| 1902 IN THE BEGINNING |
| 1902 Grand Final COLLINGWOOD 9.6.60 ESSENDON 3.9.27 Goals: E. Lockwood 3, Rowell 3, Allen 1, Angus 1, Pears 1 Best Players: Hailwood, Pannam, Allan, Rush, Fell, Rowell At MCG Crowd: 35,502 Collingwood Team: B: G. Lockwood, W. Proudfoot, M. Fell HB: R. Rush, J. Leach, A. Dummett C: C. Pannam, C. McCormack, J. Allan HF: J. Incoll, E. Rowell, G. Angus F: H. Pears, E. Lockwood, A. Leach FOLL.: F. Hailwood, L.Tulloch, R. Condon CAPTAIN & ACTING COACH: Lawrence 'Lardie' Tulloch |
| Collingwood was the youngest of the clubs admitted to the fledgling Victorian Football League at its inception in 1897. Having been formed only a few years before in 1892 the Magpies had won the 1896 VFA premiership - the last flag before the formation of the VFL. Playing in the VFL against the giants of Victorian football, teams that had been in existence for many decades before the working class Magpies had been created, was a daunting task. But by 1901 the proud Collingwood team had made the grand final and in the summer of 1901/02 the rumours spreading around the football world indicated that they had begun their preparations of the 1902 season�s battles while the test cricket games were still in progress. This concept of pre-season training was until then unheard of in VFL football. During that secret training the Magpies had perfected a new faster play-on style of football utilising the previously unknown stab kick to carry the ball rapidly between players who would break clear of their opponents. Collingwood carried all before it in 1902 winning 12 of 14 regular season matches and all three section matches. After being upset by Fitzroy in its first finals match it lost star player Monohan for the grand final against Essendon (who had beaten Fitzroy to qualify). Essendon matched the Magpies for the first half of the grand final, the first ever played at the MCG, but Collingwood were double teaming Essendon champion Thrugood out of the game. At half time Fred Leach moved onto Thrugood and completely nullified him allowing the Woods to score 6 goals to one in the second half to run out convincing winners of their first of many VFL premierships by 33 points. Celebrations went long and hard into the night and into the next week as the Magpie players and fans rejoiced in their triumph. |