Did we deserve to make the finals in 1966?

[my les foote]

We needed to beat Hawthorn (9th out of 12 teams) at home in the last game to make the finals.

Half way through the last quarter we were down and on our way out. Then the injured Darrel Baldock was brought off the bench. He turned the game around and we won by 10 points.

Did we deserve to make it?

[riccardo]

We won 8 games to start the season. We never got half that this year.

[Eastern]

We needed to beat Hawthorn (9th out of 12 teams) at home in the last game to make the finals.

Half way through the last quarter we were down and on our way out. Then the injured Darrel Baldock was brought off the bench. He turned the game around and we won by 10 points.

Did we deserve to make it?

Am I allowed to dream that history will (almost) repeat itself in 2007 for us? !!

[rodgerfox]

We needed to beat Hawthorn (9th out of 12 teams) at home in the last game to make the finals.

Half way through the last quarter we were down and on our way out. Then the injured Darrel Baldock was brought off the bench. He turned the game around and we won by 10 points.

Did we deserve to make it?

Wasn't it a top 4 back then?

I think every spot in a top 4 is earnt.

[The Saintsational Man]

Yeah it was top 4.

We finished 2nd to Collingwood if i recall correctly.

Then lost 1st week of the finals to them.

Then came back and beat them in the Grand Final.

Sadly I wasn't alive till almost 20 years after, so i didn't see it.

I hope i see us win a flag 1 day.

[Mr Magic]

Yes Roger, it was a Final Four back then.

I remember the game vivdly. My father took my brother, cousin and I and we sat in the Social Club area on the hff at the South Road end.

Somewhere I have a super8 film from the game that my father took that day. I remember viewing it about 20 years ago.

And did we deserve to be in the finals that year? Who cares! We did and we won, that's all that matters.

[saintsRrising]

Did we win????

[Rickabee]

TSM- You are correct. We finished 2nd on the ladder. It was my first year of follwing Aussie rules, having arrived in Sept '65.

We beat Essendon in the Preliminary final to come back and beat Collingwood in the big one. Great memories as I was at the MCG that day.

I believe we were in the top four all season long and never really looked like missing out. I think we finished 14-4 in an 18 match season. I recall that we lost to Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton and maybe Geelong at Kardinia Park? Hope someone else has the correct details?

[stinger]

Yeah it was top 4.

We finished 2nd to Collingwood if i recall correctly.

Then lost 1st week of the finals to them.

Then came back and beat them in the Grand Final.

Sadly I wasn't alive till almost 20 years after, so i didn't see it.

I hope i see us win a flag 1 day.

lost in the second semi...which was the second week of the finals in those days...only one match each weekend.....thankfully...i was alive......really alive...to see it........can remember the seconds immediately after the final siren as if it was yesterday.......and the agonising minutes before it......

[Leo.J]

Round 18
Saturday, 27th August 1966

St Kilda 1.2 6.4 9.8 14.9 (93)
Hawthorn 3.3 4.3 9.4 13.5 (83)

Nth Melb 5.3 7.6 8.13 12.16 (88)
Sth Melb 3.0 5.4 8.5 11.5 (71)

Essendon 3.2 5.6 9.12 11.18 (84)
Melbourne 5.3 5.5 7.5 7.7 (49)

Collingwood 4.6 7.12 14.17 18.24 (132)
Footscray 1.2 1.6 1.8 3.10 (28)

Richmond 4.9 6.11 13.18 20.23 (143)
Fitzroy 2.3 7.7 9.8 11.10 (76)

Carlton 2.5 2.9 5.9 5.10 (40)
Geelong 4.1 6.8 12.10 16.14 (110)

# Team Pl W L D PF PA Perc Pts
1 Collingwood 18 15 3 0 1687 1073 157.22 60
2 St Kilda 18 14 4 0 1641 1149 142.82 56
3 Geelong 18 14 4 0 1599 1162 137.61 56
4 Essendon 18 14 4 0 1457 1204 121.01 56

5 Richmond 18 13 4 1 1626 1320 123.18 54
6 Carlton 18 10 8 0 1233 1143 107.87 40
7 Nth Melb 18 7 10 1 1294 1381 93.70 30
8 Sth Melb 18 7 11 0 1486 1505 98.74 28
9 Hawthorn 18 5 13 0 1224 1650 74.18 20
10 Footscray 18 4 14 0 1004 1458 68.86 16
11 Melbourne 18 3 15 0 1235 1580 78.16 12
12 Fitzroy 18 1 17 0 1004 1865 53.83 4

http://afl.allthestats.com/statistics/r ... &yrfm=1966

A draw cost the Tigers that year.

[Enrico_Misso]

I believe we were in the top four all season long and never really looked like missing out. I think we finished 14-4 in an 18 match season. I recall that we lost to Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton and maybe Geelong at Kardinia Park? Hope someone else has the correct details?

We actually beat Essendon in the H&A.
It was Richmond, Coll, Carl and Geel we lost to (all away)

[Otiman]

We didn't have to rely on other teams results to get in.

So, yes.

[my les foote]

We relied on:
Essendon losing to Carlton in round 4
Geelong losing to Collingwood in Round 8
Richmond drawing with the Kangaroos in Round 8

Change those results and we miss out on the finals.
Just because it doesn't happen in the last round doesn't mean it wasn't important.

[plugger66]

We relied on:
Essendon losing to Carlton in round 4
Geelong losing to Collingwood in Round 8
Richmond drawing with the Kangaroos in Round 8

Change those results and we miss out on the finals.
Just because it doesn't happen in the last round doesn't mean it wasn't important.

Yes but it wasnt out of our hands in those rounds it is now that is the difference.

[rogerwa]

and didnt the crowd go into raptures when the doc came on....seen & heard plenty of crowd erruptions overs the yrs but the chanting that took place when the doc came on beats anything i've ever heard....a crowd of about 20000 sounded like 200000

the only thing that would come close was the lilleeee lilleeee chants in is hayday

[Young Georgie]

Somewhere I have a super8 film from the game that my father took that day. I remember viewing it about 20 years ago.

I've heard too many stories of this kind of footage vanishing and not enough of them being rediscovered so maybe dig it up, shove it under the mattress and bequeath it to the club because one day it will be priceless - or give it to them now so we can all check it out!

[saintsRrising]

....seen &
the only thing that would come close was the lilleeee lilleeee chants in is hayday

I was fortnate to be there against the West Indies in the last session of the day when Liee ran riot and tooka bag of wickets for his 300th....

When Lillee bowled Viv Richards (for a duck I think????) the Lillee chat was in full cry...

Most amazing crowd support of have experienced. Everyone was just in raptures....

[Mr Magic]

....seen &
the only thing that would come close was the lilleeee lilleeee chants in is hayday

I was fortnate to be there against the West Indies in the last session of the day when Liee ran riot and tooka bag of wickets for his 300th....

When Lillee bowled Viv Richards (for a duck I think????) the Lillee chat was in full cry...

Most amazing crowd support of have experienced. Everyone was just in raptures....

Or against England when Dennis Amiss came out to open the first innings and the crowd chanted his scoring failures at him all the way to the crease...0 0 0 etc.
Then as he was taking guard, D.K came all the way down to the fence for his run-up for the first ball and the Lillee chant started up. Simply Amazing

[spert]

There's winners and losers, whether you deserve it or not. The best team won the flag in '66. When you look at that team, we were balanced across most lines..Bob Murray at FB in great form, Cowboy Neale kicking goals, Moran with penetrating kicking on the run, Synman across HB, Baldock on wobbly knees, Travis Payze, John Manzie..all had great qualities.