SA Football Greatest Team

[johntheclaret]

Going by the back page of the Advertiser, its SA's Greatest side, of players playing at Adelaide Oval.

Whilst McLeod may have played an occasional game there in the early 90's, although that is doubtful, he barely would have had any presence there at all. Similar to Ricciuto.

I don't think McLeod's NT heritage would count him out of this side (I just noticed actually, that he's an Emergency), given that he has a Victorian (Fitzgerald) at CHB.

In typical Rucci fashion, he compiled a top 10 SANFL players 5 years ago....

1. Barrie Robran
2. Russell Ebert
3. Peter Carey
4. Len Fitzgerald
5. Lindsay Head
6. Rick Davies
7. Neil Kerley
8. Ken Farmer
9. Bob Quinn
10. Dan Moriarty

..showing Carey at number 3 - and yet in this particular side, he now has Carey as the Emergency, with Leahy as 1st Ruck - (I'm not making a judgement on who should have been ruck, just the fact that Rucci has contradicted himself).

Wow you remembered that list from 5 years ago, I'm impressed. I can't remember what happened yesterday let alone from 5 years back

[blueandwhite]

Personally I think Jim Deane should have been in the side a far better player than John Cahill for a start.


PLAYING RECORD:
• 157 games and 95 goals for South Adelaide 1945 - 1953, 1956 - 1957
• 33 games and 17 goals for Richmond 1954 - 1955
• Captain of South Adelaide, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1957

MATCHES FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA: 14

ACHIEVEMENTS:
• Magarey Medallist 1953, 1957 (runner up in 1949, 1950, 1951)--- when South could barely win 1-2 games per year.
• Six time best and fairest for South Adelaide, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1956, 1957
• Tomkins Medallist 1945
• Life member of South Adelaide 1956

COACHING RECORD:
• Coached South Adelaide, 1951 - 1953, 1970 - 1971

[Magpiespower]

Personally, I think Jim Deane...

Should've been cleared to Port!

Mind you, the club's second choice did okay...

[GWW]

I didnt remember the list JTC, google was my friend

[tkr]

For fear of being lynched, IMHO Wanganeen should not even be mentioned in the same breath as the others in the team. Was a very good player but not in the same league as the real champions.

These exercises always provide mild entertainment but are always the stuff of pure discretion by the writer.

Not often I agree with you dedja but you are spot on with both of your statements.

[bennymacca]

On the flipside it is also pretty easy to forget how good someone in recent memory was, and be coloured by either memories of your childhood or in my case just the record of a player

[GWW]

For fear of being lynched, IMHO Wanganeen should not even be mentioned in the same breath as the others in the team. Was a very good player but not in the same league as the real champions.

These exercises always provide mild entertainment but are always the stuff of pure discretion by the writer.

We'll we all have opinions, and I would respectfully disagree quite vehemently.

The latter part of his career he struggled with injury, but at his peak he was a deadset superstar, and every bit as good as Ricciuto and McLeod.

[Leaping Lindner]

Whilst I admire Kerley's record (especially as a coach) I wouldn't haven't him in a starting 18 of SA's Greatest players. If you were picking a side to take on the Vics and needed some grunt and muscle sure, but if you are picking a side purely on skill then no.
Bob Hank is the most startling omission IMO.

[bennymacca]

For fear of being lynched, IMHO Wanganeen should not even be mentioned in the same breath as the others in the team. Was a very good player but not in the same league as the real champions.

These exercises always provide mild entertainment but are always the stuff of pure discretion by the writer.

We'll we all have opinions, and I would respectfully disagree quite vehemently.

The latter part of his career he struggled with injury, but at his peak he was a deadset superstar, and every bit as good as Ricciuto and McLeod.

it certainly colours your perception of a player, when they struggle towards the end. Take a look at Judd. Was easily the best player in the game before Ablett, and now he is almost a joke.

[Dissident]

Best teams that cover over 100 years is really difficult, and probably a willy excercise.

I like the idea of best teams of "eras".. even if it's split in to two eras.
The game is starkly different from what it used to be, completely different.

Playing 200 games years ago took as much luck as it takes to play 300 these days - with conditions, medical advancements, recovery etc.

The first thing I considered was Carey as first ruck. My old man considers Carey a better player than Polly Farmer, and Polly is the ruck in the other "team of the century"

Bob Hank should be in!

Personally, I find it hard to compare players who played predominately AFL (Roo, McLeod, Wanganeen etc) with players who played purely SANFL. Not because I think they are better though

[Dissident]

For fear of being lynched, IMHO Wanganeen should not even be mentioned in the same breath as the others in the team. Was a very good player but not in the same league as the real champions.

These exercises always provide mild entertainment but are always the stuff of pure discretion by the writer.

We'll we all have opinions, and I would respectfully disagree quite vehemently.

The latter part of his career he struggled with injury, but at his peak he was a deadset superstar, and every bit as good as Ricciuto and McLeod.

it certainly colours your perception of a player, when they struggle towards the end. Take a look at Judd. Was easily the best player in the game before Ablett, and now he is almost a joke.

Don't be so harsh - still the fastest player over three metres ....

[Magpiespower]

I like the idea of best teams of "eras".. even if it's split in to two eras.

I humbly propose four:

1860-1907
1908-1944
1945-1990
1991-today.

Okay fellas... now go for it!

[bennymacca]

It's definitely easier to compare players that played each other

[Wedgie]

Well bat least Ruccis effort was 1000% on that of the so called fans in today's paper. Just goes to show you how stupid the average as football fan is.

[GWW]

Can't believe they left out Tex and VB.

[mal]

Greatest team up until 1965
From the South Australian Football past and present book 1860 -1965

Forward line
H JOHNSON [GL]
K FARMER [NA]
T MCKENZIE [WT]

Half Forward Line
B MCGREGOR [WA]
H OLIVER [PA]
R HANK [WT]

Centre Line
J DALY [NW]
R HEAD [WA]
P ROBIN [NW]

Half Back Line
W SCOTT [NW]
D MORIARTY [SA]
J HAMILTON[NA]

Full Back Line
J TREDREA [SA]
I MCKAY[NA] Vice Captain
L FITZGERALD [ST]

First Ruck
T LEAHY [NA]
H CUMBERLAND [ST]
R QUINN [PA] Captain

Second ruck [repeated players]
G JOHNSTON
L FITZGERALD
T MCKENZIE


Reserves
N KERLEY [WA]
W MAYMAN [ST]
J DEANE [SA]

Coach
FOS WILLIAMS


The Greatest team in SA football history team and this up to1965 team has the following players named in both
Ian Mckay
Len Fitzgerald
Dan Moriarty
Neil Kerley
Ken Farmer
Bob Quinn
Tom Leahy
Tom Mackenzie
Walter Scott
Bob Hank

Fos Williams is the coach of both teams



My two bobs worth
Its unfair to say how can that player with that record of the past be any better than a player you have seen
For example
I once made a post more or less intimating Lindsay Head was the best WT player of all time
A fellow poster correctly pointed out that I could not make this assessment without seeing Bobby Hank in action
The only people who can pass a judgement are those that have seen Hank and Head play
I have been assured that those who have seen both, as a whole , will say Hank was the better footballer

Also I think John Bunny Daly was the only player that played in the 19th century ?
How does one compare the likes of George Giffen , Clem Hill , or John Acraman , to players of the 20th century ?

[mal]

Some players that missed the cut

Andrew Jarman
Darren Jarman
Bob Shearman
Gary Window
Bernie Smith
Alec Lil
Garry Mcintosh
Stephen Kernahan
Victor Richardson
Grenville Dietrich
Booney
Ken Eustice
Scott Hodges
Bill Wedding
Punk Rooster
Peter Darley
Topsy Waldron
John Halbert
John Platten
Don Lindner
Michael Aish
Shine Hosking
Peter Carey
David Kantilla
Phil Carman

The other coaches
Jack Oatey
Johnny Cahill

[bennymacca]

John Platten is the name that sticks out at me from your list there mal.

[Leaping Lindner]

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[smac]

Jeez there's some completely horse shit 'awards' in the game today.

Italian Team of the Century? Mamma Mia, what a load of merda.