Living in the Seventies

THE OPENING of Waverley Park, the first live broadcast of the Brownlow Medal, Peter Hudson kicking 150 goals in one season, Mike Brady's first rendition of Up There Cazaly, and football televised in colour for the first time.

Welcome to the 1970s.

The AFL is set to remember great footballing moments from this memorable era this weekend, after it launched the themed Heritage Round on Tuesday at the Global Television Studios in South Melbourne.

In honour of the round, which will be focused on the decade that was ultimately a time of great change for the game, the launch involved a mock episode of the cult 1970s television program World of Sport.

Ensconced in the old Channel Seven studio that housed the show for nearly three decades, AFL chief executive officer Andrew Demetriou was joined by Tom Hafey, David Parkin, Neil Roberts, Bob Davis and Stephen Phillips to discuss their recollections of the era.

"Many traditional elements of the game that we now take for granted started in the 70s. The live broadcast of the Brownlow Medal count and Grand Final, the presentation of the Norm Smith Medal and the interchange bench all started during this decade," Demetriou said.

"The introduction of colour television in 1975 not only changed the way we watched the game, but also changed club guernseys, some of which will be relived this weekend.

"It was a great decade for football both on and off the field and this weekend is a great opportunity for people to remember some of the highlights of that decade."

While Hafey recalled taking part in one of the first Grand Final parades down Bourke Street, Davis remembered the 1970s for the introduction of colour television – and coloured shorts – and the way World of Sport forced the change of Sunday Mass time.

Davis also said, "You would have to be a dumbbell if you couldn't play football today," owing to the improved playing conditions that involve the inside arena of Telstra Dome.

Parkin remembered the decade for the tough brand of football, which he was pleased to see replicated in the Collingwood-Hawthorn clash on Sunday evening.

"On the back of coming here today, I pulled out the Channel 7 production called The Sensational '70s. It was the first time commercially that television had sat down to make a commercial product, which we were all lucky enough to get a copy of," he said.

"I thought then, and this is about a week ago, how good football was in the sense of the traditional elements that we all want to see. When I went to Telstra Dome on Sunday night, I was privileged to call a current game that has taken all of those elements to a new professional level.

"I think when it's played in that way, as it ever was in the '70s … and I think the '70s, for me, as both a player and a coach in that time, was the most satisfying and enjoyable period of footy. To think of where it's got to today, let's hope it's maintained in the fashion that we've just seen now.

"We are all, even the golden oldies, are being fulfilled with the quality of football we like to see."

In the light of the recent off-field controversies surrounding several key players, Roberts spoke of the difference between the behaviour of past players and those of today, as well as the changing relationship between footballers and the media.

"There was plenty (of incidents), because there were fewer cars so we could drive home on the footpath, and if you didn't, you stayed at Lou (Richards')," he laughed.

"Seriously, we had a great time. We had a lot of freedom and we knocked around with crims, but crims were different. We didn't do it on purpose; they were friends of ours.

"There were no drugs, and we had a lot of guys who had done time (in our team). It was one way to get on the list at St Kilda.

"But it's overdone to billy-o, over-exposed. I think the press are a little bit wrong. They want a major hand in decision making, and they want it now. They are too powerful, and there are too many journalists."

This week's AFL Record will also feature heroes and icons of the 1970s, including a photo essay featuring the identities that made a significant contribution including Ron Barassi, Bob Skilton, Allen Aylett, Peter Hudson, Alex Jesaulenko, Royce Hart, Graham Moss, Barrie Robran and Hafey.

The special Heritage Round edition will also include a pull-out poster that captures an array of the stars from this fabulous era of league football.

All 16 clubs will participate in the themed round by wearing their respective 1970s Heritage strips.

Heritage Guernseys worn this weekend:

Adelaide
Will again wear the guernsey in the colour of the South Australian State of Origin guernsey combined with the Adelaide football club shield and the colours of each SANFL club.  

Brisbane Lions
Will wear the Fitzroy guernsey worn throughout the 1970s. 

Essendon
The guernsey has remained unchanged, but the team will wear bright red shorts that they wore for the majority of their games after the introduction of colour television. 

Fremantle
For the first time will wear East Fremantle's guernsey, worn when the clubs that won two premierships in the '70s. It is royal blue and white vertical panels with a completely blue back. 

Hawthorn
The guernsey has traditional stitching while the white shorts are trimmed with gold and yellow. 

Melbourne
The guernsey design is the same but features royal blue. 

Port Adelaide
For the first time in Victoria, the team will wear the famous back and white "prison bar" guernsey of the SANFL Port Adelaide Magpies.

Richmond
The guernsey has remained unchanged, but the team will wear bright yellow shorts as worn in the '70s.

Sydney
Will again wear the South Melbourne guernsey – mostly white with the red V. 

West Coast Eagles
To celebrate the 30-year anniversary of the first State of Origin match between Western Australia and Victoria, the Eagles will wear the WA state guernsey worn in 1970s. A gold design with a black sash across the front and an all gold back. There is a map of Western Australia on top of the sash and the names of the members of the 1977 State of Origin team are printed on the back. 

Western Bulldogs
Will wear the traditional royal blue guernsey with red and white horizontal stripes. The team will also wear red shorts with blue and white trimming. 

Umpires
Will wear all white uniforms as worn in the '70s in six matches. 

Key Moments in the 1970s

1970 Waverley Park opened
First League match played on a Sunday
Highest ever VFL/AFL attendance - 121,696 Collingwood v Carlton Grand Final
First Brownlow Medal count live broadcast 

1971 Peter Hudson equals 150 goals in a season record

1972 Umpires toss the coin for captains before each game for the first time

1973 VFL Players Association formed
Last match played at Glenferrie Oval

1975 Football is broadcast on colour
Clubs wear coloured shorts for the first time
Video tape evidence becomes admissible at Tribunal hearings 

1976 Two Field umpires introduced for each match

1977 First Grand Final Parade
First Grand Final (and replay) telecast live into Melbourne for the first time
First time Premiership medallions are presented on the field following the Grand Final 

1978 Interchange system first introduced
Mike Brady sings Up there Cazaly for the first time 

1979 Two VFL matches for premiership points played in Sydney and telecast into Victoria
First Norm Smith Medal – won by Wayne Harmes