| 1919 ATTACK WINS THE DAY |
| 1919 Grand Final COLLINGWOOD 11.12.78 RICHMOND 7.11.53 Goals: Lee 3, Seddon 2, Curtis 1, Hughes 1, Laxton 1, Lumsden 1, Twomey 1, Walton 1 Best Players: McCarthy, Hughes, Pannam, Curtis, Colechin, Lee At MCG Crowd: 45,413 Collingwood Team: B: W. Haysom, H. Saunders, M. Sheehy HB: F. Mutch, W. Walton, A. Colechin C: T. Drummond, C. Pannam, W. Twomey HF: E. Wilson, H. Curtis, M. Seddon F: A. Reynold, W. Lee, E. Lumsden FOLL.: L. Hughes, J.C. McCarthy, C. Laxton CAPTAIN: J.C. 'Con' McCarthy COACH: Jock McHale |
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| With the war over the game was returning to normal as fans and players flocked to the game. This enabled the VFL to establish the �second eighteen� competition that we later came to know as the reserves. Fittingly, Collingwood won the inaugural reserves premiership. In the seniors, the only competition that really matters, the Magpies finished minor premiers with a 13-3 record. They easily accounted for Carlton in the second semi final but were stunned by Richmond in the final. Exercising the right of challenge for a Grand Final, coach Jock McHale tried some new tactics to stun the opposition. Whilst only making two selection changes he made many positional changes to gain an advantage and instructed his players to play direct, attacking football and to look for star forward Dick Lee at every opportunity. The plan worked well but would have worked better had Lee brought his kicking boots with him. He managed only 1 goal but 4 behinds in the first quarter and inaccuracy kept the Tigers in the game until the last term when the more experienced Magpies ran away with the game for a 25 point victory - the first of many grand final wins against our Tiger foes. 'Doc' Seddon whose unique gift from the Western Front had inspired the team to victory two years was able to savour premiership glory himself at the end of this match. |