SA Footy

Hey Spelly - the last minor round of 1964 played on Sept 5 saw Port 18.18 def Torrens 9.7 at Norwood Oval. Why was that match played at Norwood Oval ?

I am sure I read why they met there but cannot recall the reason. I know that South played Norwood at Adelaide, and since each side had played each other at Alberton and Thebarton earlier in the year, perhaps that was the neutral venue chosen for the third match. That is only my opinion however.

This is a list of matches played at other venues between neutral clubs:

Round 3 1936 - Norwood vs Glenelg Wayville
Round 15 1936 - South vs West Unley
Round 16 1936 - South vs Torrens Norwood
Round 12 1938 - South vs Torrens Wayville
Round 13 1946 - Glenelg vs Torrens Norwood
Round 5 1947 - West vs South Norwood
Round 16 1948 - South vs North Norwood
Round 15 1963 - Torrens vs North Norwood
Round 10 1964 - Central vs South Richmond
Round 20 1964 - Torrens vs Port Norwood
Round 1 1971 - Glenelg vs Port Elizabeth
Round 8 1974 - South vs Sturt Richmond
Round 16 1993 - South vs Sturt Richmond
Round 2 1997 - Sturt vs North Norwood
Round 6 1997 - Eagles vs South Norwood

Of that I can only give guaranteed reasons for the Round 10 1964 match - Elizabeth Oval was not ready yet and West/Port was at Adelaide that day; and the two 1997 matches. As you probably know, the lights were not ready at Adelaide Oval, so those two matches were transfered to Norwood. And interestingly, they were the first two matches played for premiership points at Norwood under lights.

Well you learn someting new evey day ... the Bays played Port at Elizabeth?

Bayman, were you at that one?

That match might have had something to do with district cricket being played at Alberton and Elizabeth on that day. Again, I can't be sure on that. 10,164 attended and there were some lengthy delays on Main North Road after that match; I do know that.

Glg/Port Round 1 1971 was played at Elizabeth as Adelaide Oval was being used for Baseball's Claxton Shield and the SANFL insisted on this game being played at a neutral venue - mid season these 2 teams played at Glenelg and they met again at Alberton in the final minor round so in order to satisfy the requirements of a fair & even draw (a concept the modern AFL don't recognise) this opening match had to be at a neutral venue - the only available ovals to choose from were Elizabeth, Woodville & Thebarton. What is bugging me is I quite clearly remember the 1974 South/Sturt game at Richmond - mainly because 74 premiers Sturt somehow lost to a very ordinary South outfit - yet I can't remember the reason why that @#$@#! game was at Richmond !!!

rd, I'd suggest that South and Sturt met at Richmond because of the strained relationship at that stage between the SANFL and the SACA. Footy Park had its first game only three weeks earlier, and I think some of the SACA powers (not including Bradman who has been unfairly criticized) might have had a 'good riddance' attitude at the time. And South, perhaps motivated by losing their home ground advantage, lifted for the occasion.

baggy8 wrote:rd, I'd suggest that South and Sturt met at Richmond because of the strained relationship at that stage between the SANFL and the SACA. Footy Park had its first game only three weeks earlier, and I think some of the SACA powers (not including Bradman who has been unfairly criticized) might have had a 'good riddance' attitude at the time. And South, perhaps motivated by losing their home ground advantage, lifted for the occasion.

How do you get unfairly criticised when you say 'Let them sink into the swamp, and they will come back to us with a begging bowl'.

Yeah .... but apart from that casual throwaway line .....


Did he really say that?