Interstate recruits to SANFL who changed clubs..

[GWW]

Anyone got info on how many seasons Fry played at South and then Sturt? From memory he crossed to Sturt around the same time that Neil Craig did from Norwood.

[Hondo]

Fry played in the 1979 GF for South and I reckon he went to Sturt in 1980

[Adelaide Hawk]

Fry played in the 1979 GF for South and I reckon he went to Sturt in 1980

Correct. Fry played for South between the years 1975-79 (107 games), and for Sturt from 1980-87 (153 games), and 6 games for SA.

[Hondo]

A bit off topic but when you look back over player movements in that era there's a lot of movement of great players from West/Woodville/Torrens/South to North/Port/Norwood/Sturt/Glenelg (North moreso in the later 80s).

Conversely, there seemed to be a lot of movement of fringe players back the other direction.

No wonder the same 5 clubs dominated the league in that era. The strong got stronger. I guess the carrot was playing in finals yet if all those players had stayed with their original clubs those clubs may have played more finals.

Well, maybe that's just my simplification of the issue. Money would have come into it obviously.

[smithy]

Fry played in the 1979 GF for South and I reckon he went to Sturt in 1980

Correct. Fry played for South between the years 1975-79 (107 games), and for Sturt from 1980-87 (153 games), and 6 games for SA.

And returned to South again.

[MagareyLegend]

Haydn Bunton Junior?

[baggy8]

Haydn Bunton Junior?

No; South Australian from about age 6 or 7.

[Adelaide Hawk]

Fry played in the 1979 GF for South and I reckon he went to Sturt in 1980

Correct. Fry played for South between the years 1975-79 (107 games), and for Sturt from 1980-87 (153 games), and 6 games for SA.

And returned to South again.

That's right, he did. But he only played a few games. I'd forgotten about that.

[smithy]

Fry played in the 1979 GF for South and I reckon he went to Sturt in 1980

Correct. Fry played for South between the years 1975-79 (107 games), and for Sturt from 1980-87 (153 games), and 6 games for SA.

And returned to South again.

That's right, he did. But he only played a few games. I'd forgotten about that.

I only remember because I had to rip his badge off my duffle coat and burnt it.

[nickname]

A bit off topic but when you look back over player movements in that era there's a lot of movement of great players from West/Woodville/Torrens/South to North/Port/Norwood/Sturt/Glenelg (North moreso in the later 80s).

Conversely, there seemed to be a lot of movement of fringe players back the other direction.

No wonder the same 5 clubs dominated the league in that era. The strong got stronger. I guess the carrot was playing in finals yet if all those players had stayed with their original clubs those clubs may have played more finals.

Well, maybe that's just my simplification of the issue. Money would have come into it obviously.

I don't think West lost many great players in that era. Pope and Nicholson yes, and to a lesser extent Gavin Wheaton, but that was offset by the great service we got out of Grimwood, Ray Hayes and Kevin Beswick. We were actually pretty good at hanging on to our players who wanted to go to the VFL too - Dexter Kennedy who did a pre-season with South Melbourne and Meuret who did one with Geelong were both retained despite their desire to cross the border.

[Adelaide Hawk]

I don't think West lost many great players in that era. Pope and Nicholson yes, and to a lesser extent Gavin Wheaton, but that was offset by the great service we got out of Grimwood, Ray Hayes and Kevin Beswick. We were actually pretty good at hanging on to our players who wanted to go to the VFL too - Dexter Kennedy who did a pre-season with South Melbourne and Meuret who did one with Geelong were both retained despite their desire to cross the border.

Two I can think of in the mid 70s who left West are Ian Verrier and Chris Kellett, but your point is well made. Certainly they didn't suffer the players exodus they did in the early-mid 1960s when they lost Neil Kerley, Ken Eutice, Don Roach, Jeff Bray, and Bert Johnson.

[Dogwatcher]

The Gowans boys changed a club

[nickname]

I don't think West lost many great players in that era. Pope and Nicholson yes, and to a lesser extent Gavin Wheaton, but that was offset by the great service we got out of Grimwood, Ray Hayes and Kevin Beswick. We were actually pretty good at hanging on to our players who wanted to go to the VFL too - Dexter Kennedy who did a pre-season with South Melbourne and Meuret who did one with Geelong were both retained despite their desire to cross the border.

Two I can think of in the mid 70s who left West are Ian Verrier and Chris Kellett, but your point is well made. Certainly they didn't suffer the players exodus they did in the early-mid 1960s when they lost Neil Kerley, Ken Eutice, Don Roach, Jeff Bray, and Bert Johnson.

Yes, and again Verrier and Kellett wouldn't be classed as 'great'. Verrier had a good first year but my memory tells me he was disappointing after that. Kellett hadn't cemented a spot with us and, perhaps rightly, thought he wasn't getting a fair chance with us. He was a massive kick, and kicked a few against us as I recall too.

[Big Phil]

The Gowans boys changed a club

Here here...

[baggy8]

I don't think West lost many great players in that era. Pope and Nicholson yes, and to a lesser extent Gavin Wheaton, but that was offset by the great service we got out of Grimwood, Ray Hayes and Kevin Beswick. We were actually pretty good at hanging on to our players who wanted to go to the VFL too - Dexter Kennedy who did a pre-season with South Melbourne and Meuret who did one with Geelong were both retained despite their desire to cross the border.

Two I can think of in the mid 70s who left West are Ian Verrier and Chris Kellett, but your point is well made. Certainly they didn't suffer the players exodus they did in the early-mid 1960s when they lost Neil Kerley, Ken Eutice, Don Roach, Jeff Bray, and Bert Johnson.

Yes, and again Verrier and Kellett wouldn't be classed as 'great'. Verrier had a good first year but my memory tells me he was disappointing after that. Kellett hadn't cemented a spot with us and, perhaps rightly, thought he wasn't getting a fair chance with us. He was a massive kick, and kicked a few against us as I recall too.

Might be my memory playing tricks nickname, but I'd always thought that West got much better value from Verrier than Port did, both in terms of good footy and number of games (help?). and didn't Gavin Wheaton come from Norwood to West rather than the other way round?

[nickname]

Verrier played 135 games with us and 65 with Port. My memory is that he never became the player he looked like being when he started.
Wheaton certainly started with us (in 1973). He had a very good start to his career playing in the centre and went to Norwood in 1976 I believe. I think injuries got the better of him. But, like Verrier, he looked like he could have been anything when he started.

[Adelaide Hawk]

Verrier played state footy and was a very good player for West IMHO. I remember thinking at the time Port picked up a very good player and he played in their 1976 GF team.

[robranisgod]

Verrier played state footy and was a very good player for West IMHO. I remember thinking at the time Port picked up a very good player and he played in their 1976 GF team.

Are you sure he made the 1976 Grand Final side?

[nickname]

Well, with respect AH, I saw him play for us 100 or so more times than you did and, his first season or so aside, I thought he was over-rated.

[baggy8]

Verrier played state footy and was a very good player for West IMHO. I remember thinking at the time Port picked up a very good player and he played in their 1976 GF team.

Are you sure he made the 1976 Grand Final side?

Verrier played - wore #14