Greatest decade of SANFL footy

[Mr66]

1970s, for so many reasons I can't list them all.

The game was still raw, but brilliant. The emergence of players such as Robran, Carman, Ebert, etc, etc, etc ... a lack of advertising logos on jumpers and boundaries. Greater emphasis on offence, less on the negative side that perpetuates today's game.

Far less money in the game, allowing for players to have lives outside of football .. a media who loved the game, not a mob of blood suckers who feed off the game's popularity amd couldn't care less about its' welfare.

We didn't know about players' private lives, we didn't want to know.

We enjoyed the game played mainly on a Saturday afternoon. It was a weekend sport, not a 24/7 affair like today. Football clubs were run by ex-players, usually from that club. The game on the field was the number 1 priority.

As I said earlier, I could fill volumes why I prefered footy in the 70s, but I'll stop here and give someone else a go.

...say no more AH.
Same reasons are valid for the VFL.

[FlyingHigh]

the 'smell' of september

Funny you mention that ... I used to live within walking distance to Footy Park, and there was something about getting up in the morning and noticing the slightly warmer weather which just made it feel like finals time.

Agree. There is also something in the air at this time of year too that I love.

[FlyingHigh]

1970s, for so many reasons I can't list them all.

The game was still raw, but brilliant. The emergence of players such as Robran, Carman, Ebert, etc, etc, etc ... a lack of advertising logos on jumpers and boundaries. Greater emphasis on offence, less on the negative side that perpetuates today's game.

Far less money in the game, allowing for players to have lives outside of football .. a media who loved the game, not a mob of blood suckers who feed off the game's popularity amd couldn't care less about its' welfare.

We didn't know about players' private lives, we didn't want to know.

We enjoyed the game played mainly on a Saturday afternoon. It was a weekend sport, not a 24/7 affair like today. Football clubs were run by ex-players, usually from that club. The game on the field was the number 1 priority.

As I said earlier, I could fill volumes why I prefered footy in the 70s, but I'll stop here and give someone else a go.

Great post.

I find it heartbreaking that today's kids won't experience how magical it was when the SANFL was the premier competition in the State. I would argue that professionalism has not made the game any more enjoyable; in fact quite the contrary. Because of its grey areas ours is a game that has not stood up well to the extra scrutiny of 6 full-time assistant coaches per AFL club, who have blighted the game with their chopping of forward's arms, blocking players' run ups to take a contested mark, instructions to avoid kicking to a contest, flooding oppositions' forward lines and the focus on all the other defensive skills like tackling. The things that made our game unique, and which were so evident in the 70s and 80s, are becoming extinct in the professional era.

Agree nickname about the professionalism. I think it has ruined the culture of the clubs and what they meant to certain areas, particularly in the AFL, but also in the SANFL to some extent because we have so many more interstate players in our comp these days.
Also, the professionalism has lead to such a rise in skills (plus the tactics) and a decrease in the contested ball, and this is what was so exciting about footy because as a spectator you didn't know what was going to happen.

[Strawb]

I started supporting West Adelaide in 1990 just as the crows came into the competition. Everyone dropped off their SANFL team and went to support the big boys in the big league. Whats happened since the SANFL to a degree has tried to keep the competition pure and to stick it up the AFL.

[am Bays]

I voted 80s but it is really a ten year epoch, 1977 to 1986. 1977 was the year I first stared to get into footy (how ironic the year I found footy coincided with a grand final loss to Port gee didn't that set a pattern ) and 1986 for obvious reasons . Seriously though I think the 1985 season was the last really great season of SANFL as it was - the number one league in town. The loss of Motley, Kernahan, Bradley, Platten, McGuinness and Naley (??) was IMHO the straw that broke the camels back in terms of players crossing the border at the end of 85. Yes I know players left before that but was such a great group in terms of ability that left at the end of that year.

The late 70s saw the greats still playing : Davies, Bagshaw, Ebert, Robran, Cornes, Cunnigham, Taylor, Marker et al and the early to mid 80s saw players mentioned above coming through in addition to Granger, Weston, Carey, Aish, Jenkins, Graham, Fry, McIntosh, Mcdermott, Antrobus, Luders and Borchard.

With the expansion of the VFL in 1987 the die was cast but to me the great era of SANFL footy started to end at the completion of the 1985 season.

[Punk Rooster]

can't agree Tassie Map.
The SANFL as we knew it (& State of Origin) changed forever in 1991, with the advent of the Crows.

[rogernumber10]

I voted 80s but it is really a ten year epoch, 1977 to 1986. 1977 was the year I first stared to get into footy (how ironic the year I found footy coincided with a grand final loss to Port gee didn't that set a pattern ) and 1986 for obvious reasons . Seriously though I think the 1985 season was the last really great season of SANFL as it was - the number one league in town. The loss of Motley, Kernahan, Bradley, Platten, McGuinness and Naley (??) was IMHO the straw that broke the camels back in terms of players crossing the border at the end of 85. Yes I know players left before that but was such a great group in terms of ability that left at the end of that year.

The late 70s saw the greats still playing : Davies, Bagshaw, Ebert, Robran, Cornes, Cunnigham, Taylor, Marker et al and the early to mid 80s saw players mentioned above coming through in addition to Granger, Weston, Carey, Aish, Jenkins, Graham, Fry, McIntosh, Mcdermott, Antrobus, Luders and Borchard.

With the expansion of the VFL in 1987 the die was cast but to me the great era of SANFL footy started to end at the completion of the 1985 season.

YEP, end of 85 was the turning point. Always the pivot in arguments among my group when things changed.

[Hondo]

With the expansion of the VFL in 1987 the die was cast but to me the great era of SANFL footy started to end at the completion of the 1985 season.

YEP, end of 85 was the turning point. Always the pivot in arguments among my group when things changed.

At the end of 1985 it was the most obvious that the talent drain across the border was on in force. Also, Sunday live VFL with the Swans was starting to get real traction in SA for the VFL. Soon NM started Fri night football and the AFL was on it's way from 1987.

But really the seeds were sown before 1985 it's just that we didn't realise it at the time (or chose to ignore it).

For example, by 1985 Port had lost Phillips, Abernethy, M Williams & D Hughes to the VFL (off the top of my head) which had already compromised the early 80s SANFL, to a small extent. West Adelaide's 83 premiership team was hit with the loss of Burgess and Lindner. Not big chunks out of either side but enough to impact their fortunes.

But 1985 was the last year we seemed to be able to deny what was happenning.

[am Bays]

At the end of 1985 it was the most obvious that the talent drain across the border was on in force. Also, Sunday live VFL with the Swans was starting to get real traction in SA for the VFL. Soon NM started Fri night football and the AFL was on it's way from 1987.

But really the seeds were sown before 1985 it's just that we didn't realise it at the time (or chose to ignore it).

For example, by 1985 Port had lost Phillips, Abernethy, M Williams & D Hughes to the VFL (off the top of my head) which had already compromised the early 80s SANFL, to a small extent. West Adelaide's 83 premiership team was hit with the loss of Burgess and Lindner. Not big chunks out of either side but enough to impact their fortunes.

But 1985 was the last year we seemed to be able to deny what was happenning.

Some good points Hondo I distinctly remember 1980 being a bad year when the likes of Williams, Hodgeman, Jonas (??), Taylor (??), Davies and another five left (Footy Times year book IIRC) and obviously as Punky said the formation of the Crows can be seen as the year.

Like all evolutions it is hard to pick the date but for me the year 1985 sits out as the year when the floodgates in terms of talent crossing and the later half of the 80s decade the gulf between the competions in terms of standard became greater and greater.

To me 1980 it started 1990 it finished so I'll take the mid point 1985

[GWW]

Talking of 1980, great state game that year against WA at Footy Park, anyone else go to that?

[Ash59]

I can't vote. Too hard. 'rd' suggesed that people would vote for the era of their youth. For me, that era was the 60's and 70's. My parents took me to Unley Oval in the late 60's as they celebrated Sturt's return from many years in the wilderness. The early 70's saw my allegiance change to the bulldogs and was a time when I started going to the footy with school mates - on the train to Alberton or Elizabeth. Both decades were great and continued in the 80's when I introduced my wife to Aussie Rules. Her interest in the game coincided with the career of Johnny Platten and she still follows the Hawks... My interest waned in the 90's, not because of the Crows but having a young family demanded other priorities. The 2000's could not be better for a Centrals supporter but there's no doubt things are different...

Put a gun to my head... I choose the sixties not because I recall too much of it but there was something for all supporters to celebrate. North, West and South had their moment in the sun. Sturt dominated the latter part of the decade but Port still had their triumphs. Centrals and Woodville had their own reason to celebrate being admitted to the league. Glenelg came from bottom in '66 to play in a grand final three years later. That leaves Torrens and Norwood... not much for Torrens although Lindsay Head won his third magarey and was on his way to 300 games. Sorry Redleg fans, a bevy of great players did not translate to the team success that could have been expected.

In addition TV was in its infancy but resulted in really good coverage... they focussed on showing the sport whereas today they think the football is there to support the TV show. And weren't the crowds great, did anyone do anything else on a Saturday afternoon?

[Adelaide Hawk]

Sorry Redleg fans, a bevy of great players did not translate to the team success that could have been expected.

What? Are you suggesting the Redlegs had a team good enough to win a flag in the 1960s?

As it was, we made 2 GFs' 1960 & 1961, and we made them both from the 1st semi final. Didn't make the finals in 63, 64, 66, 67, 68 (wooden spoon), and 69 ... because we didn't have the players.

[Ash59]

Not suggesting they had a team to win the flag but with players of the calibre of Hadyn Bunton jnr, Ron Kneebone, Bill Wedding, Robert Oatey, Ian Brewer, Damian Nygaard and Graham Molloy during this era, its surprising they didn't feature a bit more...

[Adelaide Hawk]

Not suggesting they had a team to win the flag but with players of the calibre of Hadyn Bunton jnr, Ron Kneebone, Bill Wedding, Robert Oatey, Ian Brewer, Damian Nygaard and Graham Molloy during this era, its surprising they didn't feature a bit more...

That's just the point .. that's ALL we had. The next tier of talent fell away dramatically.

[mick]

A couple of great posts Adelaide Hawk, the 70s for me also. What a tragedy we have been reduced to second fiddle to the bastardised AFL crap that now resembles basketball rather than Australian Football.

[dedja]

1970s, for so many reasons I can't list them all.

The game was still raw, but brilliant. The emergence of players such as Robran, Carman, Ebert, etc, etc, etc ... a lack of advertising logos on jumpers and boundaries. Greater emphasis on offence, less on the negative side that perpetuates today's game.

Far less money in the game, allowing for players to have lives outside of football .. a media who loved the game, not a mob of blood suckers who feed off the game's popularity amd couldn't care less about its' welfare.

We didn't know about players' private lives, we didn't want to know.

We enjoyed the game played mainly on a Saturday afternoon. It was a weekend sport, not a 24/7 affair like today. Football clubs were run by ex-players, usually from that club. The game on the field was the number 1 priority.

As I said earlier, I could fill volumes why I prefered footy in the 70s, but I'll stop here and give someone else a go.

+1

I think you'll find the voting pattern is directly proportional to age.

[Adelaide Hawk]

What a tragedy we have been reduced to second fiddle to the bastardised AFL crap that now resembles basketball rather than Australian Football.

It's going to get worse. Each night I walk past the oval of a school which has produced many league players over thge years, and I stop to watch them training. I rarely see anyone take a good strong mark, certainly not a contested mark to be seen. They are okay at running as fast as they can, and they can balance themselves to deliver a long kick to position, but the moment anyone has a shot at goal, suddenly they go into this "routine" where they run slightly away from goal, then kick it across the body, or with the outside part of the foot, and try to bounce it through. It's CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!

It reminds me so much of when I played basketball, and suddenly instead of just dunking a ball, everyone suddenly started putting on a show, contorting their bodies to ridiculous degrees, and trying silly dunks, some of which were bouncing off the rim because they were off balance.

What ever happened to just running into the open goal and kicking it with a straight leg FFS!!!?? The marking, or lack thereof, has to be seen to be believed. I have come close a couple of times to yelling out, "For f**k sake, just mark the bloody thing!!!".

To be blunt, all I see are headless chooks running full speed ahead and stuffing up just about everything they try to do because they aren't balancing themsleves.

Contemporary players are developing a hybrid style which doesn't please me at all. They are trying to be too cute instead of just sticking to the basic skills, and kids are taking that example and perverting the game even further.

I want to scream every time someone tries to tell me today's player is more skillful.

[Dogwatcher]

I don't know whether to laugh or cry reading that post AH.
Fantastic rant!

[Booney]

I would have to say 1988-1997

[Dogwatcher]

oh dear.