BOZO's TRIUMPHANT
FAREWELL
'Manly's win in the
1976 Grand Final was a triumph for three men in
particular - Manly Secretary Ken Arthurson, coach
Frank Stanton and captain Bob Fulton. Firstly it was
further proof of Arthurson's astuteness in bringing
the class of player the club needed to win the
premiership. For Stanton, it was his first success in
a coaching career which was to bring two premierships
and two ashes wining Kangaroo tours. Lastly for
Fulton, it was a bitter-sweet end to a fabulous
career with the Sea Eagles. In accepting the Giltinan
Shield, the tear-fillrd Manly captain capped a decade
of brilliance with the Sea Eagles in what was his
213th first grade appearance.' [Whiticker 1994, page
147.]
Source:
Smith 1991, page122
'Parramatta were
first into the Grand Final, triumphing 23-17 in a
bloody, sometimes brutal major semi-final against
Manly'. [Heads 1992, page 365.] Manly earned a grand
final berth the following week in the final,
surviving a Canterbury come back to win 15-12.
Parramatta scored
first in the Grand Final to lead 5-0. A penalty goal
to Eadie closed the score to 5-2 before Alan Thompson
side-stepped through to send Phil Lowe in for a try.
Scored were locked 7 all at half time. Geoff Gerard
scored an unconverted try for Parramatta early in the
second half, but two penalties gave Manly an 11-10
lead. 'Parramatta missed a vital opportunity to score
when winger Neville Glover put down a pass from John
Moran in the Paddington Hill corner with the try-line
wide open'. [Whiticker 1994, page 150.]
A frantic moment [Whiticker 1994, page 148.]
Another penalty gave
Manly a 13-10 lead. In the frantic dying minutes
Parramatta threw everything they had at the Manly
defence including the infamous flying wedge of
doubtful legality that had Ron Hilditch at the apex
of a phalanx of players driving him towards the line.
The wedge was somehow stopped by Eadie a foot short
of the try line.
The Manly defence
held and the Sea Eagles secured their third
premiership in five seasons and enabled the emotional
Bob Fulton to end his playing career at Manly on a
high note - as Grand Final winning captain.
Victory lap
Krilich, Stanton, Fulton and Gartner [Source: Smith 1991, page123]
For Parramatta it was
a case of the ifs. Notably, 'if Neville Glover hadn't
dropped the ball...' As Arko comments in his
biography: 'To that I would just reply that if my
aunt had balls she would be my uncle...' [Athurson
1997, page 102.]
 
Randall gets a champagne shower from Gartner |
Mooney, Randall and Harvey celebrate
[Source:
Smith 1991, page123]
Sources:
Smith 1991
Whiticker 1994
Athurson 1997
Heads
1994
|
