Footscray are the real solid working class team but don’t have mass support.
North Melbourne would be considered a working class team too, they’re sometimes known as the Shinboners due to players and supporters working in local abattoirs back in the day, but they have one of the smallest Melbourne support bases.
Collingwood and Richmond are traditionally working class but are mass support teams, they’re two of the traditional “big four” along with Essendon and Carlton.
Essendon I’m sure I read have some sort of Methodist background. Carlton would be the River Plate to Collingwood’s Boca Juniors.
Hawthorn traditionally an upper class club but gained more of a mass support due to sustained success.
Melbourne are the team of the Victorian illuminati.
No merger between any of the Melbourne clubs ever happened though several were floated.
Footscray and Fitzroy nearly became the Fitzroy Bulldogs in 1989 but Footscray supporters stopped that happening.
North Melbourne and Fitzroy almost merged in 1996 but the Brisbane Bears wiped North Melbourne’s eye and effectively subsumed Fitzroy.
I think Hawthorn and Melbourne almost merged around that time too which would have been crazy given Hawthorn had dominated the competition for much of the previous 20 years.
Another Pies goal after the siren denies us a first level Grand Final at half time since 1909.
That was a phenomenal quarter of footy. Brisbane looked like taking control at one stage with a 12 point lead but Collinwood’s response has been excellent. Bobby Hill having a stormer for Collingwood up front.
Footy historians among us will have noted the following names from the 1990 Grand Final between Collingwood and Essendon are once again present today:
Collingwood’s Nick Daicos is the son of star Collingwood forward from 1990 Peter “don’t tell me” Daicos.
Brisbane’s Brandon Starcevich is the nephew of Collingwood’s Craig Starcevich.
Brisbane’s Joe Daniher (two goals so far) is the son of Essendon’s Anthony Daniher.
Collingwood coach Craig McRae won three Premierships with Brisbane from 2001 to 2003.
Collingwood captain Darcy Moore is the son of double Brownlow medallist Peter Moore who was a central figure in the Colliwobbles era when Collingwood lost four Grand Finals in five years in 1977, 1979, 1980 and 1981.
Collingwood lost key defender Nate Murphy late in the first quarter to concussion and their defence was noticeably looser in Q2. Conor McKenna hasn’t featured at all so far. Very hard to call who’s going to win this.
A few Brisbane players are very anonymous so far. Ah Chee, Berry, McCarthy, Hipwood all need to start contributing far more up front if they are to win this. Other than Frampton, the pies forward unit are much more on the ball than the lions.
Are the Colliwobbles striking again? Collingwood haven’t got a goal yet this quarter. Brisbane slowly winning the arm wrestle. Big Joe Daniher really fancies it.