SA Footy

RICK Davies was a champion for Sturt in the 1970s, an era when South Australia produced some of the great players of the time.

Davies was a powerhouse ruckman for the Double Blues, a dual premiership player and seven-time best and fairest winner who watched with envy over the years as playing compatriots such as Graham Cornes, Peter Carey and Russell Ebert were inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

"I suppose you see the other guys get in and you hope it can happen to you in your lifetime," he said. "Now that it has, I'm humbled and honoured."

There is no question that Davies deserves to be inducted. He made his debut in 1970 (Woodville's Ray Buckley, father of Collingwood coach Nathan, was his direct opponent). In 1973 he started his streak of seven Sturt best and fairest awards in the next eight years.

Davies was the premier ruckman in the SANFL. At 188cm, he wasn't necessarily the tallest, but he was nimble and athletic and he used the rules of the time to his best advantage.

"There were no lines across the centre, so you could manoeuvre your body to beat the useless taller blokes," he said.

"The line has taken away the art and technique of rucking, in my opinion."

Davies joined Sturt at the tail-end of a glorious streak when the Double Blues won five straight flags. He missed out in 1970, but made amends in 1974 and 1976 - and both were significant.

In 1974, Sturt won the first Grand Final to be held at Football Park (now AAMI Stadium), while two years later came the especially sweet triumph over Port Adelaide by 41 points in front of a crowd of 66,897. So large was the turnout that spectators were sitting two deep inside the playing arena.

SDK wrote:Congrats and well deserved. An absolute champion.

Failed Creation wrote:

SDK wrote:Congrats and well deserved. An absolute champion.

Hear, hear!

It's a shame it's taken this long for him to be inducted.

on the rails wrote:Was Anne Fulwood invited too?

Pseudo wrote:

Failed Creation wrote:

SDK wrote:Congrats and well deserved. An absolute champion.

Hear, hear!

It's a shame it's taken this long for him to be inducted.

No shame at all, since Davies' status as a champion is independent of whether or not the Victorian-run league chooses to recognise it. Rather, the AFL needs players like Rick Davies in its hall of fame in order to maintain an illusion of credibility. We've known Davies was a champion since the seventies, it has only taken the Vics 40 years to catch up.

GWW wrote:Fantastic player, congratulations.

I too disliked him when I was a kid, but have become a fan of his when I look back in retrospect.

I wonder who will be next to be honored - Aish?

teaoby wrote:I saw a tweet form ABC journalist James Coventry, that NO SA or WA player pre 1960 has been inducted yet into the AUSTRALIAN Football Hall of Fame.
******* Victorians are a joke! every club from SA and WA would have 2-3 players pre that era deserving of the honor!