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THIS week’s moments feature some Hawthorn heroes, some iconic coaches, some bending of the rules and some of the early moments that helped shape our great game.
Every sport has its magical records that can seemingly never be beaten. Basketball has Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points in a match, cricket has Don Bradman’s 99.94 average and football has the 150 goals in a season mark.
It was thought that Bob Pratt’s 150 goals in 1934 would never be beaten, but in 1971 star Hawk Peter Hudson closed in on the record. Hudson equalled the mark in 1970 but missed several chances in the Grand Final against St Kilda before kicking in to Barry Lawrence on the mark in the dying stages. Hudson finished level with Pratt but more importantly, Hawthorn won the flag.
Hudson’s coach that day, John Kennedy is widely remembered as a Hawk legend. Which is why he surprised everyone when he took on the job as North Melbourne coach in 1985.
His first match against his old side finished in a draw, a gallant effort from North Melbourne considering the Hawks were the powerhouse team of the 80s.
Another of Kennedy’s protégés, Peter Knights, produced one of the most brilliant aerial displays against Essendon in 1978.
Knights and Bomber Paul Van Der Haar engaged in one of the great duels seen in football, flying for marks all day as fans from both sides looked on in awe.
Two of the most eccentric coaches in the 80s were Carlton’s Peter ‘Percy’ Jones and Richmond’s Tony Jewell and they provided a truly memorable moment when they almost came to blows at Waverkey Park in 1980. Richmond won the match and went on to win that year’s premiership.
Another memorable moment is Alastair Lord’s Brownlow medal win in 1963. Made more memorable because it has been speculated that twin brother Stewart took the wrap for him when he was reported for striking during the year. The case was thrown out amid much confusion.
Dan Moriarty is not a name most football supporters would recognise but he achieved something that the greats of the game never could. He won three consecutive league best and fairest at an elite-level competition. The South Adelaide defender won the Magarey medal for best player in the SANFL in his first season in 1919 and then won it in the following two years. An outstanding achievement by anyone’s standards.
The final moment this week is one that was the first step towards establishing a running game – the end of the little mark.
In the first season of hte VFL, the league abolished the ‘little mark’ which allowed a player to touch the ball with his feet then hand it to a teammate who could claim a mark. This remains possibly the most significant rule change the game has seen.
