Mike Sheahan, Chief Football writer with Melbourne’s Herald Sun, was covering the game for the Hobart Mercuryat the time and reported on the Bay’s new signings.

 

‘When Sandy Bay agreed to meet the transfer fee demand by Hawthorn (V) for centre half-forward Lance Morton, they were no more than hopeful that they had invested wisely. But on Saturday, little more than three weeks after buying Morton, they saw that the $1,000 payout had netted the Seagulls an incredibly successful “package deal”.

 

The former Hawk in his first appearance at North Hobart, stamped himself the best centre half-forward in the competition with a mighty display. Veteran spectators raved about Morton’s marking and (John) Guiver’s neat roving and dash near goals’.

 

HoweverSandyBay’s winning run would come to a sudden halt across the Derwent at Bellerive Oval. A demoralising 65 point drubbing to John ‘The Count’ Bingleys Clarence had the Seagulls diving for scraps.Clarence would again defeat the Seagulls in round nine with a nineteen point win atNorth Hobart. Fast forward to round fourteen and the two sides met again at Bellerive Oval. Memories were still vivid in the player’s minds from the drubbing they received there earlier in the year.

 

 

This time, however, they were heading over theTasmanBridge as the league leaders, and were determined to turn the tables. The Seagulls came out of the blocks like an odds-on favourite atWentworthPark. At quarter-time they had opened up a commanding 45 point lead.The ‘curse of Clarence’ struck again however, and 4,555 fans watched in dis-belief as Clarence swamped the Seagulls and ran away with a 23 point win.SandyBaysupporters that day could have been excused for leaving the ground thinking just which one of their sides was going to show up next week! The Seagulls had developed a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ showing with their performances and fans were preying for a little more consistency.

 

 

They lost top spot to New Norfolk after this loss and the Mercury’s Mike Sheahan recommended medical attention for the team: ‘If Sandy Bay captain-coach Rod Olsson knows a psychologist, he should immediately call on him to treat his players. After the Seagull’s debacle against Clarence at Bellerive on Saturday, they obviously are mentally ill-equipped to match the Roos’.Clarence had sixteen more scoring shots at the final siren and steamrolled the ‘Bay to win 15.24.114 to 13.13.91.

 

If the task had been difficult against bogey-side Clarence the week before, round fifteen wasn’t going to be any easier. Although the Seagulls were back at Queenborough Oval, they faced a confident and new ladder leader in New Norfolk.More than three-thousand fans jammed into Queenborough to witness one of the Seagulls best performances of the season. They completely out-muscled the ‘boys from Boyer’ to win 20.15.135 to 14.12.96 and snatch back top spot on the ladder, albeit by percentage from New Norfolk and Clarence.

 

A rare appearance at the picturesque TCA ground in the sixteenth round did nothing for the Seagulls reputation as a team to be reckoned with and they were comprehensively smashed by bottom team Hobart.Forty-four shots to twenty-five and the 23.21.159 to 14.11.95 demolition again had fans of the Seagulls scratching their heads. The ‘bay had again surrendered top spot as Mike Sheahan reported on the second of August:

 

‘The Barassi touch...the TCA…even anotherSandyBay flop? Whatever the reason, the inimitableHobartdid their thing again on Saturday. They defied form and logic to hand out a football lesson to the Bay. Elated Tigers players and officials proffered determination as the reason for the landslide win – 23.21.159 to 14.11.95.They said it was merely coincidental that the game was played on their much maligned TCA ground – scene of each of their four wins.

 

But how else can such a win by the bottom team over the ladder leaders be explained?…But the Bay can salvage some things from the game. They found a promising player in Robert Shaw, who made a stylish debut’.At the completion to round seventeen, SandyBay were two games behind Clarence in top spot and their form approaching the finals was anything but solid.

 

Another encounter with enemy number one – Clarence – in the penultimate round was not what the doctor ordered.SandyBay’s form was all over the shop and a scrap with the league leaders at home was going to be tough.Well at least that’s what the broader football community inHobarthad thought at the time. It was crunch time for the Seagulls. If they were to play any serious part in the 1971 finals series they had to perform against Clarence, a side they had not beaten on the three previous occasions they had met that year.

 

 

A crowd of 4,000 filed into Queenborough Oval to see the Seagulls at their very best. A display so convincing, it left you wondering if it was the sameSandyBayside that had lost to the bottom two sides in the last three weeks. Just where had the form reversal come from? Sandy Bay demolished the Premiership favourites kicking 20.16.136 to 6.7.43.

Mike Sheahan couldn’t believe it and reported in the Mercury on the 16/8/1971: ‘Saturday August 14: The day Sandy Bay and the rain washed several popular theories about certain teams and players down the drain…for the time being, at least. That’s how the Seagulls’ crushing defeat of top team Clarence at Queenborough on Saturday should be recorded in the diary of the 1971 season. The performance shattered the theories that had made Clarence the hot premiership favourites andSandyBaythe most brittle team in the competition.’

The Seagulls were within a game of Clarence in top spot and faced second-placed New Norfolk in the final round atNorth Hobartfor the double-chance. The game was a beauty and 5,670 fans certainly got there moneys worth (the entry fee for adults in 1971 was 70 cents). Both sides had twenty-seven scoring shots and the Seagulls were wasteful. In-fact it cost them the game – and the double chance –and their supporters would have been nervous heading into the cut-throat first-semi the week later.

Final scores: New Norfolk 12.15.87 toSandyBay9.18.72.

 

1971 TFL Season – Final Ladder:

 

Clarence…14 – 6 – 2045 – 1851 – 110.48 – 56

 

N.Norfolk…13-7- 1954 – 1760 – 111.02 - 52

 

S.Bay …….12-8- 2169 – 1889 – 114.66 - 48

 

Glenorchy …9 – 11- 1939 – 1943 – 99.79 - 36

 

N.Hobart…..8 – 12 – 1687 – 2024 – 83.35 – 32

 

Hobart…….5 -15 - 1746 - 2073 – 84.23 - 20

Leading Goal kickers: T.Mayne (Clarence) 67

 

                                   B.Nusteling (NN) 58

 

                                   J.Guiver (SB)      55

 

                                   L.Morton (SB)    52

 

                                   J.Burton (Glen)    50

 

                                   R.Adams (SB)        42

 

The Seagulls held off a determined Glenorchy to win the First-Semi Final by nine points but wasted opportunities in front of goal could have proved costly. Kicking for goal was proving more difficult than reading a newspaper at the top of nearby Mt.Wellington on a windy day. Sandy Bay finished with 15.28.118  to Glenorchy’s 16.13.109 and would now await their chance at either New Norfolk or Clarence in the Preliminary Final.

 

Clarence crawled into the Grand Final with a thrilling three point win over an unlucky New Norfolk before 12,777 fans atNorth Hobart.In the Preliminary Final the Seagulls stopped to a walk as the Eagles came home with a wet sail to level the scores when the siren blared out across North Hobart Oval.After opening up what seemed a commanding lead of 39 points at quarter-time and seemingly still in control to the tune of 29 points at three-quarter time,Sandy Bayhit the wall.

 

NewNorfolkseemed to inherit the Seagulls disease from the fortnight before having ten more scoring shots but managing only 13.20.98 to 15.8.98.In the replay it was just as thrilling and goal for goal in the final quarter, five each in-fact, but the ‘Bay prevailed and would get one last chance to turn the tables on their arch enemy from across the Derwent. Sandy Bay winning 18.14.122 to New Norfolk’s 16.16.112 in front of 13,765 screaming fans atNorth Hobart.

 

A scare for the Seagulls however was the injury to the competition’s best first year player John Guiver who hobbled off in the final quarter with a corked thigh. Sandy Bay welcomed former Collingwood coach Bob Rose to training on the Tuesday night during Grand Final week. Rose spoke to the players for around fifteen minutes after training touching on what it means to win the ‘Big One’ – the Grand Final.

 

Guiver failed to come-up for Grand Final and was replaced by David Morrison; C.Ricketts was left out of the line-up and replaced by promising ruckman John Brimacombe who along with Morrison had to pause their celebrations from winning the reserves Premiership the week before.Coach Rod Olsson was crowned the William Leitch Medallist for 1971 as the best and fairest player of the competition and his counterpart John Bingley would don the Clarence jumper for the 100^thtime in the Grand Final.

 

The odds looked against the ‘Bay; they hadn’t beaten Clarence all year but many thought the continuity of Sandy Bay’s finals campaign would help them and the Roos, having the extra week off, would miss the game time.The Mercury newspaper football writers favoured Clarence on the eve of the match:

The Mercury tipsters:   NoelMoore –SandyBay

 

                                         Mike Sheahan – Clarence

 

                                         Geoff Poulter – Clarence

Sandy Bay jumped Clarence in the first quarter and fired home seven goals to four to lead by 21 points at quarter-time. Playing fast flowing football the ‘Bay increased their lead to what many believed a match winning 41 points at the main break. Sandy Bay had doubled Clarence’s shots on goal, twenty-two to eleven, and six goals to three in the second quarter had given them plenty of breathing space. But their supporters’ memories were still fresh from the last quarter fadeout two weeks ago, and the champagne corks weren’t popping just yet.

 

The Seagulls outscored Clarence again in the third term with four goals to three and the Roos’ seven behinds for the quarter were looking costly.The margin was an even seven goals and the Seagulls had one hand on the Cup. They had plenty of goal-kickers to choose from whilst Clarence were relying on star full-forward Terry Mayne. It wasn’t such a bad ploy by Clarence though. Mayne had booted ten of nineteen goals in the Grand Final the year before when the Roos outclassed New Norfolk by 55 points before a TFL and Tasmanian football attendance record of 24,413.

 

The last quarter saw Clarence throw everything bar theTasmanBridgeat the Seagulls. Mayne, who had snared three majors to three-quarter time, piled on four goals as the Seagulls again stopped to a walk.The Clarence spear-head goaled twice in three minutes to reduce the deficit to less than two goals in time-on; the terraces were wild with excitement as Clarence surged. But a minute after Mayne’s seventh, the siren sounded and the Seagulls had won their fourth TFL flag since 1945 and their first for seven years.

 

 

Grand Final Scores:

Sandy Bay – 7.4, 13.9,   17.11,   18.13.121

Clarence     - 4.1,    7.4,   10.11,   16.16.112

Goals – Sandy Bay:Morton 4, Steele 3, Palfreyman 2, Adams 2, Elliott 2, Mackay, Pilkington, Lynch, Morrison, Brimacombe.

             Clarence: Mayne 7, West 2,Richmond2, Whitehouse, King, Teague, Budd, Cheek.

 

Best – Sandy Bay:Pilkington, Palfreyman, Olsson, Avery, Morrison, Morton.

           Clarence:Budd, Whitehouse, Palmer, West, Edwards, Mayne.

Umpire: G.Alderson (NWFU)

Attendance: 20,364

Gate: $13,447.30.

Injuries, replacements: A.Lynch (SandyBay) knee, replaced by J.Brimacombe at ¼ time.

V.Di Venuto (SandyBay) exhaustion, replaced by D.Sward in the last quarter.

R.Lynch (Clarence), un-injured, replaced by J.Anderson at half-time.

R.White (Clarence) un-injured, replaced by K.Thornbury in final quarter.

 

Grand Final teams:

SandyBay–

B) Steven Avery, Barry Joyce, Greg Ricketts

HB) Peter Fromberg, Kerry Doran, Nigel Ricketts

C) Leigh Pilkington, Graeme Mackay, Vic DiVenuto

HF) Roger Steele, Lance Morton, Mike Elliott

F) Brent Palfreyman, Rod Adams, Morrison

Foll) Tony Lynch, Rod Olsson, Neville Styles

Res) 19^th - Brimacombe, 20^th- Sward

In) David Morrison, John Brimaco

Out) Guiver (Inj), C.Ricketts (White shorts)

 Coach - Rod Olsson

 

Clarence –

B) Nash, Robin Norris, White

HB) Kev Palmer, Adrian Bowden, Wayne Rowbottom

C) Craig West, Bob Lynch, ‘Tich’ Edwards

HF)Richmond, John Bingley, Arthur Budd

F) Godfrey, Terry Mayne, Barry Teague

 Foll) Bob Cheek, Bob Whitehouse, Kevin King

Res) 19^th – J.Anderson, 20^th– K.Thornbury.

Emg) Bentley, Heslop.

NO CHANGE

Coach – John Bingley