17 June
On this day in 1989, Collingwood and Richmond went head-to-head in Round 12 at VFL Park. The Tigers were within two goals at half-time before Collingwood shook them off with scant regard and ran out easy 54-point victors.
Tony Shaw was a star with 42 possessions. Paul Hawke accumulated 41 touches and Wrensted 31. Mark Bayliss and Colin Alexander kicked three goals each.
The Magpies remained fifth on the ladder, for the fourth consecutive week, and would remain in that position for all but one of the remaining ten weeks.
Final Scores – Collingwood 18.15.123 d. Richmond 9.15.69 ### Round 12, 1972 at Victoria Park – sixth-placed Collingwood played top-placed Richmond in front of 28,288. Ahead at three-quarter time - 11.19 to 8.12 - the Woods could only add five more behinds to their lopsided score, as the Tigers kept attacking with four goals. Alas, it was not enough and they fell just short by five points.
Final Scores – Collingwood 11.24.90 beat Richmond 12.13.85. Robert Dean kicked 4.6, John Greening had a game-high 27 disposals and Ian McOrist and Max Richardson kicked two goals each.
Dr. Stats Fact Alert: Peter Cloke, older brother of David – and uncle to Travis, Jason and Cameron – took the field for Richmond today. He played 28 games between 1970 and 1973, swinging between centre half-forward and centre half-back. He missed out on playing with David who started in 1974.
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In 1939, a 27-point win against North Melbourne in round nine at Arden Street put Collingwood back on top of the ladder. Ron Todd kicked six goals and Alby Pannam five.
In 1944, in round seven at Victoria Park, Collingwood opened the first term with an inaccurate 4.10. Essendon was stuck on 0.0. Outscored for the rest of the match, the Woods nevertheless claimed a 29-point win – 12.21.93 to 9.10.64. Harry Mears kicked five goals.
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The Magpies put their stamp on a top-three finish today in 1978 by thrashing Melbourne by 60 points in their round eleven match-up at Victoria Park. No surprises in this one. The home side was up all day, but just somewhat inaccurate, in a 17.25.127 to 10.7.67 victory.
Len Thompson, Peter Moore and Max Richardson each kicked three goals, whilst Ronnie Wearmouth was everywhere with his 30 disposals and two goals.
Two Magpies savoured their first dips in a Black and White jumper: Derek Shaw – no relation to Tony, Ray, Neville, or Gary, for that matter – played the first of his 47 games. And Ted Carroll, who had crossed from Melbourne, played the first of his three games for the Woods. And, whilst he was playing for the opposition, Henry Coles, who played 44 games for the Pies between 1971 and 1975, strode from the race on familiar turf for his 100th career game.
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Collingwood lost today to North Melbourne, in round nine of 1950, at Victoria Park, at that. Not usually worthy of an entry in the annals of On This Day. But it is worthy of noting three milestones: That year’s captain, Gordon Hocking, played his 150th game.
Unheralded 1953 premiership player, Arthur Gooch, debuted, on his way to 76 games and 12 goals.
And for North Melbourne...well, it was the first time, since their admittance to the VFL in 1925, they had beaten Collingwood at Victoria Park. Finally, after 25 years, they’d cracked the code. Mind you, it was only their fifth win against the Pies in all those years.
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Today in 1933, 19-year old defender George Bates, in the hallowed number 42, played his one and only game for the Pies in a 44-point romp over the Saints in Round 8 at Victoria Park. He would later play for Richmond and South Melbourne, but in the meantime, could savour this career highlight, being part of a winning team that included the Collier and Coventry brothers. Gordon kicked five goals and George Carter four as the Woods won 14.23.107 to 8.15.63.
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Happy Birthday to Leon Davis, born today in 1981. A two-time All-Australian, as a forward in 2009 and a defender in 2011, Leon played 225 games and kicked 270 goals in a career spanning 2000 to 2011.
