Why your SANFL Team?

[mots02]

Apologies if this thread has been done before - but following on from the post in the AFL thread, and since its GF week.

Why have you chosen your SANFL team? What's your story?

[amber_fluid]

Apologies if this thread has been done before - but following on from the post in the AFL thread, and since its GF week.

Why have you chosen your SANFL team? What's your story?

Grew up in the heart of the Port and Parents were keen Port supporters.
It was either follow Port or be put up for adoption.
I chose wisely!

[wenchbarwer]

Think I mentioned this in the AFL thread. Mum was a big Westies fan.

Took me to a game in the very early 80's, and I saw Roger Luders play. End of story

Him, Fliesy Meuret & Bruce Lindner made for exciting viewing

Edit - my first guernsey was a Bloods one with 29 on the back

[whufc]

Grew up a 500m up from Elizabeth Oval. Dad was good mates with Wilbur Wilson so spent alot of time with the family. Had no choice.

[am Bays]

Because Glenelg are the best, full stop!

Basically because of this bloke!

[Booney]

My maternal Grand Father first took my Mum to Alberton in 1948 when she was 5, he'd been going since the late 1930's.

My Mum has been to :

Winning - 1954,55,56,57,58,59,62,63,65,77,79,80,81,88,89,90,92,94,95,96,98,99, 04*
Losing - 1964,67,68,71,72,76,84,07*,2014,2017,2019

She has not missed a Port Adelaide Grand Final since 1954 and was at all 6 in a row. She's been to 22 SANFL and one AFL winning, 10 SANFL losing and 1 AFL losing. She first took me in 1980 as a 5 year old. Very much a part of both our lives and has us incredibly close.

Whether you believe it to be so or not, if Port Adelaide are in the GF next week at 82 she'll be saddling up in the back seat of the Subaru and coming over.

I've proudly indoctrinated the 4th generation, he'll be in the car too.

[MannyK]

Lived my first 20 years back of our shop opposite the Norwood Town Hall. Who else would I go for.

[wenchbarwer]

Bonus points Booney for listening to your mum AND brainwashing the kids

[JK]

Dad was Norwood born and bred, Mum Port born and bred. Old man got to me first.

[UK Fan]

Dad immigrated to Australia in 1964 and lived in Elizabeth

Attending Elizabeth Oval on a saturday was just something that as a family we did. Aunties Uncles grandparents etc......

[amber_fluid]

Dad was Norwood born and bred, Mum Port born and bred. Old man got to me first.

Isn’t there laws preventing Port and Norwood supporters marrying?

[Spargo]

My Grandfather debuted for Glenelg in 1949 (played in the 1950 GF loss to Norwood), Dad played a bit down there in the ‘70s. Been going pretty much every week since I was 5. First signed up as a junior member in ‘81, this year is my 44th consecutive year. Sunday will be my 13th Glenelg GF, I’ve seen 4 flags & 8 losing GFs. To say the club is my life, is an understatement. My wife & kids have come to understand this…

[gazzamagoo]

Dad was Norwood born and bred, Mum Port born and bred. Old man got to me first.

Isn’t there laws preventing Port and Norwood supporters marrying?

my mum & dad did!

[Pseudo]

From this article: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-18/ ... /104362538

"One of our members … says she supports the Swans because her favourite colour is pink, and mixing red and white together makes pink so that when that was her rationale of becoming a Swans supporter."

Now which of you Norfies wants to fess up to following the Roosters for a similar reason?

[dedja]

Dad was Norwood born and bred, Mum Port born and bred. Old man got to me first.

Isn’t there laws preventing Port and Norwood supporters marrying?

my mum & dad did!

That’s explains everything

[MJP1993]

Ok I’m eagles so west Torrens then Woodville west Torrens .
Dad and mum moved from broken hill looked at Elizabeth bought on the banks of the Torrens ( now westies area )
Dad tried out with Torrens 1958 didn’t make it told come back next year he didn’t
Dad would take me to sacred ground thebarton oval an aunt lived across the road so we’d park there .
As I got older dad would drop me off if we won wasn’t often I would take 10-15 minutes to walk home along the river ( to our house ) I had to get home to watch KGs footy show lost 30 minutes or longer to get home
Went to school with Torrens players the Shallow brothers lived up the street or their parents did
Saw the great wins and losses
Then dismayed my team was gone but joined the Eagles at oval ave
My kids now adults I am Eagles their mum Port they grew up in the port heartland our surname port people get confused we aren’t port fans
My ex wife’s family tried to get me to change nope my kids port son used to come with me from about 5 years old
Now just me they are all working

[Corona Man]

Both Mum & Dad grew up down at Port Adelaide. Dad played some colts for port, and an Uncle of mine played under Fos Williams in the late 50’s.

As kids we grew up firstly in Modbury, and later in Fairview Park. While I don’t recall much about my early years living at 8 Smart Road Modbury, I do recall the family next door. The Gilbourne’s. Don just happened to be the North Adelaide captain!

Later on we went to St Paul’s on Grand Junction Road. Played mini league for North as well.

I do recall Barrie Robran before, and sadly after his prime.

The die was cast. The Roosters for me. Living here in Melbourne now, I really miss getting along to Prospect.

I’d say once we’ve finished work, that the pull to return home will be strong. I have found myself doing real estate searches near Prospect at times!

[gazzamagoo]

Dad lived behind the Hackney hotel with his parents and got a job alllll the way out at WRE in Salisbury North,
eventually got sick of the travel & moved from the eastern suburbs to Salisbury North (thanks dad),
met mum, a pom in Elizabeth Vale, she barracked for Port at the time,
they shacked up together on Bagster Road in Salisbury North,
Gary Window lived pretty much over the back fence so dad & mum stopped following Norwood & Port (too far away) & started following Central.
Then mum started working there, named me after Gary Window, had players live with us, why wouldn't I barrack for The 'Dogs!!!

[robranisgod]

My dad's great uncle commenced with North Adelaide in 1899 and played centre in the 1900 premiership. Thus my grandfather was 13 when he saw his uncle play in a premiership. He took my dad to the footy and in turn dad took me from the age of 4. As a 5 year old I still remember the 1960 North Adelaide premiership and the celebrations at my home with aged aunties waving red and white towels as we got home.
In 2018 my brother took his grandson and granddaughter to the Grand Final and they are now members, thus we now are up to six generation North supporters.
Having said all of that, as much as my dad loved North Adelaide, he loved football more and if North weren't playing we went to another game and always went to all finals. I have tried to follow my father's lead and still annoy my fellow supporters by applauding good marks by opposition players.

[mots02]

My Grandfather picked Sturt in the late 40's after staying in Adelaide after a posting here from Mildura during WWII.

He was a regular attendant at games and a later a long time club sponsor through his business.

My Dad was a regular attendee with him as a kid and later became an assistant coach of the u19's in 1980. Dad coached through the early to mid 80's and later did some work through to the mid 90's as one of the junior coordinators and recruiters. Being a bit of a history buff, he later joined the historians group (at Sturt and a couple of other clubs too) and was a selector of the inaugural Sturt Hall of Fame (and SANFL Hall of Fame).

As a kid, I followed Dad to home and away games every week with the u17's and U19's, doing the scoreboard with a group of other kids at Unley home games for over a decade and running through the opposition changerooms at every other ground for years kicking the footy and getting in the way.

A lot of my strongest memories are of spending time at the club as a kid - having Rick Davies stop me as I was walking into the changerooms with a footy under my arm after training in 1983 (aged 7) and asking me if I wanted to 'have a kick'. He proceeded to then clear the middle of the changerooms and kick drop kicks with me for 10 minutes, encouraging other players to join in too as they sat and watched.

Through circumstances over the years I've spent time away from the Club but keep being drawn back.

Dad passed away earlier this week, so it's a nice time to add other people's personal reflections on what an SANFL Club means to them as well as reflecting on my own.

Go the blues.