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The '''1945 VFL Grand Final''' was an [[Australian rules football]] game contested between the [[Sydney Swans|South Melbourne Football Club]] and [[Carlton Football Club]], held at [[MC Labour Park|Princes Park]] in [[Melbourne]] on 3 October 1944. It was the 49th annual [[VFL Grand Final|Grand Final]] of the [[Australian Football League|Victorian Football League]], staged to determine the [[List of AFL premiers|premiers]] for the [[1944 VFL season]]. The match, attended by 62,986 spectators, was won by Carlton by a margin of 28 points. The game is well remembered for its extremely rough and violent nature, and has commonly been referred to as '''The Bloodbath'''.
The '''1945 VFL Grand Final''', commonly known as '''the Bloodbath''' was the [[AFL Grand Final|Grand Final]] in the [[VFL/AFL|Victorian Football League]] in season 1945, played between [[Sydney Swans|South Melbourne]] and [[Carlton Football Club|Carlton]].


==Capacity crowd==
==Venue==
Played only shortly after the conclusion of the [[World War II|second World War]], the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]] was unavailable for use, prompting the game to be played at [[MC Labour Park|Princes Park]]. The crowd of 62,986 is a record for Princes Park, and is almost double its current nominal capacity.
Played only shortly after the conclusion of the [[World War II|second World War]], the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]] was unavailable for use, prompting the game to be played at [[MC Labour Park|Princes Park]]. The crowd of 62,986 is a record for Princes Park, and is almost double its current nominal capacity.


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==The "Bloodbath"==
==The "Bloodbath"==
The game, played in extremely wet, muddy conditions, is remembered as "the Bloodbath" for its overall continuous violence (on the field and amongst the spectators), and its plethora of crude hits, knock-outs, and brawls (many of which were broken up with the assistance of the police).
The game, played in extremely wet, muddy conditions, is remembered as "the Bloodbath" for its overall continuous violence (on the field and amongst the spectators), and its plethora of crude hits, knock-outs, and brawls (many of which were broken up with the assistance of the police).

Ten players were reported for a total of sixteen offences:
* [[Ted Whitfield]] (South Melbourne): Charged with using abusive language to goal umpire Whyte, attempting to strike field umpire Frank Spokes, kicking the ball away after a free kick was given against him, and attempting to conceal his guernsey so the goal umpire could not report him. Suspended for 21 matches.
* Jack "Basher" Williams (South Melbourne): Charged with using abusive language to Carlton's Rod McLean and goal umpire Whyte, and adopting a fighting attitude to goal umpire Whyte. Suspended for 12 matches.
* [[Bob Chitty]] (Carlton): Charged with elbowing Billy Williams (South Melbourne). Suspended for 8 matches.
* Don Grossman (South Melbourne): Charged with striking Jim Mooring (Carlton). Suspended for 8 matches.
* [[Ron Savage]] (Carlton): Charged with striking Don Grossman (South Melbourne) in retaliation for Grossman having king-hit teammate Mooring. Suspended for 8 matches.
* [[Jim Cleary (Australian rules footballer)|"Gentleman" Jim Cleary]] (South Melbourne): Charged with striking Ken Hands (Carlton) after a mark and attempted striking of Bob Chitty. Found not guilty on attempted striking charge; suspended for 8 matches.
* [[Fred Fitzgibbon]] (Carlton): Charged with one count of melee involvement; despite a 4 match suspension from the preliminary final for having king-hit Collingwood forward Len Hustler, Fitzgibbon ran onto the field and participated in the final quarter brawl until being removed from the arena by police. Suspended for an additional 4 matches.
* [[Herbie Matthews]] (South Melbourne): Charged with throwing the ball away after a mark was given against him. Severely reprimanded.
* [[Ken Hands]] (Carlton): Charged with charging Ron Clegg (South Melbourne). Found not guilty.
* Keith Smith (South Melbourne): Charged with striking Jim Mooring (Carlton). Found not guilty.


==Teams==
==Teams==
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| reserve2 =
| reserve2 =
| coach = [[Bill Adams (Australian footballer)|Bill Adams]]}}
| coach = [[Bill Adams (Australian footballer)|Bill Adams]]}}

== The tribunal aftermath==
Ten players were reported for a total of sixteen offences.
* [[Ted Whitfield]] (South Melbourne): Charged with using abusive language to goal umpire Whyte, attempting to strike field umpire Frank Spokes, kicking the ball away after a free kick was given against him, and attempting to conceal his guernsey so the goal umpire could not report him. Suspended for 21 matches.
* Jack "Basher" Williams (South Melbourne): Charged with using abusive language to Carlton's Rod McLean and goal umpire Whyte, and adopting a fighting attitude to goal umpire Whyte. Suspended for 12 matches.
* [[Bob Chitty]] (Carlton): Charged with elbowing Billy Williams (South Melbourne). Suspended for 8 matches.
* Don Grossman (South Melbourne): Charged with striking Jim Mooring (Carlton). Suspended for 8 matches.
* [[Ron Savage]] (Carlton): Charged with striking Don Grossman (South Melbourne) in retaliation for Grossman having king-hit teammate Mooring. Suspended for 8 matches.
* [[Jim Cleary (Australian rules footballer)|"Gentleman" Jim Cleary]] (South Melbourne): Charged with striking Ken Hands (Carlton) after a mark and attempted striking of Bob Chitty. Found not guilty on attempted striking charge; suspended for 8 matches.
* [[Fred Fitzgibbon]] (Carlton): Charged with one count of melee involvement; despite a 4 match suspension from the preliminary final for having king-hit Collingwood forward Len Hustler, Fitzgibbon ran onto the field and participated in the final quarter brawl until being removed from the arena by police. Suspended for an additional 4 matches.
* [[Herbie Matthews]] (South Melbourne): Charged with throwing the ball away after a mark was given against him. Severely reprimanded.
* [[Ken Hands]] (Carlton): Charged with charging Ron Clegg (South Melbourne). Found not guilty.
* Keith Smith (South Melbourne): Charged with striking Jim Mooring (Carlton). Found not guilty.


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 11:52, 6 October 2009

The 1945 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the South Melbourne Football Club and Carlton Football Club, held at Princes Park in Melbourne on 3 October 1944. It was the 49th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1944 VFL season. The match, attended by 62,986 spectators, was won by Carlton by a margin of 28 points. The game is well remembered for its extremely rough and violent nature, and has commonly been referred to as The Bloodbath.

Venue

Played only shortly after the conclusion of the second World War, the Melbourne Cricket Ground was unavailable for use, prompting the game to be played at Princes Park. The crowd of 62,986 is a record for Princes Park, and is almost double its current nominal capacity.

Win from fourth place

Carlton held a two point lead at half time, and won the match 15.13 (103) to South Melbourne's 10.15 (75).

Carlton's 1945 premiership win was the first time since the "Page-McIntyre system" had been adopted in 1931 that a team from fourth place on the home-and-away ladder (i.e., a team that had no "double chance") had won the Grand Final.

South Melbourne would not contest another Grand Final until 1996 as the Sydney Swans .

The "Bloodbath"

The game, played in extremely wet, muddy conditions, is remembered as "the Bloodbath" for its overall continuous violence (on the field and amongst the spectators), and its plethora of crude hits, knock-outs, and brawls (many of which were broken up with the assistance of the police).

Ten players were reported for a total of sixteen offences:

  • Ted Whitfield (South Melbourne): Charged with using abusive language to goal umpire Whyte, attempting to strike field umpire Frank Spokes, kicking the ball away after a free kick was given against him, and attempting to conceal his guernsey so the goal umpire could not report him. Suspended for 21 matches.
  • Jack "Basher" Williams (South Melbourne): Charged with using abusive language to Carlton's Rod McLean and goal umpire Whyte, and adopting a fighting attitude to goal umpire Whyte. Suspended for 12 matches.
  • Bob Chitty (Carlton): Charged with elbowing Billy Williams (South Melbourne). Suspended for 8 matches.
  • Don Grossman (South Melbourne): Charged with striking Jim Mooring (Carlton). Suspended for 8 matches.
  • Ron Savage (Carlton): Charged with striking Don Grossman (South Melbourne) in retaliation for Grossman having king-hit teammate Mooring. Suspended for 8 matches.
  • "Gentleman" Jim Cleary (South Melbourne): Charged with striking Ken Hands (Carlton) after a mark and attempted striking of Bob Chitty. Found not guilty on attempted striking charge; suspended for 8 matches.
  • Fred Fitzgibbon (Carlton): Charged with one count of melee involvement; despite a 4 match suspension from the preliminary final for having king-hit Collingwood forward Len Hustler, Fitzgibbon ran onto the field and participated in the final quarter brawl until being removed from the arena by police. Suspended for an additional 4 matches.
  • Herbie Matthews (South Melbourne): Charged with throwing the ball away after a mark was given against him. Severely reprimanded.
  • Ken Hands (Carlton): Charged with charging Ron Clegg (South Melbourne). Found not guilty.
  • Keith Smith (South Melbourne): Charged with striking Jim Mooring (Carlton). Found not guilty.

Teams

Carlton
B: Arthur Sanger Vin Brown Jim Baird
HB: Bob Chitty (c) Bert Deacon Jim Clark
C: Doug Williams Clinton Wines Herb Turner
HF: Alec Way Ken Hands Lance Collins
F: Rod McLean Ken Baxter Jim Mooring
Foll: Ron Savage Jack Bennett Mick Price
Res: Charlie McInnes
Coach: Percy Bentley
South Melbourne
B: Brian Kelly Jim Cleary Don Grossman
HB: Bob Matlock Jack Williams Jack Danckert
C: Ted Whitfield Herbie Matthews (c) Billy King
HF: Vic Castles Ron Clegg Keith Smith
F: Alan Linden Laurie Nash Bill Williams
Foll: Jack Graham Jack Dempsey Reg Richards
Res: Ron Hartridge
Coach: Bill Adams

See also

References

  • Holmesby, R. & Main, J., This Football Century: "The Greatest Game of All", Wilkinson Books, (Melbourne), 1996. ISBN 1-863-50222-X
  • Rogers, S. & Brown, A., Every Game Ever Played: VFL/AFL Results 1897-1997 (Sixth Edition), Viking Books, (Ringwood), 1998. ISBN 0-670-90809-6
  • Ross, J. (ed), 100 Years of Australian Football 1897-1996: The Complete Story of the AFL, All the Big Stories, All the Great Pictures, All the Champions, Every AFL Season Reported, Viking, (Ringwood), 1996. ISBN 0-670-86814-0

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