1978 Grand Final

[leftlegger]

Can someone point in the right direction as to where to find the book about the 1978 SANFL GF and its aftermath.
Sounds like an interesting read. Is it?

I actually attended the match, but my recollection is a rather hazey.
I just remember a very frantic final quarter. And the incident when John Wynne( i think) ran into the Sturt coaching box.
cheers

[stampy]

i was there also with a mate who was mad strut, so thinking they had no chance i went for norwood, if ever a side has blown a premiership due to bad kicking it was that one, full marks to norwood for taking the opportunity handed them

[leftlegger]

Actually, I have this vivid memory of looking at paper the next day and seeing Wayne Phillis drinking out of the cup and thinking.... You Bastard!

[Adelaide Hawk]

Can someone point in the right direction as to where to find the book about the 1978 SANFL GF and its aftermath.
Sounds like an interesting read. Is it?

I actually attended the match, but my recollection is a rather hazey.
I just remember a very frantic final quarter. And the incident when John Wynne( i think) ran into the Sturt coaching box.
cheers

Yes, it was John Wynne, in the third quarter. Daffy Edwards the Sturt runner always claims the only 2 people composed at the time were Wynne and Jack Oatey. Everone else was upset. He claims Wynne asked Oatey if he was okay, Oatey said he was fine, and it was a storm in a tea cup.

When asked after the match why he did it, Wynne replied "I never miss an opportunity to jump into a box".

My memory of the game was not hearing the siren. I was standing there watching Norwood players jumping around and it was then I knew we'd won it.

[leggies]

I read the book recently (borrowed it from someone) who is a mad sturt supporter but cannot remember the name, sorry!!. It was a sturt based book, maybe try ringing the SFC? Was called something like 'wynne and whole thing'?? Yes, it was def worth a read, norwood or sturt supporter!

[Leaping Lindner]

Gerry at "At the Toss of the Coin" should have copies in stock.

[SimonH]

The 2002(ish) first edition was called: 'Triple Blue' (The subtitle is something like, 'Oatey, Wynne and the Whole Damned Thing'.) From a recent article that someone linked, I think that the 30th-anniversary 2nd edition has a new and less opaque title.

I have the first edition. A good read. Got all of the major players to talk. Des Foster being perhaps the most memorable.

[71/72]

I know they have copies of the book at Dymocks in Rundle Mall.

[JK]

Ive got a copy of the recently released 2nd version ... Anyone wanting one should shoot through a PM to Topsy who stocks them and can organise copies.

[Adelaide Hawk]

The book was written from a Sturt perspective, so as a Norwood supporter I found bits of it a little annoying, but also amusing.

I'm still chuckling at the suggestion that John Wynne left the field immediately after the completion of the match for fear of reprisal from an angry Sturt fan. As if Wynne would have been worried about that

I think the newer version has a title something like "The 1978 Grand Final - the day the Redlegs gave Sturt the Blues".

[Psyber]

I remember the JW and the coaching box incident. It looked quite accidental and innocent to me at the time.
Agreed AH - if Grave Danger didn't worry Wynney, a whole horde of Sturt fans wouldn't.
[Only cats bothered him - the real furry purring kind.]

[JK]

I remember the JW and the coaching box incident. It looked quite accidental and innocent to me at the time.

Tongue firmly planted in cheek there?

[Adelaide Hawk]

I remember the JW and the coaching box incident. It looked quite accidental and innocent to me at the time.

Tongue firmly planted in cheek there?

I think for memory, John Wynne said he didn't set out to do it, but when the situation arose and he was so close, he thought "why not"? I'm sure he could have pulled up in time but just kept going, making sure he didn't make contact with Jack.

[spell_check]

I remember the JW and the coaching box incident. It looked quite accidental and innocent to me at the time.

Tongue firmly planted in cheek there?

I think for memory, John Wynne said he didn't set out to do it, but when the situation arose and he was so close, he thought "why not"? I'm sure he could have pulled up in time but just kept going, making sure he didn't make contact with Jack.

I think you said that the two calmest players during the following moments after he said hello; was the two key people in it - Oatey and Wynne. Do you believe that that incident had anything to do with the comeback in the last quarter; complacency from Sturt; the belief in the Norwood players; or the fact that Sturt had so many shots on goal during the day, it caught up with them in the last quarter?

[Adelaide Hawk]

I remember the JW and the coaching box incident. It looked quite accidental and innocent to me at the time.

Tongue firmly planted in cheek there?

I think for memory, John Wynne said he didn't set out to do it, but when the situation arose and he was so close, he thought "why not"? I'm sure he could have pulled up in time but just kept going, making sure he didn't make contact with Jack.

I think you said that the two calmest players during the following moments after he said hello; was the two key people in it - Oatey and Wynne. Do you believe that that incident had anything to do with the comeback in the last quarter; complacency from Sturt; the belief in the Norwood players; or the fact that Sturt had so many shots on goal during the day, it caught up with them in the last quarter?

I just base my opinions on comments made from protagonists at the time. I think I recall the Sturt people admit that it did unsettle them for awhile, but I'm not sure if it would have had much of an effect on the players.

I know Paul Bagshaw gave the Sturt players a bake at 3/4 time because he thought some of the younger Sturt players looked as though they lacked the intensity. Maybe Bagshaw's bake had a negative impact, who knows?

When people talk of the final term, they talk of how Norwood came back from 29 points down and then Gallagher booted "that goal" that put Norwood ahead late in the quarter. The reality is, Norwood came out after the break and went down the middle, they actually pegged back Sturt's lead half way into the final term and hiit the lead with a goal from Wynne. After that, it was a titanic stuggle for the final 15 minutes as both teams were very tired.

I think Norwood decided to go out with all guns blazing and if they ran out of legs, then so be it. They got the run, Sturt began chasing, and the momentum swung in an alarming fashion.

A little known story about the 78GF was an event that took place on the Friday before the game. The Advertiser wanted a traditional photo of the two captains together with the cup for the paper on Saturday morning. They arranged this for Friday (I think after the motorcade) but Bagshaw didn't show.

So they contacted Baggy at his home (I think at McLaren Flat) and it was arranged to drive there for the photo. So after they drove all the way there, they found Baggy out in the field on a tractor, and he made them wait for him.

On the long drive back, Taylor told the journalist it made him even more determined to knock the Blues off the following day. Not sure of all the facts, but it came out the night of the 78GF reunion earlier this season.

[Psyber]

I remember the JW and the coaching box incident. It looked quite accidental and innocent to me at the time.

Tongue firmly planted in cheek there?

I think for memory, John Wynne said he didn't set out to do it, but when the situation arose and he was so close, he thought "why not"? I'm sure he could have pulled up in time but just kept going, making sure he didn't make contact with Jack.

Just a little CP. AH's description is probably pretty right.

[spell_check]

[quote="Adelaide HawkI just base my opinions on comments made from protagonists at the time. I think I recall the Sturt people admit that it did unsettle them for awhile, but I'm not sure if it would have had much of an effect on the players.

I know Paul Bagshaw gave the Sturt players a bake at 3/4 time because he thought some of the younger Sturt players looked as though they lacked the intensity. Maybe Bagshaw's bake had a negative impact, who knows?

When people talk of the final term, they talk of how Norwood came back from 29 points down and then Gallagher booted "that goal" that put Norwood ahead late in the quarter. The reality is, Norwood came out after the break and went down the middle, they actually pegged back Sturt's lead half way into the final term and hiit the lead with a goal from Wynne. After that, it was a titanic stuggle for the final 15 minutes as both teams were very tired.

I think Norwood decided to go out with all guns blazing and if they ran out of legs, then so be it. They got the run, Sturt began chasing, and the momentum swung in an alarming fashion.

A little known story about the 78GF was an event that took place on the Friday before the game. The Advertiser wanted a traditional photo of the two captains together with the cup for the paper on Saturday morning. They arranged this for Friday (I think after the motorcade) but Bagshaw didn't show.

So they contacted Baggy at his home (I think at McLaren Flat) and it was arranged to drive there for the photo. So after they drove all the way there, they found Baggy out in the field on a tractor, and he made them wait for him.

On the long drive back, Taylor told the journalist it made him even more determined to knock the Blues off the following day. Not sure of all the facts, but it came out the night of the 78GF reunion earlier this season.[/quote]

It is one of those 'legendary stories' to say that incident changed the game. But what I just remembered was that Tony Lloyd did not get a run on the ground and his other reserve player (whos name escapes me) only got on to the ground fairly late in the last quarter. I know he was criticised for being too late in these decisions.

[Adelaide Hawk]

It is one of those 'legendary stories' to say that incident changed the game. But what I just remembered was that Tony Lloyd did not get a run on the ground and his other reserve player (whos name escapes me) only got on to the ground fairly late in the last quarter. I know he was criticised for being too late in these decisions.

Not sure about that. Back in the 70s, you tended to place faith in the starting 18. You only replaced a player through injury, or if someone was playing particularly poorly. I can't recall when the interchange was introduced, but for awhile coaches only really rotated ruckmen off the bench for a few years. Having said that, Norwood did receive good value from Turbill and Adler up forward in the final term.

I thought Oatey made a tactical error. Bruce Winter was easily B.O.G. up to 3/4 time but in an effort to bring Bagshaw int othe game he switched to two, meaning Winter lined up at full forward in the final term. As the ball was down the other end for much of the time, their best player on the day was effectively out of the game while Norwood made their run.

Norwood's comeback came about for one major reason. Norwood got on top in the middle and then played long, direct, and purposeful football. Still the best way to play the game, I wish our current team would do it

Mutton was the other interchange and he went on to replace Barton after Norwood hit the front for the 1st time.

[spell_check]

I got that from the SA Football Yearbook 1979. I recall from watching the tape that Lloyd was warming up on the sidelines but of course didn't get on.

The quote was: "They (commentators) also talked about his refusal to bring his interchange players into the game. Gary Mutton was given a run in the closing minutes, but it was too late".

Something you couldn't do now with the rotations, is show when players came on and off in the stats. It shows that Turbill and Adler were in the bench in the first quarter; and both came on during the second to replace Fienemann and Nunan. Fienemann did not come back on, but Nunan did after half time. What the page shows is that Norwood must have had 17 men for a short period in the third (?), because it says that Gallagher went off and came on in the third, Turbill came off again to replace him, and Michalanney sat the last half on the bench. Turbill went back on in the last.

This would look like on the bench:
1st Q: Turbill/Adler
2nd Q: Turbill/Adler
Fienemann/Nunan
3rd Q: Fienemann/Michalanney (and Gallagher for a short time, unless if he came on for Michalanney)
4th Q:Fienemann/Michalanney

Sturt on the other hand had:
1st Q: Mutton/Lloyd
2nd Q: Mutton/Loyd
3rd Q: Mutton/Lloyd
4th Q: Mutton/Lloyd
Barton/Lloyd

[Adelaide Hawk]

The other thing to take notice of if you ever see the game is the ruck contests. Two ruckmen (Davies & Button) who were masters of their craft rucking the way it was meant to be done ... clever use of the body to obtain advantage, none of this wrestling and hanging that "ruckmen" do these days. Holding on in a ruck contest was (and still is) illegal, but for some reason contemporary ruckmen are allowed to do it.