Why was Rick Davies Sacked from Sturt?

[Sojourner]

Hoping that some of our members can recall the time when Rick Davies was sacked from the Sturt Football Club. As most would know Davies went on to play for South Adelaide where I remember him playing pretty well at the time.

So what happened? Why did Sturt sack Davies who many would regard as one of their best ever players?

[Mr66]

As a player - too old
As a coach - couldn't coach.

[Magpiespower]

Ian Willmott was a pretty handy replacement.

Especially in '85...

[Psyber]

As a player? I heard he had committed the sin of openly disagreeing with the coach.

[baggy8]

It may well have been the right decision, but this was not particularly well-handled by Sturt, which probably doesn't surprise most people. Davies had kicked an average-ish 14 goals in the first four games of '85, of which Sturt had won just one. Willmott was playing alongside Davies in the forward line and getting a few goals of his own. The match committee (coach Merv Keane, assistant coach John McInnes, captain Neil Craig, chairman of selectors Geof Motley and selector Sandy Nelson) told Davies (who had just turned 33) that he would no longer make the side, causing great anguish and sadness for most Double Blues supporters. I don't think Keane, being new to the Unley environment, knew how much Rick meant to the club and its supporters and was taken aback by the reaction to what was essentially seen as his decision. Davies retired, only to come back a couple of weeks later when the 'vacancy' arose at South.

Willmott, with the full forward spot to himself kicked 10 in the first game after Rick's 'retirement' (not to say that Davies might not have kicked 10 against Woodville too), and Sturt only lost one of their next seven games until they came up against bottom-placed South. The Panthers kicked 16 goals in the first half, and won easing up, by more than five goals, with Davies kicking 9 (Willmott kicked 5 for Sturt).

The problem for Sturt was that Davies and Willmott were both in the best three full forwards in the league at that time and if there's not room for both then a 33 year-old must miss out. Ian Willmott went on to kick 112 goals (second to Malcolm Blight), while Davies finished third on 88 and would almost certainly have kicked the ton if he hadn't 'retired' for a couple of games.

[GWW]

Talking of the 85 season, i remember going to the Norwood Oval as a neutral supporter that year to see Sturt and Norwood. Game ended in a draw from memory.

I reckon only Willmott was in the Double Blues side that day, so i'm presuming it wasn't that early in the season.

Anyone else remember that drawn game, or anyone (spelly?), got any more info on the game (scores, best players, goalkickers etc).

[hilly84f1]

Pretty sure it was 78 a piece in that draw
and ive read something about the last quarter being the lowest scoring quarter of the season (it was a high scoring season)
Not sure whether it rained at all?

[baggy8]

Norwood 4-5 7-9 10-11 11-12 78
Sturt ...... 5-1 7-4 11-5 12-6 78

It bucketed down throughout the last quarter. Can't tell you much about it from a Norwood perspective, but for Sturt Willmott kicked 6, Derrington 2, and one each to (Geoff) Martin. Klomp, Wark and Hollis. Best players were given as Paynter, Smith, Derrington, Whittlesea, Willmott, Fry and Viney.

[spell_check]

Norwood: Michalanney, Roberts 4.1, Payne 1.5, Aish, McGrath 1.0, Button, Laughlin 0.1, Rushed 0.3.
Sturt: Willmott 6.2, Derrington 2.1, Martin 1.1, Hollis, Klomp, Wark 1.0, Whittlesea 0.1, Rushed 0.1.

[GWW]

Getting back to Davies (it was my fault for getting this thread off track), does anyone have his stats in terms of games played at both Sturt and South, and goals kicked at both clubs.

[spell_check]

All I can personally give you is his round by round scores in 1985:

Rd Score
1: 3.0
2: 5.1
3: 4.4
4: 2.1
Total: 14.5

South:
8: 3.1
9: 3.1
10: 4.4
11: 6.4
12: 9.2
13: 8.6
14: 5.5
15: 4.1
16: 8.0
17: 5.5
18: 7.2
19: 2.1
20: 1.1
21: 4.5
22: 5.6
Total: 74.44
Overal: 88.53

[baggy8]

Rick Davies kicked 635 goals in 317 games for Sturt, and 146 goals in 33 games for South. (And 37 goals in 20 games for Hawthorn.)

[CK]

Interesting sidenote that, in the 1983 to 1987 period, South had two playing coaches, who had both played the vast majority of their career with other clubs (Graham Cornes - Glenelg, Rick Davies - Sturt. I'll leave out the illustrious Don Scott era in this), but finished their careers with South. Davies, however, did not play in his final season of coaching at South.

[Adelaide Hawk]

Interesting sidenote that, in the 1983 to 1987 period, South had two playing coaches, who had both played the vast majority of their career with other clubs (Graham Cornes - Glenelg, Rick Davies - Sturt. I'll leave out the illustrious Don Scott era in this), but finished their careers with South. Davies, however, did not play in his final season of coaching at South.

South were unlucky when they lost Cornes to Glenelg at the end of 1984, they appreared to be on the right track at that time.

The Don Scott scenario was interesting. Scott was trying to teach South how to win, to play a more aggressive style and push players to maximise their potential. Unfortunately he upset a few people along the way, so they opted for the more laconic and likeable Rick Davies. They went backwards at 100 mph.

It reminds me of 1966 when the Panthers sacked Kerley, a man who took them to the finals 3 years in a row and won their first flag in 26 years. Kerley was also a hard task master, he didn't tollerate what he perceived as weakness, but he upset a few people along the way .. so they got rid of him and replaced him with a social barfly like Peter Darley. It gives us a fair insight as to why South have been without success since 1964.

Rick Davies and Peter Darley were similar players, similar people, but as coaches they made great players.

[dedja]

Roll on to the 2000's and the same thing with Jack Cahill ... when will South ever learn?

[CK]

Interesting sidenote that, in the 1983 to 1987 period, South had two playing coaches, who had both played the vast majority of their career with other clubs (Graham Cornes - Glenelg, Rick Davies - Sturt. I'll leave out the illustrious Don Scott era in this), but finished their careers with South. Davies, however, did not play in his final season of coaching at South.

South were unlucky when they lost Cornes to Glenelg at the end of 1984, they appreared to be on the right track at that time.

The Don Scott scenario was interesting. Scott was trying to teach South how to win, to play a more aggressive style and push players to maximise their potential. Unfortunately he upset a few people along the way, so they opted for the more laconic and likeable Rick Davies. They went backwards at 100 mph.

I remember at the time, that one thing he did early that caused a lot of issues, was stationing water bottles around the oval in around 38 degree heat, and sending all of the players on runs around the oval, with the statement that any player seen taking a drink would be branded as weak. In today's era, this would simply not be allowed to happen.

It reminds me of 1966 when the Panthers sacked Kerley, a man who took them to the finals 3 years in a row and won their first flag in 26 years. Kerley was also a hard task master, he didn't tollerate what he perceived as weakness, but he upset a few people along the way .. so they got rid of him and replaced him with a social barfly like Peter Darley. It gives us a fair insight as to why South have been without success since 1964.

A few people at the club at the time said that Davies simply didn't set the ideal example for his players in a number of ways, which made the task harder

Rick Davies and Peter Darley were similar players, similar people, but as coaches they made great players.

[Adelaide Hawk]

I remember at the time, that one thing he did early that caused a lot of issues, was stationing water bottles around the oval in around 38 degree heat, and sending all of the players on runs around the oval, with the statement that any player seen taking a drink would be branded as weak. In today's era, this would simply not be allowed to happen.

Maybe they wouldn't do it now, but they did back when Don Scott played the game. I remember we were allowed to swish water around our mouths but then spit it back out. The only liquid we consumed for an entire match was the juice from a couple of pieces of orange. Sounds incredible, but it's true. I always recall Neil Kerley's colourful account of what happened to him after the turkish Bath Grand Final, having quickly consumed a couple of bottles of soft drink and then throwing up during a TV interview.

Scott endured the Commando training camps under John Kennedy at Hawthorn, and embraced the Kennedy philosophies. Kennedy was a vey hard task master who had no time at all for players who wouldn't try to break through brick walls. It was what made Hawthorn successful during that era, and you couldn't have expected Scott to coach any other way.

He would have conveyed that message loud and clear when South interviewed him, so why they were so surprised by his methods is anyone's guess.

[Magpiespower]

I remember at the time, that one thing he did early that caused a lot of issues, was stationing water bottles around the oval in around 38 degree heat, and sending all of the players on runs around the oval, with the statement that any player seen taking a drink would be branded as weak. In today's era, this would simply not be allowed to happen.

My old footy coach, a pretty hard taskmaster himself, did a pre-season at Sturt in '93 and said Bunton pulled similar stunts: wouldn't allow players to drink liquids on gruelling runs in steaming heat.

IIRC, South didn't do too bad under Davies in '85, winning eight games after a horrible start to finish eighth.

Downhill fast from there...

[Adelaide Hawk]

IIRC, South didn't do too bad under Davies in '85, winning eight games after a horrible start to finish eighth.

Downhill fast from there...

Graham Cornes took South to 5th in both 1983 & 1984. When Scott took over in 1985, he tried to improve upon that. South players struggled to adapt to the new game plan, and all Davies did when he took over was just revert back to what South were doing before Scott got there. As you said, they did alright for awhile but downhill from there.

Easy option ... short term gain, long term pain.

[smithy]

IIRC, South didn't do too bad under Davies in '85, winning eight games after a horrible start to finish eighth.

Downhill fast from there...

Graham Cornes took South to 5th in both 1983 & 1984. When Scott took over in 1985, he tried to improve upon that. South players struggled to adapt to the new game plan, and all Davies did when he took over was just revert back to what South were doing before Scott got there. As you said, they did alright for awhile but downhill from there.

Easy option ... short term gain, long term pain.

Not sure if it's been mentioned but Mark Naley quite openly rates Scott as a brilliant coach who was way ahead of his time.