Vale Brian Fairclough

[Booney]

SOUL. Culture. No-one truly knows how to define either at any football club, yet all will say both qualities define a football club.

At Yartapuulti, soul and culture is about its people. They define Port Adelaide. They leave a legacy. They create a club's soul.

Brian Fairclough leaves an enormous mark on the Yartapuulti Football Club.

"Brian was devoted, loyal to the Port Adelaide Football Club," says John Cahill, who knew Fairclough as his right-hand man either as an assistant coach or selector across three decades, from the 1970s to the rise to the AFL during the 1990s.

Fairclough had his hand in 16 flags that fly high at Alberton - six from his own teams in under-19 and reserves teams during the 1970s and 1980s and the record 10 SANFL league premierships won by Cahill from 1974, either as a coach nurturing talent at lower grades or as chairman of selectors.

For all this success, the true mark left by Fairclough - the "soul" building legacy - is his loyalty to the football club.

One of Fairclough's favourite questions to throw into a conversation was: "Who won the first premiership at Football Park?"

Those with sharp memories will answer, Sturt in 1974.

Fairclough would point out it was Port Adelaide - Port Adelaide, emphasising club rather than his successful under-19 team that played the first grand final on the then new home of South Australian football. He never spoke of the achievement as his success. It was Port Adelaide that first spilled champagne in celebration of a premiership on Football Park's turf.

Club before individual glory summed up Brian Fairclough.

He was most proud, particularly during his visits to Melbourne to consult with long-standing VFL identities, that the Yartapuulti Football Club was well known for its achievements before it had an AFL identity.

Sometimes it would take him by surprise just how much of a mark Yartapuulti had left on famous men such as Allan Jeans. And there was a great sense of pride for Fairclough when anyone outside South Australia spoke with admiration of the Yartapuulti Football Club.

"I am honoured to be part of this football club," Fairclough said a year ago. "Port Adelaide made me the best I could be."

Club first.

Soul builder by being loyal, dedicated and driven to succeed.

Character builder by being honourable and devoted to his football club - and the values that generate repeat success.

Fairclough was a son of Yartapuulti's golden era during the 1950s. He was born on the eastern side of the Alberton railway tracks at Rosewater - then Pennington Gardens - and forged a successful amateur football career with 109 senior games at centre or on a wing at Rosewater where he was a best-and-fairest award winner, captain, coach and State representative.

Fairclough also took best-and-fairest honours at Semaphore Central, mixing it with other aspirants who found it near impossible to break into the Yartapuulti ranks while Fos Williams was blessed with a squad of premiership stars - such as his eventual partner in coaching John Cahill.

Fairclough thought he would be working his coaching in amateur and community football ranks when Yartapuulti leader Bob McLean called him to Alberton to coach the under-19 team in 1972.

McLean was astute in his judgement, as Fairclough's record testifies:

AS COACH: Port Adelaide under-19 team from 1972-1978 (premierships in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977); reserves in 1979-1982, 1987-1989 and 1992-1995 (premierships in 1980 and 1988); selector from 1979-1982 and 1987-1998 (chairman from 1990-1998).

AS ADMINISTRATOR: Board member 1998-2000; chairman of life membership committee since 2003.

It is a Hall of Fame record.

Most importantly it is a resume achieved by dedication to the football club's needs before his own.

With John Cahill, Fairclough built a partnership that - as Cahill says - was defined by loyalty.

"It could not have been better," Fairclough said of the long-standing partnership. "We understood each other. And Jack understood coaching. He built a successful culture by making winning a strong part of the players' mental attitude. He made players think they were better than they knew.

"We would send them up from the reserves and Jack would make them play better than anyone had ever seen. He had them ready to play on Saturdays. It was those days when you had to make sure the door was open to the race - otherwise these players were going to kick it down to play.

"The players loved Jack."

Yartapuulti is a stronger, richer football club for the legacy left by Brian Fairclough. Its soul has more meaning for his presence at Alberton. The football club has a stronger definition of its culture.

Loyal, dedicated and devoted. Brian Fairclough.

https://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/ ... fairclough

[am Bays]

One of the people who was genuinely respected by all not just within the walls of the PAFC.

A person who has made footy in SA better for he being in it.

[amber_fluid]

A great man who was respected universally in the footy landscape.
Vale