They say we should use this time to learn something new – so we thought we’d offer up a history lesson free of charge!
We’re going to be recapping all the important sporting moments each and every day as we look to fill the void our beloved sports have left behind.
So if it’s AFL, NRL, Basketball, Cricket, Golf or even Wrestling, be sure to return each morning as we take a trip back through the history books to relive some of the great sporting moments On This Day.
2011 – Cats Maul Demons
The scoreboard attendant at Kardinia Park was working overtime as Geelong recorded the second biggest victory in VFL/AFL history destroying Melbourne by 186 points on this day nine years ago.
This was four points short of Fitzroy’s 190 point win – also against Melbourne back in 1979.
It was also Geelong’s biggest win in club history, beating their record 164 point win against the Brisbane Bears in Round 7, 1992.
Geelong 37-11 (233) defeated Melbourne 7-5 (47) making the Cats final total the fourth largest of all-time.
Steve Johnson (seven) alongside Cameron Mooney and Tom Hawkins (five each) shared 17 goals between Geelong’s 14 individual goalscorers.
Johnson also recorded a phenominal nine goal assists and Joel Selwood amased a 43 disposals to his name.
Nine Geelong players had more touches than Melbourne’s leading possesion getter – Jordie McKenzie on the day.
The Cats bursted out of the blocks in the first quarter but were still able to outscore Melbourne 12 goals to one against a stiff breeze, going into half-time with a 114 point lead.
Melbourne were somewhat competitive in the third quarter but the Cats just kept extending to their epic lead.
The last quarter was purely focused on what records Geelong would continue to break.
In the aftermath of the game, Melbourne sacked coach Dean Bailey.
Geelong would go on to win the 2011 Premiership – their third flag in five years.
1966 – England Wins World Cup
July 30, 1966 is a big deal for our English friends.
This was the day England won the World Cup 4-2 against West Germany in extra time.
In the opening minutes of the game, the Germans looked switched on with Helmut Haller scored the first in the 12th minute.
England would score an equalisier six minutes later when Geoff Hurst scored his first in what would be his hat-trick for the game.
The regulation time would be an arm-wrestle.
Martin Peters would score England’s second goal with 12 minutes remaining making it 2-1, before West German’s Wolfgang Webber would score the equaliser in the 90th minute.
The final would go into extra time and England appeared to look fitter and fresher playing with confidence and compisre.
In the 101st minute, Harry Hurst scored with a drive on the turn which appeared to hit the underside of the bar and crossed the line.
This goal would be disputed by the Germans and many of them still do.
VAR was still some 50 years away and after much deliberation between Swiss referee Gottfried Dienst and linesmen Tofik Bakhramov from the USSR both agreed that it was a goal.
With the last kick of the game, Geoff Hurst (now Sir Geoff) completed his hat trick scoring from a firm left footer.
England would win the World Cup and Bobby Moore famously kissed the Jules Rimet trophy at Wembley Stadium.
Sir Geoff Hurst remains the only player to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup Final and 1966 remains England’s only World Cup triumph.