Grand Final History
Grand Final History
Kieran Magee
Episode 49 1945 The Bloodbath
1 hour 30 minutes Posted Aug 31, 2025 at 4:33 am.
The 1945 Grand Final Overview
1945: A Pivotal Year
The VFL Returns
Coaching Changes in 1945
Round 12: A Patriotic Round
Mid-Season Team Dynamics
Final Round Showdowns
The Journey to the Finals
The Victory Finals Begin
Collingwood vs. Carlton Rivalry
The Preliminary Final Chaos
Anticipation for the Grand Final
Key Players and Coaches
Game Day: The Grand Final
The Bloodbath Begins
Aftermath of the Grand Final
Tribunal Consequences
Reflection on Violence in Football
Looking Ahead to 1946
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Show notes
Ted Whitten said it was the best game he ever saw, several of the players had no memory of what happened, a suspended player got reported and Ted Whitfield’s pre-match routine was to drink 6 beers with a top up at halftime. The Bloodbath was an extraordinary Grand Final played shortly  after the end of World War II where a football match occasionally broke out between the fights. 1945 was a pivotal year, supporters were back watching footy and the country waited for the end of hostilities, mourned the death of the US president and an Australian Prime Minister then saw the dawn of the Atomic Era. Listen to the episode to see how the 1945 season unfolded and how the legend of the Bloodbath began.