1975 VFL Grand Final
Encyclopedia
The 1975 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football
game contested between the North Melbourne Football Club
and Hawthorn Football Club
, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
in Melbourne
on 27 September 1975. It was the 79th annual Grand Final
of the Victorian Football League
, staged to determine the premiers for the 1975 VFL season
. The match, attended 110,551 spectators, was won by North Melbourne by a margin of 55 points, marking that club's first premiership victory. In so doing, it became the last of the 12 VFL teams to win a flag.
in the 1974 VFL Grand Final
. They also lost six of their first nine games of the 1975 VFL season
before finally hitting their stride, winning their next thirteen consecutive games. At the conclusion of the regular home-and-away season, Hawthorn had finished first on the ladder with 17 wins and 5 losses. North Melbourne had finished third (behind Carlton
) with 14 wins and 8 losses. This was Hawthorn's first appearance in a Grand Final in four years, having defeated St Kilda in the 1971 VFL Grand Final
.
In the finals series leading up to the Grand Final, North Melbourne defeated Carlton by 20 points in the Qualifying Final before being beaten by Hawthorn by 11 points in the Second Semi-Final. They then met Richmond in the Preliminary Final which they won by 17 points to advance to the Grand Final. Hawthorn had a much easier finals run, advancing straight to the Grand Final on the back of their win in the Second Semi-Final.
North Melbourne were on top from the beginning of the game, accumulating nine goals by quarter time to Hawthorn's five. After half time, North blew the game open. Their winning margin of 55 points was the biggest in a Premiership decider since the 1957 VFL Grand Final
.
Contributing strongly for North Melbourne were Brent Crosswell
, John Rantall
, Keith Greig
, John Burns
, David Dench
, Mick Nolan
, Sam Kekovich
and Doug Wade
. Arnold Briedis
kicked five goals for the Kangaroos. Peter Knights
stood out for Hawthorn.
For North Melbourne it would be the final league game for captain Barry Davis
, full-forward Wade and the versatile Gary Farrant
. It was also the last time Rantall played with North as he returned to South Melbourne
the following season.
This was the first of two consecutive Grand Finals to be contested between these teams. In the 1976 VFL Grand Final
the fortunes were reversed, with Hawthorn running out winners by a margin of 30 points.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
game contested between the North Melbourne Football Club
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
and Hawthorn Football Club
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
on 27 September 1975. It was the 79th annual Grand Final
AFL Grand Final
The AFL Grand Final is an annual Australian rules football match, traditionally held on the final Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia to determine the Australian Football League premiership champions for that year...
of the Victorian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
, staged to determine the premiers for the 1975 VFL season
1975 VFL season
Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1975.-Premiership season:In 1975, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...
. The match, attended 110,551 spectators, was won by North Melbourne by a margin of 55 points, marking that club's first premiership victory. In so doing, it became the last of the 12 VFL teams to win a flag.
Background
North Melbourne had finished runners up the previous season, having been defeated by RichmondRichmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
in the 1974 VFL Grand Final
1974 VFL Grand Final
The 1974 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Richmond Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 28 September 1974. It was the 78th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to...
. They also lost six of their first nine games of the 1975 VFL season
1975 VFL season
Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1975.-Premiership season:In 1975, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...
before finally hitting their stride, winning their next thirteen consecutive games. At the conclusion of the regular home-and-away season, Hawthorn had finished first on the ladder with 17 wins and 5 losses. North Melbourne had finished third (behind Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
) with 14 wins and 8 losses. This was Hawthorn's first appearance in a Grand Final in four years, having defeated St Kilda in the 1971 VFL Grand Final
1971 VFL Grand Final
The 1971 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and St Kilda Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 25 September 1971. It was the 75th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine...
.
In the finals series leading up to the Grand Final, North Melbourne defeated Carlton by 20 points in the Qualifying Final before being beaten by Hawthorn by 11 points in the Second Semi-Final. They then met Richmond in the Preliminary Final which they won by 17 points to advance to the Grand Final. Hawthorn had a much easier finals run, advancing straight to the Grand Final on the back of their win in the Second Semi-Final.
Match summary
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Melbourne North Melbourne Football Club The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world... |
4.2 | 9.2 | 12.6 | 19.8 (122) |
| Hawthorn Hawthorn Football Club The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys... |
2.2 | 5.6 | 7.7 | 9.13 (67) |
North Melbourne were on top from the beginning of the game, accumulating nine goals by quarter time to Hawthorn's five. After half time, North blew the game open. Their winning margin of 55 points was the biggest in a Premiership decider since the 1957 VFL Grand Final
1957 VFL Grand Final
The 1957 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Melbourne Football Club and Essendon Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 21 September 1957. It was the 61st annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers...
.
Contributing strongly for North Melbourne were Brent Crosswell
Brent Crosswell
Brent Tasman Crosswell is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton, Melbourne and North Melbourne in a 222 game Victorian Football League career...
, John Rantall
John Rantall
John "Mopsy" Rantall was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League.Originally from Cobden, Rantall moved to the South Melbourne Football Club where he debuted in 1963. He moved to North Melbourne Football Club with the intention of playing in a premiership side in 1973 and...
, Keith Greig
Keith Greig
Keith Greig played on the wing for the Australian rules football North Melbourne Football Club from 1971 to 1985. He is considered as one of the most exciting players of the era, earning the nickname "Racehorse" because of his blistering speed on the field.Greig was recruited from Brunswick in 1971...
, John Burns
John Burns (Australian rules footballer)
John Burns is a former Australian rules footballer who played for North Melbourne and Geelong in the VFL during the 1970s....
, David Dench
David Dench
David Dench is a former Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League. He played his whole career with North Melbourne Football Club at one of its most successful periods....
, Mick Nolan
Mick Nolan (footballer)
Mick Nolan was an Australian rules football player for North Melbourne. Because of his weight of 135 kg and height of 194 cm, Nolan was dubbed the "The Galloping Gasometer" by commentator Lou Richards. Until the emergence of Aaron Sandilands in the early 2000s, Nolan was the heaviest...
, Sam Kekovich
Sam Kekovich
Sam Kekovich is an Australian media personality, sports commentator and former Australian rules football player.He is well known for his controversial behaviour, both on and off the field, and most recently for his series of satirical advertisements as the spokesman for Meat and Livestock...
and Doug Wade
Doug Wade
Douglas Graeme Wade is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club....
. Arnold Briedis
Arnold Briedis
Arnold Briedis is a former Australian rules footballer who played for North Melbourne in the VFL during the 1970s.A centre half forward, Briedis was a member of North Melbourne's inaugural premiership side in 1975, kicking 5 goals in the grand final...
kicked five goals for the Kangaroos. Peter Knights
Peter Knights
Peter Knights is a former Australian rules footballer and coach. He is widely regarded as one of the finest centre half-backs to have played the game, despite suffering numerous injuries...
stood out for Hawthorn.
For North Melbourne it would be the final league game for captain Barry Davis
Barry Davis
Barry Davis is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Victorian Football League with Essendon and North Melbourne, before coaching his original team between 1978–1980.- Essendon career :...
, full-forward Wade and the versatile Gary Farrant
Gary Farrant
Gary Farrant was an Australian rules football player for North Melbourne Football Club and was a regular defender during the late 60's until 1971....
. It was also the last time Rantall played with North as he returned to South Melbourne
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
the following season.
This was the first of two consecutive Grand Finals to be contested between these teams. In the 1976 VFL Grand Final
1976 VFL Grand Final
The 1976 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 25 September 1976. It was the 80th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to...
the fortunes were reversed, with Hawthorn running out winners by a margin of 30 points.
Teams
Goalkickers
North Melbourne:
|
Hawthorn:
|
See also
- 1975 VFL season1975 VFL seasonResults and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1975.-Premiership season:In 1975, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...