1973 Sea Eagles

I was there that day , a very naive 18 year old country boy that knew no one , went by myself but still loved it!!
Yes i was there in 1972 and in 1973 to see the boys win the 1st grade AND Reserve Grade Grand Final. In Reserve Grade there was Alan Thompson the 5/8 and future test player and Manly coach in 1980 and Max Krilich the immortal Kangaroo Captain in 1982. Also Good players like Allan Maddalena and Bobby Moses , Norm Pounder. Great Afternoon for a diehard Sea Eagle fan . I don't think we have done the "double" since.
 
I was at the 68 and 70 GFs where we lost to the vermin 🙁
 
That 1973 team had everything. Sharks had one chance which was to put on the biff and they gave it a red hot go, took out our superstar Reilly early on. Lucky for us we had another one.
 
1972 - today was our first premiership

The one GF I missed , was 17 and my Dad told me I wasn’t old enough to travel on the train to Sydney and back for the game.

Haven’t missed a single GF since then that we’ve played in.
 
Below are the 1973 Manly first grade & reserve grade teams. Both were minor premiers & premiers. The club had amazing depth at that time - so many good players in reserve grade & reserve grade reserves. Alan Maddalena, Alan Thompson, John Bucknall, Max Krilich, Bob Moses & Graham Williams (Lancaster) were all either past or future rep players. As well, Arthur Branighan won premierships with Souths. St George had former or future rep players, Branson & Edge in reserve grade.

At that time, the 12 team NSWRLF reserve grade competition was probably a higher standard than the current NSW & QLD Cup competitions. Reserve grade players could easily transition to first grade. From memory, at least 18 players from Manly reserve grade & reserves played first grade at some time. Our reserve grade centres, Hill & Thoroughgood, were both local juniors & performed admirably whenever called up to first grade. Quality wise, maybe they could be compared to our current NRL pairing (maybe others can comment on this?)

1973 GF.jpg
 
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Terry Hill was a late bloomer, probably because he spent so much time with mr bbbbad to the bone
I think @jbb/james knows there are two Terry Hills - this was just a humorous remark - although somewhat tenuous as it was George Thorogood (not Gary Thoroughgood) who sang 'Bad to the Bone'🙂

I remember reading that circa nineties Terry Hill's father played first grade for Newtown.

Circa seventies Terry Hill attended my high school. There, he didn't play union (I assume he played league at weekends), but was the goalie for the first grade soccer team. He was also a very good basketball player & CHS cross country champion. I heard he was an excellent golfer post football.

 
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