The Seagulls had won their first three games and were perched in second spot on the ladder behind New Norfolk on percentage. After trouncingHobartin the opening round by 50 points, they booted 25 goals to beat Glenorchy in a high scoring contest at North Hobart Oval by 28 points.A crowd of 5,423 saw them crushNorth Hobartby 44 points again at North Hobart Oval and the Seagulls were looking good.
‘A huge crowd has gathered here on the eighteenth at Moonah Links Open course. Robert Allenby has four feet to the pin to make this put – this for the Championship…’
‘…Welcome to the Peninsula Hot Springs Mr.Allenby and congratulations on your win sir. Your private hot mineral bath is now ready for you, and to follow a Kodo massage inspired by Aboriginal techniques to tone and re-align your energy flow and enhance your mind and body balance”.
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 28th 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.
It’s another stinking hot day in Melbourne with the mercury bubbling at near forty degrees. I’m stranded at a railway crossing on the busy Toorak Road on my way to Malvern Valley golf course in Melbourne’s South Eastern suburbs. Some friends of mine had booked us in for a round and I was already running late amongst heavy traffic. My desire to go on was melting under the searing heat outside and the sauna like conditions inside my car. I was under pressure from my friends to arrive on time as I had been late on previous occasions and the booking had been made three weeks ago. I thought to myself, i could do without the added scrutiny of my drive off the tee in front of impatient onlookers.