It’s Saturday night on the 3rd of August, 1991 and a 12 year old me is waiting impatiently for the Brisbane v Collingwood game to start on TV. Only problem is it’s nearly 8.30pm and the game started at 7.40pm. At my home in country South West Victoria we had only two TV channels in 1991. The ABC and the Ballarat based Channel 6. Channel 6 showed a mix of local programming and shows from both channel 7 & 9. Hence having to wait for ‘Hey Hey It’s Saturday’ to finish before they crossed to the Footy. This was pre-internet and the was no radio coverage of the game. The wait was excruciating.
It’s right on half time when Channel 6 cross to Carrara Oval and the Pies are 54 points up. My hero Peter Daicos has 6 goals. He has been in rare form, kicking 16 goals the previous two games against Melbourne and St Kilda. I remember being excited that maybe he could double that tally. I loved Daics. Still do. Had a huge poster of him in my bedroom at the time, alongside posters of Dean Jones, Crowded House and Steffi Graf (those legs!). The great man goes on to kick 13 and despite only seeing the second half it’s something I will never forget.
In 2012 I purchase a DVD copy of that Brisbane v Collingwood game. It takes me until the Pies have the bye in 2013 and I’m in need of a Pies fix to actually watch it. Finally, almost 22 years after the event, I have seen the entire game where Daics kicked 13. Here is my review of that momentous game.
The Pies are a game and a half out of the 6 and desperately need a big win over the Bears keep their finals hopes alive. We’ve had an up and down season, suffering from the premiership hangover that has come from our first title in 32 years in 1990. Brisbane coach Robert Walls sends Mark Zanotti to man the in-form Daicos. After the Bears come out hard early, a pin-point pass from impressive 18 year old Paul Williams finds Daicos in front at the top of the goal square. He kicks truly. The commentators seem bemused by players who were named on the wing who line up in a pocket and players named on a flank who are on the ball. How could the Friday papers be so wrong! Minutes later Daics gets a soft free against Zanotti and kicks his second. Morwood and Lehmann both mark and goal and the Pies have kicked the first 4 goals. John Gastev soccers one through for the Bears first major and special comments man Peter McKenna talks about Gastev’s soccer career as a youngster in Perth. Zanotti attempts a pack spoil which he misses, the ball spills to a waiting Daicos who calmly slots it through the middle. Tony Francis goals on the run. Daics crumbs off a forward pack and snaps another goal. Gavin Brown marks 35 out, handballs to a running Morwood who goals. Daicos does a great one handed pick up and rolls a kick along the ground to give him his 5th. Unlikely goalkicker Gastev kicks his and the Bears 2nd goal before a Millane pass hits Daicos on the chest 45 out on the boundary. The great man doesn’t look like missing and has 6 straight. A great argument ensues between special comments men Bernie Quinlan and Peter McKenna. McKenna “Well Hardie just staged for that one”, Quinlan “You just don’t like Hardie, do you Pete”. Gold. Manson goals and the Pies are 54 points up at half time.
Gastev, despite kicking both of the home teams goals to the main break, takes over from Zanotti on Daicos at the start of the 3rd quarter. Paul Williams goals within the first 30 seconds of the second half. Morwood kicks his third after a pass (goal assist nowdays) from Daicos. David Cameron goals for the Bears, he’s been one of their best, our family always had an interest in Cameron as my grandfather Kelvin coached him in the under 17’s at the Beeac Football Club. The Macedonian Marvel kicks one of his most famous goals, slotting one through from near the point post as he is tackled by Gastev. Schache goals for Brisbane, Starcevich goals for Collingwood. Daicos outmarks Gastev. Goal number 8. Quickly followed by goal 9 after reading the ball off the pack. Two more goals to the Great Man in the third quarter, one crumbing off the pack and another to a free. 91 points up at 3/4 time.
Damian Monkhorst and Paul Tuddenham, who have both spent all of the first three quarters on the pine, finally get a run at the start of the final term. No rotations in 1991.Daicos kicks the first of the final term on the run, his 12th. 12 straight. Soon after the great man marks 35 out on a 45 degree angle. Somehow he misses. Starcevich goals from a poor Brisbane kickout. Matty Campbell is now on the Macedonian Marvel and gives away a free to the Collingwood number 35. Goal 13. Then gives off a very gettable shot from a leading mark to a running Troy Lehmann who misses. The Pies run out 101 point winners. It’s not enough to make the finals, we finish 7th. Apart from Daics, Millane is brilliant in one of his last games. What a difference he would have made in 1992 when Collingwood was thereabouts. Tony Shaw and Tony Francis were both prolific while Graeme Wright and Scott Russell were at their skilful best. For Brisbane a very young Marcus Ashcroft showed signs of things to come with 34 possesions, very few of them wasted.
Bloody hell those 1991 Bears jumpers were bad. Though they stack up well against the current Brisbane ‘paddle pop lion’ guernseys. And those white Adelaide clash jumpers that were worn on the weekend.
We could do with the Macedonian Marvel in 2013.
BRISBANE: 1-5-11 2-6-18 6-9-45 10-11-71 lost to
COLLINGWOOD: 4-2-26 11-6-72 21-10-136 26-16-172
GOALS: BRISBANE- Gastev 2, Hardie 2, Cameron 2, McLean, T.Clarke, Merrett, Schache
COLLINGWOOD- Daicos 13, Morwood 3, Manson 2, Starcevich 2, Lehmann 2, Francis, Millane, Wright, Williams
BEST: BRISBANE- Ashcroft, Noonan, McLean, Cameron, T.Clarke, Gastev
COLLINGWOOD- Daicos, Millane, Shaw, McKeown, Francis, Morwood, Wright, Russell, Crosisca
CROWD: 9,302 at Carrara Oval, Gold Coast
BROWNLOW VOTES: 3. Daicos (Coll) 2. Millane (Coll) 1. McKeown (Coll)
MALARKEY MEDAL VOTES: 3. Daicos (Coll) 2. Millane (Coll) 1. T.Shaw (Coll) ( McKeown was superb at Full-Back but Shaw’s game deserved a vote in my opinion)
Daics was my hero from not long after I started following football and whilst the opposition was weak, and he’d kicked plenty of big bags before, 13 just seemed so improbable. The Macedonian Marvel played just as well the week before when he destroyed Danny Frawley with 8 on a wet muddy day at Waverley – no mean feat.
Apart from the goal from the point post as he was being dragged down by Gastev (Daics actually apologised to his opponent), the other highlight for me was when the Bears full back took a little too long to kick out from full back. Out onto the field marched a pissed Pie fan in a leather jacket and beanie, clutching a VB (perhaps it was a XXXX) and proceeded to yell at him to hurry up!
Of course it was common back then that kids would jump the fence and signal full points next to the goal umpire before scampering back over the fence again.
It really was a fun circus up at the old Carrara.
Great stuff, Luke, and great memories.
Daicos is the first cousin of Almanac artist Jim Pavlidis (2008 Richo cover). I met him at one of Jim’s exhibitions a few years ago and introduced him to my sons, who were blissfully unaware they were meeting Collingwood Royalty.
Your report reminds me of Garrie Hutchinson’s brilliant piece in his “From the Outer” on the wizard’s 9 goal-game against Richmond at Vic Park in 1981. An extract:
“Seven. The ball’s kicked into the goal square by Williams over the heads of everyone, Daicos is chasing it into the goal square, gets shoved on the back, bounces up without a free kick, goes ferreting after the ball, gets it, feints out of the scrum, weaves a bit and slips it through. Masterful.”
You don’t have the DVD of THAT game, by any chance?
Great work Luke. Add me to the list of Daicos tragics. Watched most his games from the early 80s up unti his forced retirement. Even made an unworthy attempt to record his 35 greatest goals somewhere on this website. That game at Cararra brings back a lot of fond memories – I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player pull off a banana kick in mid air while being slung to the ground. Poor Johnny Gastev (who looked a like Dylan in his Rolling Thunder phase by the way).
MOC, I crave for more DVD footage of Daicos’ feats in the early 80s to be made available. Most of the packaged Daicos highlights seem to focus only on 90-93. Here’s a few snippets of that 9 goal haul at Vic Park in ’81:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1tnrgjx1gc
Might be better to watch that ’81 link via the you tube site…
Jeff- the Bears were very weak but Zanotti and Gastev wore Daics like a glove. He was just far too skilled and had the odd bit of luck. A real step back in time watching this game at Carrara, spectators running on the ground, drinking cans in the outer and mullets everywhere!
Thanks MOC, no don’t have a copy of that 1981 game. Will be the next game I try to track down. I’m sure one day your sons will realise the greatness they were lucky enough to come in contact with!
Cheers Damian. Have read your brilliant article listing Daics’ top 35 goals a few times, fantastic stuff. Extremely envious of
those of you who got to see him play every week in the first half of his career. Great highlights from that 1981 game. Forced retirement indeed. Sure he was in decline, but was still a dangerous opponent, would have needed a quality defender to pick him up and I’m sure still had a couple of magic goals in him.
Shows how far the Magpies have sunk that you prefer to watch and talk about 1991 rather than 2013!!
Speaking of which, we were a bit unlucky against the Hawks in that ’91 GF. I’m off to watch the ’92 season highlights on the VCR now. That Peter Matera goes alright doesn’t he?
Cheers Luke. I must admit I was obsessed with the Marvel and used to watch his every move. It took me years to get over his sacking – I thought he could have sat in the pocket in ’94 too – but I guess Lethal was known for making the tough decisions. I’m embarrassed to say, but at 40 years of age, I still have a recurring that Daics is still on the list, finally recovered from his wonky knee, and lining up again for the Pies, snapping those impossible goals in big games. Who needs the internet?
Peter_B, it’s funny you mention Matera as I always thought he was Peter Daicos in fast motion. Used to love the way that man bounced the ball at top speed – almost kicked the goal of the century in the ’91 Batomibile GF at Waverley. People tend to forget his entire finals series in ’92 was breathtaking. Didn’t he have 30 kicks in the second semi?
Thanks Damian. Much appreciated.
Peter – more than happy to watch some West Coast highlights from 1981 :)
Peter
Maybe some vision from 92 might be when the Pies beat the WCE by a point at Subiaco with Mark Fraser carving Peter Matera up on the wing – may not be on the Eagles official highlight tape though.
Peter-what a player P.Matera was. One of the most watchable too. Apart from Jakovich has there been a better Eagle?
Damian love your recurring dream, what a pity our heroes can’t play forever. We must be due for some Warnie comeback talk soon. Probably after the first Test.
What a game that was in 92 Ripsnorter! A gutsy win in a great season, only to be dudded by the final 6 system in place at the time.
Ironic commenting on Daicos and , Very Special Laxman in the same day quite appropriate really ! Daicos had the greatest understanding of a football in any player in football history he knew every millimeter in the way a ball was held , dropped , angle of to get the footy to go exactly where he wanted he kicked more goals than any 1 else like that. Simply put every one else we would call it a fluke , Daicos did 3 a week
The Macedonian Marvel was indeed a marvel Thanks Luke
Thanks Malcolm. Daics and VVS , what an extremely watchable pair. Loved the Macedonian Marvel.