I and the other 11,221 fans at West Park on that September day in 1983 can remember it as clearly as yesterday.
It was grand final day and the two teams were Smithton and Cooee.
Both sides were stacked to the hilt with great players including Tom Lee, Max Deverell and Darrel Shepherd for Cooee and Stephen Parsons, `Knobs’ and John Korpershoek, Barry Newman and Stephen Coombe for Smithton and did they turn on a cracker of a game that will be remembered forever.
The final score saw Smithton win their first ever NWFU/NTFL flag by a point kicking 20:17 (132) to Cooee’s 21:10 (131).
But while the one point margin and superb skills displayed were absolute first class, it was the work done by the respective full forwards that left the fans speechless.
In one goal square was the best player I have seen in Tasmania in Bulldog Stephen Beaumont. At the other end was a bloke not far behind him in Saint’s spearhead Tony Maguire.
Standing around 178 cm or 5 foot nine in the old, Beaumont could do it all. Quick on the lead, strong overhead, great on the ground and a fantastic kick. If caught behind, `Bowie’ would simply jump on the full back’s shoulders and never took a backward step.
`Birder’ was a different type of player. He was a big, big man at around 192 cm (6 feet 4) and weighed over 100 plus kilos. He was a good lead, a strong mark and one of the best drop punt kicks you would wish to see. I saw Peter McKenna when he played at Devonport kicking them from 60 and `Birder’ was as good as him.
It seemed to me and every other fan crammed in that day that every time either side went forward `Bowie’ or `Birder’ got it and goaled. I think Beaumont kicked around 10 for the day and Maguire about 11.
Both sides double teamed the goal kickers knowing if they somehow shut them down they would win but it did not work. It was too each man’s credit how they kept presenting knowing full well they were going to get crunched by a few extra backmen.
I can still see Beaumont hitting and splitting open a pack at full steam in the third term and then swoop on the loose ball among a sea of Saints and under pressure kick over his shoulder a goal from 40 metres out. Then at the start of the last quarter Maguire marked inside the centre square following a huge torpedo from Newman then dobbed a drop punt goal from 65. Breathtaking stuff. Sadly we don’t often see stuff like that these days but we still love the footy as much now as we did then.
Next week, some big name players in representative games.

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The Flyin Swan

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Go Dee's.

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GO SAINTS

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