Grand Final Evokes Memories Of 1966

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

St Kilda and Collingwood are meeting in the Grand Final for the first time since 1966. The footy landscape looked quite different all those years ago. There were no teams outside of Victoria. While the MCG still hosted big matches, most games were played at the teams' home grounds. Waverley Park had only just begun to be built and Etihad Stadium was 34 years away.

One similarity to then and now is the standings. Collingwood, the Saints and Geelong were the League powerhouses. The top three in 1966 were Collingwood, St Kilda and Geelong. This year, it was Collingwood, Geelong and St Kilda.

Geelong had won the premiership in 1963 and made the finals in 1964 and 1965 as did Collingwood. The Saints were in the mix in 1963 and 1965 (finishing first). Both the Saints and Magpies made it to Grand Finals prior to 1966 but lost. Collingwood was defeated by Melbourne in 1964 (the Demons' last Premiership) while the Saints went down to Essendon in 1965. The Bulldogs, then known as Footscray, finished ninth in 1963, seventh in 1964 and 10th in 1965 and 1966.

The Finals were also quite different in 1966. There was only a Top Four and no Elimination or Qualifying Finals. The top two teams played one Semi-Final and the bottom two played the other Semi-Final. The winner of the top two teams earned the week off and progressed straight to the Grand Final while the loser would play in a Preliminary Final the following week. The winner of the second game also went to the Preliminary Final while the loser was eliminated. It was fourth placed Essendon versus third placed Geelong in one game and Collingwood versus St Kilda in the other. Essendon won, knocking Geelong out of the race while Collingwood defeated St Kilda to earn a rest for the week ahead of the Grand Final. St Kilda then defeated Essendon to have another chance against Collingwood in the Grand Final.

Source: AFL Record 2010 Season Guide, Every Game Ever Played 1897-1997