SA Footy

Ive been wondering about this for a while. When was the last time Port Adelaide were on the bottom of the ladder at any stage before this season?

spelly's world but...

Reakon Port were bottom after round 1, 1995.

Glenelg thumped us by about 14 goals at Footy Park.

And Scotty broke his ankle to compound the misery.

Before then I'd say around...

Round 15, 1985.

IIRC, had 4-11 win/loss record.

Was staring at the club's first wooden-spoon since 1900.

Not much different now...

Port were bottom after Round 1 1995, but because one team had not played a match yet because of the bye (South), I don't class that as a week on the bottom. Port were last after Round 2 1996 however.

Last week and this week along with Round 2 1996 are the only times that Port have been on the bottom of the ladder since 1991.

This is a list of occasions that Port have been on the bottom of the ladder since 1907:

Round 2 1920
Round 3 1920
Round 5 1920
Round 1 1924
Round 8 1934
Round 1 1949
Round 1 1950
Round 1 1969
Round 1 1985
Round 15 1985
Round 16 1985
Round 2 1996
Round 2 2009
Round 3 2009

I also know that Port were last in 1900 after Rounds 1, 2, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17.

Last in round 8 1934, and then played in the Grand Final?

Has anyone else ever been last that far into the season and made the GF?

Yes, although Woodville came very close in 1986 - last after Round 10, to finish 3rd.

spell_check wrote:Yes, although Woodville came very close in 1986 - last after Round 10, to finish 3rd.

In 1984, Norwood were bottom after round 3, were still 7th up to round 14. The rest, as they say, is history

spell_check wrote:Port were bottom after Round 1 1995, but because one team had not played a match yet because of the bye (South), I don't class that as a week on the bottom.

So who was bottom then - South? Bit stiff for a team which hasn't played a game. Does this mean Port will be bottom in years where it has the round 1 bye? Who was top after Round 1 1995, or does this not count either, because one team had yet to play?

Go on, call Port bottom after R1 1995. You know it makes sense!

Last in round 8 1934, and then played in the Grand Final?

In 1934 Glenelg were bottom from rounds 3 to 7.


and won the flag

Pseudo wrote:

spell_check wrote:Port were bottom after Round 1 1995, but because one team had not played a match yet because of the bye (South), I don't class that as a week on the bottom.

So who was bottom then - South? Bit stiff for a team which hasn't played a game. Does this mean Port will be bottom in years where it has the round 1 bye? Who was top after Round 1 1995, or does this not count either, because one team had yet to play?

Go on, call Port bottom after R1 1995. You know it makes sense!

Well, I discount Round 1 during the bye years (1901-1920); (1991-)

Magpiespower wrote:spelly's world but...

Reakon Port were bottom after round 1, 1995.

Glenelg thumped us by about 14 goals at Footy Park.

And Scotty broke his ankle to compound the misery.

Before then I'd say around...

Round 15, 1985.

IIRC, had 4-11 win/loss record.

Was staring at the club's first wooden-spoon since 1900.

Not much different now...

Was it about round 15 of 1985 when Craig Bradley was reported for kicking. I remember being at a party on the Saturday night where Port mates were saying that they were bottom and their only player was going to be suspended for the rest of the season. The wooden spoon was going to be a laydown misere. Fortunately for them and Port Bradley beat the rap and Port won something like four of their last six games. It is increible to think how quickly they turned that situation around so that within 3 years they were premiers.

robranosgod wrote:
Was it about round 15 of 1985 when Craig Bradley was reported for kicking. I remember being at a party on the Saturday night where Port mates were saying that they were bottom and their only player was going to be suspended for the rest of the season. The wooden spoon was going to be a laydown misere. Fortunately for them and Port Bradley beat the rap and Port won something like four of their last six games. It is increible to think how quickly they turned that situation around so that within 3 years they were premiers.

Sounds about right.

Beat South, Torrens and Woodville to jump to a 7-11 record and almost guarantee we'd avoid the spoon.

Reakon Ebert's record at Port is nowhere near as bad as most think. He coached the club during one of the most tumultuous times in its history.

Almost went broke twice. For the economists out there, how much is 1985s $282K loss in today's money?

This amidst a rash of retirements from those premiership teams and the VFL exodus. To top it off, Port were ravaged by injuries in '83 and '85.

But that era saw, by necessity, a-lot of young players blooded including Hynes, Ginever, Delaney, Hutton, Mahney, Harvey, Anderson, Borlase, Tylor, Smith x 2.

And even more in Ebert's last two years (86/87).

Reakon making the finals in '86 with a young, unheralded team was a pretty remarkable effort.

His five year reign laid the foundations for a decade of dominance...