Barry Breen

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

Opposition forwards will be relishing the start of the 2013 season. In recent weeks, it was widely speculated in the media that 2012 would be Matthew Scarlett's last season. This was confirmed after the Cats lost their Elimination Final to Fremantle, with the ace defender later making it official.

Most of the players who made up the Grand Final teams in 1966 would be unfamiliar to fans of today. However, there were some whose names would be known to even the most casual fans of the game.

There was drama even before the game. Star forward Darrel Baldock suffered a bad knee strain several weeks before the Grand Final and, unknown to the media or fans, further aggravated it during the team's final training session before the big game. Coach Allan Jeans called an immediate halt to the training session but did it in a manner which concealed the truth from the reporters.