150 Years of Australian Rules Football

[smithy]

Peter Carey - 448 league games between 1971 and 1988 plus 19 games for South Australia.
All Australian 1979 and 1980.
Best and fairest in 1975, 79 and 81.
Leading goalkicker 1973 for a career total of 521.
1981 Fos Williams medallist.


Kevin Bartlett - 403 VFL games between 1965 and 1983
5 time best and fairest at Richmond 1967, 1968, 1973, 1974, 1977, Norm Smith medallist in 1980 and player of the club championship carnival in 1974.
Leading goalkicker 1974, 1975, 1977, 1983 for a career total of 778

Not too sure whether the gap between Australian football LEGEND and Glenelg HOF is that great is it ?

[pipers]

I'm OK with the concept of a game for 150 years of football - but shouldn't it be a game between Geelong and Melbourne?

This Vicoland vs The Rest concept is typical of the arrogance of the AFL's Vic-based clubs and the personal agenda of one man.

The AFL (as a league) had to happen, but how they managed to also become the custodian of the game of Australian Rules at the same time is bewildering.

AFL is effectively a "super league" concept. In pretty much every other sport around the world where "super leagues" have been created there has remained an independant group who act as arbitrator/owner of the sport. The FA still governs football in the UK, despite the undoubted power of the EPL, for example. Even the IPL is answerable (albeit weakly) to the BCCI and in some ways also the ICC.

Not here though.

AFL has appropriated the whole game; its history, its rules, its clubs and its affiliated leagues. For christ sake they've even changed the name of the bloody sport.

There should be a body that operates above the AFL - but there never will be now.

AFL will eat itself and will take the SANFL, WAFL, TFL, VFL and the rest down with it.

I hate them.

[darley16]

Very rarely agree with a Port supporter, however in this case Fatal you are spot on. Further to that, the weakness of our league's leaders that stand-by with cap in hand and meekly follow the dictates that the AFL demand (after we paid licence fees of millions to join this VFL compitition) knowing full well that our great comp will be (and is being) slowly stangled by the corporate greed of the AFL the same greed that had most VFL clubs bankrupt. Dimitreou wants one football comp (AFL) with no other distractions for both the supporter and sponsorship dollars going elsewhere and a national school footy program moving into u/18 for recruitment.
And the SANFL will nothing to prevent this outcome, why........$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Pseudo]

...
The AFL (as a league) had to happen, but how they managed to also become the custodian of the game of Australian Rules at the same time is bewildering.
...
AFL has appropriated the whole game; its history, its rules, its clubs and its affiliated leagues. For christ sake they've even changed the name of the bloody sport.

All very Orwellian. "When the language is perfect the revolution will be complete".

As for their self-anointed guardianship of the game... Ayn Rand once wrote something like "The evil of the world is made possible by nothing but the sanction that you give it". For proof of this statement one need look no further than the AFL. When the Port swine defected to the AFL in 1990, they gave the AFL an illusion of credibility. Thousands who jumped on the Crows bandwagon - and later Port Power bandwagon - simply added to this illusion. With so many people more than happy to be spoon-fed by the AFL, how could the AFL not assume the mantle of guardian?

It is for this reason that I am bemused by the efforts to get players like Peter Carey recognised by the AFL's Australian Rules hall of fame. Through clamouring to get our players recognised we are NOT making the HOF truly national. Rather, all we achieve is a validation of the HOF in the AFL's eyes. To demonstrate that we care is to give them our sanction.

The reality is that the AFL needs Peter Carey et al in the HOF more than we (SANFL fans) need it. Adding Peter Carey to the HOF is not going to change what the concept is all about: a trite celebration of Victoria's contribution to the sport. Through clamouring for recognition of our players we merely give them justification for their self-appointed guardianship.

I say to hell with 'em. Don't sully the memory of our greats by including them in the HOF. Don't give the AFL our sanction.

[Ecky]

Well said Pseudo. You have made the same point a number of times over the years, but I reckon you have worded it the best this time, so keep that in your archives for next time this comes up.

[whufc]

Reading the Advertiser you'd think that the Power and the Crows have been the only clubs around for 150 years, give me the Victoria media over our crap any day.
Have spent 2 days in Brisbane and got more balanace information and coverage of footy than I do with the Advertiser!
Mind you I still had to put up with 2 Rucci articles!

couldn't agree any more very very well said.

[rod_rooster]

Fatal, darley16 and Pseudo, you blokes make far too much sense to be posting on here. Great stuff. Very well said and every word of it is spot on.

[Aerie]

Here's an example, on the AFL website under "Did you know?"

"In 1984 South Australia defeated Victoria by four points. Stephen Kernahan kicked 10 goals, in the year before his league debut."

So I assume he got picked to play for the State straight from Glenelg's reserves?

[Wedgie]

Here's an example, on the AFL website under "Did you know?"

"In 1984 South Australia defeated Victoria by four points. Stephen Kernahan kicked 10 goals, in the year before his league debut."

So I assume he got picked to play for the State straight from Glenelg's reserves?

Here's a better example, on the SANFL website:

Most South Australians are very much like their state and spend more time going backwards than forwards, this majority have a chip on their shoulder the size of the Football Park and get great delight in whinging like stuck pigs in claiming the world or more specifically Victoria is against them even though in truth they are looked upon as very insignificant. Unfortunately for the minority who can both drive and think reasonably there is no law against these whingers.

[JK]

Here's an example, on the AFL website under "Did you know?"

"In 1984 South Australia defeated Victoria by four points. Stephen Kernahan kicked 10 goals, in the year before his league debut."

So I assume he got picked to play for the State straight from Glenelg's reserves?

Also misses the fact that SA actually lost the match

[Wedgie]

Here's an example, on the AFL website under "Did you know?"

"In 1984 South Australia defeated Victoria by four points. Stephen Kernahan kicked 10 goals, in the year before his league debut."

So I assume he got picked to play for the State straight from Glenelg's reserves?

Also misses the fact that SA actually lost the match

Show's how pro South Austrlian they are, personally I'd rather they be less biased and give Victoria more credit.

[Aerie]

Here's an example, on the AFL website under "Did you know?"

"In 1984 South Australia defeated Victoria by four points. Stephen Kernahan kicked 10 goals, in the year before his league debut."

So I assume he got picked to play for the State straight from Glenelg's reserves?

Here's a better example, on the SANFL website:

Most South Australians are very much like their state and spend more time going backwards than forwards, this majority have a chip on their shoulder the size of the Football Park and get great delight in whinging like stuck pigs in claiming the world or more specifically Victoria is against them even though in truth they are looked upon as very insignificant. Unfortunately for the minority who can both drive and think reasonably there is no law against these whingers.

Hey Wedgie, do you run any classes on how to think reasonably? I'd love to learn. I'd also like to get the ignorance out of my life. My whinging is frustrating me. My insignificance is depressing. If you could help me with that, that would be great. Yours insincerely, Aerie.

[Adelaide Hawk]

Here's an example, on the AFL website under "Did you know?"

"In 1984 South Australia defeated Victoria by four points. Stephen Kernahan kicked 10 goals, in the year before his league debut."

So I assume he got picked to play for the State straight from Glenelg's reserves?

Here's a better example, on the SANFL website:

Most South Australians are very much like their state and spend more time going backwards than forwards, this majority have a chip on their shoulder the size of the Football Park and get great delight in whinging like stuck pigs in claiming the world or more specifically Victoria is against them even though in truth they are looked upon as very insignificant. Unfortunately for the minority who can both drive and think reasonably there is no law against these whingers.

Here's another example of Victorian ignorance of SA footy:

Listening to SEN this morning, they were talking about the additions to the AFL Hall of Fame. The point they were making were the number of genuine tough footballers added this year, Teasdale, Tuddenham, Hocking, etc. They went through the individual players and when they got to Motley they said, "Well, we don't know what type of player he was".

It was bad enough they didn't know much about Motley when he was nominated, they hadn't even bothered to find out anything about him since!!

I don't blame the average Victorian for being ignorant, I blame their media. The trouble is, today's media have been educated by an ignorant media in previous generations.

I had Victorian mates who loved their footy in the 1980s, but they knew nothing about SANFL. The only SA player they knew who hadn't played VFL was Garry McIntosh. Once again, not really their fault when their media don't report anything except for Vic footy.

[spell_check]

And I know a lot about the VFL's past (have a look at all the books and videos etc) - I had to research most of what I know about the SANFL myself.

[Adelaide Hawk]

And I know a lot about the VFL's past (have a look at all the books and videos etc) - I had to research most of what I know about the SANFL myself.

Fair comment. We complain the Victorians don't take enough notice of us, but since the Crows entered the AFL, the SANFL haven't exactly flooded the football world with information. They haven't promoted the game in South Australia anywhere near enough. If it wasn't for a few publications from enthusiastic supporters, we'd have nothing.

[Wedgie]

Here's an example, on the AFL website under "Did you know?"

"In 1984 South Australia defeated Victoria by four points. Stephen Kernahan kicked 10 goals, in the year before his league debut."

So I assume he got picked to play for the State straight from Glenelg's reserves?

Here's a better example, on the SANFL website:

Most South Australians are very much like their state and spend more time going backwards than forwards, this majority have a chip on their shoulder the size of the Football Park and get great delight in whinging like stuck pigs in claiming the world or more specifically Victoria is against them even though in truth they are looked upon as very insignificant. Unfortunately for the minority who can both drive and think reasonably there is no law against these whingers.

Hey Wedgie, do you run any classes on how to think reasonably? I'd love to learn. I'd also like to get the ignorance out of my life. My whinging is frustrating me. My insignificance is depressing. If you could help me with that, that would be great. Yours insincerely, Aerie.

Sorry mate, common sense is born into people or ingrained into kids as they grow up and can't be taught at a latter stage.
If it could Id be running daily training sessions at work.

[Alby_Green]

... Victorians give our players much more recognition than we ever give their players ... go to the Melbourne Sport Book Store and see how many SANFL books there are, try and find a store in Adelaide with a similar amount of Victorian books, dont bother, as it wont happen.

Wedgie, there are SANFL books in that store as the owner is a South Australian! He gets over to Adelaide during the year to watch Norwood games.

[Benchwarmer]

Guys

As a former Melbournian, I can honestly say that only keen students of the game know guys like Robran, Carey, Aish, McIntosh, Dietrich and the likes and there IS an ignorant call of "who" when guys like Robran are honoured - to the point where the Mexicans come out with the classic "if he was any good, why didn't he play in our (the best) league?".

Some of the omissions from the HOF/Legends list from west of Kaniva are very annoying - as many people have correctly said the AFL is an upside down V with a line across it. The Victorian mentality was (and still is) to take the riches that a national league provides (licence fees, TV money, etc.) and make sure that 10 Victorian teams get as much of that dosh as possible.

The interstate sides should have taken the horse by the reigns in the early-mid 80s when the VFL was talking national and said that there would be no national comp unless there were 3 SA sides, 3 WA sides and 6 Victorian sides. Unfortunately the administrators of the day (the finger pointing burningly at WA especially) are to blame for the grossly problematic national league setup that we have in front of us today.

Imagine if the 10 clubs had worked themselves amicably into 3 national teams in the late 80s with the then-Reserves filtering up with the players missing out on a spot in a national team to become the SANFL. Mind you, the structure and standard would probably have been similar to today but at least the nationa balalnce would have been more even and less tilted towards the Mexicans.

[Benchwarmer]

I'm not too sure if Santo is from Adelaide or not, but I know that he is passionate about all sports but especially footy and soccer.

He follows state league level footy teams in all states and goes over to watch SANFL, WAFL and country footy matches etc. and is always on the lookout for new books, DVDs and items to sell and sometimes uses these trips to pick up some more stock. He is a smart operator who makes sure that his stock appeals to as many customers and potential customers as possible.

A knowledgeable proportion of his clientele will buy any footy book (AFL, state leagues, city, country) to improve their collection and knowledge of footy, but unfortunately the vast majority of Melbournian sports fans are ignorant of what goes on outside of their city and would rather downgrade the exploits of legitimate champions from outside Victoria (I'm guessing that was Mark Doran or else Kevin Bartlett on SEN).

I reckon that you could make a much better Dreamteam based on players from the 60s, 70s and 80s who didn't head to the VFL than the side that played the other day and they would do very well against most Vic sides. A reasonable number of them would be legitimate contenders for HOF selection ... and 98% of Victorians wouldn't have a clue who they were or what they did.

Some from the top of my head:

Steven Michael
Peter Carey
Geof Motley
Barrie Robran
Grenville Dietrich
Roger Luders
Paul Bagshaw (did he get in the HOF already?)
Freddy Phillis
Michael Aish

... feel free to add a few names!

[rod_rooster]

Mick Redden

Barrie Robran is already in and has Legend status. At least they got that right.