moginie
Brownlow Medallist
Does anybody know why Ron Barassi wore number 2 in the 1958 Grand Final?
If it's been discussed before, I've certainly missed it.
If it's been discussed before, I've certainly missed it.
Query 1958 Grand Final player numbers
- Thread starter moginie
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From Grand Finals Volume II 1939-1978:-
Upon arrival at the ground players from both sides were ordered to change jumpers as the Sun-News Pictorial had published numbers on the morning of the
game, contravening the Football Record's exclusive rights to player numbers. Barassi, for instance, wore No. 2, instead of his legendary 31.
Q. In 1958 guernsey numbers for both the Magpies and Demons were changed because of a morning newspaper illegally publishing the numbers. Which player’s number was not changed?
A. Ray Gabelich’s number 13, because no other guernsey would fit the bulky “Gabbo”.
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moginie
Brownlow Medallist
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Thanks for your reply. I was not born in a traditional Australian Rules city (Sydney) & had no idea about the exclusive rights that the Football Record had. I don't think that the Sydney Rugby League equivalent, Big League, had a similar contract or control.
I guess it highlights the differences between the two major cities. I can't imagine St George & Wests (who played in the 1958 Grand Final) players changing jerseys because of what was printed in the Daily Telegraph.
I guess it highlights the differences between the two major cities. I can't imagine St George & Wests (who played in the 1958 Grand Final) players changing jerseys because of what was printed in the Daily Telegraph.
SJ
Premium Platinum
Maybe the thought process was different in rugby league since numbers are allocated based on position, not personal preference.
Aren't League numbers based on position?
It's just protection of media rights. The thinking being that if people got their player numbers in their morning paper, nobody would buy the Record.
A bit like how Channel 7 now have exclusive rights to AFL teams on a Thursday.
Maggie Greg
Cancelled
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It happened in 1965 as well.
Just goes to show football admin stupidity is not a recent phenomena...
cats2rise
#63 - Mount Buller Demons
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Wait, really? What do you mean?
Shows like League Teams, Marngrook, The Footy show, etc can only display the ins and outs of each team, they're not allowed to list full teams for the weekend rounds because 7 have an embargo on them until Friday.
No idea why the AFL thought it was a good idea but that seems to be the way it is these days.
Vekgib
Team Captain
Apologies for the thread hijack and quoting an old quote but....
The traditional naming of Rugby League teams has always been on Tuesdays.
My memories of procedures back when I started having an interest in Rugby League (1976) are:
Printing of Big League was held until teams were announced, then Big League was in shops on Wednesday with the teams and the numbers.
Newspapers on Wednesdays could print the teams but not the numbers.
Rugby League Week came out on Thursdays with the teams but not the numbers.
I think this exclusivity ceased in the early 1980's
Vekgib
Team Captain
Again going back to the 1970's:
Clubs used to grade 55 players to cover the three grades.
IIRC, for at least 1977, players at Manly were given jerseys 1-55 and kept that number for (at least) the home and away rounds.
Also, in 1997, part of the marketing of Super League involved letting players choose their own numbers.
The thinking being, ala AFL, supporters could buy their team's jumper and put the number of their favourite player on it, safe in the knowledge that that number would only be worn by that player.
Personally, I would've liked to have seen that initiative carried over into the NRL.
Or at least, something similar to Manly 1977
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On a slight variation, when vfl players began wearing numbers in the early 1900s, were the numbers given a result of position or personal choice and if the former when did it change.
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Neither of the above...
There was no defintive system but:
a) Most teams (but not all) gave their captain #1
b) Most teams generally allocated numbers on alphabetical surname basis after that - but squads evolved throughout the year so players joining late got the next available number
c) Many players kept numbers from year to year (although plenty changed as well)
You can see these patterns at http://afltables.com/afl/stats/1912.html (1912 being the first year of numbers in the VFL)
I think Collingwood handed out numbers (except for 1 and 2, captain and vice captain) based on alphabetical order until the 1940s/1950s - one year a player might have #17, the next #19, the year after #18 for example. And they kept #1 for the captain until the 1970s (Ray Shaw was the first one not wear #1). Port have kept that #1 tradition going today.
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Ray Shaw certainly wasn't the first Collingwood captain to not wear #1
Con McCarthy wore #14 in 1919 (see p14 at http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/119326)
Dick Lee wore #13 in 1920-21 (kept same number for last 8 years of his career)
.. and probably more examples if you look through the list of captains
Mero
Norm Smith Medallist
In 1965 it was only a few Essendon player in the Grand Final. I believe all the StKilda players wore their regular numbers.
Numbers worn in the GF, and regular jumper number in brackets if changed.
1—Clarke , J . . . .
2—Gerlach, D. . . (17)
4—Shaw, D. . (5)
6—Gosper, G . . . .
8—Payne , C, .
10—Shelton, I. (v.c.)
11—Birt, J .
14—Blew, R.
15—Payne, I ... (3)
16—Johnston, G . .
18—Brown, G . . . .
20—Fordham, E . . . .
21—Pryor, G . . (35)
22—Timms , K . . . (25)
23—Eraser, K . (Capt.)
24—McKenzie , D. .
27—Waite, B. (9)
28—Epis , A
31—Mitchell, H.
32—Davis , B. . .
34—Sampson, B. . . .
43—Egan, K . . . (42)
It also happened in the 1922 finals.
And always for the same reason, because newspapers printed the player's numbers.
1965 GF Record is here: http://cedric.slv.vic.gov.au/R/TJ4G...set_entry=000030&set_number=000011&base=GEN01
I thought he missed that game because he was rubbed out?!
Maggie Greg
Cancelled
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Actually they changed the numbers for all 4 teams in the finals series after a Sydney magazine of which I have a copy, published the the numbers the week before the finals were due to start.
Maggie Greg
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That was the 68 GF.
I'm not sure if you're kidding with this, if not, Ken Fraser did indeed miss the 1968 GF with a knee injury. I made what was meant to be a subtle joke (perhaps too subtle?!) because the post I quoted had "Eraser, K.," when it obviously should have said "Fraser, K"! As an eraser is used for rubbing things out ...
Mero
Norm Smith Medallist
What I did was copy and paste straight from the Footy Record.
http://cedric.slv.vic.gov.au/view/a..._RULE_ID=4&divType=&usePid1=true&usePid2=true
It, apparently, had a problem with Optical Character recognition on the F.
http://cedric.slv.vic.gov.au/view/a..._RULE_ID=4&divType=&usePid1=true&usePid2=true
It, apparently, had a problem with Optical Character recognition on the F.
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I always knew this but does anyone know whether the Record amended the numbers in their publication? The online version shows the normal numbers.
If they weren't updated it would have made following the game at the ground difficult for some, especially those on the top tier. Only binoculars in those days, no big screens!
EDIT: nevermind, answered my own question;
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Wikipedia is obviously not the most reliable of sources, it has this to say regarding the guernsey number issue, with no mention of the Sun-News Pictorial publishing the numbers, but I wonder if this happened as well:-
The reason for this last-minute aggressively pro-active move by the VFL was to halt, counter-act and nullify an attempt by university students to significantly destabilize the VFL's income stream by issuing free team sheets — containing the Grand Final players' names, their (regular) guernsey numbers, and their official selected team positions (as announced on the Thursday evening prior to the match) — outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the day of the match.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_VFL_season
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Makes sense - the inner cover of the 1958 GF Record quoted above referred to the Sun having printed the numbers for the last few years - however it was only at this game that they decided to take a stand?
