Western Suburbs Magpies Thread

coivtny said:
Hard to say. I reckon we were usuually beaten by a better side on the day but there was one year I thought we were deadset certs. I think it was 1978. We were clear minor premiers and went out of the finals in straight sets. We were beaten narrowly by Manly in the final where Greg Hartley reffed and we copped some shocking decisions. Some of Hartley's decisions against Wests were inexplicable but that's the way it goes sometimes.
I reckon Bus 2 Terrigal will have a better view of your question than me.
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Hartley was an out & out cheat...Loved Manly hated Wests
 
innsaneink said:
My old man reckons the word in Ashfield pub and Wests Leagues was they all pooled their money and backed themselves (shoosh) to make the top five at that start of the year and once theyd achieved that, wether they celebrated early or the intensity naturally dropped off - I dunno.
It was always disappointing....we won 1 out of 7 finals games from 78 - 82 (bar1981 finished 6th)
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broke my heart when i heard that / understood .But wasn't that a beat up for a few years that time of year
 
momo_amp_medo said:
You might be right. I started watching Tony in 3rd grade at Pratten Park. He was a brilliant ball runner who could have been anything. He had an unusual running style however that left him susceptible to coat hanger tackles and he copped quite a few. I think that dented his confidence and he never lived up to his early promise. I met him a few times after he retired because his wife worked with mine. He was a lovely unassuming and modest bloke.



He scored one of the most memorable solo tries i have ever seen at Lidcombe. It was against Newtown and he got in the clear about 50 mtrs out and was being chased by the Newtown winger Kevin Gentles who was a noted flyer. Just as you thought Gentles would get him he swerved. He did it a second time and Gentles missed the tackle for Ford to score.
 
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Yossarian said:
Question for older Magpies fans. How do you view that late 70s/early 80s period when Wests were really strong during the regular season and didn’t progress far in the semis? Bad luck? Bad coaching? Wasted opportunities or good times.
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They were cheated out of a GF spot in 78 the year they were minor premiers. Hartley cheated to get Manly home against Parra in the major semi final - then cheated Wests in the prelim.
 
One finals win is diire. I was looking at the 1978 season. I don’t think they lost any game by more than 10 points.
 
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Yossarian said:
One finals win is diire. I was looking at the 1978 season. I don’t think they lost any game by more than 10 points.
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They were definitely grand final drinkers those boys , they would hit rooneys after training and it was nothing for them to be in a stink but they were a great group and probably very unlucky to be there on the big day
 
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Ron Brodrick's Spirit said:
Tony Ford had a huge boot on him so it's possible.
He was my hero and I was upset when a young upstart called John Dorahy took his place.
Sometimes I can be wrong.
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I was lucky enough to be coached by Tony Ford in 1978, the under 14 b team for Holy Cross College Ryde.
He was a great coach/mentor, taught us all a life lesson about being good people and good sportsmanship.
One of first things he told the entire team, if any of you do a head high tackle on anyone, you will never be playing in this team for the season.
Nobody ever did, he taught us to hit hard around the hips, and slide down locking up the feet of the person with the ball.
The team won the comp that season, in the grand final beating Leichhardt wanderers 6-5, yep by a field goal, played at Leichhardt Oval.
When we catch up occasionally, yes we are happy to have won, but majority of blokes say, it was the lesson's about sportsmanship/life that Tony taught us, that we still use today.
 
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