SA Footy

This may be one for Spelly but has there ever been anybody selected for SANFL league footy who never actually got on the ground for their whole career?

I wouldn't know this, but I would suggest that there would have been a few during the Reserves bench - pre 1978.

Richard Hill was part of a Sturt premiership team (1976) without ever having had a run in a game. He was 20th man in both the preliminary and grand finals, his first two league games, but never got a run in either game. He did get a run in a league game in the following season though.

robranosgod wrote:Richard Hill was part of a Sturt premiership team (1976) without ever having had a run in a game. He was 20th man in both the preliminary and grand finals, his first two league games, but never got a run in either game. He did get a run in a league game in the following season though.

Not that they received medals back then, but it would be a pretty rare achievement to win a premiership medal before you get your first kick

I once read in the Football Budget about the oldest player ever to debut in a game of SANFL. He played for Port, was over 40 years old and sat on the bench for the entire game. He was never selected again to my knowledge.

Scott Shearer - on the bench for the Blues in a pre-season 'Foundation Cup' match in Murray Bridge. Didn't get on and didn't get another game....about 87 or 88.

Has been mentiion of one T Duke - who was 20th man for Woodville's first ever game in '64. Never got a run & never again selected in the A's

Keith Thomas did happen to play 300-odd games for the Legs, but he never got on the park for his debut in '79 under Bob Hammond, and then spent the summer hoping the new coach would like him, and give him a run, if he made the team again.

therisingblues wrote:I once read in the Football Budget about the oldest player ever to debut in a game of SANFL. He played for Port, was over 40 years old and sat on the bench for the entire game. He was never selected again to my knowledge.

Are you thinking of Shine Hosking?

He was 48 when he sat on the bench after a looong layoff.

But he did have a pretty handy career before that...