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In the DT weekend edition, it tells the story of the week leading upto the 1975GF v Dragoons.
Johnny Brass got a couple of death threats on the phone - stating he'd be shot if he didn't pull out of the team. At first, he thought it was a prank (as you do), but he got a few during the week from the same bloke. It was actually his wife who got them, while he was at training. The other boys were joking that they wanted to keep 10 metres from Brassy in case the bloke was a dud shot.
As he kept getting them, the police were called in and they offered some protection at his home etc.
Game day, as he got off the team bus to get into the sheds, he hears a voice in the crowd saying 'Remember what I told you on the phone'. He just ignored it at the time as there was a crowd and it didn't sink in until he was sitting in the dressing room and he wished he'd looked up to see the face.
A bit of trivia - the reason why the 1975 GF team didn't get their traditional GF team photo next to the Ladies stand (like 1974 photo and all the other previous teams) is because this potential maniac is on the loose. They took the traditional photo in the dressing shed as per my avatar. After scoring 2 tries and setting up a few more, Brass went back home straight away and didn't stay behind to celebrate with the other boys after the game.
He still doesn't know why the bloke called him and who it was, but he suspects it was a Dragons supporter who had a bet on the game.
Who was it? The Skull? His older brother? The father of Skull? The Red Skull?
It's a tale that few have known about for 45 years apart from his team mates and Gibbo. Beetson and Peard don't recount this tale in their books either so it's a well kept secret.
As for the reason why Brassy was targeted, it was obvious to me straight away. Brass' centre partner Mark Harris had to pull out the week before the GF due to injury and replaced by John Rheinburger who played only 1 first grade game for Easts, and what a game he had. If Brass had to pull out, then Easts would have had 2 rookie centres in the GF and the result then may not have been written in folklore like it is now.
So I don't think it was personal Brassy, in case you're reading!
Johnny Brass got a couple of death threats on the phone - stating he'd be shot if he didn't pull out of the team. At first, he thought it was a prank (as you do), but he got a few during the week from the same bloke. It was actually his wife who got them, while he was at training. The other boys were joking that they wanted to keep 10 metres from Brassy in case the bloke was a dud shot.
As he kept getting them, the police were called in and they offered some protection at his home etc.
Game day, as he got off the team bus to get into the sheds, he hears a voice in the crowd saying 'Remember what I told you on the phone'. He just ignored it at the time as there was a crowd and it didn't sink in until he was sitting in the dressing room and he wished he'd looked up to see the face.
A bit of trivia - the reason why the 1975 GF team didn't get their traditional GF team photo next to the Ladies stand (like 1974 photo and all the other previous teams) is because this potential maniac is on the loose. They took the traditional photo in the dressing shed as per my avatar. After scoring 2 tries and setting up a few more, Brass went back home straight away and didn't stay behind to celebrate with the other boys after the game.
He still doesn't know why the bloke called him and who it was, but he suspects it was a Dragons supporter who had a bet on the game.
Who was it? The Skull? His older brother? The father of Skull? The Red Skull?
It's a tale that few have known about for 45 years apart from his team mates and Gibbo. Beetson and Peard don't recount this tale in their books either so it's a well kept secret.
As for the reason why Brassy was targeted, it was obvious to me straight away. Brass' centre partner Mark Harris had to pull out the week before the GF due to injury and replaced by John Rheinburger who played only 1 first grade game for Easts, and what a game he had. If Brass had to pull out, then Easts would have had 2 rookie centres in the GF and the result then may not have been written in folklore like it is now.
So I don't think it was personal Brassy, in case you're reading!
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