• CSM

    CSM: Chapter 13.

    13. Yet Another New Beginning. Essendon humiliated Hawthorn in the 1985 grand final by 78 points.  It was Leigh Matthews’ last game. Matthews, a four-time premiership player, a premiership captain, eight-time Hawthorn Best & Fairest, the inaugural Players’ Association Most Valuable Player, and one of the best (and some consider the best) and toughest players to play the game, was then appointed assistant coach of  Collingwood.  He was to serve an apprenticeship under Bob Rose for two years, and then eventually take over. Well, that was the plan. Essendon smashed Collingwood in Round 1 of 1986 by 65 points.  Without taking credit from the dominant Bombers, it was a performance…

  • CSM

    CSM: Chapter 12.

    12. Trading: Part II (1983 – 1985). In my earliest years of high school, other things diluted my focus from football: beginning to socialise, girlfriends, schoolwork, just that whole angry, independent teenage thing where you start thinking about stuff for yourself. For a short period there (two-three years), whilst I still followed Collingwood, the fanaticism plateaued. Of course, this could’ve had more to do with Collingwood themselves plateauing. I’d been introduced and apprenticeshipped to Collingwood during a period they were regularly making grand finals, as if it was their birthright, and a time they were headed by the t-shirted Tommy Hafey, and led by a group of players who were…