work with 3KZ (who can ever forget 3KZ is football!) as an around the grounds man, then in 1985 I started calling games with Jack Dyer & Ian Major which I enjoyed immensely.

Do you remember the day Ross Oakley announced, ‘We have a new force in AFL football, and it’s the Fitzroy Bulldogs’.

I still feel sick thinking about it. I attended the rally that day (WOOF article on the rally) & got up & addressed the crowd. I remember saying ‘I came here today with no hope & I leave here with hope’. I also wore my Life Members badge & saying, ‘I don’t want to be a life member of nothing’.

You lived down in Clifton Springs many years didn’t you?

Yes & thankfully found a wonderful organization down in Geelong called the Barwon Bulldogs. Loved those trips home on the bus after a win.

Do you still watch the Doggies play?

I rely on free to air TV, but yes, watch all the games. Loved the win on Sunday. I rate it highly as it was against a good team, on a hoodoo ground & we beat them at their own style.

Now, will a Gold Coast team prosper?

No, I don’t think so. It didn’t with the Bears & I think the AFL just assumes people will change allegiances & support a Gold Coast team.

Will you?

No bloody way. I’m a Bulldog & always will be!

Thanks Laurie.

* Thanks so much to 'EJ Smith' who put me in touch with Laurie. It was wonderful to talk to both Laurie & his lovely wife Jenny.

[ledge]

A true bulldog from the days when you picked your players from your area, big thank you to "EJ" , "COON" and Laurie of course, hope he becomes a "WOOF"addict too.
Keep them coming awesome stuff.
Wasnt it Laurie Sandilands and a young Richard Murrie who came to our Primary school Coon years ago?
One thing that makes me proud is that the bulldog players and club always were friendly to the kids and have forever visited primary schools.

[Twodogs]

Great read TCD. I'm loving reading your 'rough and tough ex bulldog full back series'

[Sockeye Salmon]

Fantastic get, Coon Dog!

We actually do better interviews than any media outlet.


I loved the passion that came out for the Dogs.

[GVGjr]

One of my best memories about Laurie Sandilands was about a game at Princess Park many many years ago. I was about 15yo and took a train from the country down to Melbourne to watch the Dogs play the Blues. Once in the ground, I landed a great position which was standing on some elevated scaffolding under the Ch2 Cameras which gave me a great view of the game. Plum spot.

The Blues kicked something like 10 goals to one or two in the first quarter and it looked like an absolute thrashing was going to happen. Sandilands was powerless to stop it as the fullback because the Blues midfield had control. Sometime in the 3rd quarter (after the Dogs closed the gap a little) Sandilands was moved to FF and Quinlan into the ruck and this was a telling move. Quinlan won a heap of the footy and kicked it long into the forward line where Sanidlands was one out with the defender. He took some big marks and kicked what seemed like 3 or 4 goals and got us right back into the game. We fell short of winning the game but Sandilands did his best to get us back into the game.

He was a good footballer and I really enjoyed the interview.

[Desipura]

great interview. I think TCD may have a new career. Is it possible to paste a photo of the guys in their playing days you are interviewing. Unfortunately I was a little young to see Laurie play as I started watching the dogd in 1978.

[bornadog]

One of the things I mainly remember Sandilands for was his marking. Took some ripper marks with some big leaps at FF. He was also a great captain at the time, played his guts out for the dogs.

[The Coon Dog]

great interview. I think TCD may have a new career. Is it possible to paste a photo of the guys in their playing days you are interviewing. Unfortunately I was a little young to see Laurie play as I started watching the dogd in 1978.

Great idea Desipura!

I have added a couple, but if anyone else has pics of Laurie, feel free to post them.

[bornadog]

For the record:

[The Underdog]

Great interview TCD. Laurie was before my time but it's fantastic to read about ex players who are still passionate about the Dogs. In many ways the past of the club is as important as the future (although hopefully the future has a bunch more premierships in it), it's who we are and the more you know about your past the more you understand that.
This is a fantastic feature, good luck with seeking out other former Dogs.

[alwaysadog]

Great interview TCD,
Laurie was a very good footballer and tough as. DR would have formed an appreciation society. Could do with him today, switch hittting between FF and FB.

[alwaysadog]

Can someone confirm or deny a recollection I have that at the opening bounce of the 1974 finals with the Dogs playing Collingwood, Laurie ran straight through Max Richardson their CHB and brother of Wayne their captain.
Max played little effective part in proceedings after that, but we kicked the game away in the second quarter when after dominating we scored something like 1.10 for the term, while the Pies kicked a lazy 5 straight.

[ledge]

WE got smashed didnt we?

[The Coon Dog]

Can someone confirm or deny a recollection I have that at the opening bounce of the 1974 finals with the Dogs playing Collingwood, Laurie ran straight through Max Richardson their CHB and brother of Wayne their captain.
Max played little effective part in proceedings after that, but we kicked the game away in the second quarter when after dominating we scored something like 1.10 for the term, while the Pies kicked a lazy 5 straight.

I reckon Tugun Goalsneak might know a thing or two about that.

EF - Saturday, 7th September 1974
Collingwood 5.6 10.6 13.9 19.10 (124)
Footscray 3.1 4.11 6.11 6.19 (55)

[The Dogs Bollocks]

Great job TCD.

Very enjoyable read.