A Season in the Country – 1975 in the Wimmera and Farrer Leagues: Episode 22

 

Lockhart Football Ground

 

The Preliminaries

 

Farrer League

 

Preliminary Final: Henty v North Wagga
Saturday 13th September 1975
at Yerong Creek

 

Swans     v     Saints

 

The teams

 

Henty

 

B: Kilo, Bahr, MacReadie

HB: Taylor, Scholz, Carter

C: Pumpa, Sanbrook (c), P. Morison

HF: Schultz, Klemke, J. Heffernan

F: D. Wheaton, Mickan, Spencer

Foll: Habermann, K. Bahr

Rov: Creek

NO CHANGE

Res (from): M. Heffernan, Bourke, J. Morison, Semmler, B. Wheaton, Taylor, Forck

 

North Wagga

 

B: McInerney, Landrigan, Harrison

HB: Pascoe, O’Keefe, Campbell

C: Evans, Fury, Withers

HF: Sedenary, Ward, Merrigan

F: Jansen, Kuchel, Dash

Foll: Polsen, G. Johnson

Rov: Hayes (c)

Res: R. Robinson, B. Robinson

 

Preview

 

Daily Advertiser football reporter Peter Baker saw the Preliminary Final as a game of ‘ifs and buts’. But then again predicting the outcome of most footy games is all about ifs and buts. Baker noted that North Wagga’s forward line needs to fire if the Saints are to prevail. Gun full-forward, Greg Kuchel, was a failure against Wagga which places extra pressure on centre half-forward Geoff Ward and centreman Jim Fury to stand tall. If Henty’s captain coach Max Sanbrook gets on top of Fury in the centre it could be a hard afternoon for the minor premiers. But, if those three players fire, it will be hard going for Henty’s backmen.

 

Henty’s best chance would be dominant performances from Farrer League top goal-kicker Garry Mickan supported by Bruce Spencer in the pocket. If Neville Habermann takes command in the ruck, plenty of ball should come the way of damaging rovers Jim Creek and Doug Wheaton. But, if North Wagga can punch the ball away from the big Henty ruckman, their smaller men should profit.

 

The words “NO CHANGE” in Henty’s advertised team signalled the Swans’ stability and confidence going into the big match.

 

The match

 

The conditions at Yerong Creek were wet and windy. After winning the advantageous toss, North Wagga started impressively kicking six first quarter goals, but faded after quarter time. Henty bombarded the goals early in the second quarter with little result, but the ‘premiership quarter’ awaited. Full-forward Garry Mickan swung into action immediately after the long break, kicking three goals and suddenly the Swans were in front mid-way through the third term. The move of forward Bruce Spencer to play as a spare man in defence was a master-stroke for Henty as he took a string of uncontested marks and repelled many attacks from the Saints. Only two points in arrears at the final change, North Wagga was still in the match, but that vital first goal of the final term went the way of Henty mid-way through the quarter. The Saints kept pressing late into the match but fell just short when the final siren sounded. In the end it was only a four point win to the Swans, but all that mattered was that they had secured a Grand Final appearance. 

 

For the Saints it was mothballs after a very disappointing end to a season that had promised so much more. The game also marked the end of captain-coach Alan Hayes’ four year term at McPherson Oval. Re-enter the mercurial Laurie Pendrick!

 

 

North Wagga’s Alan Hayes gets his kick away in the Preliminary Final
(source: Daily Advertiser 15 Sep. 1975)

 

Final score: Henty 12.14 (86) defeated North Wagga 12.10 (82)

 

Goal kickers: Henty – Mickan 5, Bahr 2, Schultz 2, Klemke, Creek, Sanbrook

North Wagga – Kuchel 4, Hayes 2, Merrigan 2, Jansen, Dash, Fury, Polsen

 

Best: Henty – Schultz, Heffernan, Pumpa, Wheaton, Mickan, Scholz

North Wagga – Evans, Harrison, Fury, Hayes, O’Keefe, Withers

 

Gate:   $1391

 

Umpire: Dunball (VFL)

 

Reserves: Mangoplah-Cookardinia United 15.6 (96) defeated North Wagga 5.11 (41)

 

Next week in the Farrer League – GRAND FINAL: Wagga v Henty at Yerong Creek

Reserves: Wagga v MCU

 

 

Wimmera League

 

Preliminary Final: Ararat v Dimboola
Saturday 13th September 1975
At City Oval, Horsham

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rats     v     Roos

 

The teams

 

Ararat

 

B: Dohnt, Clark, Boyd

HB: Dickerson (c), Dunn, Leslie

C: Homburg, Davis, Harrison

HF: T. Mooney, I. Mooney, Harry

F: Walker, Todd, Olver

Foll: Holz, Stephens

Rov: Kent

Res: Dadswell, Lugg

 

Dimboola

 

B: Avery, Bond, Noonan

HB: McRae, M. Watson, Skeen

C: Neagle, Excel, Baker

HF: Taylor, King, Rauert

F: Emmerson, Kalms, Schneider

Foll: Farrell, G. Watson

Rov: Lynch

Res; McKenzie, Howland

 

Preview

 

“It’s bye, bye Dimboola!” according to Bill Goodier in the Horsham press. Ararat’s experience should be the telling factor in the penultimate match of season 1975. Dimboola have not played in a Preliminary Final since their last premiership year, 1959, while the Rats tasted September success only four seasons ago. Captain-coach Wilf Dickerson is expected to provide the finals know-how that may be lacking in the Roos camp. Dimboola’s spearhead Richie Kalms holds the key to his team’s chances of upsetting Ararat and reaching their first Grand Final in 16 years.

 

The match

 

 

Action from the 1975 WFL Preliminary Final at Horsham
(source: Wimmera Mail-Times 15 Sep. 1975)

 

Ararat came from three goals down at three-quarter time with a withering blast in the final term to win the Preliminary Final. It was young rover Bruce Olver who provided some magic and spark for the Rats after the Roos looked like romping home to victory in the last. He finished with five goals for the afternoon, but it was also his forward pressure and mopping up that contributed greatly to Ararat’s victory. Olver was ably supported in his match-winning cause by first rover Greg Kent who helped dismantle Dimboola’s defence. Ruckman Hans Holz was the best ruckman on the ground, providing plenty of opportunities for the Ararat small men. The Rats kicked nine unanswered goals in the last quarter, which demonstrated their credentials going into next week’s Grand Final against Stawell. It was a tired and disoriented Dimboola who were held scoreless in the final quarter by a more desperate, methodical and mature Ararat combination. 

 

Final score: Ararat 23.20 (158) defeated Dimboola 17.12 (114)

Goal kickers: Ararat – Todd 6, Olver 5, Kent 3, T. Mooney 3, Harry 3, L. Mooney 2, Walker

Dimboola – Kalms 7, Lynch 3, Scneider 3, Taylor 2, Baker, Rauert

 

Best: Ararat – Holz, Olver, Davis, Boyd, Todd, Harrison, T. Mooney, Dickerson

Dimboola – Schneider, Emmerson, Noonan, Lynch, Kalms, Bond, Exell

 

Gate: $1958

 

Umpire: Lock

 

Reserves: Nhill 9.10 (64) defeated Dimboola 6.7 (43)

 

Next week in the Wimmera League – GRAND FINAL: Stawell v Ararat at City Oval Horsham

Reserves: Warracknabeal v Nhill

 

In the VFL

 

In heavy going at the MCG the old Tigers got down to action and showed the way to the young brigade who had often carried the team’s hopes in the second half of the season. The experienced Bartlett, Sheedy, Bourke, Sproule and Clay steered Richmond to victory over the Blues, keeping alive the hope of a hat trick of flags well and truly alive.

 

For the match out at Waverley, Hawthorn pulled some selection surprises which paid off in their 11-point win over North Melbourne. John Kennedy selected three players who had played just two senior games between them for the season. Fresh from a week off, the Hawks were too solid in defence for North, but a rematch in a fortnight on the MCG surface might test the minor premiers. Doug Wade was reported for ‘striking’ Ian Bremner, while the Hawk defender went into Ian Robinson’s  book for ‘attempting to strike’ Wade. Was the former Horsham boy’s season over? 

 

Meanwhile ….

 

Papua New Guinea gained its independence ending 90 years of colonial rule under British, German and Australian administrations.

 

Former West Indian batsman Rohan Kanhai signed with District cricket club North Melbourne  for the 1975-76 summer, while England captain Tony Greig joined Sydney Grade club Waverley. 

 

 

Read more of Peter Clark’s A Season in the Country  HERE.

 

 

To Geelong’s Record Run, click HERE.

 

 

Peter also wrote about St. Kilda’s premiership season in his 1966 and All That series. You can read that HERE.

 

 

To return to our Footy Almanac home page click 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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