On grand final day 1979, if you were a Valleys centre up 21-0 you might be thinking there is a try on offer here.
Enter Vic Wieland off the Lewis bounce pass and Wieland runs away to score and finished the game 26-0 and claim the Brisbane premiership.
Vic Wieland Q&A
You came from Maryborough in 1977, how did you get to Valleys?
I played for Wallaroos and Valleys came to see me and made me an offer. I thought if I am going to go it may as well be now. So, I came to Brisbane. I wasn’t reluctant to go but I wasn’t super keen once I realised how running up Mount Coot-tha worked. It was pretty hot in December 1976 and I was a labourer, so working all day and running up a mountain at night wasn’t a lot of fun. I knew Tommy Duggan really well and he was coming too, so I thought we’d try this together.
You’re listed as 92kg, that’s pretty big?
I think by the end I was 96kg, but there was a lot of bigger outside backs at the time, Mal was young but very strong but I never did weights, just worked and tried to stay strong that way.
1978 grand final you score a great try but don’t get the win - Easts 14-10 - and great pass for Mick Neill to score too.
Yeah, but you lose it doesn’t really matter, it was a great run from Tom Duggan, he throws a less than spectacular pass but still got over. I thought it was enough. We were up then 8-7 and two tries to one and Wally should have got a penalty try but nothing apparently not even a penalty. I am not sure if you have to lose one, but it certainly helped us in 1979.
1979 grand final and a try to wrap it up 26-0, still your favourite day?
Yeah, I think the 1978 grand final try was a better try, but if you win, it doesn’t matter if you run two metres and juggle the ball, it’s still a great try.
Do you think the 1979 Valleys side would have beaten the 1979 Dragons side?
No, I think we could maybe stay with them for 60 minutes but they would be fitter than us, the Dragons had a few Queenslanders like Brennan, Reddy and Quinn, so it would have been fun to see.
Do you still have your 1979 grand final jumper?
Yes, it’s framed and autographed.
Four goals against the Roosters in 1979, that’s a damn good Roosters team. How did you find Fulton?
I don’t know who ever told people that I could goal kick, but I used to get the job now and then. I remember Fulton wasn’t supposed to play, but then played. We played the Roosters in 1977 too and lost 35-3 and they had Arthur and Bill Mullins- we couldn’t get a hand on Mullins. We had more issues with Mullins than Fulton.
You had a rare seat to watch a young Wally?
I watched him in a Colts game against the police academy in 1977 and I thought then this kid is different, then he came into A grade in 1978 and it took about 15 minutes to realise he was doing things us humans weren’t doing. He scored a try coming off the bench in an AMCO Cup game then he scored three on debut against Norths a week later
Favourite Valleys team mate?
I have two, Tom Duggan, wasn’t big at all but he was just a terrific mate and worker. He was just successful and a great Diehard and Peter McWhirter is my second favourite. He just controlled games and as an outside back I could just about not make a single tackle because he’d make 30 somehow.
Dream Valleys centre partner?
Gerry Fitzpatrick taught me a lot when I came into grade, he was a great centre, He won premierships in 1971, 1973 and 1974 and was a great link from that early 1970s era and late 1970s era. He played for Queensland and was just a Brisbane star. I’d say Chris Close too, he was very young in 1979, but he was just so powerful. I’d be happy with either of them.
Explain the brilliance of Struddy to me?
Struddy understood you, he knew if something wasn’t right with you and the problem would be fixed. He knew a happy footballer was a better footballer so he strived to fix anything he could for you. He was just smart.
Did you ever get an offer to leave Valleys?
I got offered $25,000 to leave and go to South Sydney but I didn’t even like Brisbane - I wasn’t going to like Sydney. I couldn’t leave Valleys anyway.
Favourite ground?
Lang Park but only at the start of the year when it had grass on it. By September it was dirt and horrible.
Is 1980 still a missed chance?
We are the defending premiers, win 14 of our first 15 games and win the minor premiership. Then lose two finals to Souths and Norths and done. You wouldn’t believe some of things that happened. I remember Struddy got spiked by running shoes and got 10 stitches in his foot, Mick Neill broke his leg, McWhirter broke his jaw and then against Norths, Wally cops a knock on the throat and needs mouth to mouth.
I asked Chris Close about his 1979 centre partner.
“I can’t speak highly enough of Victor, he was an intelligent footballer, big and fast. That Valleys 1979 team had everything and Vic was a massive part of that. He could have played for Queensland and he wouldn’t let anyone down. I only played one year with him, but he was a star in Brisbane.
“Funny story, Vic spoke with a bit of a stutter if he got excited, one day at Lang Park he’s put a hit on Mal and got up to give him a bit of a sledge. But with his stutter by the time, he got it out Mal was 20m away. I said to him that was a good one Vic, you showed him, we both had a laugh.”
