TOPIC:

In preparation for Saturdays retro round and the 60th anniversary celebration, I thought that I would check out Ricks site for how the 1961 season panned out. I was a very young boy in 1961 and blissfully unaware of the existence of Swans so it was quite a revelation to  look through the scores and ladders. What I discovered that Swans first flag was a very unlikely one given what happened during the season

• East Perth had a 6 game gap on the rest of the competition with 19 wins. The only 2 losses they had were to East Fremantle and Subiaco and were totally dominant otherwise
• Swans by contrast won 12 games and also drew 2 (v Perth and EF). They only secured 2nd spot on the last day of the qualifying round ( round 21) by beating Subiaco at Subiaco. Because  of this loss Subiaco finished 3rd. Also in round 21 19000 people turned up at East Fremantle Oval to see a playoff for 4th between Old Easts and the Cardinals which EF won.
• Swans lost 4 times to East Perth during the season, by 26, 21 and 40 points in the qualifying round and 48 points in the 2nd semi final, yet they turned the tables in the Grand Final ( Subiaco repeated this feat in 1973 against West Perth)
• At 3 quarter time in the Preliminary final, Swans were 21 points behind Subiaco but they fought back in the last quarter to win narrowly and qualify for the Grand Final.

When you look at the whole season, Swans win was against all odds but it showed that even the most short priced favourite can be beaten if a team goes in with the right attitude. The picture of Bunton being chaired off the ground with blood streaming down his face is the enduring image of this match and all the guys who participated in this premiership should be celebrated for the legends that they are.

 

mikeh wrote:

In preparation for Saturdays retro round and the 60th anniversary celebration, I thought that I would check out Ricks site for how the 1961 season panned out. I was a very young boy in 1961 and blissfully unaware of the existence of Swans so it was quite a revelation to  look through the scores and ladders. What I discovered that Swans first flag was a very unlikely one given what happened during the season

• East Perth had a 6 game gap on the rest of the competition with 19 wins. The only 2 losses they had were to East Fremantle and Subiaco and were totally dominant otherwise
• Swans by contrast won 12 games and also drew 2 (v Perth and EF). They only secured 2nd spot on the last day of the qualifying round ( round 21) by beating Subiaco at Subiaco. Because  of this loss Subiaco finished 3rd. Also in round 21 19000 people turned up at East Fremantle Oval to see a playoff for 4th between Old Easts and the Cardinals which EF won.
• Swans lost 4 times to East Perth during the season, by 26, 21 and 40 points in the qualifying round and 48 points in the 2nd semi final, yet they turned the tables in the Grand Final ( Subiaco repeated this feat in 1973 against West Perth)
• At 3 quarter time in the Preliminary final, Swans were 21 points behind Subiaco but they fought back in the last quarter to win narrowly and qualify for the Grand Final.

When you look at the whole season, Swans win was against all odds but it showed that even the most short priced favourite can be beaten if a team goes in with the right attitude. The picture of Bunton being chaired off the ground with blood streaming down his face is the enduring image of this match and all the guys who participated in this premiership should be celebrated for the legends that they are.


 

mikeh thanks for the write-up.  If you check out our 1960 season it gets even better.

Thanks for that mikeh. Remarkable year, and one that was/is still talked about years later because of its affect on Western Australian football culture generally. A few points:

• Slater was very unlucky to miss selection in the 1961 touring team to England but was embroiled in the 'chucking' controversy in Australian and world cricket at the time and the ACB didn’t want to risk an incident. Unlucky for Spud, lucky for Swans;
• Slater and Bagley often said they thought Swans were actually a season away from being a great team and that the 1961 flag was a bonus – team selection during the year suggests this was the case. The backline remained reasonably stable but the forward line was in flux – Nesbit, Garwood, Wundke (one of the recruits from SA), Gorman, Johnston and I think Ashworth all tried at full forward during the season but with only limited success. I think it would be fair to say that Johnston and Maxie Ashworth played above themselves on the day of the grand final, but that’s what grand finals do. While half forward and full forward were a problem, Turnbull at CHF and Walker ‘resting’ in the forward pocket had outstanding years;
• At one stage in the third quarter of the grand final Swans were 11.1. Swans’ accuracy maintained the pressure when EP were mounting a challenge;
• EP’s record was outstanding during the year, but Swans might have got them at the right time. Granted, they thrashed Swans in the second semi, but between rounds 18 and 21 they showed in-different form, defeated by Subi, beating EF at EF (nothing wrong there), but struggling to beat C (second last) and SF (last) in the final two rounds;
• The next day’s celebrations after the grand final win at Bassendean could be heard over the river in Redcliffe Road Redcliffe where the family lived.

Success Hill wrote:

Thanks for that mikeh. Remarkable year, and one that was/is still talked about years later because of its affect on Western Australian football culture generally. A few points:

• Slater was very unlucky to miss selection in the 1961 touring team to England but was embroiled in the 'chucking' controversy in Australian and world cricket at the time and the ACB didn’t want to risk an incident. Unlucky for Spud, lucky for Swans;
• Slater and Bagley often said they thought Swans were actually a season away from being a great team and that the 1961 flag was a bonus – team selection during the year suggests this was the case. The backline remained reasonably stable but the forward line was in flux – Nesbit, Garwood, Wundke (one of the recruits from SA), Gorman, Johnston and I think Ashworth all tried at full forward during the season but with only limited success. I think it would be fair to say that Johnston and Maxie Ashworth played above themselves on the day of the grand final, but that’s what grand finals do. While half forward and full forward were a problem, Turnbull at CHF and Walker ‘resting’ in the forward pocket had outstanding years;
• At one stage in the third quarter of the grand final Swans were 11.1. Swans’ accuracy maintained the pressure when EP were mounting a challenge;
• EP’s record was outstanding during the year, but Swans might have got them at the right time. Granted, they thrashed Swans in the second semi, but between rounds 18 and 21 they showed in-different form, defeated by Subi, beating EF at EF (nothing wrong there), but struggling to beat C (second last) and SF (last) in the final two rounds;
• The next day’s celebrations after the grand final win at Bassendean could be heard over the river in Redcliffe Road Redcliffe where the family lived.

Eric Gorman would go on to make the Full Forward position his own SH but I think he was only young and in his first season in 1961?
I wonder if Wundke is a relation of Steve Wundke who played state cricket in the 1980s?

funny you mentioned Steve Wundke mate - it was exactly who I thought of 
he was a left arm fast medium bowler from memory 

Great stuff Mike.The Wafl 61 GF is legendary  in Aussie Rule Sports History. I've heard Kevin Sheedy,Tim Lane.Clark Hanson,Drew Morphett it and others mention that historic day.So even VFL historian's acknowledge that amazing GF.

Success Hill wrote:

Thanks for that mikeh. Remarkable year, and one that was/is still talked about years later because of its affect on Western Australian football culture generally. A few points:

• Slater was very unlucky to miss selection in the 1961 touring team to England but was embroiled in the 'chucking' controversy in Australian and world cricket at the time and the ACB didn’t want to risk an incident. Unlucky for Spud, lucky for Swans;
• Slater and Bagley often said they thought Swans were actually a season away from being a great team and that the 1961 flag was a bonus – team selection during the year suggests this was the case. The backline remained reasonably stable but the forward line was in flux – Nesbit, Garwood, Wundke (one of the recruits from SA), Gorman, Johnston and I think Ashworth all tried at full forward during the season but with only limited success. I think it would be fair to say that Johnston and Maxie Ashworth played above themselves on the day of the grand final, but that’s what grand finals do. While half forward and full forward were a problem, Turnbull at CHF and Walker ‘resting’ in the forward pocket had outstanding years;
• At one stage in the third quarter of the grand final Swans were 11.1. Swans’ accuracy maintained the pressure when EP were mounting a challenge;
• EP’s record was outstanding during the year, but Swans might have got them at the right time. Granted, they thrashed Swans in the second semi, but between rounds 18 and 21 they showed in-different form, defeated by Subi, beating EF at EF (nothing wrong there), but struggling to beat C (second last) and SF (last) in the final two rounds;
• The next day’s celebrations after the grand final win at Bassendean could be heard over the river in Redcliffe Road Redcliffe where the family lived.

Thanks Success Hill for the insights. On your last point I could understand why the celebrations could be heard over such a wide area when you take into account the previous 15 years of Swans history ( 1946 - 1960). During these years they never came close to making the finals, were bottom of the ladder on 7 occasions and 2nd last six times, often competing with Subiaco for the wooden spoon. During these barren years their average number of wins per season was four, including a one win season in 1951. They were dire times for the club.  For long suffering Swans fans 1961 would have been almost a miracle going from easy beats to premiers in one year and there would have been lots of sore heads in Midland, Bassendean and the Swan Valley after that weekend.

Beasley Hutton wrote:

Success Hill wrote:

Thanks for that mikeh. Remarkable year, and one that was/is still talked about years later because of its affect on Western Australian football culture generally. A few points:

• Slater was very unlucky to miss selection in the 1961 touring team to England but was embroiled in the 'chucking' controversy in Australian and world cricket at the time and the ACB didn’t want to risk an incident. Unlucky for Spud, lucky for Swans;
• Slater and Bagley often said they thought Swans were actually a season away from being a great team and that the 1961 flag was a bonus – team selection during the year suggests this was the case. The backline remained reasonably stable but the forward line was in flux – Nesbit, Garwood, Wundke (one of the recruits from SA), Gorman, Johnston and I think Ashworth all tried at full forward during the season but with only limited success. I think it would be fair to say that Johnston and Maxie Ashworth played above themselves on the day of the grand final, but that’s what grand finals do. While half forward and full forward were a problem, Turnbull at CHF and Walker ‘resting’ in the forward pocket had outstanding years;
• At one stage in the third quarter of the grand final Swans were 11.1. Swans’ accuracy maintained the pressure when EP were mounting a challenge;
• EP’s record was outstanding during the year, but Swans might have got them at the right time. Granted, they thrashed Swans in the second semi, but between rounds 18 and 21 they showed in-different form, defeated by Subi, beating EF at EF (nothing wrong there), but struggling to beat C (second last) and SF (last) in the final two rounds;
• The next day’s celebrations after the grand final win at Bassendean could be heard over the river in Redcliffe Road Redcliffe where the family lived.

Eric Gorman would go on to make the Full Forward position his own SH but I think he was only young and in his first season in 1961?
I wonder if Wundke is a relation of Steve Wundke who played state cricket in the 1980s?

Might be, but the surname is German and being from SA, reasonably common like Obst, Schwarz, Lehmann, Zucker, Kretschmer, Dittmar etc. that contributed to SA and in some cases Australian sport over the years. There was a Michael Wundke that led the SA leading goal kicking for WWT. Steve was born in SA at the same time that Mike Wundke was playing for Swans, so its unlikely they're father and son. 

Yes, you see it often - first games are not necessarily a guide to a player's overall career - but Gorman certainly made the position his and made the 1962 and 1963 flags less of a surprise.

SH: Ebert is another surname, as you know. BH and I did a 'German 18' at one point, something, the AFL has never botherred to do to its great discredit.

Rudi Mandemaker , Peter Kreig were a couple of others in the SANFL