ABC's The Winners

[masai]

During the week I was having a chin wag with some work mates about footy and the topic of the ABC'c programme The Winners from the 70's to mid 80's.

To most of us it was like religion, every Sunday we plonked ourselves down in front of the tele at 6pm to watch the goings on in the VFL and mainly to follow our boys. This programme was a must see in the west and although the ABC didn't enter the ratings it would have blown everything around in its timeslot.

One of the chaps said that he had been based at Murray Bridge during this period and said that he knew of few people who watch this show.

Was this a popular show in your region?.

 

[Groucho]

Ah the Winners,what memories! GOD,MOD &POD.

 

[Dippers Donuts]

Used to love The Winners. I can still remember the theme music and the Manassa run on the opening credits.

Used to be a religion in our house, Countdown at 5.00 followed by The Winners at 6.00 (or was it the other way around). Went down hill when Drew Morphett was replaced by Peter Gee I think his name was.

Sir Douglas "Icon" Bigelow and Smokey Dawson, what a couple of classics!

 

[dreamkillers]

was a great show.....they don't make em like they used to

 

[BT]

A Pleasant Sunday Morning, followed by The Winners at 5pm, with World of Sport & either a live match from Sydney or a Statewide cup reserves match from Lakeside. Ah my Sundays were complete

 

[Captain Sensible]

There was also a show at 6.00 pm saturdays. A panel show where they would review the round played that day.
I remember an old guy called Ian Cleeland bagging all the players, and he'd been a boundary umpire or something.

Ive got heaps of old ABC coverage from the '80s on video.

 

[Bomber Spirit]

Originally posted by localyokel
There was also a show at 6.00 pm saturdays. A panel show where they would review the round played that day.
I remember an old guy called Ian Cleeland bagging all the players, and he'd been a boundary umpire or something.

Ive got heaps of old ABC coverage from the '80s on video.

After the Footy Show. That was quite good. Cleelo was a legend on 3LO in the days when Smoky and Doug Bigelow used to call the games. He was also on a show they used to do on Thursday nights, which unlike League Teams used to occasionally mention football. Used to watch League Teams as well for some of the silly banter and recipes. Bit like General Talk here in some ways - occasionally loosely football-related but always very entertaining.
Used to love it when 3LO had the Essendon game. Hardly ever happened, we always seemed to end up being on "3KZ IZZZZZZ football".

 

[James88]

Dear Captain,

I recently found this old post. I'm interested in episodes of The Winners from the ABC from the early- to mid-1980s. Do you have any episodes in your video collection and, if so, are you able to list the dates of episodes that you have from 1982 onwards? As I'm a Big Footy newbie, it's too soon for me to send you a private message.

Cheers - James

There was also a show at 6.00 pm saturdays. A panel show where they would review the round played that day.
I remember an old guy called Ian Cleeland bagging all the players, and he'd been a boundary umpire or something.

Ive got heaps of old ABC coverage from the '80s on video.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

I was only a boy when it was on - but all i remember was Alan Ezard in the intro

 

[Shaneh71]

Used to love The Winners. I can still remember the theme music and the Manassa run on the opening credits.

Used to be a religion in our house, Countdown at 5.00 followed by The Winners at 6.00 (or was it the other way around). Went down hill when Drew Morphett was replaced by Peter Gee I think his name was.

Sir Douglas "Icon" Bigelow and Smokey Dawson, what a couple of classics!

It was the same at our house.Watching it as a 6 year old and seeing Peter Knight was the reason I follow the Hawks.Fox Footy showed it on a regular basis

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

Remember it on PErth tv on a Sunday evening when I was a kid. It was on the winners when I saw the infamous clash between Geelong and Hawthorn when Bruns was taken out. Jacko caught my attention and I became Geelong fan from then on.

Drew Morphett was the host too yes?

 

[Byron_Clanger]

This is one hell of a bump sir, love it

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

The game was better to watch back then, so people just focussed on what was happening ON the field, rather than all the crap we hear about these days. Plus, it was our footy fix for the week. We didn't have footy thrust at us 24/7 like these days. Then the biggie ... most game were played on a Saturday afternoon which allowed for the Saturday evening package. Loved it, alas those days have gone.

My fondest memory is watching highlights of two great marking contests: Peter Knights v Paul Van Der Haar, and Peter Knights v David McKay. Players one-on-one, taking hangers standing on each others' shoulders. Just brilliant.

 

[Ron The Bear]

A poor second in profile to 7's Big League; low-key, but the somewhat quirky commentary had a flavour all its own. Drew Morphett was at his best in these years - called the game enthusiastically and without a trace of bias; Hawk supporter Ian "Clelo" Cleland was hyper-critical (will never forget his disgusted call of "Orrrgggghhhhh, pathetic Faletic!"); and ex-Melbourne player Doug Heywood regularly called the wrong players...

 

[Mervyn Beasley]

Doug Heywood.

Best ever. Only said what needed to be said because he, unlike most others, knew we could see what was happening. Ie Its a TV not a radio.

 

[Mr Ripper]

Doug Heywood and Drew were a great team... and always Roy-sympathetic, which was a bonus.

 

[Mancey]

Pretty much the only exposure we had to the vfl in the west. watched it religiously. only way you could see the wa stars of the time like buckenara running around.

Ba baa ba baa.

Theme tune brings back memories

 

[pazza]

Drew's steel-wool hairstyle and Tim's dunnybrush mo'!

Was actually doing some reading of the goings-on behind the scenes and the fact that two of the commentators on the panel perhaps didn't work so well. I won't name them but a hint is that one became a father of an Eagles player.

The ABC had so many on the panel back then.

Geoff "Gentle Giant" Leek - a champion Bomber who's diction was incredible
Don Hyde - who also called the VFA on Channel 0 well
Mike Fitzpatrick - an interesting choice in 1984
John Nicholls - he and Leek were rivals as players, but, geez they worked well on-air
Gareth Andrews - who only got better as time went on

Of course it was the ABc who gave Bernie Quinlan and Ian Robertson their first taste of football commentary too.

 

[grizzlym]

Dear Captain,

I recently found this old post. I'm interested in episodes of The Winners from the ABC from the early- to mid-1980s. Do you have any episodes in your video collection and, if so, are you able to list the dates of episodes that you have from 1982 onwards? As I'm a Big Footy newbie, it's too soon for me to send you a private message.

Cheers - James

I dropped the Captain a message for you.

 

[damuzzdu]

Ohhhhh "The Winners" what a great show

In my household it was required viewing.

It was the only coverage of VFL in SA.

I think it used to be on Saturdays from 5.30pm (my time) then it moved to Sundays evening.

Those old ABC commentators, both on TV & Radio.

Drew, Smooth Booth, Smokey Dawson, Swan Mackay (we have the close one loool), Geoff Leek, Gareth Andrews, Doug Heywood they were good and knew how to call football.

 

[Fastback]

Drew's steel-wool hairstyle and Tim's dunnybrush mo'!

Was actually doing some reading of the goings-on behind the scenes and the fact that two of the commentators on the panel perhaps didn't work so well. I won't name them but a hint is that one became a father of an Eagles player.

The ABC had so many on the panel back then.

Geoff "Gentle Giant" Leek - a champion Bomber who's diction was incredible
Don Hyde - who also called the VFA on Channel 0 well
Mike Fitzpatrick - an interesting choice in 1984
John Nicholls - he and Leek were rivals as players, but, geez they worked well on-air
Gareth Andrews - who only got better as time went on

Of course it was the ABc who gave Bernie Quinlan and Ian Robertson their first taste of football commentary too.

Leek was a great commentator who knew when to get excited..

When Roger Merret took a screamer for the Dons: "High Merrett!!"

Great show.

 

[Rusty Brookes]

A poor second in profile to 7's Big League; low-key, but the somewhat quirky commentary had a flavour all its own. Drew Morphett was at his best in these years - called the game enthusiastically and without a trace of bias; Hawk supporter Ian "Clelo" Cleland was hyper-critical (will never forget his disgusted call of "Orrrgggghhhhh, pathetic Faletic!"); and ex-Melbourne player Doug Heywood regularly called the wrong players...

I reckon most of us in Melbourne were Big League followers. The Winners seems to be popular with people outside of Melbourne.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Was a very popular program on Sunday Evening at 6pm. For us in the West it gave us a chance to see our WA boys get a kick in the VFL.

Not sure how many people actually supported or barracked for a VFL side back then so it did not matter which games were on.

The WAFL was king back then in WA. Oh for those good old days!!!!miss them heaps.

 

[MACDAICOS]

Great thread

Hopefully next year when 'Fox footy channel" returns we get to see some weekly episodes as FOX purchased the rights to "The Winners" back in 2004.

Fingers crossed.

 

[joe444]

Seven and the ABC used to use the same footage - Seven did the match of the day and had their own graphics for it. Even into the early 80s, they used to pool coverage of finals matches. In 1986 7 got narky because The Winners started showing highlights of Sunday finals before 7 did, It ended up in court and, probably only coincidentally, the cosey relationship fell apart.

ABC had a mix of gun callers and absolute spuds. Doug Heywood was one of a kind in VFL/AFL circles - a less-is-more kinda guy who, in my memory, actually got the players' names right. Never yelled and in fact got even quieter when something exciting happened.

Hope the new Fox Footy Channel digs up the memories again.

And on an unrelated note, maybe one day someone will track down Channel 9's coverage of the 1973 Grand Final - the only broadcast in colour, Ted Whitten leading the commentary, and with pretty revolutionary camerawork for its time.