Collingwood 1929 - ‘The Bradmans of Football’

[South of the Yarra]

Instead of a flashback to a Collingwood great I thought today I would highlight the greatest team to ever played the game.

They were record breakers who still have some feats that have not been beaten. Clearly they are the Greatest Team of all.
First team to remain undefeated through an entire home-and away season (never matched).
First team to score more than 2,000 points in a single season.
First team to have a full-forward scoring more than 100 goals in a single season.
First team to have a player kick 16 goals in a single match.
Lost only 12 quarters for the season.
Gordon Coventry won the Goalkicking award
Albert Collier won the Brownlow
And of course this was the third of 4 premierships in a row.
Had an incredible percentage of 171.7
There were no neutral grounds like today. So to remain undefeated in 1929 Collingwood won away games at Glenferrie Oval, Corio Oval, Arden St, Junction Oval, Windy Hill, Punt Rd Oval, Lake Oval, Brunswick St Oval and MCG. An incredible effort considering the Home Ground advantage these teams had. The greatest team ever. Part of the incredible ‘Machine’ and known as ‘The Bradman’s of Football’.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Magnificent team.

The unbeaten nature and huge records recorded in that season is so telling.

We should never forget our greatness and the players were something else.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

And I believe last time we won the flag in white shorts.

 

[caloschwaby]

Part of me hopes that soon we can have back-to-back premierships or a dynasty to make the 2 flags in 50 years sting less

 

[Vicky Park]

Get goosebumps whenever I hear about The Machine. Can’t separate their incredible success from what was happening in Collingwood (the suburb) in that era of the Depression. Enormous poverty, malnutrition, social upheaval - and the greatest football team in the country. The club did a lot for their community, but winning four flags in a row was the greatest of gifts.

 

[jonbe54]

Part of me hopes that soon we can have back-to-back premierships or a dynasty to make the 2 flags in 50 years sting less

Be thankful you don't follow the Dee's then.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Be thankful you don't follow the Dee's then.

Or st kilda

 

[Barham to Kink]

We’ve had it tough since 58 but imagine being beaten in the grand final three years in a row by the same team - Richmond def by Pies 1927, 28 and 29...

That would hurt...

 

[Jekyll and Hyde]

Last game of the season they had a chance to kick point to average 100 points per game over the season, sadly it went out on the full.

 

[35Daicos]

Instead of a flashback to a Collingwood great I thought today I would highlight the greatest team to ever played the game.

They were record breakers who still have some feats that have not been beaten. Clearly they are the Greatest Team of all.
First team to remain undefeated through an entire home-and away season (never matched).
First team to score more than 2,000 points in a single season.
First team to have a full-forward scoring more than 100 goals in a single season.
First team to have a player kick 16 goals in a single match.
Lost only 12 quarters for the season.
Gordon Coventry won the Goalkicking award
Albert Collier won the Brownlow
And of course this was the third of 4 premierships in a row.
Had an incredible percentage of 171.7
There were no neutral grounds like today. So to remain undefeated in 1929 Collingwood won away games at Glenferrie Oval, Corio Oval, Arden St, Junction Oval, Windy Hill, Punt Rd Oval, Lake Oval, Brunswick St Oval and MCG. An incredible effort considering the Home Ground advantage these teams had. The greatest team ever. Part of the incredible ‘Machine’ and known as ‘The Bradman’s of Football’.

This is a very good "series" you have going with these posts/threads. I'm sure a lot of people really enjoy reading this sort of thing. The more (of this) the merrier, I'd say!

Just regarding the quarters lost for the season, the figure should be 19 (P80 - W58/L19/T3), with 15 H&A and 4 Finals. That's still the lowest number of quarters we have lost in a season, and 23.75% of quarters lost also represents our best ever figure. Geelong 1897 is the only other team to have lost so few quarters in a season, but that was from just 68 played (27.94%). Essendon 2000 (with 20 lost of 100) beats our % figure with just 20%, as does Hawthorn 2015 with 23.08% (24 of 104 quarters lost).

 

[35Daicos]

Last game of the season they had a chance to kick point to average 100 points per game over the season, sadly it went out on the full.

This doesn't seem to match Collingwood's 1929 season! We played 20 games (including the 2 finals) and scored 2,058 points, giving the team an average score of 102.9. We averaged 106.6 over the 18 H&A games, so reaching that average of 100 was comfortably achieved.

The closest we've come to an average of 100 (but just missed out) was in 1985 (99.9), where if we'd scored one more goal we'd have averaged 100.1! In 1992 H&A we averaged 99.8 and one more goal would have got us to the 100+ mark. We played one final that year.

 

[35Daicos]

And I believe last time we won the flag in white shorts.

We were still in the white shorts on Grand Final day in 1930. This photo would have been taken on the ground prior to the game. That would be the last time (we won it wearing white).

Collingwood 1930 - Australasian 18-Oct-1930 p29
http://boylesfootballphotos.net.au/Collingwood+Team+Photos

Edit: Note the clenched fists on Albert Collier! He really was a serious competitor!!

 

[35Daicos]

Here's our 1929 players:

http://boylesfootballphotos.net.au/Collingwood+Team+Photos

We only used 26 players that year, with 2 of them playing just one game.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

We were still in the white shorts on Grand Final day in 1930. This photo would have been taken on the ground prior to the game. That would be the last time (we won it wearing white).

Collingwood 1930 - Australasian 18-Oct-1930 p29
http://boylesfootballphotos.net.au/Collingwood+Team+Photos

You are correct sir
My error

I now know 1930

 

[35Daicos]

There's some great photos to be found at this site. Here's our Round 1 1929 team:

 

[35Daicos]

Incredible to think that they played with just 18 men in those days. A bad injury to a player in the first five minutes of a game would have made life tough!

In 1930 the 19th man was allowed.

 

[Jekyll and Hyde]

This doesn't seem to match Collingwood's 1929 season! We played 20 games (including the 2 finals) and scored 2,058 points, giving the team an average score of 102.9. We averaged 106.6 over the 18 H&A games, so reaching that average of 100 was comfortably achieved.

The closest we've come to an average of 100 (but just missed out) was in 1985 (99.9), where if we'd scored one more goal we'd have averaged 100.1! In 1992 H&A we averaged 99.8 and one more goal would have got us to the 100+ mark. We played one final that year.

Wow, awesome stats, you really know your stuff.
I had no idea, I just guessed - I was running with the whole Bradman test average comparison.

 

[35Daicos]

Wow, awesome stats, you really know your stuff.
I had no idea, I just guessed - I was running with the whole Bradman test average comparison.

Brilliant!

 

[Vicky Park]

There's some great photos to be found at this site. Here's our Round 1 1929 team:

That’s a fantastic site, thank you

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Brilliant work 35Daicos and South of the Yarra and all the contributors.

 

[35Daicos]

Get goosebumps whenever I hear about The Machine. Can’t separate their incredible success from what was happening in Collingwood (the suburb) in that era of the Depression. Enormous poverty, malnutrition, social upheaval - and the greatest football team in the country. The club did a lot for their community, but winning four flags in a row was the greatest of gifts.

An hour or so ago I saw a post (very briefly before it disappeared) in this thread that had some photos of "life at Collingwood" that presumably were from that era. Perhaps the poster decided they were off-topic and removed it, but I'd say it would absolutely help "tell the story". Would like to see it make a comeback (that post, I mean)!

 

[Vicky Park]

An hour or so ago I saw a post (very briefly before it disappeared) in this thread that had some photos of "life at Collingwood" that presumably were from that era. Perhaps the poster decided they were off-topic and removed it, but I'd say it would absolutely help "tell the story". Would like to see it make a comeback (that post, I mean)!

Regrettably I didn’t see the post you refer to.

 

[Occidental]

Oops. I tried to post some old photos of just how tough life was in Collingwood at the time of that great team. I didn’t think it had worked.
Anyway, this will give all an idea of the suburb that great team represented. No wonder our fans were so fierce and proud.

 

[Occidental]

Aerial photo of Vic Park taken 15 September 1929.

 

[35Daicos]

Oops. I tried to post some old photos of just how tough life was in Collingwood at the time of that great team. I didn’t think it had worked.
Anyway, this will give all an idea of the suburb that great team represented. No wonder our fans were so fierce and proud.

View attachment 577257View attachment 577260View attachment 577259View attachment 577256

Holy sh**! Thanks for having another crack at posting that.