Matchday football form \u2018The Bloodbath\u2019, signed by the then Carlton captain Bob Chitty and his men, currently on display at IKON Park<\/p>\n
The late Jim Clark always remembered the passing comment of an ex-serviceman, one of the 63,000 who somehow crammed into Princes Park on the afternoon of the most infamous of all Grand Finals in 1945.<\/p>\n
Said Clark: \u201cOf \u2018The Bloodbath\u2019, I heard a fella say, \u2018I was at the wrong war\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s 80 years ago today (September 29) since Carlton and South Melbourne engaged in what history records is the most spiteful of Grand Finals ever staged \u2013 ironically in the Year of Peace and Victory – before the greatest gathering of humanity for a game of football on Princes Park.<\/p>\n
With the MCG a wartime base for the United States Army Air Forces, the Royal Australian Air Force, the US Marine Corps and the RAAF, Princes Park provided the venue for 62,986 people.<\/p>\n
There they saw Carlton complete an incredible run of 13 victories from the final 14 matches (having at one point in the season been placed 12th and last with a percentage of 57.4%) \u2013 including the semi final win over North, the brutal Preliminary Final victory over Collingwood and of course the big one over the Bloods, 15.13 (103) to 10.15 (75).<\/p>\n
The officiating field umpire Spokes worked overtime, for as history records, a total of nine players (six South Melbourne, three Carlton) were reported on a total of 15 charges arising from The Bloodbath, with a mammoth 72 matches worth of suspensions later imposed across the board.<\/p>\n
How The Argus’ Percy Taylor reported The Bloodbath<\/p>\n
The VFL Tribunal heard the charges on the Tuesday evening after the contest and made the following findings:<\/p>\n
Ted Whitfield (South Melbourne), suspended until December 31, 1946 for his incident with goal umpire Les Whyte in the final quarter, in which he used abusive language, then attempted to strike Whyte, and ran down the field and lifted his guernsey to try to avoid being reported. Whitfield was the only reported player not to appear at the tribunal to defend himself; and a couple of weeks later was sacked by South. He was also suspended for two weeks for time-wasting by kicking the ball away after a free kick;<\/p>\n
Jack Williams (South Melbourne), suspended for twelve weeks: eight weeks for fighting with Rod McLean, and four weeks for using abusive language towards the umpires;<\/p>\n
Don Grossman (South Melbourne), suspended for eight weeks for striking Jim Mooring;<\/p>\n
Jim Cleary (South Melbourne), suspended for eight weeks for striking Ken Hands, but cleared of a further charge of attempting to strike Bob Chitty;<\/p>\n
Bob Chitty (Carlton), suspended for eight weeks for elbowing Bill Williams;<\/p>\n
Ron Savage (Carlton), suspended for eight weeks for striking Don Grossman; and<\/p>\n
Herbie Matthews (South Melbourne) was severely reprimanded for time-wasting by throwing the ball away after a free kick.<\/p>\n
Carlton\u2019s Ken Hands and South\u2019s Keith Smith were the only two players found not guilty of their respective charges.<\/p>\n
A subsequent investigation also saw Carlton\u2019s Fred Fitzgibbon\u00a0brought before the VFL committee. Fitzgibbon, who had been suspended for four matches for striking Collingwood\u2019s Len Hustler\u00a0in the Preliminary Final, had charged onto the field in his civvies on Grand Final day, in an attempt to strike a South player \u2013 only to be escorted from the ground by police.<\/p>\n
Fitzgibbon was suspended for a further four matches.<\/p>\n