The three biggest celebrations across the country in 1973 were the opening of Hobart’s Wrest Point Casino, the first ever Casino built in Australia; the long awaited official opening of Sydney’s Opera House on Friday the 28^th of September when Prokofiev’s spectacular epic modern opera War and Peace thrilled a first-time audience; and the following day on Tasmania’s windy north-west coast at Burnie’s West Park when the Scottsdale ‘Magpies’ knocked off home-town favourites Cooee in the state football grand final.

Of-course on that same day in Melbourne, Carlton shrugged off Richmond to win the VFL Grand Final, ironically with the same 16.20.116 score-line to that of Scottsdale.

Scottsdale had entered the state final via victories over North Launceston in their competition’s grand final – the NTFA – before accounting for southern Premiers (TFL) Hobart in the State Preliminary Final.

Cooee’s immediate entry came by beating Latrobe in their regions NWFU Grand Final. Each year the three main football competitions in Tasmania, the NTFA; TFL and NWFU would take turns in their respective Premiers going straight through to the state final.

Cooee’s last success at state level came in 1964, ironically when they toppled Scottsdale. A year later the tables were turned when Scottsdale beat them in the State Preliminary Final.

Scottsdale had been a dominant side for a decade in northern Tasmania but a State Premiership had eluded them. The ‘Pies had lost two in a row, the aforementioned ’64 flag to Cooee and a year later to southern Premiers Glenorchy.

Only five Scottsdale players had graced the turf on West Park before; Terry Taylor who was a former Latrobe player, Max Hadley, Ron Hall and Ken Lette who had all played there in the 1964 State Final, and Graeme Millwood who had represented the NTFA at the ground.

Their un-familiarity with the ground could have been compensated by the loss to Cooee of the intimidating John Bonney who had been ruled out with a knee injury before the game.

The opening term was played at break-neck speed with plenty of biffo in-between. The hard-men of Tasmania’s logging country were throwing everything at Cooee and were looking good early.

At the first change the ‘Pies led by seven points after a high scoring first quarter.  

In the second and third quarters Cooee got on top and began to open up a substantial lead. They had winners all over the park. The Wander Medallist (best and fairest in the NWFU), Graeme Shephard, was finding plenty of space and danger man Steven Beaumont was providing a solid option up forward. Cooee backman Richard Crawford was doing well on Scottsdale roving duo Bill Burns and Kevin Egan. Egan had made NTFA football history at the start of the year when he became that competitions first fly-in player, jetting in from Essendon each week.

At half-time Cooee held sway with a fifteen point lead which they extended to thirty-two at the final change. The game appeared to be in safe hands; But the country ‘Pies had other ideas.

Scottsdale coach Bob Wilson had made a couple of vital moves earlier in the game, and although the results weren’t showing to three-quarter-time, they were to prove pivotal come the final siren.

 Strong backman Greg Lethborg found himself in the centre midway into the match when Cooee’s midfield was on top. Lethborg, with his hardness and ability to find the ball, gave Cooee something else to think about and was soon instigating many of Scottsdale’s attacks.

Ron Hall was moved to centre-half-forward late in the third quarter and Wilson had put himself on Cooee star half-forward Steven Beaumont at half-time. A move that sparked Scottsdale’s comeback was Sonny Gillies off the bench in the final term.

Gillies replaced Ken Hall and had an immediate effect scoring from long range early in the term before passing to Stephen Nicholls who goaled again. Ron Hall and Ken Lette were outstanding and led the fightback brilliantly with Lette goaling twice in the quarter; his second put the ‘Pies in front.

The ‘Pies had fifteen shots to two in the final quarter and finished with six goals nine behinds to just two behinds. Twelve of their sixteen goals came in the first and last quarters, effectively book-ending their victory. On the other hand, Cooee snared ten of their fifteen goals in the second and third terms.

Scottsdale’s pressure and hardness at the ball in the end payed off and Wilson was wrapt in their efforts after Cooee had challenged during the middle part of the game. “We were down, but we came back because we had twenty goers”, he said after the match.

Final Scores: Scottsdale – 6.5 – 8.9 – 10.11 – 16.20.116

                       Cooee      - 5.4 – 11.6 – 15.13 – 15.15.105

Goals – Scottsdale: S.Nichols 5, K.Lette 3, W.Burns 2, M.Hadley 2, R.Hall 1, G.Lethborg 1, S.Gillies 1, R.Rattray 1.

             Cooee: A.Hopdgetts 3, D.French 3, G.Towns 3, S.Beaumont 3, V.Drake 2, R.Deayton 1.

Best – Scottsdale: R.Hall, W.Burns, S.Nichols, G.Lethborg, G.Millwood, T.Taylor.

           Cooee:   G.Shephard, G.White, K.Beswick, G.Towns, H.Dowling, T.Lee.

Replaced/Injuries: J.Williams (leg) by S.Cuthbertson in the second quarter; K.Hall (uninjured) by S.Gillies at three quarter-time.

Cooee: B.Jarvis (hand) by R.Deayton in the second quarter.

Umpire: R.Barling (TFL)

Att: 8,269

Gate: $6,515.60.

Teams: Scottsdale- B) John Williams – Danny Hall – Ron Hall

                              HB) Greg Lethborg – Graeme Millwood – Malcolm Crichton

                                C) Jim Leitch – Stephen Nichols – Ken Hall

                              HF) Max Hadley – Ricky Rattray – Rod Hughes

                                F) Terry Taylor – Ken Lette – Bill Burns

                              Foll) Tad Joniec – R (Bob) Wilson – Kevin Egan

                               Res from) Sonny Gillies – Leon Ranson – Cuthbertson – Woods – Hayes

                             Captain-Coach: Bob Wilson

          Cooee -      B) Richard Crawford – Kerry Beswick – Harold Dowling

                          HB) Darrel Shephard – Hugh Strahan – Kerry Button

C)    Barry Jarvis – Graeme Shephard – Geoff White

                                HF) Steven Beaumont – Warren ‘Put’ McCarthy – Greg Towns

                                  F) Dexter French – Vern Drake – Don Corkery

                                Foll) A (Tom) Lee – Athol Hodgetts – Peter Pettigrew

                               Reserves from) Stuart Tyson – Phil Bester – Robert Deayton –      W.Hayes – N.McCarthy  -G.McDonald – T.Wells.

                               Captain-Coach - Vern Drake.