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When North Melbourne and Carlton stepped onto the Oval in London in 1987 for the Fosters International Cup Qualifying Final, one of the most infamous games in AFL/VFL history ensued.
Known as the ‘Battle of Britain’, it was supposed to be an exhibition match showing off our great game to the rest of the world, but it quickly became somewhat of a regrettable bloodbath for the competition’s administrators.
The umpires were kept busy and their books constantly taken from their back pockets with several players reported throughout the fierce encounter.
Alastair Clarkson broke Ian Aitken's jaw and was subsequently suspended for four weeks while current North chief of football Donald McDonald was reported for striking David Rhys-Jones and copped a week.
Jim Buckley, Rhys-Jones , Wayne Johnston, Brad Shine and Mark Edwards were all reported for the Blues. Shine got off with only a reprimand after attempting to strike Clarkson with Buckley and Johnston receiving two match bans for actually hitting the now Hawthorn coach. Edwards copped two matches for striking John Law and Rhys-Jones got one match for striking Donald McDonald.
For the record, the Kangaroos won the match by 13 points but all the talk was about the on-field brutality and the flow-on effects with the league in damage control after its image also received a belting.
On the eve of North’s Friday night blockbuster with Carlton, kangaroos.com.au winds back the clock and relives the notorious ‘Battle of Britian’.
North Melbourne: 16.8.104
Carlton: 13.13.91
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