IT IS a lifetime away now, when St Kilda and Collingwood met on April 17, 1965.
That was the first game at footy’s new frontier—Moorabbin—at a time when the VFL was proud of itself for expanding into the suburbs.
Half a century later, all the suburban grounds are gone and football in Melbourne centres on the MCG and Docklands.
The half century anniversary falls on a day when the two clubs meet at the MCG.
Back in 1965 that plot of land in Linton Street was the focus for the match of the day and a staggering total of 51,370 people crammed into the new ground to watch an arm-wrestle between the two teams.
Collingwood was coming off a heart-breaking loss in the 1964 Grand Final and the Saints were starting a season in which they would top the home and away ladder for the first time in their history.
Collingwood would be second after the home and away games and win a classic second semi-final by a point. It was an era where the clubs built a strong rivalry and fought out some epic encounters.
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A classic colour photograph of that day was recently unearthed by noted Collingwood historian Michael Roberts. It is certainly from the 1965 game and is believed to be the opening bounce of the game as the blond Carl Ditterich and Collingwood’s Trevor Steer position themselves under the ball, which had just been bounced by famed umpire Jeff Crouch.
Between Crouch and Ditterich is Magpie Des Tuddenham and at Ditterich’s side is future Brownlow medallist Ross Smith (3).
Standing behind Steer wearing long sleeves is Ian Stewart, embarking on the first step of a season that would see him win the first of three Brownlow Medals.
To the left of Stewart is Collingwood skipper John Henderson.
In line with the “G” in the “Mighty Waters” banner is Saints legend Darrel Baldock.
To the far right of the picture stands a youthful Peter McKenna (No.6) at centre half forward in his first VFL game being minded by St Kilda veteran Ian Synman (No.9).
The first goal in the game was kicked by Saint half forward Ian Cooper.
There was an intriguing back story for Cooper as his family had moved to the Moorabbin area in the 1950s.
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The Coopers were a huge brood, and with little money to their name had literally camped at the vacant space of land in Linton Street near the spot where Ian roosted that opening goal in 1965.
Collingwood’s Peter McKenna has an abiding memory of the day at Moorabbin when he made his debut.
“I remember that half the ground was dry and half was wet! Maybe they were watering it in those days,” he said this week.
I had come straight from junior footy so it was a bit of a shock to be selected first game in the firsts. I had no seconds footy and was straight in.”
It was even more noteworthy as an achievement as McKenna broke into a Collingwood side that had played off in a Grand Final six months earlier.
“I started off at centre half forward on Ian Synman then I got moved to full forward on Verdun Howell, so that was a nice little introduction!”
Howell was the state full back at the time.
Russell Holmesby's top 25: Verdun Howell No.13
“I can remember running into goal twice and kicking two bloody points I was so nervous in my first game,” McKenna went on.
“And I can remember the crowd being huge for a suburban ground.
“It was over 50,000. I got a kick early because it was kicked out of the centre and I marked it and just threw it on my boot because I was nervous as hell.
“Ian Synman was an established and very strong player and then Verdun Howell was a Brownlow medallist.”
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St Kilda trained at Moorabbin on Thursday.
McKenna remembers the tight pressure of the contest.
“There wasn’t much in the game. It was very close.”
McKenna’s opponent that day, Ian Synman remembers:
“It was very exciting because there were over 50,000 people there. I remember I had trouble getting to the ground because of the size of the crowd.
“We had to clean up the ground a couple of weeks before because there were all pebbles on the surface. We had to spend a Sunday down there. We all said we hope we don’t fall over on this! It was walking in lines like an emu parade that they do in the army. That was interesting.
I can’t remember much about the game, other than we won it.”
The size of the crowd is the main recollection.
“There was only one grandstand there then, so they could have fitted more people in. It was a terrific feeling to run out in front of so many people. The facilities there must have been good for the public at that stage!
St Kilda came out on top this day with a six-point win.
The first day crowd would never be surpassed, as grandstands were subsequently erected that reduced overall capacity.
Most of those grandstands have been demolished in recent times.
But the memories remain vivid.
