Western Storm are the only Tasmanian club to win a national club championship game in history. They defeated West Adelaide in the Foxtel Cup fixture at Adelaide Oval in early 2014. This was the Storm's first competitive game of football. They then played West Perth at Subiaco Oval but were not successful. These games were played mid-week. There is some first quarter action here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kmFZdK0kjws.html
I was there as a 15 year-old. My mother chided me for being ridiculous before the preliminary final for believing that Hobart could possibly beat Glenorchy. It was a wonderful finals series if you were a Hobart supporter, as I was.
David Watkins was my grade 6 school teacher at Lenah Valley Primary School. The room was abuzz as our head master introduced him to our class in December 1975 just prior to summer holidays as a famous Hobart premiership player. Mr Watkins was to be our teacher throughout the 1976 school year. We had all seen him on TvT6 being interviewed on the news by Harry Ward, so in our eyes, he was famous! He walked in wearing a tweed jacket and brown slacks such was the fashion back then. His favourite subject was maths and didn't he let everyone know about it. It did not take him long to assert his authority on us, issuing random mathematical questions deliberately catching the class off guard with pointed snaps of his fingers as he singled out kids demanding answers; me being one of them . My parents paid for me and my younger brother Tom to go to Melbourne that summer, but all the while I was dreading that first day of school with Mr Watkins as our abrubt and 'straight talking' teacher. My fears didn't last long. He was kind and compassionate who took great interest in his pupils and made learning fun with an emphasis on sport and recreation and social studies. Yes, he could throw his weight around with naughty kids misbehaving, but he delivered Lenah Valley to our first football grand final against Waimea Heights in '76, (just prior to the visit of the USS Enterprise) in which I played a nervous and somewhat diminished role by my standards as our team's ruck rover. We lost by one point due to fawlty time keeping from the opposite side and dodgy scoring from one of the local goal umpires all egged on by the opposition coach!. The bus ride back was a sombre occasion with not much being said, especially Mr Watkins who I suspect was privately seething. Best teacher I ever had, and to see him kick a long and high drop punt was always masterful in it's execution. Thank you Mr. Watkins, for the way you helped me shape my life. And I'm sure O'leary, Webb, Obod, Squires, Charlton, Bond et al would endorse my view. Respectfully, and most sincerely. John.
I was a mad 13 year old Hobart fan in 1973. My father took me to the game but we really had no chance. Thankfully no-one told the players or Alan Appleton. The greatest football win I’ve ever witnessed. 49 years ago is like yesterday. What a memory.
The great John devine could make grown men cry with his speeches in the rooms I was told by those who were there before I was born good old North Hobart forever
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It will be a sad day when this bloke retires, let's hope he's got a few more yrs in him yet, had a great season without much help, I can see him playing for another 3 yrs if his body allows it. Last of a generation of clubmen I'd say.
Great story, I was talking to a 60+ year Hobart supporter who reckoned that story about Appleton being sacked by the board was the first time he'd ever heard of it. Said Appleton was appointed after the unpopular sacking of Denis Munari middle of the year before, and that Appleton was always going to finish up at the end of 1973 as Trevor Leo was to be appointed the following year. Truth probably lies somewhere in between I guess.
Poor effort by the supporters, where's the jubilation? they are hardly singing the song at the end... If Lions won the flag, I'd be screaming my lungs out
Actually quite a lame reaction from supporters of a club that hadn't won a Premiership in 62 years (or even been in a GF). Plus they won it from 7th on the ladder which is almost unheard of. Should've been wild dancing in the streets!
I was sitting behind the Tiger army at the very back row of the bottom level. It was so loud over there because I was practically in the Tiger army, just undercover. I was 12 years old at the time btw and I had never heard such noise in my life… other than the previous game when we beat the Giants.
