Both Perth commercial channels having the privilege? Could 7 and 9 not do a coin-toss to decide who would take it?
Would have to rely on ABC’s replay coverage. Likewise, areas like Northern Territory, Mount Isa and regional WA and all the remote areas not covered by commercial TV at all.
Surprising that Adelaide didn’t take it given ADS7 was owned in common with HSV7 but there were sometimes conflicts in Adelaide with SANFL Grand Final being played at the same time, so maybe ADS7 just let the VFL go and have viewers wait for ABC.
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Fox Footy still has two different intros depending on whether a match is shown live interstate on free-to-air or not.
They also used the Fox Footy/Fox Sports branding when they showed a match from one of the fta networks, either live or on replay, as can be seen here:
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Yeah SANFL Grand Final was played at the same time. Norwood beat Sturt by a point after Sturt only lost one other game the whole season.
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A television first? Looks a massive crowd, but yeah, I guess they had to limit it. I shudder to think how packed it must have been in '76.
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14.26! Talk about kicking yourself out of it!
I never knew the SANFL and VFL grand finals used to clash, but given the interstate and competition rivalries (plus that they were the same sport played in the same season), I guess it makes sense that they finished on the same day.
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From 1968-75 there was also the Championship of Australia game/tournament which the premiers would play off for in early-mid October, so it would make sense they’d play the Grand Finals on the same day.
From '79 the SANFL moved their Grand Final to either the Sunday after the VFL Grand Final or into the first week of October (Labour Day weekend in SA).
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Channel 8 in Darwin still wasn’t fully operational in the wake of Tracy (probably didn’t have the capability for live feeds from elsewhere), and wouldn’t be so for a number of years. I’d expect they may have gotten a tape delayed replay if they showed it at all.
certainly no capacity for live feeds from anywhere AFAIK. They may have broadcast the game on tape delay, which could have been days or even longer later, but it’s probably more likely Darwin viewers just had to rely on the ABC replay which was on relay from Queensland.
I didn’t mind that one either.
Is this the old first grade NSWRL on ABC?
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Yes. Winfield Cup. In fact, Raiders and Panthers actually looks a ½ decent game.
When I reflect on watching rugby league on Saturday afternoons on the ABC, the only vague memories I have are of shitty little games from Leichhardt.
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In '76 they ran out of tickets after 67,000, the SANFL’s solution was to throw open the gates for free, until police closed them due to minor crush injuries 90 minutes before the opening bounce. People were then allowed to sit on the boundary. Police estimates of the crowd was around 80,000.
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FOUND:
Ch7’s original broadcast of the 1978 Grand Final, as it went to air on September 30.
Includes pre-game entertainment, halftime, post match presentation, and commercials throughout.
Rescued from being destroyed 20 years ago by Al, sent to me, then sent to be digitised meticulously by FlemishDog, and now we’ve put it up online.
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From back in the days when Australia would play tests at the MCG against the Black Caps. It seems strange now that avoiding defeat by Aotearoa could be a landmark. While it’s great to see the Black Caps returning to the Boxing Day Test in 2026, it bears remembering a little competition that Nine did for season 87-88.
With support of a rouges gallery of radio stations joining the promotion.
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So you had to pick a team that looks the most like a set of spanners? 
IYKYK
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Entry forms can be found at all fish and chip shops right across Australia.
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20 Years Ago today was the Tsunami Disaster Appeal match at the MCG. Asian XI vs World XI. World XI won easily. Was amused that Glenn McGrath batted at Number 6.
The ICC even made the match a Fully sanctioned One Day International.
Channel 9 while broadcasting also made it a semi telethon
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