A CONTROVERSIAL goal scored by Dandenong legendary full-forward and Australian Football Hall of Fame nominee Jim 'Frosty' Miller features as one of the most memorable moments in 150 years in football.
Miller was at the centre of one the VFA's and football's most contentious incidents when he was awarded a free kick before the opening siren against arch-enemy Preston in the 1971 first division grand final at Junction Oval.
Before a crowd of 14,000, umpire Jim McMaster paid Miller a free kick for an alleged push in the back from Bullants full-back Barrie Leslie before signalling the start of play.
Miller's subsequent goal drew protest from Preston players and officials who claimed it was ineligible because the game hadn't officially started.
The Bullants trailed until they scored four goals late in the game to lead by a point, but a goal by Redlegs' half-forward Pat Flaherty sealed the win by six points.
It was Miller's controversial goal that proved the difference in the result.
As the final siren sounded, Dandenong rover David Sheehan, who had marked within easy goal-kicking range, threw the ball away as he realised his team had won.
Even if he had kicked a behind, much of the controversy and bad blood that followed could been prevented.
Preston protested the result to the VFA, but after a hearing of almost three hours, the committee voted 39-5 to dismiss Preston's protest and awarded Dandenong the premiership.
In an article under the headline 'VFA says flag ours! Preston protest thrown out ...' in the Journal (September 30, 1971) Miller said of the protest: "They've [the VFA] done the right thing by the umpire, who's a great man. If they hadn't, they'd lose many like him."
A Journal editorial stating the incident "will be around for a long time to come," proved prophetic when it was chosen as one 150 most memorable moments in football as part of the AFL's 150-year celebrations.
'Frosty's free fires Bullants', was among six other memorable moments that included Tony Lockett's record-breaking goal-kicking performance, and St Kilda player Nicky Winmar's famous jumper lift, believed to be the catalyst for the campaign to stamp out racism in football.
Miller has also been nominated for induction into this year's Australian Football Hall of Fame as part of the Journal's Fame for Frosty campaign.
In 2006, Miller was named among the City of Greater Dandenong's 14 greatest sports heroes in the council's Sporting Heroes project.
He won the VFA-VFL leading goalkicker award a record six times, booting 885 goals from 183 games at an average 4.8goals a game.
He topped the VFA goal-kicking six out of seven times from 1968-74, kicking 106 goals in 1969 and 108 in 1973.
He was also a member of Dandenong's 1971 premiership team and its team of the century.
Miller's legendary status was recognised when the VFA-VFL named its goalkicking award after him and made him a life member.
The Journal's Fame for Frosty submission has been lodged for consideration by the 11-member voting panel headed by former Richmond great Kevin Bartlett.
The identities of the hall of fame inductees are fiercely protected and will only be made public at a black tie night at the Crown Palladium on May 8.
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