V.F.A in the 80's

[Maroon Goon]

Do you remember Kevin Shinners at Dandy as well?

Love those Oakleigh jumpers - great colour combination.

Kevin Shinners?? Hard to remember did he go to Richmond?? I was still in primary school up to 1970..
Dad was a die hard Oakleigh supporter as he grew up there and even now at the age of Eighty still goes on about the savs you could buy of a food vendor there and how lovely they tasted and the crowds on the hills and at a lot of the times was hard to get a good look at the game.

 

[West_Coast_Eagles]

He can still go watch the oakleigh chargers play but i doubt they would get even 100 there

 

[CrowdedHouse]

listening to the great E.J Whitten speak to the Bullants before the 84 gf against Frankston, the Dolphins kicked the first 6 goals of the game. Thank god the Bullants came back.

If I'm correct, I think you played Geelong West in back-to-back GFs (83/84)

 

[West_Coast_Eagles]

The word on the street is the brough burger is one of the few things in existinance from the vfa

 

[HULK HOGAN]

If I'm correct, I think you played Geelong West in back-to-back GFs (83/84)

Geelong West in 83 and Frankston in 84.

 

[Dogs till i die]

I field umpired in the VFA during the 80's and we had a terrific, close group of blokes who still have a reunion dinner each August. Had many great guest speakers over the years and we still get 60-80 coming along. Was such an eye opener umpiring that footy, you either grew up very quickly or didn't cope with it. Miss those days, still hope, someday,somehow Port, Willy, Sandy, Coburg and the few others remaining reform into a decent 2nd tier comp without alignments and without the bloody AFL reserve teams and get some passion back into the comp.

Have heard that all of the VFA records and memorabilia has been packed up and sitting in a container somewhere in Melbourne. That is such a shame, we should be embracing this old comp with the rich and interesting history which was the first organised football body in the country after all.

 

[mediumsizered]

Do you remember Kevin Shinners at Dandy as well?

Dandenong had some handy players back then. Paddy Flaherty, Danny Hibbert, Eddie Melai, Vaughn Ellis, Neville Esler, Ray Davies (not of the Kinks fame), Ray Orchard. I followed Williamstown but my grandparents followed Dandenong because they knew Frosty Miller when he was growing up, so whenever Dandenong were on TV & we were visiting the grandparents, we had to sit & watch them & particularly keep an eye out for Miller.

 

[bradrowe#32]

Frosty sounds like a real superstar who dragged them through the gates in droves.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

ThereKevin was a nuggetty little back pocket for Dandenong called Reid. And Shinners had a brother, Brian.

 

[mediumsizered]

ThereKevin was a nuggetty little back pocket for Dandenong called Reid. And Shinners had a brother, Brian.

Terry Reid is the player you are referring to, wore #7. Very handy player for the Redlegs.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Terry Reid is the player you are referring to, wore #7. Very handy player for the Redlegs.

I reckon I still have his autograph!! Left footer iirc.

 

[the 5th wiggle]

does anyone out there know where i can find a video they showed on abc around 15 years ago,it was about the best hits and fights in the v.f.a.it included a scary bloke from preston named harold martin( i think thats his name). a great video which i have lost.

 

[adambrown]

My best memories of the VFA in the 80's was Coburgs 88/89 back to back premierships and Phil Cleary's speech back at Coburg when he said the only thing better then beating Williamstown once is beating the c@#%s twice, also Bob Hawke being at a couple of home games and being able to play little league matches at coburg, port and preston, ahhhh the memories whats happened to the VFA?

 

[GetDimmaBack]

My father played for Williamstown in the '40s and '50s, and also coached Willi seconds to a premiership. Yes, I know that makes me, umm, older, but it was fascinating hearing him talk about those days.

Port vs Willi always got VFL sized crowds, 20,000+, and were bloodbaths. Lots of kids weren't allowed to go to Port games with their parents, apparently. Tough days!

Dad often talked about playing on the HFF with Ron Todd from Collingwood at FF. Dad didn't know until years later that Todd was on a quid ($2) a goal, while most players got 4 or 5 quid a game.
Dad always said that if he'd known that, he wouldn't have kicked it to Todd for less than 5/- (50c) a time.

BTW, he was earnig about 2 pounds a week at work...

 

[onslaught]

Had some amazing Sundays at Cramer st. and all the other grounds Including the Junction Oval.

As Camberwell supporters at the time, I remember me and my dad going along to a game at Preston when the Cobras had the week off. I remember Spider kicking goal after goal, with a massive crowd going from end to end to watch Shaw.

 

[CrowdedHouse]

A Port Melbourne supporters posted this over at the VFL Footy forums.

It's Sandy v Preston in the 1981 Preliminary Final - Final Quarter Highlights (Rex Hunt as FF for Sandy)



Good work Cam

 

[HULK HOGAN]

If I'm correct, I think you played Geelong West in back-to-back GFs (83/84)

As Camberwell supporters at the time, I remember me and my dad going along to a game at Preston when the Cobras had the week off. I remember Spider kicking goal after goal, with a massive crowd going from end to end to watch Shaw.

Spider was a star that's for sure, out at Camberwell one day he started the game on 94 goals, he brought up the ton before quarter time and ended up with 18 for the day.

 

[Gezza1967]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/VFA-Footy-The-Halcyon-Days/183319391711258?ref=hl

Here's a FB page I've set up a while back called VFA Footy The Halcyon Days. Heaps of VFA photos & memorabilia.

 

[KAYNE]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/VFA-Footy-The-Halcyon-Days/183319391711258?ref=hl

Here's a FB page I've set up a while back called VFA Footy The Halcyon Days. Heaps of VFA photos & memorabilia.

Gezza I have watched some of your youtube videos and they are fantastic! Great viewing. My old man played for Prahran in the late 70's and the only footage I see of him is in the locker rooms having a beer after the grand final!

 

[Milang_Panthers]

What sort of crowd numbers did the VFA used to get back then?

 

[Gezza1967]

Cheers glad you enjoy watching the VFA stuff What was your dads name Kayne?

 

[KAYNE]

John Hughes Gezza.

 

[finders]

What sort of crowd numbers did the VFA used to get back then?

Sandringham,Port,Preston Oakleigh,Dandenong,Prahran,Coburg Williamstown,Frankston all got very good crowds when they were winning

A good H & A crowd would have been 10 -12000 average about 4 - 5000

A few like the first Sunday game at Brunswick 1961 got a lot more (the VFL cancelled all games the day before due to bad weather) Nobody knows the actual crowd number for that game as it was by donation of a coin but the Sun News Pictorial had an aerial shot of the ground and the Gillon Oval was full - maybe 20,000 + Brunswick in their 1930s heyday would get 20,000 on a regular basis and their ground could easily hold a crowd of that size.

The GFs at the Junction Oval quite often got over 30,000, 1945 39,00 1949 40,000 1951 38,000 1952 39,500 1953 40,000 the reason for these packed GFs was that the VFA played their GF a week after the VFL GF and even though it was televised live during the 1970 - 80s there would be a big crowd at the GF.

The largest crowd ever was for a VFA GF was played at the MCG 1939 48,568 Williamstown V Brunswick

 

[Gezza1967]

Cheers Kayne, good to hear from a former two blue

 

[Gezza1967]

How many games did John play?