The Glory of '04

As part of an ongoing peek back into Uni Blues history and with an eye fixed on this Saturday’s reunion for the 2004 Triple Premiership, we relive events in September 2004 (courtesy of the season’s final edition of “Blues Brief”)…

SENIORS

The University Blues football club completed its dominant 2004 season on Sunday, beating St.Bernards in the A Grade Grand Final. For the players, it was a feeling of exhilaration and joy, for the support staff, a sense of relief that after 44 years of Uni Blues wilderness we had finally one the big one again.

The first five minutes of the game was a solid arm wrestle, with both teams trying to enforce their own style of play on the game. It was Uni who got their run working first resulting in our captain Boots kicking the first goal of the game after all this excitement and hoopla. The game was on and the Uni Blues were here to play. Matt Torney - The Panther (which I will now refer to him as) - was a shining light up forward and he had two goals beside his name early. Mark Paterson - Thunder and Lightning - was using his superhuman strength to dominate the packs. James Hayter - Peter Hore, J.Pest, Party Boy - was being a real pest to Dan Jordan down back. I've never played on J.Pest but I reckon it would be like having a really cold shower with someone pouring vinegar over a big graze on your bum, and chewing on a big ball of foil: annoying. Anyhow, by quarter time we had skipped out to a 5 goal to 3 lead - an above par start considering we were kicking into a relatively stiff breeze.

Relegation? Cue a Karamoshos long bomb

As part of an ongoing peek back into Uni Blues history, we recall a relegation scrap from the late 80s…

Late in the 1987 season, notable for the return of Alan Salter as coach after three years as coach of Ivanhoe, the Blues were faced with relegation for the third consecutive year.  

When players from the 1999 Uni Blues Reserves Premiership team gathered at Naughtons last month, Michael Robin was on hand to help with the reminiscing.  Mick was a popular figure at Uni Blues for the best part of two decades.  Between 1986 and 2006, he served the club in a variety of guises that included Vice President, Committee member, VAFA delegate, Chairman of Selectors and as Team Manager of senior, reserves and Under 19 teams.

Few people could claim to have seen as many Blues games in the modern era as Mick so his selection of the best players he has witnessed at the club carries some weight.  He narrows it to four:  Michael Yeo, Mark McCarty, Aaron “Duxy” Davis and Richard Furphy.

Our Man in Asia hits the ground running

Uni Blues stalwart Michael “Bomber” Thomas slipped back into Melbourne recently after a 12 month stint toiling in Kuala Lumpur. To the mild surprise of the Uni Blues coaching brains trust, Bomber was “match fit” when he touched down at Tullamarine courtesy of a brief but decorated playing career with Asian AFL powerhouse, the Malaysian Warriors.