1977 State Team

[Adelaide Hawk]

The SA selectors should have been able to pick a good enough side to beat that WA side. For 33 years I have thought that SA lost that state game at the selection table and nothing that has been raised on this discussion has changed my opinion.

I'll put it this way from a Norwood supporter's point of view. We started the season with a 19 point loss to Sturt, folloed by an 82 point win over Port, then a 16 point win over the Bays at Glenelg.

After that we defeated Woodville by 68, West Torrens by 132, North Adelaide by 150 and West Adelaide by 30. At the risk of sounding arrogant, based on form I didn't see too many opponents in those four games who would have made the Norwood team, let alone South Australia. A player such as Dunstan was in sensational touch, in the best form of his career. Whether overall careers (or even whole of 1977) suggest he should have played, maybe not, but at the time he was one of the best 20 players in South Australia.

It would be an interesting exercise for those who would select a "better" team to carefully consider the form of players in those 7 rounds leading up to the selection of the team, and pick the team they thought was more appropriate. As I said earlier, I can't speak for the rest of the teams, but the Norwood players selected were in great touch at that time.

[robranisgod]

The SA selectors should have been able to pick a good enough side to beat that WA side. For 33 years I have thought that SA lost that state game at the selection table and nothing that has been raised on this discussion has changed my opinion.

I'll put it this way from a Norwood supporter's point of view. We started the season with a 19 point loss to Sturt, folloed by an 82 point win over Port, then a 16 point win over the Bays at Glenelg.

After that we defeated Woodville by 68, West Torrens by 132, North Adelaide by 150 and West Adelaide by 30. At the risk of sounding arrogant, based on form I didn't see too many opponents in those four games who would have made the Norwood team, let alone South Australia. A player such as Dunstan was in sensational touch, in the best form of his career. Whether overall careers (or even whole of 1977) suggest he should have played, maybe not, but at the time he was one of the best 20 players in South Australia.

It would be an interesting exercise for those who would select a "better" team to carefully consider the form of players in those 7 rounds leading up to the selection of the team, and pick the team they thought was more appropriate. As I said earlier, I can't speak for the rest of the teams, but the Norwood players selected were in great touch at that time.

Rodney Robran and Trevor Grimwood were leading in all media awards at the time. Barry Stringer was in outstanding form in an average side. He had killed the two wingmen named in the side in the previous couple of weeks. Ralph Sewer in a poor side was creating mayhem. Dunstan was not in the best 20 players in the state then or ever, nor was Stephen Kerley. Playing VFL rejects was a recipe for disaster, and the proof was in the pudding when WA defeated them.

[Adelaide Hawk]

[quote="robranisgod]Dunstan was not in the best 20 players in the state then or ever, nor was Stephen Kerley. Playing VFL rejects was a recipe for disaster, and the proof was in the pudding when WA defeated them.[/quote]

They were for the first 7 weeks of 1977, and that is the point. Just because North didn't have players in the team doesn't mean ot was a poor side. As I said, I saw North at Norwood Oval a couple of weeks earlier, and nobody played well for them that day.

Anyone would think we lost by 20 goals or something. A 7 point loss to a good WA team wasn't such a bad effort.

[robranisgod]

[

To lose to WA was disgraceful. I don't think that we had ever lost to WA in Adelaide before that.

North were a poor side with a couple of very, very good players. I think that you will find that Barry Stringer won his wing against Norwood in a side that lost by 150 points. I remember the game well. It was about the best that I ever saw Norwood play and the worst that I ever saw North play.

West were a good side, they finished third, had the Magarey medallist and yet couldn't get a player into the team. Woodville were a bad side, but Ralph Sewer was definitely in the best 20 players in the state. Ralph Sewer or Graeme Dunstan, not even a contest. You could argue that Roger Woodcock deserved a state guernsey, I wouldn't have quibbled with that, but the team that was chosen that year was just wrong, wrong, wrong.

As an aside what happened to Norwood that year. They went from potential premier to fifth in half a season.

[stampy]

Is no.16 from WA the Stephen Curtis who played for Port Adelaide Magpies later on?

i reckon so

[am Bays]

[

To lose to WA was disgraceful. I don't think that we had ever lost to WA in Adelaide before that.

North were a poor side with a couple of very, very good players. I think that you will find that Barry Stringer won his wing against Norwood in a side that lost by 150 points. I remember the game well. It was about the best that I ever saw Norwood play and the worst that I ever saw North play.

West were a good side, they finished third, had the Magarey medallist and yet couldn't get a player into the team. Woodville were a bad side, but Ralph Sewer was definitely in the best 20 players in the state. Ralph Sewer or Graeme Dunstan, not even a contest. You could argue that Roger Woodcock deserved a state guernsey, I wouldn't have quibbled with that, but the team that was chosen that year was just wrong, wrong, wrong.

As an aside what happened to Norwood that year. They went from potential premier to fifth in half a season.

Didn't we lose by more the year (in Adelaide) after when we had a greater cross-representation of clubs in the team???

AS i said earlier we IMO got beaten by a better team