‘Special’: Magpies legends recount state championship glory

The ground announcer wrote them off at three quarter time in the 1973 State Championship final. But Scottsdale had other ideas as they wrote themselves into Tasmanian footy folklore.

Scottsdale Magpies 1973 coach Bob Wilson (middle) with state championship-winning players Steve Nichols (left) and Danny Hall (right) at Scottsdale Football Club on Monday.

IT was 50 years ago, but Scottsdale football legend Stephen Nichols can still remember the announcement that blared over the speakers at Burnie’s West End Park like it was yesterday.

Cooee were up by 32 points at three quarter time in the state premiership final and the Magpies’ unbeaten season looked to be going up in smoke.

But the ground announcer’s message will be one that will forever live in club folklore.

“They said (over the speakers) that any Cooee supporters who wanted to book on the same plane as the players to Adelaide (for national championships) should book early,” Nichols said.

“I remember that coming over the loudspeakers at three quarter time, that was a motivational thing that got us going. And once we got on a roll we kept going.”

Scottsdale would kick five unanswered goals in the final term to win by 11 points.

Teammate Danny Hall was a bit more straightforward when asked about the ground announcement.

“It was a bit silly wasn’t it,” he laughed.

“It just gave us that little edge, and you only need five per cent don’t you?

“I believe the ‘72 side was better but we didn’t play as good football. We were probably hungover from ‘71 because we won the grand final by 90-odd points.”

The team, representing a town of just 3000 people, was the first to be inducted into AFL Tasmania’s Hall of Fame as a ‘legendary team’ in 2005.

Half-forward Nichols was a Hec Smith Medallist who kicked five goals in the 1973 state championship final.

He was one of nine players in the 1973 side who represented Tasmania and said it was a humbling moment when the team was put in the Hall of Fame.

“That was very special when they announced that, for the whole town,” he said.

“It’s a very football-minded community, it’s everything around here and to get that recognition ws pretty special.

“That team, for the era we played was a bit ahead of his time. That was maybe due to the coach. (Bob Wilson).

“It was very possession oriented, good skills and maybe kick the ball backwards at times to hold possession.”

A teetotaller, Nichols said the state championship celebrations were memorable.

“It was pretty quiet for me because I’m a non drinker,” he said.

“There used to be a ritual when Scottsdale won a grand final.

Scottsdale's 1973 team won the State Championship.

“In the main street there’s a double storey house with a balcony, all the players would get on the balcony and the front part of the street would be blocked off, and hundreds of people standing on the street watching us get interviewed,” he said.

“As with all finals it was very tough and they probably had the better of us for three quarters of the game, but our last quarter was excpetional and we managed to get up and win.”

Hall is regarded by many as one of the best Tasmanian players to never try his wares in the VFL.

“I went over a couple of times to a few training camps with Melbourne in the early 70s, and I probably look back at it thinking it would have been nice, but as a country boy those first couple of trips were a bit daunting,” he said.

“It probably put me off guard a little bit. I grew up just out of Scottsdale at Waterhouse on a farm out there.”