Hats off to Panthers supporters

[Rik E Boy]

Seriously, how do they do it? South have given them donuts for nearly 50 years now. Even St Kilda have had a couple of good seasons but I'm struggling to remember too many good years for our Southern Brothers.

In the late 70's to early 80's they made a granny and made the finals a couple of times and they did OK under Cornsey until disappearing until about 1991. They then had to wait another, what 15 years or so just to make the finals again.

South fans - I salute you! True persistence.

regards,

REB

[southee]

I still get to every game when I can.

I still renew my membership year after year.

I still have hope year after year.

I still get laughed at for supporting them.

Sometimes I question myself "why do I do it to myself???"

It's one of the toughest things ....sometimes I wish the Management and Players knew just how passionate and hungry Souths supporters are for success.

As one Glenelg supporter mate of mine said to me "If your players had as much passion as you....South would win premierships over and over...."

It's quite possible I may never see a premiership in my life time....sad really. Just hope my children will one day.

Thanks for your very kind words REB

[Booney]

Geelong
Footscray
St.Kilda
Collingwood
South Melbourne

All of these clubs have had seriously lean decade after decade and are still going along, some of them are even doing ok now.

But you're right, well done to the South fans that still go every week and support the club.

[Dog-boy]

I agree Hats off,i know in the past i had to put up with 20 years of heartache and ridicule as the Dogs were constantly beaten in finals and for many of those years never even making the finals and even when we did in 79 South was one of the teams to prevent us from making our first GF.
BUT as history has shown good things happen!!

I have two passionate South supporters at my work and as i keep saying to them KEEP THE FAITH you never know what is just around the corner.

[saintal]

I’ve been a South fan since mid 90s, have attended matches regularly since 2002 or so, so I don’t have as many ‘runs on the board’ as many other Southies. Given that those past 15 years have been pretty awful, (2006 the exception), my full respect goes to those that have supported the club since the 70s etc. The majority of the supporter base are 40+ I reckon.

All clubs go through their rough patches, but 1 finals appearance in close to 20 years is ridiculous. All the momentum that was built up during 2006 was typical abolished/squandered just 8-10 games into 2007.

The gibes on here get tiresome, but hey, most are accurate.

And yep as you said, at least St Kilda have given their supporters something to hang their hat on over the past 15-20 years (a couple of GFs and 3 losing Prelims).

Thanks REB.

[Grahaml]

South can always look at the dogs for a reason to hope. 10 years ago the dogs were in a similar position to South now. No reason why things can't just click into place. Just takes some honest decisions about who and what is best, whatever the pride that must be swallowed.

[am Bays]

South can always look at the dogs for a reason to hope. 10 years ago the dogs were in a similar position to South now. No reason why things can't just click into place. Just takes some honest decisions about who and what is best, whatever the pride that must be swallowed.

Were they?? Centrals were always around the mark of making finals IIRC in the 80s and 90s - only won two spoons, reckon South won more thant that. Can't be arsed looking but I reckon Centrals record 1964 to 1999 is more superior to that of South.

You do have to give it to South supporters for sticking around.

[Adelaide Hawk]

I agree. I've often wondered just how loyal I would be had my club not won a flag since 1964, but thankfully I'm not in that position.

When people discuss this topic, I'm reminded of a caller to 5AA one night when someone had a go at Port Adelaide supporters, saying they were strong in numbers because they'd never known hard times. The caller was really angry and said he had supportered the Magpies through "the tough times" 1966 to 1976 when they never won a flag. They played in 6 Grand Finals in that period and missed the finals once ... and he called it tough times

I kindled my interest in football in 1964, and South were top dogs. I remember being envious of South supporters for following such a great team. It seems amazing they were only in the finals for 3 years, and 5 short years after a flag they were wooden spooners. I thought they be top forever

[Magpiespower]

Reakon you couldn't be too dirty if the Panthers beat your team in a GF.

Akin to Woodville winning a premiership.

'86 - if only...

tough times

But now we suffer double the misery with two craphouse teams!

With no end in sight...

[JK]

Fair calls allround, I've always admired South supporters for what they have had to endure ... Even as a kid I had a similar feeling for Woodville fans, whose club was always the butt of all jokes, but when we'd play them there would always be supporters out and about in their Green and Gold.

All clubs are lucky to have diehard supporters, even those clubs that serve up regular success ... But those clubs that have languished have even more reason to be thankful for them.

It would be hard to maintain a positive attitude at times, but the way I see it is that with every passing year the better times are getting closer.

[Sojourner]

I must admit it is interesting being a SAFC supporter,

In my own case its because my Dad barracked for South and before he became ill one of my earliest memories is going along to a SAFC match at Thebarton Oval, My Grandad was a strong West Adelaide supporter so I saw a number of West Adelaide matches, yet despite wanting to at several times I have never been able to shift allegiances from South over to Westies.

What is probably the acid rub of being a Panther supporter is the end of year letter that we get that reads "next season" and "plans put in place" and then the usual reports at the start of the year of the side looking fitter than ever and such and such a recruit has been brought into the club who will dominate at this level and so on and so on! - Gets a little tiring after 30 years + worth of them!

1979, second largest losing margin ever in a Grand Final, yet it was the year that we made it last, 1991 the club threatend to go all the way and fell out in straight sets. I confess that I do wonder where South could have gone if Cornsey stayed on another year in 86, yet who really knows!

The move down South was in hindsight a failure on the field, yet off the field it consolidated the finances of the club and set it up to survive long term. One wonders if this hasnt been a two edged sword for South with the club being assured of existance and its existance not being dependant on some level of achievement in the competiton to generate supporters as other sides like Central do that offer people a club to be associated with that achieves at every level.

Losing a large swab of recruiting territory to West and Glenelg cost South a number of juniors at one point, how much difference it really makes who knows, allowing players to whiteant John Reid out of the Senior Coaching position well and truly firetrucked the club over and set it up for failure with the same scenario being repeated several times over with Ken Sheldon, Robert Pyman and others.

Yet the clean sheet says we have a better coach than most clubs, we have an area teaming with good players in the SFL and plenty of cashflow coming in, despite the past 30 years the wheel will well and truly turn and I do look forward to the day when rather than "hats off" theads is more about hating those self arrogant smug SAFC people who clealry cheat the Salary cap and so on to be where they are and to dominate as they do, wont mind any of that critiscm one bit!

[blueandwhite]

Kermit said , "it aint easy being green." It Can surely be said it aint easy being a Panther supporter.
Ive supported the club for 52 years and will always support it. I couldnt bear the thought of chucking it in and missing out when eventually success comes our way.We have very thick skins, we are few in number but we ar "rusted on", that is for sure. We all have great memories of memorable wins such as the victory over archrival Glenelg in the last minor round game of 2006, to secure a place in the major round at their expense. These are fine memories but very few of us have memories that are Premierships.
46 years is a very long time but you never know what is around the corner.
As Gerry Adams once said "the night is darkest before the dawn." Keep the faith fellow southies.

[darley16]

A history of survival is the SAFC story. A club with no home ground for 100 years, therefore little and restricted income, therefore little sucess, therefore small supporter base. No other SANFL club has moved its entire base a substantial distance from inner metro to very much outer metro and then rented a half complete unfriendly facility for 10 years at $100k pa. In my mind the club finally got its break in 2005 after years of negotiation in order to get the 99 year lease that allowed the club to borrow build a real SANFL facility and set itself for the future.

The club is doing too much right for the wrong to continue. We are coming from a long way back with much more to do but following South is no longer a journey of no hope.

[JK]

A history of survival is the SAFC story. A club with no home ground for 100 years, therefore little and restricted income, therefore little sucess, therefore small supporter base. No other SANFL club has moved its entire base a substantial distance from inner metro to very much outer metro and then rented a half complete unfriendly facility for 10 years at $100k pa. In my mind the club finally got its break in 2005 after years of negotiation in order to get the 99 year lease that allowed the club to borrow build a real SANFL facility and set itself for the future.

The club is doing too much right for the wrong to continue. We are coming from a long way back with much more to do but following South is no longer a journey of no hope.

Perhaps that just shows that South have been successful, albeit on a different level to that craved by supporters.

However, considering the prospect of having no club left to support, the success they have achieved (survival) is perhaps the most important one?

(Good post btw D16)

[am Bays]

Losing a large swab of recruiting territory to West and Glenelg cost South a number of juniors at one point, how much difference it really makes who knows, allowing players to whiteant John Reid out of the Senior Coaching position well and truly firetrucked the club over and set it up for failure with the same scenario being repeated several times over with Ken Sheldon, Robert Pyman and others.

LMAO

15 years ago Glenelgs zone used to include O'Sullivans Beach, Morphett Vale west of South Rd and parts of Christies beach and now they are in Souths zone. Now we just have the northern part of Lonsdale South of Hallett Cove. If anything Glenelg has lost areas to South rather than vice versa.

You South people really have a fixation on Glenelg being a cause of your ills don't you??

[Booney]

Losing a large swab of recruiting territory to West and Glenelg cost South a number of juniors at one point, how much difference it really makes who knows, allowing players to whiteant John Reid out of the Senior Coaching position well and truly firetrucked the club over and set it up for failure with the same scenario being repeated several times over with Ken Sheldon, Robert Pyman and others.

LMAO

15 years ago Glenelgs zone used to include O'Sullivans Beach, Morphett Vale west of South Rd and parts of Christies beach and now they are in Souths zone. Now we just have the northern part of Lonsdale South of Hallett Cove. If anything Glenelg has lost areas to South rather than vice versa.

You South people really have a fixation on Glenelg being a cause of your ills don't you??

Just think of all the premisership players Glenelg took from South.

[prowling panther]

I've followed south since 1952 as a 4 year old, could never bring myself to following anyone else, been a member since '64 when dad signed me us a 16th birthday present.

Been going every week since 1974, and you know the best part about it?

I can remember almost every win since then, even if my memory is slipping away, btw, did we win last week?

[blueandwhite]

Losing a large swab of recruiting territory to West and Glenelg cost South a number of juniors at one point, how much difference it really makes who knows, allowing players to whiteant John Reid out of the Senior Coaching position well and truly firetrucked the club over and set it up for failure with the same scenario being repeated several times over with Ken Sheldon, Robert Pyman and others.

LMAO

15 years ago Glenelgs zone used to include O'Sullivans Beach, Morphett Vale west of South Rd and parts of Christies beach and now they are in Souths zone. Now we just have the northern part of Lonsdale South of Hallett Cove. If anything Glenelg has lost areas to South rather than vice versa.


yes we snatched that fertile recruiting area from you.
Tell you what, lets do a deal.
We will give you that back if you give us back the southeast.

[am Bays]

We will give you that back if you give us back the southeast.

So the zone your club abandoned cause you wanted something closer you now want back... OK then

Sturt could make it work - the Fleurieu, they got a Magarey Medalist out of it....

As I said I feel for you Southees with the decisions made by your club. You do deserve a medal.

[blueandwhite]

We will give you that back if you give us back the southeast.

So the zone your club abandoned cause you wanted something closer you now want back... OK then

Sturt could make it work - the Fleurieu, they got a Magarey Medalist out of it....

As I said I feel for you Southees with the decisions made by your club. You do deserve a medal.

The biggest injustice done to South in recent times was the sanfl gifting West Adelaide- Flagsaff Hill,Aberfoyle Park,most of Reynella,and Happy Valley.This has been without question the most fertile recruiting area in the state during the last 20 yrs. Rutten, Waters,Cooney,Porplycia, Alex Carey.....just to name a few.
To say that South has the Southern League on its doorstep is also a bit of a furfy. Of the 15 clubs in the SFL only 5 are situated in Souths zone. 3 of those clubs are currently in the middle of the SFL ladder and the other 2 have won only 1 game between them this season.
The GSFL is without question a strong league. Unfortunately many players in the GSFL are recycled former sanfl players training 1 night a week and playing for brown paper bags. Many would say that there is a vast population centre between Victor, Pt Elliott and Goolwa and there should be plenty of keen youngsters there. Not so sure about that, the area is referred to as" Gods waiting room" by many.

While the safc undoubtedly need to do more in their zone and I'm led to believe they will, to say they have talented players literally falling over themselves to get to Noarlunga is well,perhaps a furfy.