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GEE, MY BUS IS RUNNING A BIT LATE! - The Sad Saga of Garry Sidebottom
(Article by Kraig Krieger)

St.Kilda in 1978 were a scary team

Not only were they playing good footy, narrowly missing the finals after a mid-season slump, but they had three of the most vicious players in the League.




(Above: The very talented, but scary, Robert 'Mad Dog' Muir)

Robert ‘Mad Dog’ Muir, an aboriginal player with fantastic skills, scary eyebrows and had a bad habit of running after field umpires with clenched fists after he had been reported.

Joining Muir was St.Kilda legend, ‘Big Bad’ Carl Ditterich, who was reported three times in seven weeks by the beginning of June.

And a big, tough, new recruit from Swan Districts in Western Australia, Garry Sidebottom. 'Sidey' didn’t get reported much because the umpires had usually used up all the lead in their pencils reporting Carl and Robbie before they got to Sidey!


(Above: 'Big Bad' Carl does his impression of a Sherman Tank)

In fact St.Kilda were so scary that Essendon president Colin Stubbs called them ‘animals’ after the two clubs met in a fiery encounter on May 13. That comment resulted in lawsuits being issued.

It seemed that St.Kilda finally had the goods (or fists) to win their second flag.

But it all started to go downhill for the Saints. Ditterich left the club (again) and went to Melbourne (again), earning himself a reputation as a human yo-yo.

Robbie was in dispute with the Saints, quitting the club after he failed to turn up to for a tribunal appearance for striking Carlton’s Dennis Collins and was desperately seeking a clearance to West Torrens after playing (and getting reported for kicking) with the South Australian club while suspended. St.Kilda relented and leased him to West Torrens on the understanding that he would return for the 1980 season.

The club also had serious financial problems, and after beating reigning premiers Hawthorn in round 1 of 1979, St.Kilda started losing…and ended up with another Wooden Spoon winning only 3 games.

But ‘Sidey’ was still there, playing in 21 of 22 games, kicking 56 goals, scoring 10 Brownlow votes and still making opponents listen for footsteps when they went for the ball.

In fact St.Kilda was so happy with him, that he was given the captaincy for the 1980 season.

Once again 1980 was a dismal year for the ‘Sainters.

Still no money, still unable to win, and ‘Mad Dog’ was back but still getting suspended at the tribunal.

And ‘Sidey’ was not as consistent playing only 14 games, and booting 17 goals after a personality clash with new St.Kilda playing-coach, former Carlton Premiership captain-coach from 1979, Alex Jesaulenko.


(Above: 'Sidey' back home in Perth, playing with Swan Districts in the W.A.F.L.)

One of them had to go, and so St.Kilda sent ‘Sidey’ to the team with a reputation for hitting harder with their handbags than their bodies.
‘Sidey’ was now a Pussycat at Geelong.

But what started of as a promising 1981 season for him turned sour when he was dropped after playing in the Cats opening two victories. And the Cats lost without him in the side.

So ‘Sidey’ was promoted to the seniors again in Rd 4 & 5, but both weeks saw losses again for the Cats.

‘Sidey’ didn’t appear in the seniors again until Rd. 9, when he was Geelong’s leading goal kicker (4) in a win against Fitzroy.

He was out of the side again after Rd. 11, and wasn’t named in the seniors again until the ‘do-or-die’ Preliminary Final at V.F.L. Park, against a ‘struggling-for-form’ Collingwood.



Collingwood had missed out finishing at the top of the ladder after suffering a big loss to Fitzroy at Victoria Park in the last Home & Away match.

They had been beaten by Geelong in the Qualifying Final, and were lucky to escape another loss to the Lions, thanks to a fluke, over-the-head’ goal by Ross Brewer that saw them beat the ‘Roys by a point at the M.C.G.

This was Geelong’s big chance to get into their first Grand Final since 1967 to win their first Flag in 18 years.

Coach Billy Goggin decided to try to confuse the Collingwood camp by playing different interchange players than those named on Thursday night.

Former Melbourne player, Peter Johnston, had been named with David Clarke as the two bench sitters for the match, and ‘Sidey’ was named as one of the three Emergencies.

(Below: Team page from the 1981 Preliminary Final 'Record')


But Goggin had different plans, bringing ‘Sidey’ back into the side and dropping Johnston, after ‘Sideys’ welcome return to form after being named as one of Geelong’s best in their Reserves (Statewide Cup) 2nd Semi win by 52 points over Richmond the previous week.

On the morning of the match while ‘Sidey’ was sitting at home expecting a message from the coach formally advising him of his elevation into the senior 20, Johnston had turned up to Kardinia Park and was told by Goggin that he was not playing.

But he was also told to “bring your gear in case ‘Sidey’ misses the bus”.

And miss the bus he did!


(Above: Article from '100 Years Of Australian Football')

It was reported that intense security at the club had meant that there was a communication breakdown between the interchange players’ hours before the opening bounce.

So ‘Sidey’, back in the days of no emails or mobile phones, didn’t receive the message and stayed home at Lara instead of turning up to the bus-stop to catch the team bus.

Peter Johnston after being advised that he was not playing, drove to the ground, and upon arrival at VFL Park was confronted by frantic Geelong team manager, Ian McKenzie, who was yelling out that ‘Sidey’s missed the bus. Get changed, you’re playing.”

The only problem was that Johnston had just munched his way through a large bag of hot potato chips, half of a chicken and a strawberry thickshake as well as smoking half a pack of ‘Winfield’ blue cigarettes on the drive to the ground.


(Above: Peter Johnston happily reaching out for another Strawberry thickshake and a Winnie Blue!)

And so Geelong lost by 7 points, Johnston didn’t kick a goal. And ‘Sidey’ was cleared to Fitzroy the very next season where he regained form and played 3 years for a return of 63 games and 53 goals.

Why someone didn’t drive around to ‘Sideys’ place, or give him a phone call on the morning of the match still remains a mystery to this day.

It may well have cost Geelong the 1981 Flag!





 
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