Considering Essendon was the only Victorian club not to even do a single tin-rattling campaign until post-Saga, and many other clubs did multiple campaigns, I’d suggest Essendon was the least likely to go under.
Collingwood was allegedly hours from having their bank loans called in under McAllister or McDonald.
Carlton needed massive handouts from the Pratts and from their mafia connections
Fitzroy lived on the smell of an oily rag, and that oil had been used many times to do the chips
Footscray - many, many times. Nearly merged.
Geelong - stuffed until Costa turned up
Hawthorn - nearly merged
Melbourne and North - how many times?
St Kilda - ditto
Richmond - Save Our Skins - again and again
Sydney - had to move to Sydney
Essendon was about the only club registered under the then Companies Act. Therefore tighter regulatory control, but still sailed close to the wind,until pulled up by the then more responsible at the club.
Melbourne were the first club l remember buying a name recruit for big bikkies, thus triggering the money-go-round when they signed “Diamond” Jim Tilbrook from SA for $60,000, back around 1970. Unheard of money for those days.
When the Coulter law applied. Brown paper bags on the go. Astronomical amounts offered to Bluey Shelton, Essendon went to talk to his father, said it was not up to matching money. rather the merits of joining Essendon. Father said his son was not a piece of butcher’s meat for sale, gave the nod to the Bombers.
.IIRc played in a premiership side under Coleman. He was Sheedy’s football hero.
I was a few years after Bacchus.
Steve Taubert was my first PE teacher, ended up with Rod “curly” Austin.
Both were pretty good teachers- though I think half the girls at the school had a crush on Steve. He did drive a really cool 260z…
Over the past few years he really got himself together, had a daughter and cleaned himself right up. As soon as my wife told me my first thoughts were he relapsed or suicide.
Was reading this morning that a police spokesperson has indicated it was likely a drug overdose. Didn’t specify which drug/s though. From them saying that I can only assume they must’ve found some form of “drug paraphernalia” at the scene.
Another Oak Park High guy here. Taubert was our year 7 PE teacher and then Curly from then on. Don’t remember much about Taubert apart from he used to watch us shower after class and was considered a creep by our year level.