SA Footy

I'm just thinking about the legends of my 70s / 80s SANFL youth who basically played the same position week in, week out. None of this moving around the ground rubbish for them.

I'm declaring that Roger Woodcock is the greatest of them all when it comes to the one position legends. Every time he got picked, named on the half forward flank without fail, and finishes up with more than 600 goals to his name.

Happy to hear anyone else's arguments on the others in my head such as Michael Graham, Ron Hateley, Kym Kinnear, Peter Vivian, Jim Lihou, John McFarlane etc = guys you just knew were going to be listed in the same position every single week as soon as the teams were in Friday's Tiser.

Its not a bad question, obviously there's been a lot of blokes who have played in a position like Full Back, Full Forward or Ruck their entire careers but to have someone make a half forward flank their's for just nigh on the entirity of their career is rare.
He was one of my favourite players as a young Norwood supporter.

Was arguing this with another Norwood man and we went Woodcock, as Gallagher went off a wing after eight or nine years into the centre / ruck roving in the last part of his career.
Those days of the SANFL were great when you had specialist second rovers (Peter McInerney) and things like resting second rucks who started in the forward pocket (David Gurney) or back pocket (Michael Gregg).

As your signature aludes to, 602 goals of a half forward flank is a pretty incredible achievement, I certainly didn't realise he'd kicked that many, Roger is probably one of those great "underrated" players.

Was the deadliest shot for goal you could ever want to see
His abilty to score the hardest goals was a tribute to Splinter
Rarely missed the 50/50 set shots
Caught up and had a chat with Splinter at a barn dance in the Parcombe/Inglewood area
and we chatted about the good ol days.
He was the master of bouncing the ball and then getting a free when tackled
His career came to an end at Footy Park when he was injured in a final [knee injury ?]
What an amazing talent in a bygone era

Still a disgrace we didn't put him in the Redlegs Team of the Century. Horrible decision.

rogernumber10 wrote:Still a disgrace we didn't put him in the Redlegs Team of the Century. Horrible decision.

Who would you drop to make way for him? Not trolling but genuinely curious.

Forwards: Robert Oatey - Bruce Schultz - Neville Roberts
Half Forwards: Garry McIntosh - Neil Button - Albert Sawley
Centres: Doug Olds - Alick Lill - Phil Gallagher
Half Backs: Ron Kneebone - Walter Scott - Syd White
Backs: Alby Bahr - Syd Ackland - Michael Taylor
1st Ruck: John Marriott - Michael Aish - Jack Oatey
Interchange: Keith Thomas - Sam Gallagher - Bill Wedding
John Wynne

Leaping Lindner wrote:

rogernumber10 wrote:Still a disgrace we didn't put him in the Redlegs Team of the Century. Horrible decision.

Who would you drop to make way for him? Not trolling but genuinely curious.

Considering he played his entire carreer on the HFF, there is really only 2, can you imagine a Norwood TOC without McIntosh, although if you really wanted him in, he could have had a spot on the bench.

Good point. Happy to say who should go out if I want to put someone in. I would go Woodcock on the flank, McIntosh into the centre, Lill to the bench and Thomas out of the side. You could put Lill on the wing, ahead of Olds or Gallagher, as a Magarey Medallist, but he wasn't a true wingman and therefore I didn't like to go that way. My view on Woodcock was biased because the forward line should be predominantly full of blokes trying to kick goals, with a space for a resting ball player (Oatey). Woodcock, Schultz, Button, Roberts and Sawley are all completely different players. Surely the aim for any team is to have options whereby the defence can't easily cover different players. Also, McIntosh was one of the very great clearance players of all time, was a centreman in two flags, and a dominant centreman for more than a decade. I don't see the point of starting him anywhere but in the middle for every bounce. While I loved Keith Thomas for longevity etc, I bow to Lill's record and he gets squeezed.

Can't argue with any of that Roger

rogernumber10 wrote:Good point. Happy to say who should go out if I want to put someone in. I would go Woodcock on the flank, McIntosh into the centre, Lill to the bench and Thomas out of the side. You could put Lill on the wing, ahead of Olds or Gallagher, as a Magarey Medallist, but he wasn't a true wingman and therefore I didn't like to go that way. My view on Woodcock was biased because the forward line should be predominantly full of blokes trying to kick goals, with a space for a resting ball player (Oatey). Woodcock, Schultz, Button, Roberts and Sawley are all completely different players. Surely the aim for any team is to have options whereby the defence can't easily cover different players. Also, McIntosh was one of the very great clearance players of all time, was a centreman in two flags, and a dominant centreman for more than a decade. I don't see the point of starting him anywhere but in the middle for every bounce. While I loved Keith Thomas for longevity etc, I bow to Lill's record and he gets squeezed.

Fair enough. I must admit Keith Thomas was my first thought to be dropped. Moving Lill to the bench is a big call but says a lot about the talent in the side.
I just realised that the side couldn't squeeze Topsy Waldron or John Daly in either. They are major ommissions in my opinion after having read a far bit about pre-1900 football.

Biggest concern for the Legs is when are we next likely to produce a player who can threaten any position in our TOC. Thomas, Aish and Macca all been gone a while now.

LL, I haven't followed Norwoods TOC too closely, but if those 2 were pre-1900 woudln't that exclude them from a TOC of the 1900's?

Unless it was a TOC from the clubs first 100 years, of course.

Leaping Lindner wrote: Read a far bit about pre-1900 football.

Read about it? I heard you played

rogernumber10 wrote:Still a disgrace we didn't put him in the Redlegs Team of the Century. Horrible decision.

hated hi but yes should of made this team only hated him because he was so good

I've seen Port's TOC. Did every club do one of some sort?

In the VFL/AFL, there's one true one position, one dimensional legend - full back Rod "Tilt" Carter from Fitzroy and South Melb/Sydney Swans ... he of the record of 279 games and 1 goal.

He later admitted to regretting kicking that goal (v Melbourne in the late 1980s) as he still gets reminded of it to this day.

At least The Tilt gets remembered, whether it's for that goal or for a head designed like the Tower of Pisa. Shane Parker has retired this year after about the most anonymous 240-odd games at the highest level in history.

rogernumber10 wrote:I've seen Port's TOC. Did every club do one of some sort?

North's:

Leaping Lindner wrote:

rogernumber10 wrote:Still a disgrace we didn't put him in the Redlegs Team of the Century. Horrible decision.

Who would you drop to make way for him? Not trolling but genuinely curious.

Half Forwards: Garry McIntosh - Neil Button - Albert Sawley

Well since he was a HFFer, you'd obviously have to drop McIntosh or Sawley!