1966 and all that: Round 4 – St Kilda v Geelong

 

Wizard ‘Doc’ best again

 Saturday, May 14

Moorabbin

 

Next up the Saints took on Geelong at Moorabbin. St. Kilda made four forced changes to their side after the torrid game against North Melbourne. Ross Oakley came into the team for his first game of the season as one of the four replacements for the injured Ian Cooper, Jeff Moran, Bob Murray and Kevin Billing. Geelong named Darryl Herrod on a half back flank to replace the suspended John Devine.

 

The teams:

 

St. Kilda   

                                        

B.         Sierakowski  Howell  Head

H-B.     Bingley  Synman  Griffiths

C.         Read  Stewart  Oakley

H-F.     K. Roberts  Baldock  Breen

For.      Smith  Neale  Mynott

Foll.     Morrow  Ditterich

Rov.     Rowland

Res.      Cross  Mann

 

Geelong

 

B.          Hosking  Rosenow  Vinar

H-B.      Marshall  Walker  Herrod

C.          Polinelli  Lord  Closter

H-F.      Farman  Andrews  Newland

For.       Hynes  Wade  Sharrock

Foll.       Farmer  Newman

Rov.       Goggin

Res.       Eales  Ryan

 

After a rare scoreless first term, a brilliant nine goal burst by the home team in the second quarter stopped the Cats in their tracks and helped set up another big win for the Saints. A determined defensive effort by St Kilda in the third quarter limited Geelong to just two goals which helped the Saints consolidate their burst with the wind before half time.

 

Geelong, in their first appearance at Moorabbin, were tricked by the swirling wind. The Cats were regularly caught out playing the wrong side of the ground unlike the Saints who understood their home ground conditions perfectly.

 

The contest between two Brownlow medallists, Ian Stewart (1965) and Alistair Lord (1962) was won clearly by the Saints centreman who played far and wide of his Geelong opponent with telling effect on the outcome of the game. St Kilda rovers Rowland and Smith had the edge over their Geelong counterparts around the packs despite ‘Polly’ Farmer and Sam Newman having more hit-outs than the St. Kilda ruckmen.

 

Alan Morrow was in the thick of the action upon his return from injury. In the first quarter he clashed heavily with Geelong’s Terry Farman and later was on the receiving end from several revengeful Cats. A sign of St Kilda’s growing maturity was their refusal to wilt under sustained physical pressure.

 

Again, ‘the Doc’ was best afield showing all his wizardry. He proved too elusive for Geelong’s centre half back Peter Walker, kicking four goals in a dominating performance. At the other end, the usually productive Doug Wade was limited to a solitary goal.

 

The Cats would have to wait until the return clash at Kardinia Park in round 15 for a chance to even the score against the Saints.

 

Undefeated St. Kilda stood alone on top of the ladder after Richmond and Essendon had losses. Four points clear and with a very healthy percentage, the Saints were well on their way in ’66.

 

Scores

 

St. Kilda         0.0 (0)              9.3 (57)          11.4 (70)       15.11 (101)

Geelong         4.6 (30)             4.10 (34)       6.16 (52)       7.16 (58)

 

Goals – St. Kilda: Baldock 4, Roberts 3, Neale 3, Mynott 2, Ditterich, Morrow, Rowland

Geelong: Newman, Farman, Goggin, Wade, Hynes, Eales, Ryan

 

Best – St. Kilda: Baldock (best on ground), Stewart, Breen, K. Roberts, Mynott, Synman, Head

Geelong: Marshall, Farmer, Rosenow, Closter, Hynes, Sharrock

 

Ross Smith, Ian Stewart and Darrel Baldock topped the disposals for the Saints while for the Cats ‘Polly’ Farmer had 15 kicks and 11 handballs.

 

Injuries – St. Kilda: Howell (bruised leg), Head (bruised foot), Roberts (ankle) Geelong; Farman (concussion), Sharrock (bruised thigh)

 

Umpire: Gaudion

 

Crowd: 37 140

 

Reserves:        St. Kilda 15.11 (101) d. Geelong 10.15 (75)

Under 19’s:    St. Kilda 11.17 (83) d. Geelong 6.5 (41)

 

Around the grounds

 

At Princes Park – Carlton 15.12 (102) d. Essendon 5.11 (41)

At the Western Oval – Footscray 12.12 (84) d. Fitzroy 5.16 (46)

At Glenferrie Oval – North Melbourne 14.15 (99) d. Hawthorn 9.13 (67)

At the M.C.G. – South Melbourne 17.17 (119) d. Melbourne 12.17 (89)

At Victoria Park – Collingwood 12.13 (85) d. Richmond 5.18 (48)

 

Highlights of the round:

 

‘Big Nick’ (John Nicholls), in his 150^th game, starred for the Blues in their surprise victory over the Bombers. It was one of Essendon’s heaviest defeats since the war. A coaching masterstroke by Bob Rose the previous week paid dividends for the Magpies against the Tigers. The Collingwood coach shifted poorly performing forwards Peter McKenna and Ian Graham into defence against Essendon in Round 3, which produced the desired outcome a week later. Spurred into action, Graham and McKenna kicked three goals each and led a damaging Magpie forward line. South’s captain-coach Bob Skilton was in Brownlow winning form against the Demons. He tallied 30 disposals and booted three goals, helping his team to a 30 point victory.

 

Read The Age, Monday May 16, 1966, for coverage of all matches HERE.

 

Next round:

 

Match of the day – South Melbourne v St. Kilda at The Lakeside Oval

 

Country Footy

 

Out in the Victorian Mallee region, the football and cropping seasons were getting into full swing and recent rain had brought optimism. Let’s check out the winners.

 

Mallee League:

Ouyen defeated Underbool; Tempy-Gorya defeated Walpeup; Kiamal defeated Patchewollock; Tiega defeated Murrayville United

 

Southern Mallee League:

Beulah defeated Brim; Hopetoun defeated Yaapeet; Rainbow defeated Woomelang-Lascelles

 

Tyrell League:

Nandaly defeated Berriwillock; Nullawil defeated Sea Lake; Ultima defeated Manangatang (the Saints); Chinkapook defeated Culgoa.

 

In 2009, school students from Ouyen College painted nine totem poles to represent the colours of clubs that had folded into one another over the years to form the Ouyen United Football Netball Club (the Kangas). The nine clubs represented on the totem poles are: Ouyen United, Tempy-Gorya-Patchewollock, Ouyen Rovers, Tempy, Gorya, Patchewollock, Ouyen, Tiega and Kiamal. In reality, more than 30 former Mallee region footy clubs share lineage with Ouyen United. The Kangas currently compete in the Sunraysia Football and Netball League.

 

Meanwhile …

 

In South Vietnam, the internal power play between Premier Ky’s military government and the Buddhist rebels escalated into bitter fighting. After a week of street fighting government troops took over the rebels’ strongholds as resistance crumbled.

 

Speaking in Melbourne, ALP leader Arthur Caldwell commented that most Australians have as much interest in Vietnam as they have in Tibet. Yet, he added that Labor intended to make conscription and Vietnam the major issues in the Federal election later in the year.

 

Prince Charles attended the Geelong Grammar School campus at Timbertop for six months in 1966. During the week he visited New Guinea with a school party from Geelong Grammar.

 

At Wembley, Everton staged one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the FA Cup. Sheffield Wednesday led 2-0 at half time, before Everton scored three goals in the second half to secure the club’s third win in the competition.

 

The Nissan Motor Company announced plans to become the second Japanese carmaker to assemble cars in Australia. Continuing the automotive theme, Hitch Hiker by Australian duo Bobby and Laurie cruised to the top of the pop music charts.

 

 

Read more of Peter Clark’s weekly reviews of  St Kilda’s triumphant 1966 footy season HERE

 

Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

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