.

Neil Kerley's South Australians arrived in Melbourne in optimistic frame of mind.  Despite not having beaten the VFL since 1965, it was felt that their team was the strongest to have left Adelaide in almost a decade, and during the week leading up to the match coach Kerley ruffled more than a few Victorian feathers when, with trademark belligerence, he announced, "We have come to win.  We will tackle hard and hit hard.  The Victorians are in for a rough day and they will not forget this match quickly.  Victoria is in for a shock.  We will use plenty of aggression and every Victorian......will be tackled strongly.  We are very confident."

Such brazen conviction was as a red rag to a bull to the Melbourne media, who gave the match an unprecedented build-up.  As a result, a then record interstate crowd of 66,893 (see footnote 1) turned up at the MCG on match day, most of whom wanted just one thing: to see the croweaters in general, and Kerley in particular, made to eat humble pie.

South Australia boasted a nucleus of experienced campaigners in the shape of John Cahill (Port Adelaide), Rodney Pope (West Adelaide - shown right), and the Sturt quintet of Brenton Adcock, Paul Bagshaw, Malcolm Greenslade, 'Sandy' Nelson and Rick Schoff, but it also had many players new to interstate football, and this was felt to be its likely achilles heel.  In particular, its two young ruckmen Dean Farnham (Central District) and Ian Verrier (West Adelaide) were expected to be respectively too cumbersome and too lightweight to cope with the power and dynamism of the Victorian pair.  The croweaters' main strengths were felt to be across centre, where Tony Burgan (Sturt), Russell Ebert and Bruce Light (both Port Adelaide) boasted plenty of pace and skill, and in the effervescently talented roving duo of Ray Huppatz (Woodville) and Mick Nunan (Sturt).

The VFL side was captained by Des Tuddenham, and South Australia by Glenelg's Peter Marker.  Coach for the VFL was Tom Hafey (Richmond), who was making his debut in the role, while Neil Kerley was coaching South Australia for the fifth time.

The match, which was played in near perfect conditions, with the surface of the ground firm and dry, was umpired by Western Australian Ray Montgomery.

High-flying action featuring SA's Peter Woite (no. 9) and Malcolm Greenslade, and a partially obscured John Scarlett (VFL).

Peter McKenna (VFL) has judged the flight of the ball perfectly, and is about to mark before kicking one of his 7 goals for the match.

Paul Bagshaw (SA) gets high off the ground to punch the ball clear.

VFL ruckman Brian Mynott wins one of his 23 hit-outs for the day.

SA ruckman Ian Verrier marks in front of Ian Stewart.

McKenna again, this time dragging his SA opponent Bob Kingston under the ball before doubling back to collect it himself and score full points.

Team Totals:-

VFL

South Australia

Tom Hafey

TOM HAFEY (VFL COACH) said he was happy to get away with a win.  He said his players did not play desperately enough in the first half, but his side's greater physical strength paid off.  Hafey said South Australia deserved credit for its effort in outplaying the VFL early in the game.

NEIL KERLEY (SA COACH):  "Today was our big opportunity.  We kept the pressure on the Vics early and out-roved them.  We should have built up a bigger lead in the first half.  In the third term we got the worst of some umpiring decisions, especially after Tuddenham clashed with Pope and Bruce Light.  Our statistics showed that after that we received only 7 frees to the Vics 21 (see footnote 4).  Umpire Montgomery showed in the first half that he wanted players to get on with the game and earn their frees and then in the second half he completely changed and we ended up playing tiggy touchwood.  I'm damned annoyed that the VFL ended up winning by 5 goals.  On the team's performance there shouldn't have been more than straight kick between the teams."

DES TUDDENHAM (VFL CAPTAIN) paid his opponent Rodney Pope a great tribute after the game.  He said he had a very tough game and described Pope as "a real Victorian footballer".  He said he was very hard and tough and he had enjoyed his encounter with him.

PETER MARKER (SA CAPTAIN) said the 5 goal margin was not a true indication of the game.  Only in the last 15 minutes were the Vics on top, aided by a couple of lucky decisions by umpire Ray Montgomery.  The loss wasn't the umpire's fault, however.  It was because of the VFL's greater overall fitness.  "But we had the opportunities and should have led by more in the first half," he said.

Des Tuddenham