SA Footy

A friend of mine now resident in Canberra and somewhat removed from the North Adelaide he fervently followed as a youngster maintains that he was at Woodville Oval in 1980 when Barrie Robran, in the process of inching towards his 200th game made an unheralded half a game appearance for North reserves wearing a guernsey #30-something. Can anyone tell me if there's a semblance of truth in this tale, or is my friend suffering imaginitis?

Can't imagine that happened, unless Barrie wasn't expecting to play and they never packed the number 10. Anyway, someone will know.

robranisgod will know. He'll also know the temperature at the time Barrie took the oval and what way the wind was blowing!

baggy8 wrote:A friend of mine now resident in Canberra and somewhat removed from the North Adelaide he fervently followed as a youngster maintains that he was at Woodville Oval in 1980 when Barrie Robran, in the process of inching towards his 200th game made an unheralded half a game appearance for North reserves wearing a guernsey #30-something. Can anyone tell me if there's a semblance of truth in this tale, or is my friend suffering imaginitis?

Barrie had retired by the time that North played Woodville at Woodville in 1980. North played (and lost) to Woodville late in June, 1980. Barrie retired after he played against Glenelg at Prospect on the June long weekend.

He may be confusing the fact with Barrie's only game for the season in 1977. Barrie played unannounced in the last minor round of the seconds. That was at Prospect. Barrie kicked 7 goals in the first half. He stood Bill Davis from Woodville who always maintained he learnt more that day than in any other game that he ever played.

He also played a seconds game (against Sturt I think) at Prospect in 1978 with the largest brace you have ever seen on his damaged knee. I remember it was very wet and we (The cheer squad) got there early and took over the back corner of the grandstand. He wore number 10 that day.

Leaping Lindner wrote:He also played a seconds game (against Sturt I think) at Prospect in 1978 with the largest brace you have ever seen on his damaged knee. I remember it was very wet and we (The cheer squad) got there early and took over the back corner of the grandstand. He wore number 10 that day.

It was actually in July, 1979. Legend has it that he got over 50 touches in the seconds that day. David Wildy and Bill Lokan were both in that seconds team. North lost to Sturt in the league that day, a result that eventually cost North a place in the finals. Sturt finished below North that year, yet Sturt beat North both times they played, at Unley when Baggy played his record number of games and at Prospect in the game to which we just referred.

I'm 99.9% sure it was 1978. Maybe it wasn't against Sturt. Mind you it was the 70's and all that bad music and bad fashion blends the years after a while.

Leaping Lindner wrote:I'm 99.9% sure it was 1978. Maybe it wasn't against Sturt. Mind you it was the 70's and all that bad music and bad fashion blends the years after a while.

Barrie played some games in 1978. He played league against West at Richmond. North got killed that day, Kym Dillon got a three game suspension for deliberatley tripping an opponent and Barrie on one leg was North's only player. Fos Williams, the west coach said on World of Sport on the Sunday "Barrie, I wish you would tell everyone at home how badly you are suffering today". Barrie just replied "It's not too bad Fos". The mutual respect was obvious.

Thanks very much for that, robranisgod. Now I have to douse the fires of my friend's imagination.

robranisgod wrote:He may be confusing the fact with Barrie's only game for the season in 1977. Barrie played unannounced in the last minor round of the seconds. That was at Prospect. Barrie kicked 7 goals in the first half. He stood Bill Davis from Woodville who always maintained he learnt more that day than in any other game that he ever played.

My lil bro also played against him in the B's. He lists it as his career highlight despite going on and getting a league game or two. Said he copped the "vice like grip" around his arm when being tackled by BR which left a small bruises.