HISTORY records the much-anticipated match at Marvel Stadium between Carlton and Sydney as the first involving the two teams on a Friday night in Melbourne.
So for the purposes of Throwback Thursday, we’ve had to dust the cobwebs off a 30 year-old VHS tape containing moving images of the Round 20 contest between the two teams on Sunday 2 August 1992 at the SCG.
Carlton opened the match in spirited fashion to lead by 11 points at the main change, but that was met with interest by way of an eight-goal second quarter Swans onslaught. The Blues managed to narrow the deficit from 19 points to seven by three-quarter time, setting up a “ring-a-ding-ding” final quarter to quote the late Lou Richards.
On the cusp of a frenetic final term called by another former great of the game Ted Whitten, Carlton Senior Coach David Parkin rang the changes – switching centre half-forward Earl Spalding with centre half-back Jon Dorotich and pushing Peter Dean into the front half.
The changes worked with telling effect in a frenetic final term: Dorotich and Dean both hitting the scoreboard, Luke O’Sullivan and an exhausted Craig Bradley contributing inspirational goals and Stephen Kernahan typically leading the way with six goals – two of them from big grabs when they were most needed.