The best SANFL team of all

[robranisgod]

robranvshawthorn.jpg (42.06 KiB) Viewed 844 times

I know that this should really be in the photos section, but for those old enough to remember Barrie in all his glory here is just a snippet from the Hawthorn vs North game.

[Adelaide Hawk]

North hit the front at the 18 minute mark of the last quarter and then a player didn't attack the ball as hard as he should have. Hawthorn goaled and you could see the whole North team deflate at that moment. Robran probably played an even better game than he did in 1972 against Carlton. Bob Hammond kept Hudson to two goals and Hudson said that he had never had a full back play him so close. We didn't beat Hawthorn and that was that. The player who pulled out didn't play in the next premiership nor the Champions of Australia win the next year.

I'm still not sure how that quantifies that you should have won the game, but I'll leave it at that. The Hawks were also without the mercurial Peter Knights who missed the Grand Final through injury. Hudson is my boyhood hero, and the reason I support the Hawks. He's one of nature's gentlemen and always quick to lavish praise on an opponent.

Over a beer with Peter at Hawthorn one evening we spoke of difficult opponents and, not knowing I was from SA, he spoke of Hammond in that match, and also Ron Kneebone in a match in the 1966 Carnival where he was also held to 2 goals. He said they were two of the toughest opponents he ever stood. I asked Ron Kneebone about this later on and he said both he and Hudson has remained good friends and still keep in touch.

I love those old footy stories.

[blueandwhite]

As some one who has watched sanfl footy since the '60's ,I think I can speak with some impartiality on these topics being a South supporter....!

From what I have seen I would say that the North team of the early 70's was right up there; they had the best player I have ever seen in the peak of his career and he had some fantastic role players as team mates- and some tough nuts as well.
However I really think the best side I have seen is the West side of 83. They were fast,physical, skilled and were strong in every position around the ground.The mercurial Peter Meuret was perhaps the most underated player I've seen, on his day he could do absolutely anything, he was always playing at a different level to his opponents and often his team mates as well. Luders was just a dead set freak at full forward, Morris was all class and great value for touches. lindner was just emerging as a player and he was unstoppable at CHF. In the true Kerley mould there were a couple of mean buggars down back in Dreher and Tony Burgess who really gave a physical presence.On their day they would have taken it up to most victorian sides at the time.
(Incidently the best south side I saw was in 1991 when we finished top after the minor round and went out in straight sets- very disappointing.......)

[JK]

(Incidently the best south side I saw was in 1991 when we finished top after the minor round and went out in straight sets- very disappointing.......)

91' is a year I have extremely little memory of (perhaps in general, but certainly in SANFL terms) .. I recall that South finished Minor Premier, but the Roosters won the flag.

North had a lot of experience and pedigree still there from narrowly failed attempts in the previous few years, so had they underperformed during the season and then went Bang when it counted, or did South bomb mentally?

I guess Im asking should South's best have been good enough to make the GF and challenge for the title?

[robranisgod]

(Incidently the best south side I saw was in 1991 when we finished top after the minor round and went out in straight sets- very disappointing.......)

91' is a year I have extremely little memory of (perhaps in general, but certainly in SANFL terms) .. I recall that South finished Minor Premier, but the Roosters won the flag.

North had a lot of experience and pedigree still there from narrowly failed attempts in the previous few years, so had they underperformed during the season and then went Bang when it counted, or did South bomb mentally?

I guess Im asking should South's best have been good enough to make the GF and challenge for the title?

North were much better paced in the lead up to the Finals than they had been in previous years. They were red hot favourites to win the second semi final, only two media people tipped South to win that match. Having said that South threatened half way through the last quarter and got to within seven points before North kicked away to win by 34 points. North were favourites from round one other than for a couple of matches around round 4 when there was a plunge on Glenelg who didn't end up making the finals.

Most people did expect South to make the Grand Final but Westies came from nowhere to firstly make the finals and then reach the Grand Final.

[on the rails]

North also "tanked" towards the finals as Nunan didn't want the minor premiership and the first week off which proved to be a good move ultimately I suppose, given we won the flag.

[robranisgod]

North also "tanked" towards the finals as Nunan didn't want the minor premiership and the first week off which proved to be a good move ultimately I suppose, given we won the flag.

North had the bye in the last minor round the minor premiership would have meant a three week break which clearly Nunan didn't want.

[whufc]

91' what a year hey, South minor premiers North and West in the GF, what happened to Port and Glenelg the Grand Finalists from 1990? Also where did Norwood finish?

[am Bays]

91' what a year hey, South minor premiers North and West in the GF, what happened to Port and Glenelg the Grand Finalists from 1990? Also where did Norwood finish?

Port 5th, beaten by West in the Elim
Bays 6th can't remember exactly may have been 7th
Norwood 7th may have been 6th (as above)

As a club, for Glenelg, first time for a very long time that no Glenelg side made the finals 19s finished fifth but only a final four for the juniors back then.

[whufc]

91' what a year hey, South minor premiers North and West in the GF, what happened to Port and Glenelg the Grand Finalists from 1990? Also where did Norwood finish?

Port 5th, beaten by West in the Elim
Bays 6th can't remember exactly may have been 7th
Norwood 7th may have been 6th (as above)

As a club, for Glenelg, first time for a very long time that no Glenelg side made the finals 19s finished fifth but only a final four for the juniors back then.

Awesome thanks, who finished 3rd then West Torrens?

Was there a feeling that Port could go all the way from 5th?

[robranisgod]

91' what a year hey, South minor premiers North and West in the GF, what happened to Port and Glenelg the Grand Finalists from 1990? Also where did Norwood finish?

Port 5th, beaten by West in the Elim
Bays 6th can't remember exactly may have been 7th
Norwood 7th may have been 6th (as above)

As a club, for Glenelg, first time for a very long time that no Glenelg side made the finals 19s finished fifth but only a final four for the juniors back then.

Awesome thanks, who finished 3rd then West Torrens?

Was there a feeling that Port could go all the way from 5th?

Port finished 4th at the end of the minor round. I personally thought that they were North's biggest danger but they looked very old and slow when they played Westies in the elimination final. Westies on the other hand looked awesome in that game. The Eagles actually finished second at the end of the minor round and North third, but North were certainly red hot favourites to win the qualifying final. Noel Teasdale was the only person in the media to pick the Eagles in that match.

[am Bays]

Awesome thanks, who finished 3rd then West Torrens?

Was there a feeling that Port could go all the way from 5th?

South third, finished top out in straight sets, sounds familiar....

Eagles double chance 4th, out in straight sets, eerily familiar....

West came home with a wet sail to finish 5th, were bottom a third of the way through the season IIRC and lost to Sturt at Adel Oval prompted the sign Morris can't coach. Cue R&B, A Hawk, Spelly, RIGod for confirmation....

<edit> beaten to the punch by one of the gurus!!!

[robranisgod]

Awesome thanks, who finished 3rd then West Torrens?

Was there a feeling that Port could go all the way from 5th?

South third, finished top out in straight sets, sounds familiar....

Eagles double chance 4th, out in straight sets, eerily familiar....

West came home with a wet sail to finish 5th, were bottom a third of the way through the season IIRC and lost to Sturt at Adel Oval prompted the sign Morris can't coach. Cue R&B, A Hawk, Spelly, RIGod for confirmation....

Correct. Half way through the season West were looking hopeless. They came from nowhere. Modra at full forward and Mellor at half forward had magnificent second halves of the year. Another huge bonus for West once they made the finals was that Mark Mickan had played the first three games of the year for them before being promoted to the Crows. His form for the Crows was so good that he went on to win the Crows B&F before coming back to West for the finals. Bruce lIndner also qualified for West and had some great and not so great finals.

North had been a good side for at least the previous 6 seasons. They had finished 2nd, 2nd, 1st, 6th, 2nd and 3rd in the immediate seasons prior to 1991 so their involvement in the Grand Final was not unexpected.

[nickname]

West came home with a wet sail to finish 5th, were bottom a third of the way through the season IIRC and lost to Sturt at Adel Oval prompted the sign Morris can't coach. Cue R&B, A Hawk, Spelly, RIGod for confirmation....

The bloke who was responsible for that sign was, to use a cliche, a genuine character, and is sadly no longer with us. He was forced to take the sign down by the club which troubled me a bit as, whether you agreed with it or not, I think he had the right to display it. (As a side note his son was playing at the club at that time and while never an established senior player is still the most fearless player I've ever seen play for us.)

[Jimmy]

I went to that sturt v westngame where we won, i remember seeing modra kick 7 or 8. Thought the game was at Richmond tho? I was only 10 in 91 tho. Might be getting the year mixed up?

[sapaul]

On a very windy Anzac Day, 1991..

Sturt 18.13 def West 12.13 - just watched most of the game on fast forward, don't think Modra played.

Jimmy, you might have been to a match the following year.

4th July, 1992 at Richmond...

Sturt 17.6 def West 14.13

Don't have that match but Modra could have possibly kicked a bag. Sturt got all the Magarey medal votes though.

[Magpiespower]

Was there a feeling that Port could go all the way from 5th?

Nah, not really.

Wildly inconsistent year. Never really hit top gear. Lack of a go-to-forward really hurt. Ditto a quality ruckman. Impossible to replace Scotty after his record-breaking, Magarey Medal winning season the year before. Things got so desperate Greg Phillips was moved to full-forward at one stage. Kicked five goals one day. But was back in his customary CHB position soon after.

At the time, Port and Glenelg were probably hit hardest by the AFL coming to town. At least in the immediate short term.

WA recruit Gary Smallridge starred in the first half of the year. Led the Magarey count midway with eleven votes. Form dipped after that and he didn't poll another vote. Struggled to get a game in '92 and crossed to Norwood. Jack just didn't think he did things the "Port Adelaide way".

Much-maligned Wes Fellowes was a cult figure that year. Can't recall him playing too many great games (he was at the end of his career). Would surprise many that he finished third in Port's B&F in his only season at Alberton.

Minor round: struggled to a 6-4 record then won four on the trot to sit behind South. Round 15 top-of-the table clash in the driving rain at Alberton was telling. South won easy, triggering four losses in-a-row. Next thing we're 10-8 and looking very shaky. Four wins to finish the minor round fooled many but IIRC, three of those wins were against also-rans Central, Norwood and Glenelg. The other win may have been against Sturt?

As already mentioned, Westies were on fire late in the year, though I didn't expect the shellacking they dished out in the Elimination Final. Very anti-Port crowd at Footy Park that day. Biggest jeer was reserved for Timmy Ginever when his Eddie Hocking-style baulk went horribly wrong.

Didn't expect what was to come the following season...

[JK]

(Incidently the best south side I saw was in 1991 when we finished top after the minor round and went out in straight sets- very disappointing.......)

91' is a year I have extremely little memory of (perhaps in general, but certainly in SANFL terms) .. I recall that South finished Minor Premier, but the Roosters won the flag.

North had a lot of experience and pedigree still there from narrowly failed attempts in the previous few years, so had they underperformed during the season and then went Bang when it counted, or did South bomb mentally?

I guess Im asking should South's best have been good enough to make the GF and challenge for the title?

North were much better paced in the lead up to the Finals than they had been in previous years. They were red hot favourites to win the second semi final, only two media people tipped South to win that match. Having said that South threatened half way through the last quarter and got to within seven points before North kicked away to win by 34 points. North were favourites from round one other than for a couple of matches around round 4 when there was a plunge on Glenelg who didn't end up making the finals.

Most people did expect South to make the Grand Final but Westies came from nowhere to firstly make the finals and then reach the Grand Final.

Cheers mate (and you other lads) for the information .. So in reality, that season was perhaps quite misleading with the final Minor Round placings and how it all eventually panned out.

[Wedgie]

When West beat Port in the Elimination Final I began celebrating Norths premiership in 1991.
Considering it was my 21st in the middle of those finals I can safely say it was a big few weeks!
As mentioned North could have won he minor premiership if they'd wanted to.
West knew they had no chance and tried to ruffle our feathers which backfired on them big time.

For highlights of that game and many others check out Wessies channel on YouTube:

http://m.youtube.com/#/profile?bmb=1&desktop_uri=%2Fprofile%3Fuser%3DREDROOST68&gl=AU&user=REDROOST68

[Jimmy]

On a very windy Anzac Day, 1991..

Sturt 18.13 def West 12.13 - just watched most of the game on fast forward, don't think Modra played.

Jimmy, you might have been to a match the following year.

4th July, 1992 at Richmond...

Sturt 17.6 def West 14.13

Don't have that match but Modra could have possibly kicked a bag. Sturt got all the Magarey medal votes though.

That would be it...thanks mate.