Elaborate On The Junction Oval For Me

[Mobbs]

I came down to Melbourne from country Vic in 1988, so I never got to see the Roys play at The Junction Oval.

I've been there, to see Fitzroy-Doncaster play cricket, and once in the middle of the night after that famed last win (over Freo), but I haven't learnt what it was like.

Can anyone explain the crowd demographics for me? I mean, where were the yobs positioned, or the grog squad? How packed it was, that sort of thing.

And, just for old times sake, tell me about what the experience was like, all over again

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Hallowed be thy Roy

 

[Super Boot]

I only made it there a couple of times myself and was 7-8 years old so cant answer the grog questions but do recall being very packed the day Bernie slotted the 100 . It was good to have a home though that what we lost going on the merry go round of home grounds.

 

[Fat Pizza]

The Junction Oval was the best. The surface was the best in the League. They even used to play country week tennis on it.
I used to stand in front of the Kevin Murray Stand with my father.
After a win, we'd go into the clubrooms & sing the theme song with the players. If we lost, I'd still be in there to get some autographs. It had great atmosphere. It is a shame we ever left.

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Fat Pizzas. They're Big & they're Cheesy.

 

[gregtri]

the junction oval!
went there in 1970 onwards great ground to watch footy.the roy boys got great crowds
untill they were forced to move by v.f.l who said that the junction oval was not up to standard. all other clubs still played at home grounds.
going to vic park was a bad move.
just part of the first steps to get as out of
the v.f.l at that time now a.f.l.

i loved preseason games at junction checking out new players on list
if we could have our own v.f.l side it would be a great ground to use.
we could fill it up to 10,000 strong crowd
and then watch fitzroy people come back to the club.
greg[always fitzroy] and a fitzroy member.

 

[Mobbs]

Spewin' I missed it all.

Spittin' broken glass.

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Hallowed be thy Roy

 

[Fat Pizza]

I went to the cricket there in January - Victoria v Australia. Crowd of about 14,000 - great atmosphere. I can't see the Roys ever getting those crowds again, in whatever competition they might play...unfortunately.

They might get a decent crowd for a once-off Legends match or something like that.

 

[OldLion]

Junction Oval - used to park in a little lane off St. Kilda Rd and stood on the outer wing staring into the sun. If the crowd was small, went behind the goals at the Bowling Club end.

Great memories there esp. when there was a howling northerly and watch the Roys come home with the tide. Ronny A. ( the ultimate porno movie mo' ) torped one from the centre circle with such a wind ( Wind beneath my Torp ). The ground really suited the high scoring game so thug based teams couldn't wack Flea, and Mickey could run free.
Behind one of the goals , there was an advert. sign for a sausage maker ( known as The Pork People - not totally kosher ) which Bernie and Mickey would aim at , giving substance to the line 'it's a sausage '. It our inebriated state, we would cry out to the opponents Beware the Pork People - kinda went over the head.
Apart from famous victories and the whole of 1983, the great moment was on the last day when Bernie Q had to get 3 for 100, we had to beat the Saints and the Pies had to beat someone for us to get to the finals. It all came to pass and the scratchy song was still blasting out over the ground as darkness descended and we headed back over the Yarra.

And this was BEFORE Fitzroy St. got trendy !

 

[Olmy]

If there's one thing I regret about Fitzroy, it's having not been old enough to support them through the late 70's and early 80's. I never saw Wilson play, neither McMahon, and I only got to see Quinlan's last year (not his Coleman or Brownlow Medal efforts). Conlan had his best days, perhaps, before my time, as had Matty Rendell and Ross Thornton.

I would have loved to have been around to see the Roys at the Junction Oval. The video footage of that place looks great.

 

[Easy-E]

i used to get the 67 (69?) tram down Glenhuntley Rd , round the corner straight to the ground. i used to think it was very decent of the Tramways board to have a junction right at our ground, all trams lead to Fitzroy, eh!
I remember one game there where Mickey must have run 100 meters around the whole touch line, from goal to goal, bounce after bounce, then slugged it home for a 6 pointer. No one laid a hand on him.the place just erupted.must have been 79-80.

 

[Fat Pizza]

What about the game in 1983 when we took top spot from North Melbourne, thrashing them by 150 points in the process?

I remember Matty Rendell looking around for someone to pass to, not seeing anyone, then calmly slamming through his 8th straight goal, over his shoulder, from the forward flank. Not a bad effort, since he was playing in the ruck! Quinlan kicked about 7 from full-forward & Conlan kicked 7 in the 2nd half. I think Mick was sitting on the bench for the 1st half. It was a fantastic era to support Fitzroy. They played as exciting a brand of football as I've seen. Maybe I'm a bit biassed, but it was very attacking, lots of running, some huge marks & lots of goals. It's a shame we'll never see it again.

 

[Mr Ripper]

Ahhhh, the Junction!

We used to stand (or sit on bench seat along the fence if we got there early enough) in that portion between the Kevin Murray and Blackie-Ironmonger Stands; right in front of the TV cameras and commentary box. We'd try to get as close to the Roys' race as possible. The senior players used to congregate in this area and watch some ressies before they went into the changerooms. Great for autographs too; Ian Miller, John Duckworth, Bobby Beecroft, Wayne Linton, Ron Alexander, John Murphy, Renato Serafini et al.

I must have a think about making a top 5 or top 10 list of magical Roys at the Junction moments...

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Olmy knows best

 

[Mobbs]

Glenhuntly line is the 67, I live at the end of it (Carnegie).

Shame I wasn't here when the Roys were at the Junction.

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Hallowed be thy Roy

 

[FitzroyRamone]

Hi all,

The first game I can remember going to at the Junction Oval was in 1982, a sunny May Saturday. Our opponents that day were Hawthorn. I bought a copy of "1982: that was the season that was" last year, and there were highlights of this game. Fitzroy won after David McMahon slotted the winner.
My dad purchased reserved seats for him, my brother and I in the Kevin Murray Stand for the 1982 season, and we sat in the Tennis Courts stand next to the scoreboard in 1983 and 1984. Even at the tender age of 8 I realised that stand was a fire hazard, does anyone else remember the huge build up of garbage underneath?

My top 5 memories of the Junction Oval are:
1983: Beating North by 150 points in the top-of-the-table clash. I can still see matty Rendell in the open goal slamming the football over my head at the Tennis Court end.
1982-1984: the sound that came from the Southern Side of the ground. As this was a mainly members side, the roar was frickin' grouse.
1983: Seeing Bernie Quinlan run on for his 300th game against Melbourne. We pumped 'em by 10 goals or so.
1984: Mick Conlan's 10 goals against Footscray on Easter Monday. Jam that up that ya, Malthouse! (in his 4th game as a coach).
1982-1984 The biggest highlight was Fitzroy having it's own ground. Perhaps it's because we had a great side, but nothing in my life will ever beat seeing Fitzroy win constantly at our own home ground.

One of the funny things of the Junction that stays with me till this day is the smell. Not in a bad way, but the combination of cigarettes, donuts and hot chips, in such a confined space, was amazing. I still believe that smell has lead to me becoming a smoker.

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who becomes a little misty eyed when talking about the Junction. What a great place!

Cheers,
FitzroyRamone

 

[Captain Sensible]

I remember that game in '84. Conlan kicked 6 in the third quarter on a fella called Brian Cordy, and the 'roys were kicking into a gale. At half time scores were pretty close and all us doggies were thinking "we need to be at least 5 or 6 up at three quarter time" I think we 8 or 9 down-cheers and good luck with the new board.

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...Son, if youre going to follow the Doggies you'll need a sense of humour...

 

[OldLion]

Some more tales from the terrace ... a game V Geelong when Jacko and Gablett were agin us. Jacko was .. well something else .. and kept everyone amused. The other guy lost his boot and continued playing with a sock-only left foot ( sounds like a good movie title ) .. bugger me if he didn't grap the ball , bounce.. bounce.. etc and torped a 60m LEFT foot goal at full pace under some pressure. The plaintive cry ' For gawd's sake, tread on his bloody toes !' rose from the stands. We won but I did pencil him in as someone to watch !

A couple of favourite players - Lee Murnane "Baldock of the Bush" why did he not become a superstar ? and the man who perfected the simultaneous pleading-to-the-umpire-what-me ? and wacking-the-bloke(s)-with-a-very-crude-shepherd move Gary Sidebottom. Legend.

I could go on ...

 

[Fat Pizza]

Lee Murnane IS a superstar. Just ask Mr Ripper.

Sidey was a very important player for the Roys. It's easy to make fun of him, but he was extremely underrated. He combined with Quinlan, McMahon & Conlan to make a very potent forward line.

 

[OldLion]

I would NEVER make fun of Gary Sidebottom ! ( now Allan maybe .. ) He was the man that let the others walk tall - at last we had an enforcer that knew what he was doing in the applied vigour department. The footsteps they heard were Gary's - he just had this great innocent way, like 'it's not my fault I'm a little clumsy, I'm just made that way .. oops ( clonk, biff ), I appear to have stumbled all over you ( squelch, trample ) and now you can't move freely any more .. gosh'.

And he was a thumping kick.

 

[Mobbs]

Hahahahahahaha!!!!

That was one of the funniest posts I've ever read!!!

Hey FitzroyRamone, read this corker!

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Hallowed be thy Roy

 

[Mr Ripper]

Lee Murnane and Sidey...both candidates for the DSL department.

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Olmy knows best

 

[IAMDASH]

One other great aspect about the roys at the junction was "A pleasant Sunday morning" where the players would attend to mingle with fans and get photos taken with juniors like myself. I had photos taken with Matty Rendell., Leigh Mcconnen and Lorenzo Serafini. You had easy access to autographs etc and the atmosphere was always good because we were a power on the field and won plenty of games. Also you could turn up to training and walk in the rooms pretty easily. I also faintly remember attending a function one day at Rendells pub which I think was in Prahran/Toorak somewhere with my old man (maybe the Mt. Erica on cnr of Williams and Malvern but not quite sure). those were the days - take me back to the 80s

 

[Levo]

You've said it and makes me misty eyed, Mobbenfuhrer when you a spare week we will run through the Junction Oval LEDGEND.
No one mentioned the champion we got from North John Frazer kicked 9 his first game and never another one again.
Bundys brother Tim kicked a lazy 12 in the magoos, we wre in front of the Kevin Murray stand where you could hear Wallsy give his pre match and 1/2time talk.
And you could take your esky into the ground in those days.
Also had a mate Peter Faull would give a blow by blow (inc exact scores )'script of the game in the Ritz afterwards and we would reap in the money and booze.
Those were the days my mate gor arrested for attacking (verbally on the ground)umpire Deller against Collingwood, night in the slammer, and he was a Hawthorn supporter form then on a Fitzroy man.
Levo

 

[FitzroyRamone]

I've gotta agree with OldLion, Lee Murnane should have been a 250 game player for Fitzroy, I think he played from 1981-1984.
If any one is interested in what he is up to these days, he appears on The Simpsons sometimes, introducing the Itchy and Scratchy Show! Mark Dwyer: Lee Murnane cover band.

On a serious note, Murnane, Gary Sidebottom and Michael Nettlefold were three underrated players, especially in that powerhouse 1983 side. While we all know about the Quinlans, Wilsons and Conlans of this era, guys such as the before mentioned three, plus Graeme Hinchen, Leigh Carlson,Les Parish, Bill Lokan, these guys added to that team, but you never really hear mention of them.
Obscure Legends, you've gotta love em!

Cheers,
FitzroyRamone

 

[IAMDASH]

What ever happened to Hinchen. He was pivotal part of backline but almost dissappeared overnight if I me memory serves me correct