Northcote celebrates 50 years since the rarest of Premier Cricket premierships
From last to first, Northcote claimed one of the all-time great premierships in 1973-74 with some famous names and will celebrate 50 years on Saturday.
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It is the rarest premiership in Victorian Premier Cricket – wooden spoon to premiership glory.
In 1973-74 Northcote achieved the remarkable feat going from last to the flag with one of the closest grand final victories in history.
Northcote will celebrate the premiership’s 50-year anniversary on Saturday with a gala dinner at the LaTrobe Golf Course.
The Dragons defeated heavyweights Melbourne by 14 runs in a tense final at the Albert Ground.
It was a side that featured three future Australia Test players, coach Ritchie Robinson and rising stars Gary Cosier and Rodney Hogg.
More remarkable was the fact all 11 players were born within seven kilometres from Bill Lawry Oval, then known as Westgarth Street Oval, making it a truly local accomplishment.
Opener Ron Brentnall said that fact, coupled with facing Melbourne, gave Northcote plenty of motivation.
“You had this cultural divide between the toffs of Melbourne and the battlers of Northcote and we played it that way,” he said.
“You rarely got picked for Victoria if you played for Northcote and that was proven by Hogg and Cosier who had to move to South Australia.
“There was a grudging expectation you only got picked for Victoria if you played for certain VCA clubs.”
Brentnall, the Dragons’ leading run-scorer that season, made 27 at the top of the order, while Brendan McArdle (30) and Jim Cristou (26) also made important contributions.
However, the innings was held together by Robinson’s commanding 93.
Coming to the crease at 5-109, he rebuilt the Dragons’ innings, making a 44-run eighth-wicket stand with Phil Burn (12) and, most crucially, a 52-run last wicket partnership with Ross McKenzie (18).
Robinson said a move down the order for the grand final proved vital.
“I used to bat at No.4 for Northcote but I dropped myself down to No.7, where I batted in the Shield for Victoria, so I could hold the tail together.
“They can see they don’t have to take the game on, I could make the game and they just needed to stick with me.
“Ross and I put on 50 for the last wicket, which turned out to be really important runs, and we had a couple of other 10-20-run partnerships that were pretty important too.”
After being sent in by Melbourne, Northcote had runs on the board with 258 all out.
The Demons were in early trouble at 3-55 before Paul Sheahan (57) and Greg Booth (72) rebuilt the innings.
Heading into the fourth day, the defending premier needed just 23 runs, while Northcote required three wickets for victory.
“Booth was 72 not out and called for a single but the batsman up the other end sent him back and he was run out,” Robinson recalls.
“He hit it straight to Jimmy Cristou, who was one of our sharpest fielders, he fired it in to me and Boothy was half-way down the pitch – he had batted well and was the big danger for us.
“Rodney Hogg, I was standing back – I measured it – at 27 paces, he would have bowled most top order batsmen out and he clean bowled the last two to finish the game.”
“All our bowlers bowled magnificently, I think they underestimated the pressure we could apply in the grand final.
“Rodney was magnificent, he was our spearhead, we had John Wildsmith spinning and Brendan McArdle but I think Ross MacKenzie was the most significant factor.
“He bowled 29 overs, and I kept up to the stumps every over to keep the Melbourne bowlers in their crease.
“Except one, Dave Broad went for a running leg glance and missed and I stumped him – I think I got seven leg-side stumpings off Ross and we practised it in the nets.
“It would have been the only ball he bowled down the leg side in 27 overs.”
McKenzie finished the season with 41 wickets to lead Northcote’s attack, one ahead of Hogg on 39, while McArdle snagged 31 scalps.
Hogg and Cosier would depart for South Australia the following season after missing out on Victoria selection.
They would go on to play 38 and 18 Tests for Australia respectively.
“I’d tried to get Hoggy into the Shield side because I was captaining Victoria but one of the selectors thought he had a terrible run-up,” Robinson said.
“If you haven’t seen Rodney Hogg bowl, he had one of the most rhythmic run-ups you’d ever see.
“He goes to South Australia and he’s a star and Cosier became a star too.
“We always said if you’re playing for Northcote, you’re not playing because we’ve got the best clubrooms or practice and centre wickets, you’re playing for the love of the game – we had terrible conditions.”
Sadly, McKenzie and 12th man Terry Gannon have since passed away, while Burn is gravely ill.
Brentnall said the bond among teammates was enduring.
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“All through the last 50 years we’ve kept in touch and looked out for each other and that’s a credit to the two great leaders we had John Wildsmith and Ritchie Robinson,” he said.
“Ten of those players all came back and performed roles as administrators or coaches, they all gave back to the club, and we’ve all stuck fat.
“Saturday night we’ll be raising a glass for Ross, Terry and Phil who aren’t able to be there.
“It will be great to have the chance to see each other again and I hope we can give (the current players) the self belief that they can do it as well.”
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