1931 Grand Final Newsreel Footage – Geelong v Richmond

Further to John Harms’ article on the 1931 Grand Final, we’ve come across this newsreel footage from this first Grand Final meeting of these teams via the Geelong Advertiser.

 

Keep an eye out for the centre bounce technique of field umpire Bob Scott.

 

https://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/sport/afl/geelong-cats-premiership-years/1931-geelong-cats-premiership-greeted-with-scenes-of-remarkable-enthusiasm/news-story/2ff44d5563f9bcab137ad7d61fae5e93

 

What else takes your eye?

Comments

  1. One on one all over the ground. Plenty of open space.

    Love the umpire’s bounce. Looks like an incredibly hard technique to master. The modern sooks want to get rid of it because its too hard. Diddums!

  2. What did I notice – that Geelong “plays the game as it should be played “

  3. Mark 'Swish' Schwerdt says

    Hey Dips, Scott umpired each of the Grand Finals from 1929-1935 inclusive. Imagine how many times he must have done it. I wonder if he also used it around the ground?

  4. Mentioned in the voiceover – Gordon Strang. The following is reprinted from Wikipedia.

    Geoff Strang (9 May 1944 – 20 December 2003) was an Australian rules footballer who played in the Victorian Football League (VFL) in between 1965 and 1971 for the Richmond Football Club.

    He was the grandson of South Melbourne footballer Bill Strang, the son of Richmond premiership player Doug Strang, nephew of dual Richmond premiership player Gordon Strang, South Melbourne footballer Alan Strang, and St Kilda footballer Colin Strang, and the cousin of John Perry, who also played in the 1967 Richmond premiership team.

    There’s a bit of a pedigree there, eh?

  5. Mark 'Swish' Schwerdt says

    Geoff Strang was also a premiership player for North Adelaide in 1972, coached by the Swamp Fox

  6. Good one Swish. I notice he died young too.

  7. There was a fairly large outer @ the ‘G’ in that period. It was not a stadium, as it’s called in the modern parlance.

    The Wrap; John Perry ended up @ North Melbourne. He returned to Wodonga where he became a very successful publican, also i think a race horse owner of some decent runners.

    I’m pretty sure his Richmond team mate of the time Mike Perry, was his brother. Mike played in the 1967 premiership, he then missed the 1969 flag after being suspended for striking Tad Joniec of Footscray in the last home and away game.

    Glen!

  8. Also in that side was the pedigreed Paddy Guinane. His father played for Richmond as well. Thanks again to Wikipedia.
    Danny Guinane (18 May 1911 – 28 August 1992[1] ) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Richmond in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

    Guinane, a defender, came to Richmond from South Ballarat.[2] He polled eight Brownlow Medal votes in 1939, the second most by a Richmond player behind Jack Dyer.

    He was a back pocket in the 1942 VFL Grand Final, which Richmond lost.[3] Richmond were premiers in both his first and last seasons, but he wasn’t selected for either side.[4]

    Off the field he worked as a tram driver.[5]

    He was the father of Richmond player Paddy Guinane.

    His total stats included his weight & his height — 179cm & 100kg. The backpockets in those days didn’t stand the resting rovers — they sat on them.

    Also note that Captain Blood actually polled Brownlow votes.

  9. Awesome footage!

  10. The hats on all the spectators is interesting.
    Also, for the height of the depression there are a lot of cars parked outside the ground (50 to 60 seconds), visible top of screen.
    The cameraman has trouble following the play.
    Fundamentally, the game is not that different from that played in the 80s, or perhaps even now.
    It did not look like a place kick to me.

  11. Excellent footage.

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