CSM: Chapter 6.
6. Creating History. A quick recap (for those who might not be in the know) – in 1980, the ladder comprised a final five. This involved the best finals system Australian Rules Football had ever seen, which worked like this: Week 1 1st gets the week-off – a rest, as a reward for finishing first. Qualifying Final: 2nd vs 3rd Elimination Final: 4th vs 5th. The loser is eliminated from the finals race. Week 2 Second Semi Final: 1st plays the winner of the Qualifying Final. The winner goes straight into the grand final. If 1st won (and they usually had an advantage as a side coming off a week’s…
CSM: Chapter 4.
4. My First Game. I started to watch the replays regularly. Channel 7 had Seven’s Big League on at Saturday night, hosted by Peter Landy, which replayed a quarter from two matches, and provided highlights of another. That’s all the games which were covered. Because of Collingwood’s H&A success and popularity, they were replayed often. Then there was the Winners on Channel 2, with Tim Lane and Drew Morphett. Sometimes they had a different game. Usually, they didn’t. But they might show a different section from the same game, and it was always interesting to get the viewpoint of different commentators. I’d sit transfixed in front of the TV, following…