Gippsland: Moe aims to end grand final heartbreak with first flag since 1967

Moe has lost its past seven grand finals, including a run of four in five years by less than 10 points combined. Find out what went wrong from those involved.

Footy premiership droughts do eventually break.

But, as farmers know only too well, some dry spells can be more stubborn than others in ending.

Moe is a classic case in point with its last ultimate success achieved in 1967.

Its drought sits second only to Port Fairy’s last flag in 1958 as the longest at major league level.

But unlike Port Fairy, which missed finals, Moe remains in the flag race with a Gippsland league first semi-final appointment against Traralgon on Sunday following a qualifying final stumble to Leongatha.

Compounding Moe’s barren run is the heartbreak since upsetting red-hot favourites Bairnsdale 56 years ago.

Gus Eaton played in Moe’s 1967 premiership team followed by five grand final losses. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Moe lost easily to Traralgon the following season before suffering four grand final defeats between 1970 and 1974 by a combined margin of just nine points including two by only one point.

Alby Law coached Moe to the 1967 flag win against Bairnsdale, which went into the grand final on the back of an 18-match winning streak.

Moe cashed in on some wayward kicking by the opposition to win by six points.

Alan Steel starred for Moe in the victory and was one of the league’s best players of the era.

He tied with Yallourn’s Rick Belford in the 1962 Trood Award and Roddal Medal count, but lost on countback.

The following season he won the award after Moe coach Don Keyter, who polled the most votes, was ruled ineligible for his part in a dust-up against Bairnsdale during the season.

Law stepped aside as Moe coach after the 1967 grand final due to a work promotion with the SEC and Steel took over with mixed feelings.

“I wouldn’t have taken it on if Alby still wanted it,” he said.

“I was a playing coach and you miss a lot of things happening in a game when you’re also playing.

“We would have at least two premierships more if Alby was still coach.

“They are hard to win, I can tell you.”

Moe premiership player in 1967 is hoping the club’s long flag drought can end this year. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Steel’s final season as coach was 1970 and Moe let slip what should have been a matchwinning three quarter time lead against Leongatha.

“The sides I had were bloody brilliant,” Steel said.

“We would play Dandenong in practice matches and beat them.”

Max Donelly took over from Steel and Moe was first into the 1972 grand final and fronted up against Traralgon.

Moe led at halftime by 34 points before losing by only a point when Barry Bowe booted the matchwinning goal for Traralgon in the dying stages.

Tensions overflowed when the final siren sounded.

Fights broke out in the crowd and spilled on to the ground with extra police reinforcements called to restore peace.

Ron Haeberle was appointed coach of Moe in 1973 and met with the same fate as his two predecessors.

Moe lost again by a point with Sale ruckman Barrie White streaming out of the centre to boot a behind to snap the deadlock.

Gus Eaton was a member of the 1967 premiership team, but played in five losing grand finals.

He and other players from the time gathered for a reunion in recent years when Haeberle explained why Moe kept losing grand finals.

Haeberle felt his players developed a false sense of security from sitting on top of the ladder while their rivals were working harder to bridge the gap come finals.

“It still haunts me to a degree,” Eaton said.

“Someone will bring up the year 1970 and the first thing I remember is Leongatha beat us by three points.

“But we kept bouncing back and I reckon a lot had to do with the coaches we had.

“They had a way of getting us back up again and forgetting about what had happened the year before.”

Eaton is hoping the pain will end this season.

“I’d be elated if we won again,” he said.

“I remember even in 2000, we played Traralgon in the grand final and had them until midway through the third quarter when the younger players started to feel the pressure.

“We got done by a goal and I came home, sat in the lounge room and cried my eyes out.”

Former Moe star Barry Rowlings playing for Richmond in 1980.

Barry Rowlings won the Trood Award and Rodda Medal in 1973 and 1974 before playing in VFL premierships with Hawthorn and Richmond.

“I had to come down to Melbourne to win one,” he said.

“The three years I played for Moe we had good seasons, but when it came to the big one, and it happens a lot, you get beaten.

“They were all winnable.

“Playing on the old Yallourn ground was like playing on the MCG so there were no excuses.

“All players can have a down day, but the grand final is not the best day to have it.”

MOE’S GRAND FINAL MISSES

1970

Leongatha 11.24 (90) def Moe 13.9 (87)

Goals*: LEONGATHA: I. Rasmussen 3, L. Moloney 2, D. McEwan 2. MOE: I. Jennings 3, T. Paul 3, T. O’Reilly 2, P. Box 2.

Best: LEONGATHA: T. Benton, I. Rasmussen, B. Salmon, I. Salmon, L. Moloney, T. Ireland. MOE: J. Fusinato, R. Daly, B. Hillbrick, T. Regulski, T. Beveridge, A. Steel.

1972

Traralgon 13.17 (95) def Moe 14.10 (94)

Goals*: TRARALGON: B. Hammond 4, B. Bowe 3, K. White 2. MOE: I. Jennings 7, D. Heath 2, D. Stevens 2.

Best: TRARALGON: Team effort. MOE: H. Frei, G. Eaton, I. Jennings, Barry Rowlings, Brian Rowlings, T. Alexander.

1973

Sale 13.15 (93) def Moe 13.14 (92)

Goals*: SALE: T. Somerville 3, I. Jones 3, B. Jeffries 3. MOE: G. Wheildon 3, I. Jennings 2, R. Haeberle 2. Best: SALE: S. Davidson, B. Cashman, T. Wynd, R. Stamp, T. Somerville, B. Jeffries. MOE: G. Wheildon, G. Young, T. Alexander, N. Lofts, Barry Rowlings, R. Fusinato.

1974

Warragul 9.13 (67) def Moe 8.15 (63)

Goals*: WARRAGUL: R. Baldry 4, G. Cook 2. MOE: G. Wheildon 3.

Best: WARRAGUL: G. Cook, M. Birch, J. Gallus, L. Pitt, R. Baldry, M. Henshall. MOE: R. Fusinato, T. Staff, B. Rowlings, G. Wheildon, A. Kuka, T. Alexander.

*Multiple goalkickers only