AS THE sole field umpire of the 1970 VFL Grand Final between Collingwood and Carlton, the late Don Jolley whistled in and called time on what is generally considered the greatest Grand Final of all time.

The whistle used by Jolley in that famous contest and still in working order, was later mounted on a trophy carrying the inscription “King for a Day” and presented to him by representatives of the then VFL Umpires’ Association.

Until Jolley’s death, the item was prominently displayed in his room at a nursing home in Melbourne’s east.

Last month, more than 50 years after he officiated in that match on the MCG, Jolley’s daughter Maree Richardson, who took possession of the trophy from her late mother Rosemary, paid Ikon Park a visit to hand the artefact over to the Carlton Football Club archive.

The 1970 Grand Final – the only Grand Final Jolley umpired – brought together the game’s two greatest rivals before a record attendance of 121,696. The game endures for Carlton’s incredible second half-revival, in somehow transforming a 44-point half-time deficit into a 10-point win – and for Alex Jesaulenko’s famous mark over Graeme Jenkin.

Jolley, who had umpired the previous weekend’s Preliminary Final involving Carlton and St Kilda, got the call-up for the game ahead of Jeff Crouch, who had officiated as field umpire in the second semi between Carlton and Collingwood – and when Crouch learnt that Jolley had beaten him to the big job, he filled his great mate’s whistle with champagne and wished him luck.

In reflecting on her father’s story, Maree reminded that Jolley inherited his parents’ support for Collingwood – co-incidentally the club his wife also supported - so was persona non grata in the family home on the night after the Grand Final – Saturday, September 26, 1970.

“I remember very clearly that Dad was too scared to go home that night, because Mum was one-eyed Collingwood,” Maree said.

“When Dad finally made it in the door Mum said to him: “I’m not going to cook for you for a week, you made Collingwood lose’.

“I also remember that one of my brothers got picked on at school because of Dad’s umpiring and I’d jump in to help him. I was a bit of a tomboy.

“But Dad observed the unwritten rule that you could never favour the team you supported. ”

Born on July 22, 1934, Jolley grew up in neighbouring Coburg and Brunswick, and played football for Lincoln Stars U17s, North Brunswick YCW, Coburg YCW (of which he became a Life Member) and Carlton in the Sunday Football League.

His rise to umpiring senior football began when he joined the VFL Reserve Grade for the 1959 season after a work colleague recommended it as a great way to meet people. He was promoted to the Senior List in 1962 and until early 1966 umpired the usual apprenticeship in the country.

Left paraplegic following a serious car accident in 1978, Jolley was awarded an OAM for services to disabled sport and also afforded the privilege of tossing the coin for the 1981 Grand Final (ironically resulting in another Carlton Premiership at Collingwood’s expense).

He umpired 90 senior League matches in total from 1966-1971 – the ’70 Grand Final the daddy of them all.

“Dad umpired that Grand Final in front of the biggest crowd ever, a record crowd that’s never been broken,” Maree said.

“He was nervous going into that game, which was only natural, and he ended up with a sore toe (when the Collingwood ruckman Graeme Jenkin stood on it).”

Jolley died at the age of 74 in 2008.

On his passing, Crouch talked of his colleague’s incredible fighting spirit.

“‘Jol’ was a top umpire largely because he had the respect of the players and the administrators,” said Crouch.

“He treated umpiring seriously but was never short of the right phrase to break up scenes that could have become ugly. He certainly has a stack of friends from all walks of life.”

In 2018, Maree’s older brother Peter was tragically killed in a car accident. By then she had already taken guardianship of her late father’s trophy, and with the consent of another older brother Anthony (who now lives in England) and two younger sisters Leanne and Debra, saw fit to forward the trophy to Carlton.

“The trophy had for a long time been sitting in a cabinet at my home, but I’m not getting any younger and I wanted it to go to a place where people would appreciate it - from past players to current players and younger to older supporters,” Maree said.

“A friend of mine Peter, a Carlton supporter who I’ve known for more than 30 years, suggested that the club might be interested – and as I very much doubted Collingwood would be keen, Carlton seemed like the right place.”

Jolley was often called the laughing umpire because of his engaging personality and his sheer lust for life. An enduring memory for Maree are the after-match player gatherings at which she’d join her father in socialising with players of the competing teams, in keeping with Jolley’s long-held standard.

As Maree recalled: “Dad always said the game is for fun – and if you lose there’s always next week”.