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54-505: The staging running races as curtain-raisers to, or half-time entertainment during, football matches has been a common practice since the early days of football in Victoria. The establishment of a running race on the field during grand final day between players who were not taking part in the game first occurred in 1977 . For the Grand Final days in 1977 and 1978 , long-distance races run over

108-465: A 54-point lead, 25.9 (159) to 15.15 (105). Exactly 50 goals were kicked in the game, with the teams compiling a combined score of 50.27 (327). This was, at the time, the highest scoring game in VFL history, Grand Final or otherwise, and has been bettered only seven times since. Carlton's score of 28.9 (177) remains the highest in Grand Final history, and Richmond's 22.18 (150) remains the highest losing score in

162-699: A Grand Final. Richmond's score was the tenth highest score of the season: only in 1924, 1937, 1940, 1954, 1962, 1976 and 2001 have other teams lost matches with scores among the ten highest of a season. Carlton vice-captain Robert Walls was unanimously rated best on ground, kicking six goals and directly assisting in seven others. Ruckman Peter "Percy" Jones played arguably his finest game for Carlton, while Alex Jesaulenko kicked seven goals and John Nicholls bagged six. Richmond had eleven individual goal-kickers, with Neil Balme kicking five. Carlton's opening term score of 8.4 (52) and second term score of 10.2 (62) set

216-976: A biography written about him; author Elliot Cartledge said he changed his stance "because The Hafey Years is not a biography but a chronicle of an era." During AFL Grand Final week in 2011 , Hafey was awarded the "Coaching Legend Award" by the AFL Coaches Association . After a brief illness due to a secondary cancer, Hafey died at the age of 82 on 12 May 2014. At least 20 men that played under Hafey at Richmond later went on to success as coaches themselves. At VFL/AFL level, these include premiership coaches Tony Jewell (at Richmond), Kevin Sheedy (at Essendon ) and Mick Malthouse (at Footscray , West Coast , Collingwood and Carlton ), as well as Kevin Bartlett , Royce Hart , Francis Bourke , Paul Sproule , Mike Patterson , Mick Erwin (who replaced Hafey when he

270-400: A draw. In the replay the following week, Collingwood lost a high-scoring contest. Collingwood lost to North Melbourne in the 1978 Preliminary Final, leading to a number of personnel changes during the offseason. In 1979, the team returned to the 1979 Grand Final . After taking a second quarter led, Collingwood fell behind at the half. They ultimately lost by five points against Carlton . In

324-431: A field of 10 players during this era. The race was not held from 1988 to 2001 but was reintroduced in 2002 (along with a goalkicking contest, which only lasted one year). With the number of league clubs having grown to 16 during the break in competition, a new format was adopted, with the players now split into two groups of eight for the heats (held before the grand final), and the top four from each heat advancing to

378-413: A mile were staged, with each league club able to nominate up to two entrants. In 1979 , the race was changed to a 100 m sprint, with one player per club taking part. Between 1979 and 1987 , the two clubs participating in the grand final had the option of providing one of their players who missed selection in the match, but they generally chose not to do so, meaning the sprint was usually contested by

432-630: A replacement could be found. Hafey was encouraged to apply, and the decision came down to Hafey and former club captain Ron Branton. Many expected Branton to get the job. However, Graeme Richmond saw something special in Hafey and he was appointed coach for the 1966 season . On his return to Richmond, Hafey found the team had acquired a number of young, high quality players. He later recalled feeling some apprehension about his youth and that he would be coaching some ex-teammates. Even so, he quickly put his stamp on

486-420: A strong emphasis on training. However, his training methods were sometimes labelled monotonous and he was described as tactically unsophisticated. Hafey strongly believed in leaving players in their designated position, even if they were losing to their opponent, which attracted criticism when the team lost. By contrast, virtually all players are rotated in modern play as the coach seeks match-ups favourable to

540-421: A superb MCG surface. Carlton made eight positional changes to its team, the most notable was that of captain-coach John Nicholls , who put himself in the forward pocket, and gave first ruck responsibilities to Peter "Percy" Jones . Less than two minutes into the game, Trevor Keogh opened the scoring for Carlton before goals to Barry Richardson and Neil Balme put Richmond in front. But then Carlton kicked

594-461: A swim in Port Phillip Bay , and when he got home he did 700 crunches and sit-ups. He was a popular figure at St. Kilda beach, often greeting fellow joggers and cyclists. In 2011, Hafey appeared in a TV commercial for Jeep Australia as part of their 70th Anniversary Campaign. The commercial shows him running and doing push-ups as part of his regular fitness routine. An inaugural inductee to

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648-453: A winner. Shepparton lost the Grand Final to Tongala in 1961, then won three straight from 1963 to 1965. Meanwhile, Hafey acted as a recruiting agent for the Tigers, recommending potential players from his region. Hafey's performance drew the attention of Tiger secretary Graeme Richmond . When coach Len Smith had a heart attack in 1965, the club appointed Jack Titus to serve as interim coach until

702-620: The 1980 Grand Final , Hafey took on his old team of Richmond. Kevin Bartlett won the Norm Smith medal as the Tigers won by a record margin. The Magpies under Hafey again made the Grand Final in 1981 against Carlton . After holding a 21-point lead in the third, Collingwood gave up two late goals before the three-quarter-time break. The resulting disharmony in the Magpie huddle allowed the Blues to dominate

756-521: The Australian Football Hall of Fame 1996, Hafey was named coach of Richmond's team of the century in 1998. In 2003, the Tigers set up the "Tom Hafey club", a corporate networking group, in his honour. In 2011, a book titled The Hafey Years – Reliving a golden era at Tigerland was published. It documents Hafey's involvement with Richmond as a player, and his run of success as a coach in the 1960s and 1970s. Hafey had previously resisted having

810-464: The VFL at the end of 1958. Over six seasons, he had played in 67 games, starting 52 of them. In 1959, Hafey played for the local Richmond Amateurs who won the premiership that year. After the 1959 season, Hafey left the city of Richmond, taking a job as playing coach of Shepparton in the Goulburn Valley area of northern Victoria. His tenacious attitude and devotion to fitness turned the club into

864-628: The Victorian Football League (VFL). He then became one of the VFL's longest-serving and most successful coaches, guiding Richmond to four VFL premierships before also having stints at Collingwood , Geelong and finally Sydney . Hafey was an inaugural inductee into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996, named coach of Richmond's team of the century in 1998, and given the AFL Coaches Association "Coaching Legend Award" in 2011. He

918-403: The 1967 premiership marked a turning point for the game. The Tigers were fitter than any team that had gone before and were the highest-scoring team since 1950. Australian football, after two decades of defensive-based play, was about to enter an era of high scoring, aided by rule changes, new tactics and better standards of fitness. The Tigers started the 1968 season slowly. They rallied to win

972-456: The AFL since the competition was fully professionalised in the 1990s. He spoke regularly on football and/or fitness, always emphasising the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Hafey also provided training advice to sporting clubs and schools, and gave motivational lectures. Hafey's passion for fitness was legendary; every morning he woke up at 5:20 and went for an 8 km run, followed by 250 push-ups and

1026-464: The McIntyre finals system in 1931. Richmond dismissed a number of players, replacing them with new players such as Royce Hart and Francis Bourke . Richmond dominated the 1967 season , running out winners in a classic Grand Final against Geelong. In his first two years, the team lost only seven games, and Hafey had gone from an unknown coach in the bush to the toast of the football world. In hindsight,

1080-544: The Second Semi Final. This game resulted in a draw, with both teams scoring 8.13 (61). In the Second Semi Final Replay, Richmond won comfortably by 41 points, sending them straight through to the Grand Final. Carlton then beat St Kilda by 16 points to match up with Richmond once again in the premiership decider. Richmond went into the Grand Final as the clear favourites. Even though Carlton finished on top of

1134-544: The Swans' owner to sign his old mentor, Tom Hafey. Edelsten took the advice and signed Hafey for three years. The Sydney Swans under Hafey made the finals campaigns in 1986 and 1987, both of which ended at the First Semi Final. Hafey's teams usually tackled hard, shepherded, persisted, smothered and backed each other up, aspects of the game now called "one-percenters". Supreme fitness was required to play this way, so Hafey put

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1188-462: The Tigers undone [... In addition,] Carlton would have been lulled into the belief that its best chance of winning the premiership rested in retaining its players in the same positions they occupied throughout the season. Until then, the Blues had argued that it was because of this that they had finished on top of the ladder. No one believed this after the Richmond thrashing – least of all Nicholls. This

1242-413: The club, bringing intensity and desire to reach the top. Although he acknowledged the ideas and tactical approach of Len Smith (who remained at the club as a selector and consultant), Hafey opted for what became his trademark style: kick the ball long and quickly into the forward line. He raised the bar for fitness among his players, extending pre-season training and introducing a third training night during

1296-399: The day Nicholls launched the plan by loading the forward line with his best players and instructing the team to play a fast, direct game that would not allow Richmond to settle. Nicholls was also aware that in the 25 games that both Richmond and Carlton had played in 1972 leading up to the Grand Final, Richmond had conceded nearly 500 more points than Carlton. The unsuspecting Tigers fielded

1350-414: The end of the 2023 AFL season . Returning to Melbourne in 1989, Hafey was employed by ABC radio as a football commentator. Although often mentioned as a possible candidate by the media whenever a coaching position fell vacant in the AFL, no job materialised. Hafey came to be seen as one of the old-school coaches, unsuited to the tactically sophisticated era. In his radio commentary, he rarely employed

1404-510: The field had created resentment toward the club. A number of incidents during the 1973 Grand Final – the Windy Hill brawl, the attempted recruitment of John Pitura from South Melbourne, and a poor reaction to Kevin Bartlett's failure to win the Brownlow medal – all focussed negative attention on the club. Hafey, however, used the resentment to his advantage, telling his players "it's Richmond against

1458-717: The final (held at half-time of the grand final). From 2006 until 2008 , a handicapping system was used, similar to that used in the Stawell Gift . In 2020 and 2021 , the Grand Final sprint took place at quarter-time rather than half-time. In 2022 and 2023 , the sprint took place before the game. In 2024 , there were heats held before the game, with the final occurring at half-time. In most years, entry has been limited to one player from each AFL club. On two occasions, two slots were open to players from regional leagues, resulting in regional league-player victories on both occasions. In 2016 , suburban footballer James Shirley won

1512-434: The first privately owned club. Franchising, club licensing, player drafts and salary caps were all concepts that the VFL was attempting to import into Australian football at a time of financial crisis. Edelsten quickly signed numerous star players away from Melbourne clubs by offering large contracts. He wanted to hire Kevin Sheedy , who had just coached Essendon to successive premierships. Sheedy turned Edelsten down, but urged

1566-525: The first time this had been achieved in the VFL. Collingwood had lost eleven of their last thirteen finals matches, many by slender margins, leading to the press to say the team was afflicted with a "disease" called the " Colliwobbles ". The disease appeared defeated when the team beat the favoured Hawthorn by two points in the semi-final. In the 1977 Grand Final , Collingwood led North Melbourne by 27 points at three quarter time. Trainers and committeemen began to celebrate early and North Melbourne fought back to

1620-426: The fourth quarter and win the game. After years of disappointment, players and fans began to criticise Hafey's methods. Several leading players said Hafey over-trained the team, particularly in the lead-up to finals matches. Others said Hafey was too slow to respond when the team was going under. During the 1982 season , a record losing streak of nine games sealed Hafey's fate, and he was sacked mid-season. Hafey

1674-445: The jargon of the modern coach and believed that football is a simple game that had been over-complicated, that motivation comes from within and fitness is the basis for success. Hafey fashioned a career as a self-styled "ambassador" for the game and a strident advocate for physical fitness in the wider society. A particular interest was the current plight of Australian football clubs in rural areas, who he believed have been neglected by

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1728-406: The ladder, they had lost twice to Richmond during the regular season, and then were thrashed in the Second Semi Final replay. The statistics lent further weight to Richmond's favouritism; Carlton had not beaten the Tigers in a final since 1920. As Richmond coach Tom Hafey recalled: "We were expected to kill [Carlton] in the grand final." The 1972 Grand Final was played under dull skies but on

1782-410: The last six games, but missed the finals. When the Tigers were again lethargic in mid-1969, accusations of under-achievement arose and rumours that Hafey was on the way out circulated. The players rallied behind Hafey and finished the season strong, taking fourth place. The team won all three finals, taking a second premiership. After missing the finals in 1970 , Hafey took the Tigers to the finals for

1836-568: The match and race were held. 1972 VFL Grand Final The 1972 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Richmond Football Club and Carlton Football Club at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 7 October 1972. It was the 75th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League , staged to determine the premiers for the 1972 VFL season . The match, attended by 112,393 spectators,

1890-406: The next five years. Basing the team's strategy around all-out attack had drawbacks. Most famously, during the 1972 finals the team conceded the highest score ever, losing to Carlton in a shock upset. Hafey later said the defeat depressed him for many months, but it later became the motivation for back-to-back premierships in 1973 and 1974 . By now, the aggressive attitude of the club both on and off

1944-453: The next four goals – two of them to Nicholls – and would never again relinquish the lead. At quarter time, Carlton led by 18 points, having kicked 8.4 (52), a record first-quarter score for a Grand Final, to 5.4 (34). Some thirteen goals had been scored, and it wouldn't end there. As well as Carlton had played in the first quarter, they were even better in the second. Although Kevin Morris opened

1998-503: The only way to beat Richmond was to outscore them. In another tactical move, Nicholls decided not to implement the planned game changes in the Preliminary final against St Kilda , thus keeping Richmond in the dark about his intentions. Instead, he trusted his players to beat the Saints playing their orthodox game, and also credited his senior players for understanding and executing the plan. On

2052-447: The quarter. The only worry was on the injury front; David McKay had had his jaw broken in two places by Balme, and Vin Waite had been stretchered off with a broken ankle. And when Syd Jackson kicked truly at the 30-minute mark of the third quarter, the Blues had broken the record for the highest score in a Grand Final with still over a quarter to play. At the last change, Carlton held

2106-501: The race, while taxi driver Harvinder Singh (competing because the race was sponsored by taxi company 13cabs ) finished last; and in 2018, under-18s footballers Godfrey Okereneyang and Melvin Monieh came first and second, respectively. The 2021 race was limited to Western Australian participants, as border restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic prevented others from travelling to Perth where

2160-436: The records for the best first and second quarter scores in Grand Final history ( Hawthorn would later equal the first quarter score in the 1989 VFL Grand Final ). The 1972 premiership victory was John Nicholls ' finest moment, cementing his place in football history as one of the great strategists. After being mocked by opponents and berated by critics following Carlton's thrashing in the Second Semi Final, Nicholls knew that

2214-446: The same six defenders that had held Carlton to nine goals in the Second Semi Final replay two weeks earlier. Nicholls put himself in the forward pocket against Ray Boyanich and made him pay for loose play by kicking six goals, three of them in the first quarter. Afterwards Nicholls said it was the easiest physical game he had played in. Full-back Dick Clay described the loss as "surreal", Francis Bourke as "almost eerie". If this

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2268-409: The scoring within 30 seconds to cut the margin to 12 points, the Blues responded by kicking four goals in four minutes. By the 23-minute mark of the quarter, the Blues had kicked eight goals to reach 100 points. At the main break, Carlton led by 45 points, 18.6 (114) to 10.9 (69). Richmond had still managed to score five goals for the quarter, but Carlton were unstoppable, kicking a record ten goals for

2322-399: The senior side in 1950. He spent three years with the club, winning the best and fairest in 1952. Hafey was then invited to train at Richmond . At the time, the Tigers were in turmoil after legendary coach Jack Dyer quit. In an effort to reinvigorate the team, Richmond recruited a number of highly considered young players, including Ron Branton , Frank Dunin and Brian Davie. However, it

2376-642: The team. Hafey was prepared to back his players and build their confidence, contributing to a strong team spirit. His approach differed from most successful coaches who remained aloof from their players. He focussed on the team's camaraderie , in many cases becoming intimately involved with the lives of his charges and he sought to mix with them in social situations even though he was a teetotaller and non-smoker. All four teams that he coached improved immediately after Hafey's appointment. However, he also "lost" his players several times during his career as they rebelled against his training requirements. Statistics up to

2430-463: The week. Richmond quickly became known for being the fittest team in the competition. Richmond began 1966 strongly. A month before the finals, they hit the top of the ladder for the first time since 1951 and seemed certain to play in September. However, two losses dropped the Tigers to fifth place with thirteen wins and a draw. They became the best performing team to miss the finals since the inception of

2484-512: The world". Richmond showed signs of ageing in 1975 , when they lost in the preliminary final. A raft of player departures made for a poor 1976 season, with the Tigers finishing seventh, Hafey's worst ever result. He was re-appointed for 1977 , but not unanimously (he had no contract with Richmond, instead being appointed on a year-to-year basis). When it leaked that Graeme Richmond , the club's powerbroker, had voted against Hafey's reappointment, Hafey immediately resigned. Hafey's initial thought

2538-412: Was Hafey, an unheralded local, who played twelve of the eighteen matches his first year, scoring eight goals, including scoring a goal with his first kick in the VFL . The following season was less productive for Hafey as he played just four games due to a bout of hepatitis . He did, however, play back pocket when the reserves captured the premiership by defeating Melbourne in the Grand Final. He

2592-467: Was Nicholls' finest moment, it was also the worst day of Richmond coach Tom Hafey 's career. Several days after the match, chief football writer for The Age Percy Beames wrote that losing the Semi Final replay was the best thing that could have happened to Carlton. He reasoned that: [Carlton] would have gone into the Grand Final under-conditioned, and would not have learned the lessons that brought

2646-475: Was given a three-year contract to coach Geelong in 1983 . However, he was unable to engender the type of team spirit he created at Collingwood and Richmond, and the team did not make the finals during his tenure. During 1985, it became clear that Hafey's contract would not be renewed. During the 1985 season , the VFL had sold the Sydney Swans to controversial medical entrepreneur Geoffrey Edelsten to create

2700-410: Was named as one of the Tigers' best performers, and was selected for the senior team for the 1955 and 1956 seasons. In these two years, he played 28 games. After the appointment of Alan McDonald as coach, Hafey was often relegated to the bench as Ken Ward played in the back pocket. The Tigers fell to the bottom part of the ladder. Playing a backup role for a poor team, Hafey decided to retire from

2754-660: Was renowned for his fitness and toughness even in his elderly years when he would still run rings around his juniors. He would do over 700 push-ups and crunches a day every day since he started playing in the VFL. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1982 New Year Honours . Tom Hafey was born and raised in Richmond . He began his football career with the East Malvern under-19 team before graduating to

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2808-420: Was the first of two consecutive Grand Finals to be contested between these teams. In the 1973 VFL Grand Final the fortunes were reversed, with Richmond running out winners by a margin of 30 points. Tom Hafey Coaching Club Representative Thomas Stanley Raymond Hafey MBE (5 August 1931 – 12 May 2014) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club in

2862-497: Was to seek a job in Western Australia. However, a chance meeting with the new Collingwood president, John Hickey, took Hafey in a different direction. The Magpies had just endured their worst-ever season, finishing last . Hickey defied the club's tradition against hiring an outsider as coach, appointing Hafey to coach the club for the 1977 season . Hafey was an instant success, taking the club from last to first in one year –

2916-489: Was won by Carlton by a margin of 27 points, marking that club's 11th premiership victory. At the conclusion of the regular home-and-away season , Carlton had finished first on the ladder with 18 wins, 3 losses and a draw. Richmond had finished second with 18 wins and 4 losses. In the finals series leading up to the Grand Final, Richmond defeated Collingwood by 44 points in the Qualifying Final before meeting Carlton in

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