By Jon Pierik
Carlton legend John Nicholls has opened up about one of the greatest tactical ambushes witnessed on a football field, revealing he devised a secret plan weeks earlier before informing the Blues of how they planned to seize the 1972 premiership, intensifying a rivalry that still burns bright 50 years later.
Crushed by 41 points by Richmond in the second semi-final replay of 1972, the Blues, led by Nicholls, their indomitable captain-coach, knew a revised and bold game plan built on quick ball movement was needed if the Blues were to meet the Tigers again a fortnight later in the grand final.
The Blues were confident of beating St Kilda in the preliminary final, which they did by 16 points. However, for this, they maintained their traditional game plan and positions, ensuring the Tigers - enjoying the week off- had no inkling of what was to come.
Nicholls, despite the Blues finishing top of the ladder, had worn the wrath of supporters and the media after a dour drawn second semi-final at VFL Park and a losing replay a week later at the MCG, confirming that the only way to beat the free-scoring Tigers was at their own game. So, in what remains one of the great grand final masterstrokes, he made up to eight positional changes, including loading the forward line with his best players.
Players were sworn to secrecy at Princes Park on the Sunday morning after the loss to the Tom Hafey-led Tigers at the MCG.
″We knew we couldn’t keep playing the same way, we had to do something different,” Nicholls told The Age.
Carlton’s Alex Jesaulenko (left) and captain-coach John Nicholls (right) hold the 1972 premiership cup after the Blues’ pulled a tactical masterstroke.Credit: The Age
“Tommy’s attitude about kicking 100 points or more and outscoring the opposition led me to believe that we had tried that several times and led by six goals at half-time and three-quarter-time and got beaten each time. Playing a semi-attacking, semi-defensive game, we probably couldn’t beat them like that, but we could defeat them if we outscored them.”
When he called his players to a 15-minute team meeting at the far end of Princes Park before a light Sunday morning training session (Nicholls overruled his fitness coach who had wanted to flog the players), Nicholls told his men what he was about to divulge had to remain a secret, particularly from loose-lipped club committee members.
How the scoreboard read for the 1972 grand final, as reported in The Age on Monday October 9, 1972.Credit: The Age/library
“I said: ‘Well right, the time has come, I trust you guys,’ because I did trust them, they were my friends and mates and ones that I had helped bring into the club and train and recruit and coach be their captain for a long time,” Nicholls said.
“I said: ‘We are going to make a big change. I am telling you two weeks in advance, but I have to trust you that you won’t say one word to anyone.’ At the time, I got into trouble because I said whatever you do, don’t be talking to others in the club, particularly committeemen. They mean well but they talk to their mates.
“I said we can beat St Kilda next week, we had the wood on St Kilda, we’ll play exactly the same side against St Kilda and beat them, which we did. Then we are making all these changes a week after and it has to be a surprise. I trusted the players and they never let me down.”
Robert Walls, who went on to boot six goals (including running goals from the boundary and left-foot snaps) in the grand final and would probably have claimed the Norm Smith Medal as best afield had it existed, said that meeting was pivotal.
“To me, the biggest thing that helped us get the win was basically the day after the second semi when we got beaten … we came into Princes Park on the Sunday and everyone’s feeling pretty flat and the big fella got us into the coaches room and said: ‘Hey, we are going to win the flag,’ ” Walls said.
“We immediately lifted our heads and thought: ‘Hang on, what? We have just been smashed by Richmond and we have to play St Kilda in the preliminary, and he is saying we are going to win the flag.’
“I can remember walking off the ground after the preliminary-final win against the Saints and I looked at my teammates, and we all looked around, and we had a grin on our faces, thinking: ‘Hey, we are going to win this.’ Nick made the changes … and it was very much about playing attacking football.”
Nicholls’ positional changes famously included sending himself from first ruck, a role he had played for 16 years, to the forward pocket for all but 20 minutes of the game (including at a key moment in the final term), leaving a taller but younger Peter “Percy” Jones as the No.1 big man.
“My body was nearly worn out at that stage. I had bad ankles - for the last 10, 15 years, I had one particular sore ankle that I needed to get a cortisone the day before every game I played. So, it was common sense,” Nicholls said.
Barry Armstrong was sent to the centre, Walls, manned by Rex Hunt, was dominant, while the marvel that was Alex Jesaulenko torched Dick Clay with seven goals. The dashing Syd Jackson, Trevor Keogh and Neil Chandler also hovered, all benefiting from Big Nick’s presence.
What unfolded was a sight to behold, the Blues surging to 28.9 (177) to 22.18 (150) in what remains the highest-scoring grand final.
The Age published a picture special of what became a famous clash between two proud clubs.Credit: The Age/library
Francis Bourke, who won his position on the wing with 20 disposals that day, said the Tigers were powerless to stop the Blues’ run.
“I can remember thinking we just couldn’t seem to stop the flow of goals at the Carlton end. In hindsight, we weren’t going too bad ourselves, when you compare it to the historical aspects of scoring, particularly in finals. But we just couldn’t stop the haemorrhaging of goals,” Bourke said.
“They had learned some lessons from the replay of the second semi … changed players’ positions more. Waite went on to Barry Richardson on a half-back flank for example, Nick played forward pocket … they blitzed us out of the centre, if I remember rightly.″
Nicholls remembers the work of unheralded back pocket John O’Connell, who died of cancer aged 38 in 1989, and praised Paul Hurst on a back flank. He agreed with Walls that Keogh had been under-rated.
There was an ugly incident in the second term when David McKay had his jaw broken in two places by a hit from Neil Balme (he was later suspended for two matches). Balme had earlier attempted to rough up McKay, prompting the latter to respond: “Mate, you wouldn’t have a spark covering the gap between your ears.” Balme didn’t see the funny side.
All these years on, Balme said the catalyst for the hit was a Jackson goal.
“Syd Jackson kicked a beautiful goal and he asked me how I liked that in certain terms. It was a bit of a game in those days and I whacked him. I probably shouldn’t have. If I look back it was probably the wrong thing to do and I should be ashamed of myself, but it was kind of what you did in those days,” Balme said.
“It was a bit more acceptable to be at each other’s throats. Fortunately, we worked together at the ABC a bit later and get on pretty bloody well.”
Making a splash: Robert Walls and Bruce Doull freshen up - complete with premiership cup in hand - after both had starring roles against the Tigers.Credit: Fairfax Photographs
Balme said his teammates needed him to be “aggressive and hard”.
Bourke said Balme was remembered for the wrong reasons, for his primary aim was not to be dominated by the opposition.
Richmond ruckman Craig McKellar takes a strong mark in the 1972 grand final but he was beaten on the day by Peter Jones.Credit: The Age
“Traditionally, it was the backman who had the way in terms of the rough stuff but Balmey wasn’t prepared to allow the traditional status quo,” Bourke said.
“With the David McKay thing and all that, that was only one in a series of toing and froing with the opposition, particularly with Carlton, who were a formidable team in their own right. McKay, Vinny Waite, were formidable players.
“But Balmey himself was a very, very smart and skilled player, particularly agile and quick for his size. It’s unfortunate that he is remembered for the other stuff rather than what we was really good at. He has my respect, Balmey, because he just wasn’t prepared to allow people to dominate him.”
Walls said the Blues did not harbour grudges, for that was how the game was played back then, but Nicholls said while Balme was a “beautiful man” off the field, he wasn’t that on it.
McKay, for his part, had to play on, for Vinnie Waite had broken his ankle. In a clash full of backhanders, knees and ferocious bumps, Kevin Sheedy was elbowed in the face by Jackson, while Sheedy and McKay also clashed. Walls remembers the “coat-hanger” he took from Brian “Whale” Roberts with about two minutes remaining, and umpire Bill Deller - the sole umpire - waving play on.
“I reckon Bill was so tired he couldn’t be bothered blowing the whistle,” Walls said.
The Blues led by 11 goals at the final break and, while the Tigers outscored their opponents seven goals to three in the final term, the Blues eased to a 27-point win. It was their first win in a final over the Tigers since 1920.
The two clubs had met in the 1969 grand final, the Tigers prevailing by 25 points (although that did not stop a bitter falling out between master administrator and kingpin Graeme “GR” Richmond and two-time premiership president Ray Dunn), but the ’72 contest took this rivalry to a new level.
“Tommy was pretty devastated. You have a look at Tommy on the ground after the game, he is shattered. Going into the next year, they were men on the mission and there was no doubt we paid the price,” Walls said.
Balme, now a senior advisor for the Tigers, agreed the rivalry between the clubs intensified after ’72.
“No doubt, no doubt, because in those days it was more significant than it is now - winning flags is what you did, what you wanted to do. If you did, you were proud of yourself, if you didn’t, you just hoped the next year came around quicker,” he said.
Fifty years on, the Blues have their swagger back under Michael Voss and meet the Tigers in the latest instalment of a famous rivalry at the MCG on Thursday night.
1972 VFL grand final
Carlton 28.9 (177) defeated Richmond 22.18 (150) at the MCG
Goals: Carlton: Jesaulenko 7, Walls 6, Nicholls 6, Keogh 3, Jackson 2, Gallagher 1, Hall, 1, Dickson 1, Chandler 1.
Richmond: Balme 5, Sheedy 3, Richardson 3, Cumming 2, Hart 2, McMillan 2, Stewart 1, Sproule 1, Hunt 1, McLean 1, Morris 1.
Best: Carlton: Walls, Nicholls, Doull, Armstrong, Jesaulenko, Southby, Jones, Keogh.
Richmond: Sproule, Bartlett, Morris, Balme, Richardson, Bourke.
Crowd: 112,393
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