First Manly game you went to ??

[40 years an eagle]

I was at Brooky games as a toddler but the first one I can remember being at was our first home game in '67. Against Penrith I think? My first year playing footy. I was dressed in my Collaroy Plateau magpies (RU)gear and rabbled for the corner flag with some other kids. I think we won but I definitely remember Bozo Fulton, Freddy Jones, Alec Tennant and Bob Batty. They became my favourite players.

 

[Waz13]

Mates older brother lived in Sydney and he got tickets for him, me and my mate to Parra stadium iin 1990 (maybe 91) to watch Manly v Parra... they were both Parra supporters (my mate was actually a parra and magpies fan)... was the night Frank Stokes got the ball in the in-goal and went the length down the touchline... pretty sure frankie scored a couple that night...

I remember that game. 91 I think. Tooves got a try as well. Ridge to stokes and he goes the length. On a funny note how was Stokes opposite that night. Michael Erickson! Now he was a quality winger. Lol

 

[Sea Eagle 4 Life]

1981 v Parramatta at Cumberland Oval. It was the last game played there before they burned the grandstand down after their maiden GF win. Went with my Dad. It was a fantastic game that ended in a 20all draw. Crowd was packed to the rafters that day. Manly led 10 nil early & then Parra surged to a 17 - 10 lead. Action packed finish with Tony Melrose kicking the leveling field goal.

 

[sheridanstand78]

My Dad took me to Brooky in 1976, I was aged 9 and I saw the boys beat Penrith 27-14. I was hooked and that season saw about 6 home games and to top it off we beat the Whinging worms in the GF. I was forever and a day a Manly fan after that day!

 

[sheridanstand78]

1981 v Parramatta at Cumberland Oval. It was the last game played there before they burned the grandstand down after their maiden GF win. Went with my Dad. It was a fantastic game that ended in a 20all draw. Crowd was packed to the rafters that day. Manly led 10 nil early & then Parra surged to a 17 - 10 lead. Action packed finish with Tony Melrose kicking the leveling field goal.

I was at that game, one of the best clubs games I ever saw, my memory of that is Johnny Gibbs making a great last ditch tackle to tackle a runaway Mick Cronin to save us from defeat. Great days back then!

 

[manlyfan76]

1981 v Parramatta at Cumberland Oval. It was the last game played there before they burned the grandstand down after their maiden GF win. Went with my Dad. It was a fantastic game that ended in a 20all draw. Crowd was packed to the rafters that day. Manly led 10 nil early & then Parra surged to a 17 - 10 lead. Action packed finish with Tony Melrose kicking the leveling field goal.

Tony Melrose. Worked on his house 20 years ago, is wife was close to 10/10. And a nice person.

 

[sheridanstand78]

Mine was against the Roosters in 1982.....and we lost 40 - 2 😳
Ian barkley was a runaway train and kept busting the Manly defence with ease and I think Manly signed him on the back of this performance, though never played close to this good in Manly colors...Crusher Cleal was a powerhouse for Roosters and certainly played great at Manly and by 1987, was part of a raging hot Manly GF winning pack that also had Rambo Gibbs and my favourite front rower of all time - Kevin Ward....
Everything went bad in this game and I went there with high hopes....still recall the confetti flying and the atmosphere was electric at the SCG, just a pity aboout the FT score...

That was one powerful day, they absolutely killed us that day and in my view Easts scored the best try I ever saw scored against us, at least 15 passes, I was sitting in the Turner stand with the rest of our supporters club and I stood and applauded that one. Not a pleasant memory lol!

 

[John Nicholson]

At the risk of making myself feel decrepit I will admit that the first Manly game I remember going to was Manly vs Souths at Brookvale in 1953 (but could have been a year or so either side). Pretty sure Roy Bull and Rex played and I think also my all time favourite winger George (Galloping Major) Hugo. Pretty vague but I think we got flogged. The big attraction of the day was to see Clive Churchill play. I thought he was pretty ordinary TBH. Another thing I remember is Souths had a little Chinese half back playing reserve grade. ( ? Wong). It was pretty unusual to see an Asian playing RL in those days.

I was probably at that game, as my parents used to take me to every Brookie game. I wouldn't remember any details of the games then as I was more interested in collecting empty drink bottles for the deposit money.
I do have memories of Rex Mossop and George Hugo though, the latter being described by a journalist as likened to " a tired man running in wet sand". That comment, however shone no light on the utter strength of the man, who's charges with the ball always excited us kids.
A few years later I became a Manly tragic.

 

[Grail]

My first game was against St George SCG in 1967. I think the score was 12 all

 

[The Wheel]

I remember that game. 91 I think. Tooves got a try as well. Ridge to stokes and he goes the length. On a funny note how was Stokes opposite that night. Michael Erickson! Now he was a quality winger. Lol

I was there that game on the old hill at Parra behind the goal posts. Tony Iro had a blinder as well from memory

 

[manly al]

1984 v Eels at Belmore oval of all places . Manly had a few key players out and Sterling "s kicking game was too good for the majority of the game and seemed to be the difference in Manly finally going down . Still recall the match fairly well , Alan Thompson scored a couple of tries for a Manly comeback in the 2 nd half but too many good players out to go on with it

 

[40 nil]

Can't remember the first game I attended, but it was sometime in 1965. The following year, I was probably at every home game, some away games & several Match of the Days at the SCG. We were beaten Balmain 8-5 in the preliminary final. In that game, Barnes kicked 4 penalty goals whilst Fulton scored a try & Batty a goal for us. There was a game sometime in the early 60's when (I think) we were beaten 22-15 by Balmain at Leichardt Oval - Barnes 11 penalty goals; Manly 5 tries!

Fun fact: 1966 taxi fare SCG to Dee Why West $3 🙂

1966 was Bozo's first year at the club. I have vivid memories of all the players in the team list below, except maybe Peter Kelly. I think 11 of the 23 players were local juniors.

ANTUNAC, TONY
BATTY, BOB
BRADSTREET, BILL
CAMERON, ROB
DAY, KEN
FULTON, ROBERT
GALLAGHER, PETER
GIBSON, PAUL
HAMILTON, WILLIAM
JONES, FRED
KELLY, PETER
KNOX, DAVID
MCDONELL, JOHN
MCTAGGART, GEORGE
MORGAN, JOHN
SIMMONS, MICK
STANTON, FRANK
TENNANT, ALEC
VEIVERS, MICK
WALKADEN, DOUG
WHILEY, ED
YAKICH, FRED
YAKICH, NICK

 

[Freddo]

Can't remember the first game I attended, but it was sometime in 1965. The following year, I was probably at every home game, some away games & several Match of the Days at the SCG. We were beaten Balmain 8-5 in the preliminary final. In that game, Barnes kicked 4 penalty goals whilst Fulton scored a try & Batty a goal for us. There was a game sometime in the early 60's when (I think) we were beaten 22-15 by Balmain at Leichardt Oval - Barnes 11 penalty goals; Manly 5 tries!

Fun fact: 1966 taxi fare SCG to Dee Why West $3 🙂

1966 was Bozo's first year at the club. I have vivid memories of all the players in the team list below, except maybe Peter Kelly. I think 11 of the 23 players were local juniors.

ANTUNAC, TONY
BATTY, BOB
BRADSTREET, BILL
CAMERON, ROB
DAY, KEN
FULTON, ROBERT
GALLAGHER, PETER
GIBSON, PAUL
HAMILTON, WILLIAM
JONES, FRED
KELLY, PETER
KNOX, DAVID
MCDONELL, JOHN
MCTAGGART, GEORGE
MORGAN, JOHN
SIMMONS, MICK
STANTON, FRANK
TENNANT, ALEC
VEIVERS, MICK
WALKADEN, DOUG
WHILEY, ED
YAKICH, FRED
YAKICH, NICK

Some great names there. I remember "Two Ton" Tony Antunac had a prodigious boot on him. Was watching Manly play Newtown at Henson park on a grey and windy day and Newtown had Manly pinned on thier own line for quite a while. The ball went to Tony A about 5 yards out from our own line in the south west corner and he reefed it downfield and found touch about 5 yards out from Newtown's line in the north east corner. Must have been close to a hundred yard kick on the diagonal. Should mention he did have roaring southerly behind him but it was still an almighty kick.
Note for younger generation: A yard is just slightly less than a metre.

 

[40 nil]

I remember "Two Ton" Tony Antunac had a prodigious boot on him

Interesting - Henson Park didn't have much wind protection. Antunac was a great running forward. I think it was uncommon at that time for forwards to kick in general play, although there were a few goal kicking forwards.

 

[Freddo]

Interesting - Henson Park didn't have much wind protection. Antunac was a great running forward. I think it was uncommon at that time for forwards to kick in general play, although there were a few goal kicking forwards.

Yeah you are absolutely right, no one was more surprised than our group except maybe the Newtown guys. I can't really remember him kicking anywhere else. It might have been like Mick Veivers field goal. Shame T.A. went to Wests but didn't hear too much about him after that.

 

[Shoe1]

Tony Melrose. Worked on his house 20 years ago, is wife was close to 10/10. And a nice person.

That’s a 10 then surely

 

[Shoe1]

I was probably at that game, as my parents used to take me to every Brookie game. I wouldn't remember any details of the games then as I was more interested in collecting empty drink bottles for the deposit money.
I do have memories of Rex Mossop and George Hugo though, the latter being described by a journalist as likened to " a tired man running in wet sand". That comment, however shone no light on the utter strength of the man, who's charges with the ball always excited us kids.
A few years later I became a Manly tragic.

Great quote tired man running in wet sand :0)

reminds me of Vic Mauro, considered a plodder on here, but live at brookie he was the king of post contact metres before they were invented.

 

[Eagles2nv]

My first Manly game wasn't a season game, but pre season.

97 vs roosters. Couldn't tell you the result, I was only a young bloke.

 

[Brissie Kid]

Jeez that top photo could be Michael Whitney and the bottom one Lance Thompson!

Spot on! I'm pretty sure that is John Jansen. But I always get him and Robert Stone mixed up!. The Manly player is Ray Higgs the ex Eels. Not sure who the tackler is. Seems to be #1 which was probably Ted Goodwin.

The Dragon in the bottom photo is 5/8th Rod McGregor. Not sure who the Dragon in the background is.

 

[WESTIE]

Away game at Orana Park...campbelltown ....vs the magpies....pre 90s...we won.