What was the best game you ever saw (exclud grand final)

[robranisgod]

Wow I had a totally different recollection of Port that year - I always thought they would win the flag and so did most I knew.

I've just quickly perused my Footy Times from that time and West started off as favourite, Port then were as they won their first seven games, Central were for some time, especially after they beat Port at Alberton in late May and Glenelg had their admirers but as you mentioned earlier had lost to Port twice in the minor round. Even come the second semi final Glenelg had their admirers in the media, but the loss of Peter Carey due to suspension correctly influenced a lot of people into selecting Port.

I guess most of my friends are Port supporters and they were never confident with the side that they had. They had lost a lot of their premiership players at the end of 1983 and they were very reliant on Craig Bradley and the emerging Dwayne Russell and Martin Leslie in 1984. In fact I am not sure that Dwayne Russell ever reached the same heights again. There were a number of players in the 1984 Port side who would never have made the Port sides circa 1980 nor the great Port sides of the late 1980s.

[Hondo]

Some games that stand out to me:

- North letting a big lead slip at Prospect in 1983, late goal to Craig Bradley. I can still remember the packed ground, they were great days. It may not have been the most brilliant game because North were ahead for so much of the game. I think the noise and the comeback etc just have stayed with me
- I saw the last quarter of the epic Port-Sturt game at football Park late in 1988
- R1 1988 at Elizabeth North lost a great game I think after a late speccy and goal from Derek Kickett

I'll have to think more on it without coming up with the 1987 GF

[JK]

Wow I had a totally different recollection of Port that year - I always thought they would win the flag and so did most I knew.

I've just quickly perused my Footy Times from that time and West started off as favourite, Port then were as they won their first seven games, Central were for some time, especially after they beat Port at Alberton in late May and Glenelg had their admirers but as you mentioned earlier had lost to Port twice in the minor round. Even come the second semi final Glenelg had their admirers in the media, but the loss of Peter Carey due to suspension correctly influenced a lot of people into selecting Port.

I guess most of my friends are Port supporters and they were never confident with the side that they had. They had lost a lot of their premiership players at the end of 1983 and they were very reliant on Craig Bradley and the emerging Dwayne Russell and Martin Leslie in 1984. In fact I am not sure that Dwayne Russell ever reached the same heights again. There were a number of players in the 1984 Port side who would never have made the Port sides circa 1980 nor the great Port sides of the late 1980s.

No they probably didn't have the list of stars of the 70's and early 80's, but they still had probably the best FF in the comp in Evans. Great kids in Bradley (Genius), Russell (who I always thought was a bit overrated). Mahney (although I think he missed the GF), Giniver, Anthony Williams. Stephen Knight from memory had a pretty good season too.

They had the elder experienced statesmen in James, Kennedy, Belton, Kinnear, Ebert, Clifford etc. And just allround appeared to have that successful September experience that always made them so tough to beat come finals time.

I would have been too young to know who was commonly perceived as favourites for the flag that year, but as a young kid I thought they'd go on to win it all. Pretty happy they didn't

[robranisgod]

Wow I had a totally different recollection of Port that year - I always thought they would win the flag and so did most I knew.

I've just quickly perused my Footy Times from that time and West started off as favourite, Port then were as they won their first seven games, Central were for some time, especially after they beat Port at Alberton in late May and Glenelg had their admirers but as you mentioned earlier had lost to Port twice in the minor round. Even come the second semi final Glenelg had their admirers in the media, but the loss of Peter Carey due to suspension correctly influenced a lot of people into selecting Port.

I guess most of my friends are Port supporters and they were never confident with the side that they had. They had lost a lot of their premiership players at the end of 1983 and they were very reliant on Craig Bradley and the emerging Dwayne Russell and Martin Leslie in 1984. In fact I am not sure that Dwayne Russell ever reached the same heights again. There were a number of players in the 1984 Port side who would never have made the Port sides circa 1980 nor the great Port sides of the late 1980s.

No they probably didn't have the list of stars of the 70's and early 80's, but they still had probably the best FF in the comp in Evans. Great kids in Bradley (Genius), Russell (who I always thought was a bit overrated). Mahney (although I think he missed the GF), Giniver, Anthony Williams. Stephen Knight from memory had a pretty good season too.

They had the elder experienced statesmen in James, Kennedy, Belton, Kinnear, Ebert, Clifford etc. And just allround appeared to have that successful September experience that always made them so tough to beat come finals time.

I would have been too young to know who was commonly perceived as favourites for the flag that year, but as a young kid I thought they'd go on to win it all. Pretty happy they didn't

I too was glad they didn't get up. I actually backed Norwood on the advice of my Port friends. Mahney certainly didn't play in the Grand Final, Ginever was 17 years of age, made a mistake in the first 5 minutes of the Grand Final was dragged and never came back onto the field until the last 5 minutes of the game, Anthony Williams was 25 years of age at that stage and had not been selected for any of the three premiership in a row from 1979 until 1981. Max James, Russell Ebert, Paul Belton and Kym Kinnear were all definitely passed their peak. Stephen Knight had played well in the first few games of the season, but his form fell away.
Coincidentally last night I was speaking to a former North player of that era, and I asked him when he realised North were a good side. His response was when they beat Port at Football Park in 1984. On that day he suddenly realised that the club had the "cattle" and the structures in place to win a premiership in the next few years. As we all know it took another 3 years from then, but I found his comments an interesting insight

[am Bays]

I reckon Port owned you guys in 84', so it would have taken a fair upset imho .. You certainly had the talent, but some of those younger players were still to hit their prime. Think we gusted it out that little bit better than you in the 2nd half of the Prelim, but from memory we should have been 5 goals down at halftime, and from there, given what we saw for the remainder of the decade I wouldn't have had any confidence in us reeling you in.

As I said "make a case" would have to be better than Dennis Denuto to argue it successfully though!!!

RIG I cited McInerney as one of those who was transitioning out of the 70s side - replaced by the likes Sewar and McGuinness as the first choice rovers in the early 80s.

[Wedgie]

Some games that stand out to me:

- North letting a big lead slip at Prospect in 1983, late goal to Craig Bradley. I can still remember the packed ground, they were great days. It may not have been the most brilliant game because North were ahead for so much of the game. I think the noise and the comeback etc just have stayed with me
- I saw the last quarter of the epic Port-Sturt game at football Park late in 1988
- R1 1988 at Elizabeth North lost a great game I think after a late speccy and goal from Derek Kickett

I'll have to think more on it without coming up with the 1987 GF

Did we have two games against Port at Prospect in 83? The one I went to North won (a week or two after the game we beat Norwood there the week after Phillips death).

[Magellan]

Some games that stand out to me:

- North letting a big lead slip at Prospect in 1983, late goal to Craig Bradley. I can still remember the packed ground, they were great days. It may not have been the most brilliant game because North were ahead for so much of the game. I think the noise and the comeback etc just have stayed with me
- I saw the last quarter of the epic Port-Sturt game at football Park late in 1988
- R1 1988 at Elizabeth North lost a great game I think after a late speccy and goal from Derek Kickett

I'll have to think more on it without coming up with the 1987 GF

Did we have two games against Port at Prospect in 83? The one I went to North won (a week or two after the game we beat Norwood there the week after Phillips death).

Just one, from what I can tell, which is the one Hondo is referring to (North 37 points up at lemon time), then the follow up at Alberton (North Adelaide 22.15 (147) d Port Adelaide 15.9 (99)).

[valleys07]

West Adelaide also won a cracker against North at Richmond in Round 1 of 1984. North were 7 goals up at half time before West stormed home to win by a kick.

IIRC (based on my recollection of TWIW84), Roger Luders was the standout up forward for West.

[Jimmy]

V Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval in '97. First time we had beaten them for awhile I think.

Came here to say this game. The passage of play that resulted in Beatles goal was amazing! Think it was in the third qtr and started with thredders, to oleary to judd To brucey for the goal...have to get the tape out again to see this!

As a side note...that was when the Adelaide rams were playing in the super league comp and the oval had the field lines on it for rugby league which was slightly annoying to me as a 16 year old lol

[therisingblues]

Sturt v Norwood.
The Parade.
1983.

Just unbelievable. There's a highlights clip on youtube, but if you are to see the final quarter in its entirety it is much better.
The speed with which Sturt slammed home those final 7 goals is better appreciated in real time.

[JK]

Sturt v Norwood.
The Parade.
1983.

Just unbelievable. There's a highlights clip on youtube, but if you are to see the final quarter in its entirety it is much better.
The speed with which Sturt slammed home those final 7 goals is better appreciated in real time.

Was dreading this one, seriously scarred me as a kid. To this day it's the single greatest (not that us Norwood fans found anything "great" about it) comeback I've witnessed live. You could see Sturt growing in belief in those final 10 minutes, and they were just unstoppable once they got going.

[FOURTH ESTATE]

Glenelg vs Port Adelaide 1983 Bay Oval, It had everything. High scoring, fights & stretchers.

Claremont vs Swan Districts late in 1981 at Claremont Oval check out the You Tube on both games the talent of the 80's in both states on display.

[Magellan]

Glenelg vs Port Adelaide 1983 Bay Oval, It had everything. High scoring, fights & stretchers.

Was this the one where David Holst ironed out a poor unsuspecting Port player? Ouch, that was one big hit.

[JK]

Glenelg vs Port Adelaide 1983 Bay Oval, It had everything. High scoring, fights & stretchers.

Was this the one where David Holst ironed out a poor unsuspecting Port player? Ouch, that was one big hit.

Tony Giles I reckon

[Booney]

It sure was Giles....Kernahan might have got in the way of a Danny Hughes fist. Not really what you should do.



No footage of Giles in this one though.

[Booney]

Mongrel bastard, what have we ever done to you?!?!?!

[am Bays]

Glenelg vs Port Adelaide 1983 Bay Oval, It had everything. High scoring, fights & stretchers.

Was this the one where David Holst ironed out a poor unsuspecting Port player? Ouch, that was one big hit.

Tony Giles I reckon

Yup, Nice understaed commentary by Bruce, "He's in a bit of trouble"

[stampy]

West Adelaide also won a cracker against North at Richmond in Round 1 of 1984. North were 7 goals up at half time before West stormed home to win by a kick.

IIRC (based on my recollection of TWIW84), Roger Luders was the standout up forward for West.

i remember that one, was a sunday game, rick keegan threw to ian marker and peter day!

[Magellan]

West Adelaide also won a cracker against North at Richmond in Round 1 of 1984. North were 7 goals up at half time before West stormed home to win by a kick.

IIRC (based on my recollection of TWIW84), Roger Luders was the standout up forward for West.

i remember that one, was a sunday game, rick keegan threw to ian marker and peter day!

Bloody Sunday games.

[therisingblues]

Sturt v Norwood.
The Parade.
1983.

Just unbelievable. There's a highlights clip on youtube, but if you are to see the final quarter in its entirety it is much better.
The speed with which Sturt slammed home those final 7 goals is better appreciated in real time.

Was dreading this one, seriously scarred me as a kid. To this day it's the single greatest (not that us Norwood fans found anything "great" about it) comeback I've witnessed live. You could see Sturt growing in belief in those final 10 minutes, and they were just unstoppable once they got going.

Thanks JK!
The only time I have invaded a football field before the final siren, except for when Davies kicked 100 (also 1983).
Completely lost my head in the final minutes. I was only 12 mind you, but I leaped the fence after one of those goals and actually entered the playing arena, along with about a dozen other kids of a similar age. After crossing the boundary line we just sort of jumped around a lot, cheering as we faced the crowd, which appeared to be going nuts as well. The replays show you Halbert and the whole Sturt bench was going nuts, the atmosphere was electric. Next thing I knew the leader of the Sturt Cheer Squad has picked me up off my feet, carried me to the fence and thrown me back over it! He then started chasing the other kids who were still going nuts out on the field. We all compared stories about it later.
I am glad that there is at least one Norwood supporter that remembers it too.