MIKE Sheahan says Melbourne’s acquisition of Brownlow Medallists Peter Moore and Kelvin Templeton for the 1983 season remains the biggest story he broke in the game and one of the greatest he has seen in more than 40 years. 

Moore, who won the 1979 Brownlow Medal for Collingwood, and Templeton, who claimed it in 1980 with the Bulldogs, crossed to the Demons at the end of the 1982 season.

“The impact of that was just unbelievable. We are talking about two captains, both of whom had won Brownlow Medals in the previous three years, moving as a package to one club for $1 million bucks. This is 30 years ago. It was massive,” he told melbournefc.com.au.

“The last major story that I wrote for the Herald Sun was that Michael Malthouse was finished at Collingwood. That was on the front page and that was a pretty big story, because [Eddie] McGuire said he was staying and Malthouse said he was staying.

“And we declared that after the Grand Final, he was out and he wouldn’t be back at Collingwood in any role, so I was pretty happy with that one. I was happy from the point of view that I don’t have to go back 30 years to say I wrote a big story.”

Sheahan, who has been in the football media for more than 40 years, said he didn’t ponder the impact or contribution he had made to the game.

“Short answer no. But sometimes, if I go past AFL House and I see my name on the media centre door or if I go to a life members’ function – and I’m there as a life member – I’m pretty proud of that,” he said.

But he said he still loved the game, although he was perhaps a bit more critical of certain matches. 

“I’m a bit more discerning about the poor games now. When you’re a kid – there’s no poor games. You just can’t get enough of it,” Sheahan said.

“But I still can honestly say that I come to the footy wondering whether I might see the best game I’ve ever seen.

“I’m that positive and optimistic about it.”