l am still hopeful that one day someone will emerge from deep within the bowels of the ABC at Ripponlea with the complete 1962 Grand Final. I have seen the whole game once, that being 1962. Since then l have seen one quarter. My clearest memory of that game is our vice captain, Geoff Leek, walking off into the sunset and retirement, what a great way to call time on your senior career, with a premiership. Geoff Leek lived behind our next door neighbours, and we would often chat, as l was the only kid in the neighbourhood that barracked for Essendon.
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go to your local footy clubs seniors.
Whatever happened to the place kick
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I reckon my local U15s are as good as that…
in fairness the rewatching of the classic games, really highlights the rose tinted glasses people see through.
our 80s greats kicking is no better than the current lot and they ran a lot less.
I agree but back then they were only part timers and it’s the best we had to choose from. The fittest guys were plumbers, surfers and labourers etc. I reckon the most skilful had a lot more to do with natural talent back then rather than constant coaching and drilling. Occaisionally you would get a guy pop up like Leon Baker or my personal fave Antony Antrobus with great game sense and skills combined.
Coleman introduced an academic physedder from Melbourne University and nutrition supplements. The players also had dressing gowns for all players when not in play. The envy of other teams freezing at the quarters.
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Looks like pretty good kicking to me.
Poor Trevor. 
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Likewise. That was a much better standard game than the '65 GF. I saw a tape of the last quarter a few years ago and it confirmed my recollections. The kicking and ball movement in that game was really good for the era. I would love to see the first quarter again where we set the game up scoring six goals to one with the wind and, IIRC, Jack Clarke was positively rampant.
Good 45 mins of footage here
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This one is highly amusing or perhaps bemusing considering it was the last minute of a GF to put the scores level. He just casually blasts the bladder out of it from 20m out, goal umpire doesn’t move. I asked my old man who is of that vintage, he seemed to recall forwards back then actually preferred it for accuracy. As a kid growing up in the 80’s, it was taught purely for distance, set shots were drop punts but I wouldn’t be surprised if torps were phased out for kids by the 90’s.
Then, there were supremely fit centre players such as Burgess ( farmer), Clarke ( architect) and Sewell ( small business); others such as Ken Fraser, were teachers .
The Danihers came from a farming background, which may explain their fitness, as with Bob Dunlop.
Essendon had a tradition of dominant ruckmen, Don McKenzie, Geoff Leek ( the gentle giant) , Simon Madden ( about the best tap ruckman ever) , Salmon.
There was a push at one stage to focus on recruiting natural athletes , of the likes of Paul Hill. But, it became apparent that that alone would not guarantee success.
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How much of our last 20 years is due to not having a dominant ruckman?
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Is that “in fairness”…?
Anyway, I’ve watched a few of these recently. There are some things that players are clearly “better” at in the 80s type games when compared to current football (I would say roving the ball off the marking contest for one). Not necessarily because they were better at the skill, but because the way the game was played allowed that skill to actually be used.
But still, the standard was very different (and it was umpired very differently, and played tactically very differently), but that you could also see the glimpses from the best players which drive the game to where it is today, and which made you think they could have translated.
Watching highlights from 1950, it was different again. And watching Coleman fly for the ball and nothing much happen was kind of concerning. But that was just the way the game was played, and you could see the glimpses, especially from Reynolds (in his last game) and Hutchinson. I thought in 65 you could see the glimpses from guys like Birt for Essendon, and even Sampson as the mobile bih, and even (as much as we bagged him) Baldock for StK. The good players are the ones who drive the evolution. There has always been good ordinary plodders getting games. These days those players are protected by having clearly defined “roles” and working within their limitations. But it’s the best that show the way forward for the game.
(I’m just rambling now, but seriously Hutchinson showed enough in 50 that I reckon he could have been a gun now. The fringe players, not so much.
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I think we need to differentiate between a torp and a flat punt, here.
The torp is for distance.
The drop punt (or stab kick) is far more accurate than a torp, but still a lot can go wrong as we constantly see in today’s game.
The drop punt, you’re kicking to the point of the ball, a tiny area, and the ball drop has to be pretty well perfect.
Now the flat punt, broad contact area, lower distance, sure, and not as precise as a drop punt, but shooting for goal you don’t need that level of precision.
I don’t know how many of Hudson’s goals were flat punts, but I’m guessing a lot.
They get a bad rap for being agricultural, but as a shot for goal they were very, very effective.
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The then restrictions on the use of 19th and 20th man and players coming off the ground precluded the rotation of players on and off the bench. The resting ruckman was sent to the least likely area of play, the on ball players were exhausted, it did not reflect their comparative fitness.
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The 19th and 20th man is a massive difference. And even just the 2 interchange in the 80s. And even in say 2000 the use of the interchange in the ice-hockey type method wasn’t a thing, so players were more stuffed especially late, and so the game is played differently.
Good luck playing fill field press zones with no interchange.
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