The next few weeks feature quite a few big matches with history behind them in the AFL. This week is of course the Collingwood v Carlton on Friday night, which will feature the unveiling of the premiership flag.
More than 80,000 people will pack in to the MCG for this clash of the league’s titans. It will be live or slightly delayed all over Australia, including live into regional NSW and Queensland on 7mate.
It’s quite likely the biggest rivalry in all of Australian sport – at times ferocious, and tribal at its very core. Looking back, Carlton were traditionally portrayed as upper class and arrogant, while Collingwood were more of a working class entity – a feeling which still exists in some quarters today.
Even in an era where professionalism has largely replaced emotion at the club level, fans and officials alike still maintain a cordial dislike for each other. Any self-respecting football forum this week will be full of insults going one way or the other.
Carlton, founded in 1864, were one of the pillars of the VFA by the time Collingwood were created in 1891. Both clubs entered the VFL when it was created in 1896.
Carlton were the first club to win three premierships in a row, but this feat would be equalled and then surpassed by their greatest rivals in the late 1930s. Carlton, however, remain equal top of the premiership table with Essendon, just one premiership clear of the Magpies.
Some of history’s great VFL Grand Finals featured these clubs, with six meetings in Grand Finals and 22 in finals, and almost any follower of the sport will automatically point to the 1970 Grand Final, regardless of what team they support.
On that day, 129,000 people crammed into the MCG – still a record for the greatest football attendance in Australia – to see the Blues triumph despite being down by 44 points, in itself the second-biggest comeback in the history of the sport.
This would be followed up by the 1979 Grand Final where many Collingwood supporters believe they were robbed by the heroics of Wayne Harmes and contend that the ball was out of bounds before being slapped back to the goal square.
With this in mind, the Blues again triumphed as they did again in the 1981 Grand Final. Since 1981, the two teams have not met in a Grand Final, and have not played a final against each other since 1988.
The begining of the rivalry is believed to be the 1910 Grand Final, where more than thirty players and officals were involved in an all-in brawl. Four players were suspended for at least a year as a result, although Collingwood had one of its players reprieved.
These days, this is one of the AFL’s showpiece matches, and along with Essendon, the two clubs form a triumvirate of high-drawing match-ups that few other clubs can match for ferocity.
On Friday night, we get to see this drama unfold for the 242nd time. On form, one would suggest that the Pies would win, but history shows that when these sides are involved the underdog can rise from nowhere and steal the victory.
Carlton:
Premierships: 16 – 1 AFL, 15 VFL
Brownlows: 5 – Bert Deacon (1947), John James (1961), Gordon Collis (1964), Greg Williams (1994), Chris Judd (2010)
Norm Smiths: 4 – Wayne Harmes (1979), Bruce Doull (1981), David Rhy-Jones (1987), Greg Williams (1995)
Collingwood:
Premierships: 15 – 2 AFL, 13 VFL
Brownlows: 8 – Syd Coventry (1927), Albert Collier (1929), Harry Collier (1930), Marcus Whelan (1939), Des Fothergill (1940), Len Thompson (1972), Peter Moore (1979), Nathan Buckley (2003)
Norm Smith: 3 – Tony Shaw (1990), Nathan Buckley (2002), Scott Pendlebury (2010)
Crowds: (last 3 years)
2010 – 80,645 and 76,980
2009 – 84,938 and 82,834
2008 – 80,310 and 77,873
This week
Where and when: 7:50pm, Friday 8th of April, Melbourne Cricket Ground
Head to head: Carlton 123 wins, Collingwood 114 wins, four draws
Last time: Collingwood 14.10.94 d Carlton 4.16.40 (round 17, 2009 at the MCG)
Next week: Carlton vs Essendon
Sam el Perro
Guest
May or did?
Richard
Roar Guru
Looks like the AFL review of those umpiring decisions at the Collingwood Carlton game backs me up after all. All those Carlton whingers can now resume their seats. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/afl-says-umpire-got-it-right-in-awarding-free-kick-to-collingwoods-jarryd-blair/story-e6frf9jf-1226038473136
Trust Me
Roar Rookie
Today's Suns crowd against the Bulldogs in Melbourne was only 21K. Long time since an AFL game in Melbourne had that sort of low attendance.
tigergerry
Guest
See, AFL isn't anywhere near more popular nationally as you would like to believe, only 100 000 viewers more nationally for the AFL's golden egg game as opposed to a decent NRL fixture, very ordinary indeed... If you compare the NRL's golden egg, State of Origin, with the AFL's, last nights AFL's game, its a no contest, probably 4-1 stronger for origin viewership. Maybe just maybe AFL is no where near more popular in Australia as you are lead to believe, where too from here?? AFL has peaked while the NRL continues to grow. Wonder what the sun's crowd will be next weekend. Even after freebies maybe 12 000??? Very very long way to go in the Premier and Sunshine states!!!
Richard
Roar Guru
There was plenty of passion last night but I agree not as much as there might have been in past years. My take is that, for 'Pies fans, Carlton this year aren't the real test. No-one's unbeatable and we could have lost last night if the guys hadn't had so much faith in each other and taken some real risks. However, I have a feeling the real test for us this year is going to be Hawthorn. There's also Essendon, Geelong, St Kilda, Fremantle and Sydney (and maybe Melbourne) who will stretch the 'Pies. But at this early stage it's Hawthorn who are the threat. You'll see plenty of passion at that game, when there's more fear in the air. Scrappy nature of AFL football? What are you, a basketball fan?
Richard
Roar Guru
Is that you again? What is that you're smoking? Fool.
Richard
Roar Guru
You've got to be kidding. TV replays are pretty conclusive that it was a rugby pass actually, and a bad one at that. Even in rugby it would have been llegal as a knock-on. Open your other eye. You're a sookie Wookie.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
to add to this, the crowd of 88,181 is the largest ever for a Carlton v Collingwood regular season match at the MCG.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
Live Friday AFL outrated Friday Live NRL by 100k nationally, and by more than 30k on a Syd v Melb basis alone. 9 Seven’s AFL: Rnd 3: Collingwood Vs Carlton Seven 784,000 11,000 488,000 4,000 153,000 129,000 10 Nine’s Live Friday Night Football Nine 681,000 455,000 *** 225,000 ***
Titus
Guest
I think a lot of the passion has gone out of the SoO, it peaked somewhere in the 80's and particularly in NSW, the game has lost a lot of significance, I guess beating Queensland just doesn't mean as much to us. And Rep games outside of national teams are a bit silly, why would you want to support players that you have spent most of the season hating? unless they are wearing the national shirt. As for the AFL game, impressive crowd but was a bit weird how the crowd was more important than the game, I didn't see any amazing passion, in fact I can't believe that such a big crowd can be so devoid of excitement, passion and atmosphere, seemed like everyone rocked up to be part of the crowd and then didn't know what to do, and the scrappy nature of AFL prevented any awe and excitement from building.
Richard
Roar Guru
You've got to remember though that the SOO is a match between the two best Rugby League Teams in the world. Even I like to watch it and whenever it's played in Melbourne I go along (with my NSW scarf). But from when I lived in Sydney, it seemed to me that many people just watch the Origin games (big crowds in the pubs) because it's the thing to do - everyone's doing it after all. Not because they really like the game, or really care in the end. Carlton and Collingwood though, well that's real rivalry. We really hate each other. You guys in Rugby League territory may have your petty jealousies, but you don't have anything like the intenisty of that rivalry between two clubs built up over more than 100 years of beating each other up. The pleasure for a human being of seeing Carlton go down by a big margin is better than sex and lasts a lot longer. Why I'll even be at the Blues game with the Bombers next week, just hoping I experience it again. Now that's rivalry.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
we could talk about the number of dropping the ball decisions that didnt go our way too if you like lol. But then Im not even sure if they pay that any more. TV replays were pretty conclusive that he did actually handball, it was very quick
Richard
Roar Guru
Yeah I heard the whingers on the radio on the way home. If it was a mistake, and it was only the Blues cheer squad who were complaining, then maybe it goes part way to make up for the pampering of Judd. 80,000 people plus the radio commentators saw Judd's blatant throwing of the ball last night which resulted in a goal. The umpire was right there but let it go. They gave him the Brownlow last year as a gift, now they're giving the eye gouger a free ride around the ground. Pathetic.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
no collingwood supporter should be complaining about umpires after last night. the Blair decision in the goal square was a disgrace.
Richard
Roar Guru
My estimation last night at the MCG was that 'Pies fans greatly outnumbered Blues followers. Of course the 2010 flag was unfurled, accompanied by a parade of past Collingwood champions. It was a great Magpies family celebration. Goes to show the pulling power of a Collingwood premiership if you ask me. One thing for sure though, the umpires really love Judd don't they?
Richard
Roar Guru
Go Bombers!
Fake ex-AFL fan
Guest
Crowd of 22K at the SFS, pretty disappointing for the NRL and well down on expectations.
Jason Cave
Guest
That's extraordinary. 88,181 at the MCG on a Friday night, and it was on live into Melbourne on Seven. Shows the drawing power of Collingwood v Carlton. Will be interesting what the TV ratings will be for Melbourne viewers.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
88,181 at the MCG last night for a regular season match where the blues were expected to be flogged. Redb, we're coming for you next week :P
Clipper
Guest
tigergerry, the 54% you quote is a little misleading as neither side could claim 100% support - It would be interesting to find out what percentage of the 'AFL' states follow AFL, compared to what percentage of the 'NRL' states follow NRL. I would speculate that Football support would be similar in both states, but Union support would be larger in 'NRL' states, and AFL support should be larger in 'NRL' states than NRL is in 'AFL' states, as there are 3 (soon to be 4) teams in 'NRL' states compared to 1 NRL team in the 'AFL' states.