1960's SANFL

[mal]

BILLY CHEEKY THOMAS

Everything Ive read, and heard about Billy would suggest that he was one of the real personalties that played in the SANFL

WHISTLERS
Thomas was one of the great whistlers of the 50s/60s
George Moore the great Sydney Jockey would blow an imaginary whistle and get rails runs that were not seemingly there at times[referred catchcry was George Moores whistle]
Then there was Thomas, Ive heard 2 stories about his whistling
He would imitate a whistle like the umps when playing on at least one occasion
OR
He took out a whistle and blew a whistle in a match or several matches

CAREER
Was originally a NA boy
Played for PA in those vintage 1950s years
Bill played 18 league games for PA
He played in 5 PA seconds Premiership teams !
One of his team-mates in some or all of those flags was Max Occonell, later to become a SANFL ump and a Test Cricket Ump
In 1960 he was back playing for his beloved Roosters, it has been said a team he still barracked for despite playing for PA
This move may well have been the pinnacle of his playing career
NA won the 1960 Premiership, stopping a run of 6 PA flags in a row, of his former club
It is understood his family shifted from the NA area to the PA , that prob being the reason why he became a black and whiter for part of his playing days
Perhaps Billys greatest game was the 1960 2nd semi final when he was rated by some as Best on Ground
He won the Most consistent award for NA in 1960[he played every game in 1960 ?]
Bill was considered as imPORTant in the 1960 flag win as The Don Lindner and Barrie Barbary[the 1960 Mag Medal winner]


FIRST TIME
Billy made history, being the first player to play 100 + seconds games for 2 clubs
He also played 18 league games for PA , and either 111 or 112 league games for NA
Considering he played 200 reserves games it makes the fact he played 4 state games for SA very unusual
Billy kicked 236 career goals in those 129 or 130 games, very good for a resting rover
Aptly he played his 100th game for NA against PA at Alberton in 1964

ALSO
Billy was a NA runner in the 1971-1972 NA Premiership years
Coached the NA 3rds team in 1968
League selector in 1969 + from 1981-1986

Billy Thomas would have been an interesting player to meet and watch

[MagareyLegend]

billythomas.jpg (21.15 KiB) Viewed 617 times

BILLY THOMAS ROVING TO DON LINDNER at Kensington Oval in 1963.

Round 5: May 11th 1963 - North Adelaide 12.10 (82) d Port Adelaide 11.8 (74)

[Adelaide Hawk]

Billy Thomas kicked 3 goals that day.

[mal]

BILLY CHEELKY THOMAS THE RECRUITER
Heres a story from the early eighties involving Billy Thomas
There was this guy playing for this country football club
He was spotted by David Cearns a NA player from the past
David Cearns notified the club about this talent from the bush

About 2 years later a contingency of NA officialdoms went bush to watch this player
History in the making
The player was eventually signed up by the 3 man delegation
They were Billy Thomas, Jack Titus and John Condon

The footballer came over and debuted for NA in 1982
That player was the legendary one and only Grenville Dietrich
The great man kicked 100 goals in both the 1983-1984 seasons

Billy Thomas was part of that 3 man team that perhaps co-erced Grenville to play at NA

[mal]

1960s POSITIONS

RESERVES
There was no interchange in 1960
There were 2 reserves who could could permanently replace the player coming off
This meant that nearly all players were on the field for the entire match
When a player was substituted , he was not allowed to come back on again
Was a bit unfair at times to have injured players on the field towards the end of games that could not be Interchanged
The Interchange was brought in, in 1977 in the SANFL to offset that injury problem
In the short term teams used the Interchange in the spirit of the game
These days it has been whored like buggery as a tactic


POSITIONS
In those days it was not uncommon for these positional changes
Centremen to rest at half forward
Ruck Rovers, were usually taller 6 foot players who would rest at times on the back pocket
Ruckmen would mostly rest in the forward pockets
Rovers would rest predominantly in the forward pocket

STYLES
Football styles in 1960 [Im making an educated guess] was get the ball at all costs and move it forward at all costs
Revered PA coach Fos Williams would say if you have time to handball you have time to kick the ball
Handball was often used as a get out clause mainly if under pressure
Basically it was a kicking sport
The 60s players like Bubbles Obst could be seen deliberately kicking the footy out on the full !!!
Handball became an offensive play later in the 60s , was best used by the Jack Oatey ST machines
There were great exponents of the handball in the decades prior
It is said Len Fitzgerald used handball as an attacking play
Jack Oatey was renown for his bullet like handballs as well

Football was basically a man on man sport
Opponents could stand each for entire games
The winner of these duels went a way or a long way to winning games for thier teams
It just seemed that SANFL footy was a real contest back then
The modern game is still good to watch, but umpiring interpretations and the Interchange means sometimes that games and results are spoilt by those interventions


UMPIRES
1 umpire per game !
The bad news is that 1 ump could not always see behind the play MALicious incidents
The good news is the 1 ump was a good umpire
Umpires prob protected the ball players back then more than currently
These days ball players seem to be penalised in particular with the unfairish holding the ball interpretations


COACHES
More or less teachers and motivators
Train em hard during practice sessions, rev em up for the games, be inspirational and educational during the game breaks
One man for a one man job
These days we have forward coaches, midfield coaches, how to shop at supermaket coaches etc etc
This takes a load of the main modern coach and its ok, but certainly diff to what might have been with basically a one man coaching panel

SUPportERS
There were 2 types of supPORTers come 1960
Those who barracked for Port Adelaide and those that wish they did ...

[robranisgod]

BILLY CHEEKY THOMAS

Then there was Thomas, Ive heard 2 stories about his whistling
He would imitate a whistle like the umps when playing on at least one occasion
OR
He took out a whistle and blew a whistle in a match or several matches

He was always known as "Cheeky Charlie" not just "Cheeky" and he definitely could imitate the umpires whistle, I saw and heard him doing one day at Prospect Oval against South. I don't believe that he ever took a whistle out with him.

[Adelaide Hawk]

POSITIONS
In those days it was not uncommon for these positional changes
Centremen to rest at half forward
Ruck Rovers, were usually taller 6 foot players who would rest at times on the back pocket
Ruckmen would mostly rest in the forward pockets
Rovers would rest predominantly in the forward pocket

When I started watching football, predominantly knock ruckmen would change in the forward pocket, and ruck-rovers in the back pocket, depending on the player's ability to kick goals. Sometimes I saw Port change their knock ruckmen in the back pocket and their ruck-rovers up forward. Sturt was the first team I saw run a permanent back pocket and change ruck rovers Chessell and Bagshaw on the half forward flank.

[redandblack]

Jeff Bray isn't often mentioned, but he was a terrific player. Possibly the best CHB in the League at the time, he also played forward. He played for South Melbourne for a while also.

The post about Hank Lindner & co is correct. Hank was a tough man and each side had their equivalent 'enforcer'. That's not to say they were unfair, because Hank was a very good player, but each team liked to have a 'tough' player who often looked after their teammates in the event of anyone 'having a go' at trhem.

[Adelaide Hawk]

Jeff Bray isn't often mentioned, but he was a terrific player. Possibly the best CHB in the League at the time, he also played forward. He played for South Melbourne for a while also.

Jeff Bray, the barrel chested fireman, and what a terrific player he was. Great pair of hands and excellent disposal. His run of goals in 1960 is impressive. Within 7 rounds he managed bags of 4, 4, 5, 2, 7, 7, 6. That's 35 goals in 7 weeks. Not sure why he didn't stay up forward.

[GWW]

How does Hank's career compare to Don's? Was Hank the older brother?

[Adelaide Hawk]

How does Hank's career compare to Don's? Was Hank the older brother?

Don played 280 games, 267 goals from 1954-70.
Hank played 126 games, 4 goals from 1959-67.

Don was the older brother by 2 years.

[robranisgod]

How does Hank's career compare to Don's? Was Hank the older brother?

Don played 280 games, 267 goals from 1954-70.
Hank played 126 games, 4 goals from 1959-67.

Don was the older brother by 2 years.

How many state games did Hank play?

[Leaping Lindner]

Just the one I'm pretty sure. Legend has it he flattened a Victorian player and Barassi said "Pick on someone your own size." So he flattened Barassi.

[mal]

South Australian Trotting awards

SA 2 year old of the year 2003
SA 3 year old of the year 2004

The pacer that won these 2 awards was a horse called Bobby Hank

[MagareyLegend]

Was Bobby Hank the trotter owned by Lindsay Head who was a prominent trotting trainer do you know?

[mal]

Bobby Hank
Owned by Riawara Proprietors SA
Unless Lindsay Head is in with Riawara , he would not be an owner


Lindsay Head had a very good pacer I followed in the 1970s called My Gal Sal
Might have been named after a Movie with the same title

[mal]

1960s SANFL participants who Ive met at the racetracks


BRIAN MULVIHILL
When I think of em, I firstly think of Brian Mulvihill
Brian loved his races
Quite an affable character, very sociable person, everyone I know liked being around the big fella
I have crossed paths with "' Mulva."" a top bloke
And he could really play football

Brian was a star forward who commenced playing footy in 1965 for WT
These are his stats for the 3 clubs he represented[these stats vary from the sources I checked out]

65-70 WT 200 goals[89 games]
71-72 NM 25 goals [24 games]
73-75 WT 186 goals [47 games]
76-77 WDV 62 goals [24 games]

184 total games
473 goals

His SANFL career was
160 total games
448 goals [or 427 goals from another source]

In 1967 he played perhaps one of his greatest games kicking 12 goals against WDV

[McAlmanac]

1960s SANFL participants who Ive met at the racetracks


BRIAN MULVIHILL
When I think of em, I firstly think of Brian Mulvihill
Brian loved his races
Quite an affable character, very sociable person, everyone I know liked being around the big fella
I have crossed paths with "' Mulva."" a top bloke
And he could really play football

Brian was a star forward who commenced playing footy in 1965 for WT
These are his stats for the 3 clubs he represented[these stats vary from the sources I checked out]

65-70 WT 200 goals[89 games]
71-72 NM 25 goals [24 games]
73-75 WT 186 goals [47 games]
76-77 WDV 62 goals [24 games]

184 total games
473 goals

His SANFL career was
160 total games
448 goals [or 427 goals from another source]

In 1967 he played perhaps one of his greatest games kicking 12 goals against WDV

Mulva only had 4 wins in those 24 games at North Melbourne. He walked into a very young side - in his first match they had 7 teenagers and another 4 blokes who were 20.

[robranisgod]

Mulva only had 4 wins in those 24 games at North Melbourne. He walked into a very young side - in his first match they had 7 teenagers and another 4 blokes who were 20.

Much better win loss ratio than current Port player Josh Thurgood who when he was at Hawthorn failed to play in a winning match in 14 games. That is some record.

[GWW]

After reading some of the posts about the Lindner brothers I spoke to my dad about Don and Hank Lindner today, as my dad had met them while living in the Riverland in the 1960's.

Dad mentioned a couple of things he recalled - he remembered reading in "The News" a boast from Don when he coached North something along the lines of "We can always beat West, because Kerley is scared of Hank". The second thing was that apparently Hank got that nickname from when he was a youngster playing in the backyard, pretending he was Bob Hank whilst kicking the footy around.