BRENT GODDE: You were born in Albury and attended Lavington East Public School before your family moved to Tallangatta?

PAUL HURST: I was around ten years old when we relocated to Tallangatta because my father had an earthworks business and a lot of his work at the time was in that area.

BG: Your neighbours were well-known throughout the district?

PH: We lived next to Ian and Clive Butler who I would later play football with at North Albury. A bit further down the road was Steve and 'Barney' Brown.

BG: Some of your schoolmates at Tallangatta were also well-known?

PH: John Smith was a year below me at Tallangatta High School.

BG: What was 'Smithy' like at school?

PH: 'Smithy' would always sit next to me in exams and cheat like buggery.

BG: You have an interesting nickname for 'Smithy'?

PH: I always call him the 'Tallandoon Tit Puller'. His family had a dairy farm on the way to Eskdale and when his old man was away, Johnny had to do the milking.

BG: You have fond memories of your time in Tallangatta?

PH: I remember as a kid there was a park near Marty Brown's place. There was a flagpole in the middle. I would spend hour upon hour in the park practicing my kicking and trying to hit the flagpole.

BG: I'm guessing you played your junior football for Tallangatta?

PH: I started running the boundary for Tallangatta when I was a teenager. The club promised me a pound a week. I ran the boundary for three weeks and didn't receive a cent. Then a bloke from Bullioh, Jim Pretty, got in my ear and said come out to Bullioh and we will pay you, so I did.

BG: How did that go down?

PH: Not well. Tallangatta and Bullioh were fierce rivals at the time and once I switched clubs nobody from Tallangatta wanted to know me.

BG: Did you make your senior debut for Bullioh?

PH: I was 15 and still running the boundary and one day in the middle of the year Les Hanley didn't turn up. So I got the call-up and played on a wing. I played every match for the remainder of the season.

BG: You went to boarding school down in Melbourne the following year?

PH: I attended Peninsula Grammar but I still used to come home on weekends during footy season to play for Bullioh.

BG: You used to hitchhike home from Melbourne?

PH: The school wouldn't let you leave on weekends unless you had a train ticket to get home. But I used to show them the ticket and then go cash it in and hitchhike home in my school uniform to save a bit of extra money.

BG: You attended Bendigo Teachers' College after you finished school?

PH: I had a stint at Golden Square before joining Sandhurst in the Bendigo league.

BG: During the 1969 off-season you attracted some interest from Geelong?

PH: I was on holidays from teachers' college and back at Tallangatta playing cricket. One of the blokes in our side knew some officials from Geelong and told them about me and I got invited to do a pre-season.

BG: But you end up doing a pre-season with Carlton?

PH: Back in those days there was zoning and under the rules Carlton had the first option of signing me.

BG: You called into Princes Park one day on your way to watch the Harlem Globetrotters play in Melbourne?

PH: I was driving past so I thought I may as well call in and introduce myself and see if Carlton would let me do a pre-season with Geelong.

BG: What was Carlton's reaction?

PH: I introduced myself to Bert Deacon and Carlton happened to be training at the time. So he organised some training gear for me and I had a run with them.

BG: No doubt a huge thrill at the time?

PH: I was a bit starstruck with most of the Carlton stars there including Wes Lofts, Ian Collins, Barry Gill and Ron Barassi was coach at the time.

BG: You must have made a good first impression because Deacon wanted you to play in a practice match the following Saturday?

PH: I played in the seconds and Ian Robertson was also having a run in the early game because he had cricket commitments. I was playing against him in the centre and looking back was a bit young and dumb. Anyhow I had a punch up with Robertson and Barassi dragged me.

BG: Did Barassi spray you for fighting one of the Blues' star players?

PH: Barassi told me to sit on the bench and have a rest because he wanted me to play in the seniors practice match later that day.

BG: Carlton must have seen some potential in you?

PH: I played in practice matches most weeks for the next six weeks. Anyhow I had one particularly good intra-club match when I was against Bert Thornley. I was shocked when they announced their senior list for the 1970 season later that night and my name was called out.

BG: You made your VFL debut in the opening round against Essendon as a 21-year-old?

PH: I started on the bench and I remember Alex Jesaulenko had a day out and kicked nine goals. I played on the half-forward flank and managed to get a few touches.

BG: How did you find Barassi as a coach?

PH: When I first arrived at Princes Park we were doing circle work and he called us all in. Barassi said to me 'give us the ball son.' So I threw it to him. Barassi swore at me and said if I ever see you throw the ball again you can clean out your locker. Obviously I should have handballed it to him and it was a harsh lesson to cop in front of the playing group.

BG: You managed six matches in your debut season?

PH: I remember I played the first six matches off the bench and then played the rest of the season in the reserves. Barassi called me into his office at the end of the season and laid it on the line. He basically told me to improve quickly or I would be shown the door.

BG: You missed out on playing in the flag that season?

PH: It was a star studded side but looking back I needed to bulk up to take my game to the next level.

BG: Barassi also told you that you needed to work on your fitness?

PH: I remember Barassi would often join in the running drills and was beating some of the players including me.

BG: Barassi was a competitive beast?

PH: I remember Barassi organised a knockout round robin table tennis tournament between all the players. Barassi was only an average player but through sheer determination won the competition and the first prize of a new wardrobe.

BG: In 1971 you suffered some serious facial injuries in a practice match against Richmond?

PH: Frankie Dimattina got me with an elbow and broke my jaw and I missed around the first eight weeks of the season from memory. I also had to have a plate in my mouth and get some broken teeth removed. I lost a stack of weight because I couldn't eat and was on a liquid diet.

BG: You come back through the reserves but managed to play the last three matches of the season?

PH: I think the side suffered a bit of a premiership hangover that year and we missed out on playing finals.

BG: Barassi was replaced by John Nicholls who was appointed captain-coach in 1972?

PH: Barassi stepped down and told the playing group he made the tough decision because he felt he was no longer getting his message across to the players.

BG: 'Big Nick' proved to be innovative and was one of the first coaches in the VFL/AFL to introduce a fitness instructor?

PH: George Frigo was hired as a personal trainer and put most of the players on a weights program to bulk up and was runner on match day.

BG: You put on a fair bit of size over the pre-season?

PH: I started on the weights and went from 11-stone ringing wet to 14-stone over the summer.

BG: It paid dividends because you enjoyed a breakout season?

PH: Not only was I a lot bigger and stronger than previous years but I was a lot fitter. In the running drills I went from being in the middle of the pack to not being far behind the elite runners of the group like Brent Crosswell and 'Swan' McKay.

BG: You had a bit of a health scare mid-season and missed three weeks?

PH: I remember I was at school teaching and didn't feel well. I went to training that night and told the club doctor. He gave me a jab and said go home and rest up. So I went home but became violently ill and couldn't stop vomiting.

BG: Sounds serious?

PH: I got rushed to St Vincent's Hospital and after a few tests it was discovered that I had a burst appendix.

BG: How many weeks did you miss?

PH: I flew back home to Tallangatta for a couple of weeks to recover but was back playing in three weeks.

BG: The rivalry between Carlton and Collingwood during the 1970s was huge. What was it like to play at Victoria Park during that era?

PH: When you played at Victoria Park you wouldn't park anywhere near the ground because if the Collingwood supporters saw you getting out of your car and recognised you they would kick your doors in.

BG: Did you ever fear for your safety?

PH: I would never leave Victoria Park by myself after a match, especially if we had won. I always made sure I was in a group because there was safety in numbers.

BG: You tangled with Collingwood rover Ronnie Wearmouth near the boundary at Victoria Park in 1972?

PH: The long haired little smart arse gave me an ankle tap so I grabbed hold of him and we were wrestling so I gave him one and knocked him over the fence.

BG: That would have got the crowd going?

PH: It was in front of the Collingwood crowd and all the supporters pelted their cans at me.

BG: So you weren't a popular figure with the Pies supporters.

PH: I remember walking off after the match and there was a cage above you as you went into the changerooms and there were several Collingwood supporters spitting at me.

BG: Did you retaliate?

PH: The Collingwood supporters were maggots. Essendon supporters were just as bad at Windy Hill and Vin Waite and I tried to get through the wire to get at them one day when they were spitting on us.

BG: Carlton finished minor premier in 1972 and you played Richmond in the second semi-final which ended in a draw?

PH: I remember being my first final I was quite anxious so the club doctor gave me some valium. It made me as loose as a goose and I was only half there and hardly got a touch.

BG: You had to play Richmond again the following week because there was no extra time back then?

PH: I started on the bench because of my poor performance the previous week. We got flogged by 42 points but then beat St Kilda in the preliminary final to set up a rematch with Richmond in the grand final.

BG: There was 112,000 packed into the MCG for the decider, it must have been a surreal experience?

PH: For a young kid from the bush to make it to the MCG on grand final day - it felt like my feet didn't touch the ground as I was running out.

BG: The grand final was a shootout with the final score of 28.9 (177) to 22.18 (150) the highest in VFL/AFL history?

PH: 'Big Nick' loaded up our attack with marking targets with Jezza, Robert Walls and himself starting forward. Big Percy Jones rucked for a lot of the day. The tactic paid dividends with the three big forwards combining for 19 goals.

BG: You were named in the Blues' best in the grand final?

PH: The three big forwards dominated but Doull, Southby and myself were also influential down back.

BG: You went to Greece with the All-Australian side over the off-season with some big names at the time including Royce Hart, Gary Dempsey, Wayne Richardson and Mal Brown.

PH: I had previously had a dust up with Mal Brown in the national championships before we went to Greece. So one morning when we were over in London I snuck into his room while he was asleep and threw a bucket of ice on him. Big Mal chased me down the hallway in the raw but thankfully he didn't catch me.

BG: In 1973 and 1974 you only played a handful of matches before joining Melbourne after 53 matches at Princes Park?

PH: I enjoyed my time at Melbourne and met a stack of ripping blokes like Stan Alves, Robert Flower and Greg Wells. I was coached by Bob Skilton who was a much better player than coach in my opinion.

BG: You play a further 19 VFL matches with Melbourne, have a stint at Coburg before joining North Albury in 1979?

PH: North Albury tried to get me to Bunton Park in 1969 when John Sharrock was coach. Sharrock tried to move heaven and earth to get me to sign and even offered to buy me a GT Falcon worth $3500. I went to Carlton instead and I remember my match payment was $35 at the Blues.

BG: Lavington and Albury were also keen to sign you at the time?

PH: They were but Tim Robb was involved with North Albury who I had a long association with and swayed me to sign with the Hoppers. If I had my time again I would have probably gone to Albury who was coached by the late Jack Clancy.

BG: You were a big fan of Jack's?

PH: I rate Jack and Mick Hodgkin as the two best players I have seen in the bush.

BG: It was obviously a smart decision to join North Albury because you won a flag in 1980?

PH: It nearly didn't happen. I was involved in a clearance wrangle with Coburg in 1979 and I didn't get cleared until midway through the season on appeal.

BG: John Smith was coach in 1979?

PH: I did all the pre-season drills, pre-match talks as well as speaking at the huddles. The club didn't pay me that season and did me out of $3500 which I was filthy with at the time. I wasn't the only bloke that missed out.

BG: You finally made your debut for North Albury in the second-half of the season against Wodonga?

PH: Bob Craig was was playing for Wodonga. Some young kid from Wodonga tried to run through me and I side-stepped him and coat hangered him. Next minute there were Bulldogs coming from everywhere and piled on top of me.

BG: The following year in 1980 North Albury won the flag under coach Col Trevaskis. In an unusual twist you didn't play seniors that season until the finals?

PH: I trained when I could but I was working in the family's earthmoving business and we had the contract with the NSW Railway and I was away a lot.

BG: Peter Westland convinced you to play?

PH: 'Wiz' had a word in my ear and I played the last three matches of the season in the reserves to qualify for finals?

BG: The Hoppers go on a barnstorming September run to become the first club to win the flag from fifth in the O&M?

PH: I remember I kicked a couple of goals late in the preliminary final against Wangaratta to get into the grand final.

BG: You face Wangaratta Rovers in the decider who were red-hot favourites?

PH: Before the first bounce I ran over to the Rovers huddle and give their ruckman a spray and played a few mind games. He didn't get a touch.

BG: It was a fairytale win?

PH: It was but we had some star players in John Smith, 'Wiz' Westland, Brian and Bob Parkes and Terry Farrell.

BG: You played sparingly after the grand final.

PH: Dad's business was booming and he had 130 blokes working for him so I concentrated on that.

BG: Any regrets?

PH: I probably wish I had stayed in Melbourne and tried to make my mark as a coach or administrator.