BOOK REVIEW: Review of "FITZROY", by Dyson Hore-Lacy (2000)

Fitzroy farewells fans, 1996

I could introduce this review by saying this is the book the AFL does not want you to read. However, at the end of the day, the AFL is now far too powerful as a Stalinist authoritarian regime in the Australian sporting landscape to care about websites such as mine or books such as this one. This book is absolutely depressing from the viewpoint of a traditional football supporter and from the viewpoint of a person who admires fair-play and decency on the football fields and in the corporate boardrooms. It discusses the last few years of Fitzroy FC as an AFL club and then discusses in detail the demise of Fitzroy and the enforced merger with Brisbane Bears. It is written by Fitzroy's then President, Dyson Hore-Lacy, four years after the events in question. It chronicles the proposed merger with North Melbourne to form the North-Fitzroy Kangaroos which was thwarted by the AFL at the last minute because it preferred the Brisbane merger for "strategic reasons". We see here the AFL coming to power as an authoritarian body with new corporatist-managerial type leaders who had taken full power over from the club presidents based on recommendations contained in the Crawford Report. At the end Hore-Lacy and his board were rendered even more powerless because creditor Nauru Insurance Corporation put the club in receivership and called in Michael Brennan as administrator (not the West Coast footballer). Brennan apparently was bullied by the AFL and he broke his fiduciary and legal duty by not accepting the North Melbourne merger even though North had offered to match Brisbane's offer in all respects and the North merger was the one accepted by the Fitzroy directors and preferred by most Fitzroy supporters. Initially it was to be called North Melbourne-Fitzroy Kangaroos with a mixed jersey. Then North supporters objected and finally the compromise North-Fitzroy Kangaroos name was accepted by both parties with the word "Melbourne" removed. This is an interesting name as it is open to multiple interpretations. Fitzroy FC people could have interpreted it as referring to North Fitzroy the actual suburb while North Melbourne people of course could have interpreted it to refer to the old North Melbourne club.

Home @ Brunswick Street Oval

We read of the AFL's desire to destroy Fitzroy as a club and force merger. Then we read of the AFL forcing the Brisbane merger rather than the North Melbourne merger for "strategic reasons" (as then AFL Commissioner John Kennedy Sr. said). Firstly the AFL introduced a rule giving Brisbane and Sydney access through the draft to uncontracted players which decimated Fitzroy's playing stock. Secondly, the AFL, completely unreasonably, forbid Fitzroy to play some AFL matches in Canberra, although it later permitted North Melbourne to play games in Canberra, Sydney, and Gold Coast, and allowed Hawthorn to play games in Tasmania. We read of Ross Oakley's rude comment (p. 132) that it would not allow "their worst product" (Fitzroy) to be sent up to Canberra, an offensive statement made against a foundation VFL/AFL club with eight premierships and which had made the final-five several times in the 1980s. It shows how the AFL was viewing clubs and players merely as "products for sale" in the 1990s, and it wanted to determine which products were sold in which markets. We read of the AFL's authoritarianism by continually demanding Fitzroy directors provide proof of solvency, a very difficult thing to offer positive proof of. The wishes of all the Fitzroy directors and most of its supporters to merge with North or stand-alone were completely disregarded by the AFL. The AFL cares about nobody but only about revenue dollars, marketing, vision, and the strategic plan. I urge football people not to contribute more of their hard-earned money to the AFL but to support second-tier football instead (SANFL, VFL, WAFL, etc.).

The Fitzroy Football Club still legally exists to this day. The Fitzroy Reds play at the old Brunswick Street ground in the amateur league and play in the 1950s-70s Fitzroy jersey. It is a pity that the club could not be represented at the higher VFL level and this may happen in the future. Ironically one of the terms of a possible Collingwood merger had been that Fitzroy play as Fitzroy in the reserves which now means the VFL competition. Perhaps this offer should have been accepted? While the AFL is the clear Darth Vader here, Hore-Lacy's board appeared to be genuine in its actions but was just outbullied and outsmarted by the AFL working in conjunction with the club receiver Mr Brennan and Brisbane Bears (and with the anti-Fitzroy Melbourne media in the background always ready to pounce). The club could only have held on for a few more years with yet another white knight.

Fitzroy Reds @ Brunswick St (amateurs)

However, the structural problems of moving to a higher stage of brutal capitalism within the AFL industry were always going to exist. When West Coast and Adelaide entered the competition with lots of money, supporters, members, and sponsors it was clear that the smaller Melbourne clubs would suffer the most by comparison. Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon and perhaps Richmond could compete with the bigger interstate clubs but the smaller clubs in Melbourne could not. Smaller Melbourne-based clubs today are being funded by the AFL to a significant extent. It appears that AFL policy has changed and it is no longer coercing or even encouraging mergers. However the AFL's arrogance and authoritarianism continue on unabated. Only the tactics on the ground change. The AFL's reason to see Fitzroy merge was so that Port Adelaide could enter the competition in 1997. One of the funniest parts of a depressing book is the proposed merger of Port Power and Fitzroy as the (wait for it) Port Power Lions or, as Hore-Lacy says, the "power lines".

I like the front cover cartoon picture of a lion hanging on a cross in Christlike fashion with a black-suited person with a football for a head (the AFL) shooting arrows at the lion's chest. Although I think it is usually unwise to apply religious analogies to secular contexts, I support the use of the cross here as the picture perfectly sums up the situation of the Fitzroy Football Club. The AFL should apologize to Fitzroy FC and its supporters, the vast majority of whom now no longer follow AFL but have gone across to support Melbourne Victory and / or Melbourne Storm and / or other teams in other codes. The AFL does not deserve their support or their dollars. Its behaviour was completely reprehensible. Might does not make right [by Jack Frost, 2 January 2014].

BOOK REVIEW: Review of "Fev: in My Own Words" by Brendan Fevola and "Fev Unauthorised" by Roger Franklin, review by Jack Frost

Those people who spend a lot of time passing through domestic airports and/or spend a lot of time in the bookstore sections at Big W will have seen not one but two books about colourful and talented ex-Carlton full-forward the one and only Mr. Brendan "Fev" or "the Fevolution" Fevola. If you didn't manage to pick up one or both books this review might give you some points to consider. Both books were released in 2012. The unauthorized book "Fev Unauthorised" by Roger Franklin appeared first and then came the authorized book "Fev: In My Own Words" by Brendan Fevola with assistance from Adam McNicol. Franklin's book is extremely patronizing in tone and emphasis, painting Fevola as an idiot loser with zero ability to control himself and who contributed little of a positive nature to the game. It is little wonder that Fevola wanted to write his own book. Franklin's book gives you little insight into the man himself precisely because it was unauthorized and had no direct access. It relies on rehashed media quotes and continual moralizing. It is basically a scrapbook of past media articles on Fevola with a moralizing voice-over added. This is probably not really a surprise to anyone. The book gives the media's perspective on Fevola with events only being deemed of interest if they were at the time picked up by the media. There is little new on offer in Franklin's book. Franklin's book is totally media-centric and assumes that people exist for the media primarily and that the media has the right to cast judgement on those it covers. It does not critique the media's role in the Fevola story and pretends that the media was not partly responsible for blowing up Fevola's misdeeds out of all proportion so that the media might use the man for its own profit-making activities (and then cast him on the rubbish heap when he was no longer useful). There is very little in Franklin's book about the actual games of footy Fevola played because that was of less interest to the media than his off-field misdemeanors! The whole Fevola saga is a sad indictment on the role of the media in modern western society and reflects as badly on the media as it does on Fevola.

Now we come to Brendan's own book. This book is much more interesting on a number of fronts. For the most part Brendan is honest and upfront and I did feel that I somewhat knew Fevola the man after reading this book. However, I must say it is something of a strange book. McNicol's role as ghost-writer was clearly very significant. He and Brendan play a politically-correct straight-bat to all incidents of misdeeds, glossing them over, offering a brief apology, and then moving on. If Brendan had been as self-controlled and PC as McNicol is here he would still have his AFL career today. It is amazing to think that Brendan is still only 32-years-old! Some incidents are not discussed at all such as Brendan's extra-marital affair and the Lara Bingle photo scandal. Readers wanting detailed accounts of these events should read Franklin's book instead. Brendan's book is charming and sweet as most footballers' autobiographies are but amazingly it comes across as rather dry in parts.

Legendary Narre Warren resident Corey Delaney

First we get an introduction to Fevola's grandparents and parents and the story starts in earnest (pages 17-33) when the family moves into their new home at Narre Warren, an outer-suburban dormitory suburb in Melbourne's south-east made famous by Corey Delaney, the 16-year-old who in January 2008 wrecked his parents' house through a huge party when they were away (see "House-party teen shows no remorse", The Age online, 14 January 2008, http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/i-had-the-best-party-ever/2008/01/14/1200159328902.html). Narre Warren came to represent "the sum of us", the mindlessly dull suburbia of endless carpet warehouses, drive-thru fast-food outlets, and identical houses that we have created for our alienated young people at the outskirts of every Australian city. Brendan Fevola was also a product of Narre Warren for better or for worse. We really get a flavour of the culture of the area and the local junior football club where Brendan's dad Angelo coached the team. Sadly Brendan says this was one of the few times he got to see his dad who had already divorced. He recalls feasts at McDonald's after winning vouchers for best-on-ground, fooling around with some future AFL stars, and playing bedroom and street football games with neighbour and future Richmond player Chris Newman. We read an end-of-year coach's and captain's report by Angelo and Brendan Fevola and Brendan comes across as a nice, respectful boy who just couldn't concentrate for overly long periods. His legendary bad body language when the team was going badly was present even back then.

We follow Brendan into the Dandenong Stingrays and then he gets drafted by Carlton. We read of a classic Narre Warren New Year's Eve party on the night of the Carlton versus Collingwood 31/12/1999 millennium match where Brendan kicked 12 goals. Narre Warren seems to have been a huge party-town.  Had this party been held in 2009 rather than in 1999 we are sure that young Corey Delaney would have made a special appearance! After this the book gets less interesting. Brendan and McNicol stay away from controversy where possible and even when it isn't really possible. Instead we follow Brendan's and Carlton's progress year-by-year game-by-game through the terrible years of the 1990s when the club was mostly fighting out out for wooden-spoons. All of this is somewhat dry reading as nearly a decade is covered game by game. Carlton fans would be interested but this was a depressing decade indeed for the proud club. In the first half of the 2000s club legends such as Steve Silvagni and Craig Bradley finally leave (in 2001 and 2002 respectively) and then Denis Pagan arrives at the end of 2002. Stephen "Sticks" Kernahan is an imposing presence in the background and in the boardroom throughout the story. Like with respect to all Carlton legends people act as if he had never retired! Carlton's legends just play on forever, taking marks and backhanding opponents in endless boardroom machinations cheered on by the ghosts of past supporters. No wonder Kernahan didn't want to return to South Australia!

The book aims to subtly highlight Brendan's good points such as his love and concern for children and the disadvantaged and the respect he showed to coaches, especially Denis Pagan, when other senior players were shamefully setting up meetings with the club's leadership in order to depose Pagan. Brendan avoids sticking the boot in during the down years at Carlton when the club was punished for its salary-cap breaches and the players suffered huge pay-cuts and had to even buy their own footballs just for the club to survive. The draft system's terrible problems, where Carlton and Melbourne played for a priority draft pick and fans cheered for the other club's goals, suggest that this system really needs to be thrown out of our game. If you have a salary-cap why do you need a draft? European soccer doesn't need it. If the salary-cap is working properly then the competition is already fair. Brendan also is very positive about club saviour, the late Richard "Dick" Pratt, and respect flowed in both directions there. One of the book's goals is to show you Brendan's good points (at first I typed "pints" which might have been a more appropriate word to use here!) I conclude that the book succeeds in doing this although it is quite obvious what is being done. Brendan glosses over the fire extinguisher incident at the Victoria University dormitory as if it was just harmless fun. The 2009 Brownlow Medal night is glossed over quickly on pages 252-257 on the grounds that he just couldn't really remember it! By contrast, Franklin gives a minute-by-minute commentary of Brendan's behaviour on pages 114-137 of his book (the whole of Chapter 8). At 10:25pm, Brendan did this, at 10.28pm he did that - how ridiculous! That is five pages (Fev's book) versus 23 pages (Franklin's book)! We want to believe that Brendan sees the error of his ways but he keeps doing the same things over and over again in life. He has recently been made a bankrupt as a result of gambling debts. He does not properly address how his actions have hurt and disrespected his family and close friends. Brendan was given hundreds of chances. The sad thing is he was not a bitter or cruel or revengeful or hostile person - he just lacked self-control and could not think outside of the moment. The worst things he was blamed for he never actually did such as smashing bottles at the pub in Melbourne and flashing at the woman in Brisbane. Franklin is quite happy to condemn him just for the crime of being Brendan! He really suffered by belonging to the era when AFL footballers do not need outside jobs to keep them grounded and accountable to the broader community. If only Fev had followed Pagan's advice: "if you are out after midnight you are sure to get into trouble".

The book ends with Brendan's firing by the Brisbane Lions (which was doubly unfortunate as he had a good relationship with the senior players there especially Jonathon Brown and Luke Power) and traces his games with Casey Scorpions in the VFL and the senior club at Narre Warren. Overall a very good and worthwhile book. If you take Franklin's book and Fevola's book and aim for a midpoint around 30-40% of the way away from Fev's book you will get a reasonably accurate picture of his life and career. McNicol did a great job in moderating and controlling the tone of the book and adding many statistics from the on-field events. The only laughable aspect was Brendan's blasting of Jason "Aker" Akermanis for being a "motormouth" and "smart-arse" (page 268) when self-control was never Brendan's strongest point. Overall, Fevola's case was a sad one as he was a great talent who was pressurized, mocked, hated, harassed, and left for dead by the media. There have been plenty of worse people. I'm happy that Brendan is giving something back to the game at the lower levels rather than withdrawing into himself out of bitterness; this deserves respect and our best wishes. PS Brendan, congratulations on being named in the Italian Team of the Century! I give Franklin's book 5/10 and Fev's book 8/10 [by Jack Frost, 8 October 2013].

DVD REVIEW OF: 1979 WAFL Grand Final DVD, East Fremantle 21.19 (145) d South Fremantle 16.16 (112).

Port Adelaide Magpies supporters, Foxtel Cup versus Claremont, Subiaco Oval, 16/7/2011. The group are seated in the two-tier stand which was opened on 27/4/1981. The older three-tier stand at the southern end (opened 31/8/1969) is behind them at centre rear. The stand at the extreme left of the picture is a much newer monstrosity and it postdates the formation of West Coast Eagles. How long will the three-tier stand last the perpetual redevelopment at what is now called by some people (but not by me) Paterson's Stadium?

The late great Maurice Rioli

I should have written this review during the recently ended 2012 WAFL final round series but I didn't get the free time necessary to be able to do it. Last night [6 October 2012] I watched the DVD of the 1979 WAFL Grand Final, East Fremantle v South Fremantle. I picked up the DVD from the East Fremantle Football Club office on Moss Street for AUD25.00 so if you are motivated and inspired to watch this great game of WAFL football either go to the club office during ordinary business hours or shop online at the EFFC official website (see link at the foot of this article).

This game was for many people of my generation the highlight of the WAFL Golden Era. I was ten years old when the game was played but I was not at the ground because my dad would only take me to qualifying round matches until I reached high-school age. (The first grand final I watched at the ground was 1981.) On the 1979 GF DVD, expert commentator Steve Marsh often talks about the 1954 Grand Final and other grand finals of his era. Back in 1979 those games were still in the living memory of most people just as the 1980s games are today. However, I was too young to have experienced the 1950s, 1960s, and early-1970s. For people of my generation this game was the greatest game and most significant game that we are able to personally remember. It was an even contest with East Fremantle only sealing the game when it went four goals ahead around the 20-minute mark of the last quarter. It was of course the day a record Grand Final crowd of 52,781 entered Subiaco Oval with the gates being shut at 2pm. Before the official crowd figure came through after half-time the commentators were suggesting 54,000 plus people. This attendance of 52,781 was not bettered in the period 1980-86 and obviously in today's environment of the WAFL as a second-tier league the record will never be beaten. It will stand for eternity or as long as the WAFL continues to exist (whichever is the shorter, God bless the WAFL)! 

Tony Buhagiar (Essendon days)

East Fremantle started strongly with Tony Buhagiar making several fast breakaway moves and East Fremantle scored the first goal. From that point on South never gained the lead except for once early in the final term. Buhagiar was a stand out player for Old Easts this day and his bursts of speed over ten to twenty metres were so efficient they gave him time to get the ball, weave around two or three players, and then dispose of the ball calmly and with time to spare. Mario Turco played a similar role in defence. Even backman Merv Carrot, who was in excellent form, managed to play the role of attacking defender. On a few occasions he ran with the ball through the half-back line working in combination with Buhagiar or the youthful and bearded Brian Peake to move the ball forward. Kevin Cornell and Simon Outhwaite played similar roles for South Fremantle and both players were major contributors for the Fremantle Oval-based team. [Cornell played 130 games for South from 1976-84 while Outhwaite played 158 games from 1973-82.] On the DVD three players wear long-sleeve jerseys: Kevin Cornell for SFFC and Ken Judge and Rod Lester-Smith for EFFC. Peake was targeted early for rough treatment but overall he managed to play a superb game of long kicking, fast running, and skilful ball control. Peake was one of those few players that always had an aura of self-confidence and inner strength about him even when he didn't have the ball or was not doing something extraordinary with it. You certainly get that impression watching the tape from the vantage point of the year 2012. I remember watching him play for EFFC in his twilight years in the 1988 WAFL season and he still had that aura and he could still dominate a game. Steve Marsh said on the 1979 Grand Final DVD that he (Peake) received three elbows, two intentional, early in the game. Although a fight only broke out once in the game and that was in the second-half SFFC was the most physical side overall. EFFC's team of that era looked very statesmanlike and even upper-class with Doug Green's height and classic good looks being typical of that so-called EFFC look. Green also played well, taking some fine marks at centre-half-back, and helping his team on many occasions with his long clearing kicks out of the half-back line. As mentioned, Kevin Cornell and Simon Outhwaite played similar roles for SFFC although neither had the aristocratic look of Doug Green! Somehow "Monkey" Brennan with his moptop of hair managed to replicate that look in the EFFC defence ten years later. What is it about this club?

South was able to keep pace with EFFC for the first three quarters with the margin sometimes closing to just a few points and at other times blowing out to a few goals. This was certainly not the sort of game where one team always looked like it was going to win. The result was uncertain at three-quarter time and the players and crowd really only began celebrating when EFFC kicked the margin out to four goals at the 20-minute mark of the final term. Remember this was the era where all quarters were 25 minutes long plus time-on. Some skilful and brilliant work by Stephen Michael, Benny Vigona, and Maurice Rioli kept SFFC in the game and generally the SFFC defence was reliable and workmanlike. Kevin Taylor and Ken Judge always threatened to blow the game apart up forward but this only happened towards the end of the final term. Ruckman Graeme Carter was a towering rock for EFFC in defence where he took many strong marks. Stephen Michael was effective in the first half playing as a loose man a kick behind the play across half-back. One bouncing run of his out of defence was especially memorable. It is a surprise to see how lacking in height Michael was for a ruckman. He was just around six foot (183cm.) and about the same height as the average ruckrover or centreman. That he could contest at centre bounces against ruckmen a few inches taller than him shows his amazing leap. However, I'm sure Michael found contesting ruck contests against the gentle giant Laurie Keene (Subiaco FC) during the years 1981-85 to be very challenging indeed. [Michael played 243 games for SFFC from 1975-85 while Keene played 140 games for Subiaco from 1981-94.] Noel Carter was there and thereabouts for SFFC this day in 1979. He had a number of possessions but it could not reasonably be said that he dominated the game. [Carter played 155 games for SFFC from 1978-85.]

B Peake, young & bearded, 1981

In the second half EFFC gradually looked more and more threatening although this is most likely because of the benefit of hindsight. For those people at the ground I'm sure they would have been hard pressed to pick a winner for three-and-a-half quarters. Kevin Taylor was extremely dangerous up forward for EFFC and he kicked seven goals mostly from running starts. He was much less competent at taking set shots for goal and these set shots often resulted in points or out-of-bounds. During the match Taylor reached his 100th goal for the season which at that time was a feat which had never been equalled by any rover in any major league in Australia. His blistering pace, great ball-skills, and unfailing accuracy from shots on the run were ultimately devastating for SFFC. Both Buhagiar and Taylor could dominate small sections of play in this manner in the spirit of the Richmond great Kevin "KB"/ "Hungry" Bartlett.

In what was surprising but totally expected in terms of the spirit of this game the SFFC full-forward Ray Bauskis came to life in the second-half playing a traditional full-forward's role of wrestle, lead, mark and kick, similar to Tony Lockett or Jason Dunstall but perhaps one notch in class lower (which is not to call Bauskis a bad player, he was one of a long list of great SFFC full-forwards from Gerovich and Naylor to Sumich and Dorotich). He marked well, out-wrestled and outran his immediate opponents and scored well from set shots (unlike Taylor at the other end). He looked genuinely dangerous and it seemed SFFC might be able to kick a winning score through Bauskis. [Bauskis played 120 games for SFFC from 1972-80.] However, as the game wore on, Peake played a more important role as did Judge and Taylor up forward, Turco and Green in defence, and Robbie Johnson (Percy Johnson's son) around the ground. Geraldton player Graham Kickett came on to the ground in the last quarter and was placed on the wing. His fresh legs and passion were obvious and he was involved in a few great passages of play as the minutes ticked away at the end. His very presence with his fresh legs probably was enough to cause discouragement among the SFFC players. However, this was one grand final where just based on its performance on the day you can say SFFC would have been worthy winners and worthy premiers. Of course SFFC won the following year's 1980 Grand Final against Swan Districts and that was poetic justice of a sort.

B Peake, 1982 VFL Scanlens card

At the end of the game, we see on the DVD Brad Smith, first-year EFFC coach, celebrate with the players and we see one Malcolm Gregory Brown (SFFC coach), in bright red SFFC jacket, stride on to the ground, obviously frustrated and disappointed. The tape cuts off quite early and viewers do not get to see the cup and trophy presentations which would have been held in the old grandstand. In the 1976 and 1977 Grand Final DVDs, available from PFC at Lathlain Park, Perth fans get to watch the after-match presentations before the tape ends.

What can you see of the crowd? Obviously it was a packed venue that day. This was the era of the three-tier stand all on its lonesome at the southern end (opened 31/8/1969), concrete terracing on the Roberts Road wing, grassy bank at the city end, and the old grandstand on the western flank. The two-tier stand was not opened until 27/4/1981 (according to the Paterson's Stadium page at www.Austadiums.com). The public admission areas obviously were extremely full. The gates were closed at 2pm for the 2.20pm start. You can see about ten people sitting on the roof of a fast-food van at the top of the grassy bank. The old tin shed and scoreboard can be seen on the eastern flank. Progress scores for North Melbourne v Carlton (VFL) can be read on the board. The crowd was very much pro-South Fremantle. If you look at people in the crowd wearing the club colours I would estimate 80%-90% was South and only 10%-20% was East. This shows the huge dormant followings clubs such as South Fremantle, West Perth, and East Perth had back in this era. At the ground alone there must have been around 30,000 to 40,000 SFFC fans and 5,000 to 15,000 EFFC fans. EFFC even then had fewer supporters than many other clubs probably in part because its urban territory was and is a closed square, bordered by SFFC to the south, PFC to the east, and the Swan River to the north. Many red-and-white flags were obvious at the city end and there were one or two EFFC young people with flags in the middle of them. One of these guys stood on the fence and waved his flag when EFFC scored and did what appeared to be a two-fingered salute each time SFFC scored. That particular salute seems to have died out now and I can't say that is a bad thing. It is hard to be sure whether all these South flags at the city end on the DVD were part of an organized cheer squad or they were just carried by isolated individuals who all just happened to sit behind the goals.

B Peake in recent years

Behind the ground that red brick block of flats made famous in many grand final pictures is clearly visible on the DVD as is another green-topped block of flats further to the city side. Apart from that there were few high-rise or medium-rise buildings in the background. A row of about five pine trees can be seen over in Subiaco proper around 600 metres away and to the left of the three-tier stand.

On the DVD you can see that around 30% or 40% of the boundary fence had no sponsorship signs on it. At the city end goals people were allowed to leave their flags hanging over the boundary fence when not in use. Imagine that being allowed in the hyper-corporate and politically-correct AFL of today! Clearly these were simpler and less politically-correct times when the football public rather than the sponsors were still perceived to be the most important stakeholder within the footballing community. Around the half-forward flank at the city end in front of the tin shed you can see on the DVD a Red Rooster advertising sign on the boundary fence. I can remember this company used to advertise its meals frequently in the Football Budget including mouth-watering photographs of the Hawaiian Pack so that football patrons could start to get hungry during the last quarter and then head directly to Red Rooster straight after the game. Red Rooster was an integral part of the WAFL football match-day experience for many people in the late-1970s. At Bassendean Oval in the 1980s supporters would get half-time pass-outs and go to the Red Rooster shop across the street (on the corner of West Street and Extension Street) and then bring the food back into the ground. Bassendean Oval was such an intimidating place for West Perth fans back in that era that you learnt to appreciate little things at the ground such as the Red Rooster meals which you couldn't access easily at any of the other suburban grounds.

SFFC aboriginal legends - Vigona, Roe & Rioli

Overall, this remarkable DVD captures a brilliant grand final from a brilliant era and part of the childhood memories of so many thousands of people today aged in their forties, greying, and overweight (well yours truly ticks all three of these boxes anyway). Get your copy now. It is part of a unique sporting and social history of Perth that in this era of AFL, Naitanui, and pages of West Coast Eagles in the morning newspaper each day (whether you want it there or not) will never come back again. Watch it for two hours and re-enter a world when the WAFL was King everywhere west of the South Australian border. How I wish it had always remained so [by Jack Frost, 7 October 2012, revised on 16 April 2015].

SFFC coach Mal Brown (a mongrel I never met)!

WAFL joke: Q: Where would you be if you tried to put a carrot through the eye of a needle?
A: At an East Fremantle FC training session circa 1979!

Facebook comment by Marco Melia (11 September 2018): "Brian Peake was my apprenticeship officer when I was doing Panel beating at Carisle Tech, ripper bloke".  

Facebook comment by Doug Winning (11 September 2018): "Played under 16's cricket with Brian Peake at the South Perth Cricket Club. He was our opening bowler. At South Perth at the time, all playing under 16's at the same time were a plethora of talented kids. They included Sandover medallist Peter Spencer; West Coast, Perth and Richmond star Robert Wiley; Australian Hockey representatives Greg and Craig Davies; and former East Fremantle league footballer Paul Bennett." (Note: Doug Winning's cousin Dean Winning played 13 senior games for Claremont in 1984-85.)

Link to buy Grand Final DVDs at EFFC's official website (valid as at 7 October 2012):
http://www.effc.com.au/team-store/match-dvds/ 

The prices are AUD25.00 plus shipping for all individual DVDs (as at 7 October 2012).