Australian Football

The Machine’s rush to immortality - 1930 Grand Final

This article is taken from Jeff Dowsing's e-book, Collingwood's 50 Most Sensational Games, available through Smashwords .

The teams

Pre-match

Collingwood was second only to Fitzroy as the hardest hit suburb of the Great Depression – a significant 31.2% of the male population unemployed. At least they had their football. However, The club’s bold declarations and supporters’ arrogance bred widespread contempt.

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After a pre-season scandal, whereby secretary George Connor stood down having been found embezzling funds, the team got down to business. Collingwood won their last eight matches in a row to finish first for the fifth successive season (a streak broken by Melbourne between 1955-60). Just three losses and a record amount of points scored for the season (2190) added to an aura of invincibility.

Richmond had yet another opportunity to bury the Collingwood hoodoo in the Second Semi but again succumbed in a bruising game of fluctuating surges. In the Final against Geelong, Collingwood went down badly but had the right of challenge. The club’s listless performance was said to be deliberate, so as to precipitate a Grand Final, but Harry Curtis denied the silly rumour. In truth, the team was leg-weary, prompting coach Jock McHale (right) to instruct a particularly light week leading into the absolute decider.

Collingwood’s odds took another turn for the worse when McHale was forced to hand over the reins to Bob Rush, being home in bed, sick with the ‘flu. It must have been a severe case to keep Jock away from any game, let alone a Grand Final. Key players Clayden and Len Murphy were selected, despite their acute soreness. With chinks evident in the machine, the premiership was going to be a fight after all. Yet the team was so tight they in fact thrived on the challenge.

The Game

Starting in perfect conditions, the game launched into furious pace and included some fiery and forceful play, though mostly fair. Geelong goaled first after five minutes via a long snap by Troughton, followed by a flurry of behinds and another major to Llewellyn.

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Collingwood replied with a couplet of goals to Len Murphy and Gordon Coventry (left), but failed to employ their usual system. The ‘Pies held a slight advantage at the first bell but their physicality (led by Albert Collier) turned the game into a scrappy affair, playing into Geelong’s hands.

The second quarter was disastrous for the Carringbush, yet could have been even worse had the Cats taken more shots rather than so many failed passes. The Cats scored goals via Troughton, Kuhlken, Llewellyn and Rayson, whilst the besieged Magpies could muster just five points. Geelong entered the half time break 21 points ahead, Collingwood demoralized. Not so much by the score – they had turned around the same margin against Richmond in the Semi final, but by the fact their all wasn’t enough. Geelong was obviously buoyed by their recent triumph and again the pieces were falling into place. A changing of the guard seemed imminent.

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Albert Collier

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Collingwood, as per Brisbane in the early ‘noughties, proved that you simply can’t keep a great team down. The ‘Pies kicked a phenomenal 8.6 to just one point in 25 minutes of magnificent football, despite windy and rainy conditions. The instigators were the old firm; the Coventrys, the Colliers, Chesswas, Clayden, Andrew and Makeham. In every facet, Collingwood was superior. The Pivotonians’ only positive motion was Coghlan knocking a few Magpies over, but this ultimately served little but to raise the ire, and the play, of their combatants. The Gods shined on Collingwood this day, even stopping the rain, halting the wind, and then turning it around to favour the Magpies! Coventry rounded the quarter with a long goal to bring up half a dozen (and a fourth for the quarter).

Carrying a 32-point margin into the last term, against a team broken by an amazing onslaught, Coventry snagged another for good measure. Both clubs added three in the last period. To their credit, Geelong kept at their task, but Collingwood just had to keep the game tight and the flag was safe. Edmonds and Froude were the other goalkickers for the premiers, whilst Troughton, Williams and L Hardiman scored for the vanquished.

Match summary

GOALS
Collingwood: G Coventry 7; Makeham 2; L Murphy, H Collier, Beveridge, Edmonds, Froude|
Geelong: Troughton 3; Llewellyn 2; Kuhiken, Rayson, Williams, L Hardiman

BEST
Collingwood: Makeham, G Coventry, F Murphy, Clayden, Andrew, H Collier, S Coventry
Geelong: Troughton, Llewellyn, Evans, Mockridge, Carney, Todd, H Hardiman

Venue: MCG
Date: Saturday 11 October
Crowd: 45,022
Umpire: Scott

For full match details, click here.

Moments that mattered

In McHale’s absence, treasurer Bob Rush proved to be more than a worthy replacement. Rush, an excellent player himself in the early 1900s, gave a passionate ‘one for the Gipper’ speech at half time. He reminded the dispirited players that poor Jock would be listening to the game from his sick-bed, and would know which players were really giving it their best.

The Magpies proceeded to lift from the first bounce of the second half. Superior endeavour was transferred into scoreboard pressure by Syd Coventry’s mighty goal, an equally inspirational goal by Makeham, and then another fine major by Harry Collier. In just five minutes the deficit was all but erased, rendering Geelong shell-shocked.

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Aftermatch

After wild scenes in the rooms, players and supporters were up for a night of celebrations. First at their Victoria Park confines (and duly congratulated by the Mayor of Collingwood), and then at the Town Hall where entertainments included ‘old time dancing in the small hall and modern dancing in the large hall’.

In his eighth Grand Final, Gordon Coventry again showed his worth. Both goals in 1927, nine in 1928, sacrificed his game for the team in 1929, and another seven in 1930. And once again, Coventry’s 118 goals for the season easily topped the competition goalkicking list.

The hero

Bruce Andrew (Collingwood)
More famous for his ambassadorial roles over many years, Andrew was also a fine footballer in his own right. Originally a full-forward, he broke into the seniors and made his name as a speedy winger. Though his career was brief (62 games from 1928-32, plus one game in 1934 when club vice-president), only a select few can lay claim to best afield honors in a premiership team.

Postscript

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The 1929-30 flags held greater significance for Collingwood than just the records broken. The full effect of the Great Depression was making its mark and struck right at the heart of the club’s huge local support base. Amid national unemployment figures of 23% by 1930, more than half the parents of Collingwood school kids were unemployed, relying on schools to feed them plus other handouts. Clearly the fortunes of the club provided hope and light for the impoverished local community. Perhaps the devotion and loyalty Collingwood supporters are renowned for today, through all the tragedies and heartbreak, is a throwback to this time.

One disappointment of 1930 was Harry Collier losing the Brownlow Medal on countback from Stan Judkins. Amid much consternation at the time, it appeared he had been ‘robbed’ of a crucial vote. In one game Harry Collier had likely received umpire Blackburn’s vote, however it was deemed void as there was no initial recorded. The injustice was rectified 59 years later when the VFL awarded retrospective Brownlow Medals for players beaten on countback. The still sprightly Collier’s acceptance speech brought the house down.

The 1930 Grand Final comeback proved to be the last hurrah for Collingwood’s great dynasty - but the next era began soon enough. Albert Collier left the club over a pay dispute in 1931, and a team weakened by injury capitulated to Carlton by 88 points in the First Semi final. Though the team was essentially very strong, making the Preliminary final in 1932, for the time being Geelong, Richmond and Carlton held sway.

What they said

“I’m satisfied from what I’ve heard that the players have had too much football and are leg weary.”

- From his sick bed Jock McHale instructed club secretary Frank Wraith to hide the balls from training following the team’s lacklustre defeat to Geelong preceding the Grand Final.

“…one of the finest performances ever seen in football…an abject lesson to every team in rising to the occasion after being apparently beaten, and by sheer grit and magnificent teamwork, sweeping aside every obstacle.”

- The Sun’s effusive praise of the blub’s performance.

“I never saw such violent collisions. I do not recall ever finishing so tired after a game. It was without doubt the most thrilling of all Collingwood’s premierships.”

- The win left an indelible mark on Gordon Coventry.

“Like D. G. Bradman and W. H. Ponsford in cricket, Collingwood in football goes on from one record to another.

Some lofty comparisons made by The Argus’ football writer ‘Old Boy’.

“How long their dominance will continue can only be conjectured, but some of the other clubs should be profiting from the lessons the Magpies are teaching.”

- Soon enough, The Sporting Globe’s prediction was proved correct.

“The change in fortunes of the game were as dramatic as it was unexpected, but it was none the less convincing.…perhaps the most dramatic game in the memory of football enthusiasts.”

- ‘Old Boy’ from The Argus was caught up in the drama.