Back before the days of Champion Data, when, to paraphrase our Chairman, a sub was an under-water vessel, and when a War Room was something most suitably avoided, football was very much a different entity.
For instance, the year previous in 1934, champion South Melbourne player Laurie Nash booted 18 goals representing Victoria against South Australia. Of the current day Swans, only Adam Goodes, Ryan O’Keefe and Lance Franklin have had the honour of representing their state, while only Franklin has registered a double-figure goal tally in a senior game, when he kicked 13 playing for Hawthorn against North Melbourne in 2012.
But as much as the game has changed, some similarities remain.
The last time the club registered 12-straight victories, in 1935, the players also had the chance to enjoy a break courtesy of the bye. And, much like many of the current crop of Swans players, the then South Melbourne players took the opportunity to travel north to warmer climates.
But again, that’s where the modern game differs.
While several current Swans players got the chance to put their feet up and relax in places such as Byron Bay and Noosa, top-of-the-table South players sailed up the east coast of Australia for a two-game series of exhibition matches against third-placed Collingwood.
The first match, played in Brisbane, saw the Magpies come out on top, while days later in Newcastle, South got their revenge to level the series at one win apiece.
However, the matches proved disastrous for South, as key players Nash, Bob Pratt and Jock McKenzie all returned with injuries and were severely limited in their preparations for the round 14 match against Carlton.
Pratt eventually missed his first game of the season as the Blues made it ten wins in a row themselves, running out 41-point victors at Princes Park.
Despite the end of the winning run, South didn’t drop another game for the remainder of the home and away season and qualified for the Grand Final with a 21-point win over Collingwood in the second semi-final, thanks largely to Pratt’s six goals.
Unfortunately Pratt couldn’t take his place in the Grand Final a fortnight later, again against the Magpies for the sixth time that season, after he was collected by a truck on the Thursday night before the decider.
After stepping off a tram on High Street, Prahran, the truck driver – later revealed to be a South Melbourne supporter – caught the champion goalkicker, who had 103 goals to his name for the season, injuring Pratt’s ankle and cutting both legs.
Collingwood would avenge their semi-final defeat to claim the flag by 20 points in front of 54,000 at the MCG.
A South Melbourne team photographed before a match in 1935
