Dogs v Essendon rd 17, 1984

[Webby]

This game came up tonight as the last one in which Essendon Footy club went goal-less in a half of league footy... Problem was, we matched them!

For some background, we'd controlled our round 7 clash at Windy Hill, winning by 22 points.

In rd 17 at the Western Oval, it pissed rain all day - with a strong southerly breeze. (Magic!) we didn't kick a goal until the 12th minute of the last quarter. Bizarrely, we then banged on three in three minutes. We took the lead, then Essendon got one back - pipping us by 2 points. 4.10 to 3.14.

Wash up was that we missed the 1984 Finals on percentage and Essendon won the flag. A real sliding doors moment!
Just can't stand 'em!

[1eyedog]

Re: Dogs v Essendon rd 17, 1984

Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me!

[Remi Moses]

Re: Dogs v Essendon rd 17, 1984

Terrific win in round 7, and then proceeded to lose at Moorabbin the next week
My memories are of a very wet windy day, and John Bennett kicking our first goal from the boundary line.
Neil Cordy left Peter Bradbury 100 metres clear, and then became Mick Malthouse's whipping boy.

[Twodogs]

Re: Dogs v Essendon rd 17, 1984

Bloody Neil Cordy.

40 metres away from his man kick chasing when his opponent kicked the winner from the goal square.

[Twodogs]

Re: Dogs v Essendon rd 17, 1984

Terrific win in round 7, and then proceeded to lose at Moorabbin the next week
My memories are of a very wet windy day, and John Bennett kicking our first goal from the boundary line.
Neil Cordy left Peter Bradbury 100 metres clear, and then became Mick Malthouse's whipping boy.

Tim Watson kicked to him as Cordy stood and watched him.

[Remi Moses]

Re: Dogs v Essendon rd 17, 1984

Tim Watson kicked to him as Cordy stood and watched him.

Cordy's career headed South from that moment ( with us) and I think Mick pulled Beasley out of the line up for John Bennett.

[Bulldog4life]

Re: Dogs v Essendon rd 17, 1984

Terrific win in round 7, and then proceeded to lose at Moorabbin the next week
My memories are of a very wet windy day, and John Bennett kicking our first goal from the boundary line.
Neil Cordy left Peter Bradbury 100 metres clear, and then became Mick Malthouse's whipping boy.

Yes Remi you are right I stood in the forward pocket at the Geelong Rd end grandstand side with my dad and we were drenched The wettest I have ever been at the footy Fairly certain it was that pocket that Bradbury kicked the goal from too

[Remi Moses]

Re: Dogs v Essendon rd 17, 1984

Yes Remi you are right I stood in the forward pocket at the Geelong Rd end grandstand side with my dad and we were drenched The wettest I have ever been at the footy Fairly certain it was that pocket that Bradbury kicked the goal from too

Probably the wettest I've been as well.
The coldest was that period of games in the early 80's where the bins were used for heating . Even the cops came over to warm up!

[Webby]

Re: Dogs v Essendon rd 17, 1984

Terrific win in round 7, and then proceeded to lose at Moorabbin the next week
My memories are of a very wet windy day, and John Bennett kicking our first goal from the boundary line.
Neil Cordy left Peter Bradbury 100 metres clear, and then became Mick Malthouse's whipping boy.

John Bennet was an interesting one. Crossed from the Aints in 1984, played a few games, then went back to Moorabbin for '85.

[always right]

Re: Dogs v Essendon rd 17, 1984

Didn't stop raining all day, very few goals, yet surprisingly it was a gripping game that has stayed with me vividly.

Pretty sure John Bennett kicked two of our three goals whilst the highlight was the amazing battle on the wing between Hawkins and Neagle. The two of them stood out in tough conditions with their skill and attack on the ball.

[Twodogs]

Re: Dogs v Essendon rd 17, 1984

Yes Remi you are right I stood in the forward pocket at the Geelong Rd end grandstand side with my dad and we were drenched The wettest I have ever been at the footy Fairly certain it was that pocket that Bradbury kicked the goal from too

Yep. Bradbury kicked the winner at the Geelong road end.

Probably the wettest I've been as well.
The coldest was that period of games in the early 80's where the bins were used for heating . Even the cops came over to warm up!

I've never seen rain like it. It was incredible, my head started to hurt from the raindrops hitting it so hard.

I remember those cold days in the early '80s and setting fire to pretty much anything that would burn to try and keep warm.

John Bennet was an interesting one. Crossed from the Aints in 1984, played a few games, then went back to Moorabbin for '85.

Kicked a century in the twos one year for St Kilda. He was behind Plugger for the full forwards spot at St kilda so came to us but we had Beasley. I wonder why he didn't go to a club without an ace full forward? Benno was the sort of player you'd get to the footy early just to watch play in the reserves. Geez Malthouse has always hated full forwards. From Beasley to Sav Rocca he would drop them at a minutes notice but dud players like Michael Rolfe walked into the side.

Didn't stop raining all day, very few goals, yet surprisingly it was a gripping game that has stayed with me vividly.

Pretty sure John Bennett kicked two of our three goals whilst the highlight was the amazing battle on the wing between Hawkins and Neagle. The two of them stood out in tough conditions with their skill and attack on the ball.

Yep. Bennett kicked 2 of our 3 goals, did Brian Royal kick the other goal?

[Eastdog]

Re: Dogs v Essendon rd 17, 1984

As someone born in the very late 80s it's great to hear some reminiscing from the old VFL days. Back to the game you described Webby yes that is frustrating. 85 I read was a great year for us. Nearly made it to the GF. 84 I believe was the first year under Mick Malthouse.

[Twodogs]

Re: Dogs v Essendon rd 17, 1984

As someone born in the very late 80s it's great to hear some reminiscing from the old VFL days. Back to the game you described Webby yes that is frustrating. 85 I read was a great year for us. Nearly made it to the GF. 84 I believe was the first year under Mick Malthouse.

Correct. Talent wise that 1985 side was the best bulldog side I've seen us put on the park. It bristled with stars in every line. It's one real weakness was a lack of a good CHF. Not really a lack but the inability of Groenewegan, Sewell or Peart to snatch the opportunity and fill the last hole. We had a goal to goal line of Kennedy, Foster, Wallis, one of the three mentioned above, mostly Sewell early in the year but Gronna came into the team later on and Beasly.

The back six was Hardie Kennedy Egan, Fruicake Ford Foster B. Cordy. Hardie won the Brownlow , Tits was the best fullback in the competition and Egan covered Hardie when he went for a run with the ball. Fruicake was the HBF with the crazy eyes that all good defensive units need. Foster is the best CHB I've seen at our club. Ever. And Brian Cordy was one of the first running halfbacks who'd mark the ball and then take off before anyone else had realised that he was 30 metres away. Him missing the 1986 with a knee was the single biggest factor in our going backward that year.

I don't have the vocabulary to do justice to how good our two wingman were that year. Doug Hawkins' feats are pretty well known but Magic Maclean on the other wing was never beaten. He is the cleverest footballer I've ever seen. He was always two steps in front of his opponents who spent their time grabbing at spaces he'd been in a moment before and tackling bits of air. He wouldn't pick up the ball but roll it along the ground alongside him before picking it up at the last moment and dance around his opponent in the same movement. He made very good players look silly. Steve Wallis just won contests for the footy. That's what he did.

The half forward line was a changing beast but the full forward line was top shelf. Edmond Beasly Bamblett. Beasly kicked the ton and was a better full forward than Templeton IMO. KT was the best player ever and won a Brownlow playing at CHF, but the pieman had him shaded as a FF. He had more big bags, did the job at a high level for longer. Then there was Lallie, Les Bamblett is my favourite Footscray/Bulldogs player of all time. His 1985 season was my highlight of all the years I've been watching. Some of the things he did I haven't seen done again to this day. He would suddenly appear between two defenders and intercept a pass then waddle into the goal square and tap the ball through. Then he'd shark a ruck tap from a boundary throw in take off at a million miles and roll it through from the boundary line two minutes later. Jim Edmond was the captain and one of the best captains we've had. He was tough, a great shot at goal from a set shot or a snap from the boundary or on the run from 40 metres out. He's also one of the best overhead marks to play for the club.

The ruck of Purser Maylin Royal speaks for itself.




I saw every game in person including practice matches that year in person at the ground.


1985 is the closest we've come to completing the puzzle.

[Webby]

Re: Dogs v Essendon rd 17, 1984

Didn't stop raining all day, very few goals, yet surprisingly it was a gripping game that has stayed with me vividly.

Pretty sure John Bennett kicked two of our three goals whilst the highlight was the amazing battle on the wing between Hawkins and Neagle. The two of them stood out in tough conditions with their skill and attack on the ball.

Hawkins' handling in the wet was amazing. As was his ability to bomb torps with ease with the breeze. He just never seemed to shank them. That '84 side really had matured. They came good in '83 - taking some big scalps, yet struggling with consistency. Essendon was a real bogey team in '83, having smashed us twice. However in '84 we did them at Windy Hill and should've gotten them at WO.

Had we snuck into the 5 (in hindsight, Bradbury's goal was the reason we didn't), we could've done some real damage. As it was, Essendon won the flag. The following year, we also split the honours with Essendon. However, Brad Hardie let Lethal Leigh off the leash in the last quarter of the prelim and we missed out on testing Essendon in the big one...

What might've been!

We were also a smokey in '87, but ran into an inspired Melbourne - again missing finals by a whisker. Melbourne were very close to being the best team in the league in September '87. But for Jimmy Stynes running through the mark, they might've worried Carlton in the GF)..... Aargh, sliding doors moments..!

[Remi Moses]

Re: Dogs v Essendon rd 17, 1984

Melbourne plucked that game out of their arse. Flukey snaps and ordinary players " doing it for Robbie".
They played for Northey in that era, as he was a real fire and brimstone coach .
I thought we did well to get that close to be honest, although I think we could have beaten North .
I really enjoyed 1983 as it was the first time we'd been " match of the day" with Peter Landy and Louie Richards .