Why did Michael Nunan leave Sturt?

[Magellan]

Found this on Google Books - "1978 South Australian Football Season Report" by Trevor Gyss.

https://books.google.com.au/books?id=0bWaBgAAQBAJ&pg=PP1&dq=1978+South+Australian+Football+Season+ReportBy+Trevor+Gyss&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjJ-IS4kd_KAhUJmpQKHRqaAekQ6AEIHTAA#v=onepage&q=1978%20South%20Australian%20Football%20Season%20ReportBy%20Trevor%20Gyss&f=false

Unfortunately, the preview doesn't let you peruse the whole book, but there are some good photos within.

There's some discussion about pre-season movements between clubs, and it notes on page 9 that Michael Nunan was picked up by Norwood after traveling overseas and "being discarded by Sturt". I didn't know that this was the case - can anyone shed light on why he was discarded? I recall he was a key part of Sturt's dominant ruck set-up, certainly until 1976, and assumed he left for Norwood on his own accord.

[JK]

Good read, some interesting points:

- Sturt payed $40k for Gary Hardeman;s transfer, thats mammoth money for back in the day
- Some pretty decent players moved between SANFL clubs
- Nunan actually played a trial game for Sturt before moving across to Norwood
- 3 of the 5 winners in the first round had less scoring shots than their vanquished opponent .. The other difference in scoring shots in the other two games was 1 and 7
- Milan Faletic moved from Torrens to Port, yet played for Torrens in Round 4???
- Trevor Sorrell kicked 6 goals in a game for Port and 9 in another - Didn't he go on to become a defender? (memory a bit hazy that far back)
- Mark Williams was still with Westies

As for Nunan, Im sure I've read the reasons why he left Sturt, but I can't remember them .. I believe he left Norwood upon Hammond's appointment, as Nunan had long held his own coaching aspirations.

[JK]

Reckon @Robranisgod could shed some more light on the Nunan question

[Magellan]

Sturt payed $40k for Gary Hardeman;s transfer, thats mammoth money for back in the day

Yeah, I was staggered to read that.

[JK]

Sturt payed $40k for Gary Hardeman;s transfer, thats mammoth money for back in the day

Yeah, I was staggered to read that.

As a guide, according to a tool on the RBA site, it equates to $196k

Hardeman was a top player, but to pay that sort of money for him, then lose him just prior to the GF - A game in which his likely direct opponent kicked 5 goals - Was perhaps the start of a horror week or two for Sturt where just not much went right.

[Magellan]

Didn't Hardemann get injured in an end of minor round 'practice' game against North Melbourne?

[JK]

Didn't Hardemann get injured in an end of minor round 'practice' game against North Melbourne?

Yeah think it was probably Elim/'Semi weekend when both Sturt and North Melbourne as Minor Premiers had the weekend off.

[Magellan]

Didn't Hardemann get injured in an end of minor round 'practice' game against North Melbourne?

Yeah think it was probably Elim/'Semi weekend when both Sturt and North Melbourne as Minor Premiers had the weekend off.

That sounds about right. Seems like a such a risky proposition at that stage of the season to hold a practice match. I wonder at the time whether people, particularly Sturt supporters, thought it was a bad idea.

We introduced the top 5 system in 1973 (VFL the year before), and from that point the top side had a week off. This Sturt-North Melbourne practice game must be the only instance of such an inter-league match held at that time of the year? I can' t think of any others.

[robranisgod]

Reckon @Robranisgod could shed some more light on the Nunan question

As far as I can ascertain it was politically motivated. Early in the season, Nunan went on an overseas government funded trip with his ministerial boss. Remember this was the time when most states including ours were setting up sporting academies and Nunan was at the forefront of ours.

When he got back mid season, Jack Oatey is alleged to have said that Nunan would probably spend the rest of the year in the reserves.

One important point to make is that Nunan was of the left politically whereas the vast majority of Sturt were of the right.

Anyway Nunan was either sacked or quit depending on who you talk to.

When Norwood won the Grand Final by a point, Nunan declared that he wished they could have won the game by 1/2 a point just to increase the anguish at Sturt.

Later in life Nunan certainly reconciled with Oatey, but interestingly he wasn't named as rover in a team selected by Oatey as the best players he coached at Sturt.

[am Bays]

Didn't Hardemann get injured in an end of minor round 'practice' game against North Melbourne?

Yeah think it was probably Elim/'Semi weekend when both Sturt and North Melbourne as Minor Premiers had the weekend off.

Funny how that (a "trial" between the respective SANFL and VFL minor premiers) was never repeated given both teams lost their respective GFs.....

[Dogwatcher]

Reckon @Robranisgod could shed some more light on the Nunan question

As far as I can ascertain it was politically motivated. Early in the season, Nunan went on an overseas government funded trip with his ministerial boss. Remember this was the time when most states including ours were setting up sporting academies and Nunan was at the forefront of ours.

When he got back mid season, Jack Oatey is alleged to have said that Nunan would probably spend the rest of the year in the reserves.

One important point to make is that Nunan was of the left politically whereas the vast majority of Sturt were of the right.

Anyway Nunan was either sacked or quit depending on who you talk to.

When Norwood won the Grand Final by a point, Nunan declared that he wished they could have won the game by 1/2 a point just to increase the anguish at Sturt.

Later in life Nunan certainly reconciled with Oatey, but interestingly he wasn't named as rover in a team selected by Oatey as the best players he coached at Sturt.

Thank you so much for this insight. That's boots and all stuff, there.

[Booney]

Reckon @Robranisgod could shed some more light on the Nunan question

As far as I can ascertain it was politically motivated. Early in the season, Nunan went on an overseas government funded trip with his ministerial boss. Remember this was the time when most states including ours were setting up sporting academies and Nunan was at the forefront of ours.

When he got back mid season, Jack Oatey is alleged to have said that Nunan would probably spend the rest of the year in the reserves.

One important point to make is that Nunan was of the left politically whereas the vast majority of Sturt were of the right.

Anyway Nunan was either sacked or quit depending on who you talk to.

When Norwood won the Grand Final by a point, Nunan declared that he wished they could have won the game by 1/2 a point just to increase the anguish at Sturt.

Later in life Nunan certainly reconciled with Oatey, but interestingly he wasn't named as rover in a team selected by Oatey as the best players he coached at Sturt.

Odd that someone from the left would end up at Norwood, given he may have moved because of pressure from the right.

[JK]

Reckon @Robranisgod could shed some more light on the Nunan question

As far as I can ascertain it was politically motivated. Early in the season, Nunan went on an overseas government funded trip with his ministerial boss. Remember this was the time when most states including ours were setting up sporting academies and Nunan was at the forefront of ours.

When he got back mid season, Jack Oatey is alleged to have said that Nunan would probably spend the rest of the year in the reserves.

One important point to make is that Nunan was of the left politically whereas the vast majority of Sturt were of the right.

Anyway Nunan was either sacked or quit depending on who you talk to.

When Norwood won the Grand Final by a point, Nunan declared that he wished they could have won the game by 1/2 a point just to increase the anguish at Sturt.

Later in life Nunan certainly reconciled with Oatey, but interestingly he wasn't named as rover in a team selected by Oatey as the best players he coached at Sturt.

Odd that someone from the left would end up at Norwood, given he may have moved because of pressure from the right.

Norwood has always been historically left leaning as far as I'm aware. It seems even brickies enjoy their Lattes

[Dogwatcher]

Politics might have been an issue at one, but not necessarily the other when seeking a player.
Don Dunstan had been Member for Norwood until '79. While the area has always had a smattering of Laborites.
Early in the state's history, Norwood was regarded as a working-class suburb.

[Dogwatcher]

Interestingly, here is a list of the Members for Norwood since the seat's inception:

Member Party Term
Frank Nieass Labor 1938–1941
Roy Moir Liberal and Country 1941–1944
Frank Nieass Labor 1944–1947
Roy Moir Liberal and Country 1947–1953
Don Dunstan Labor 1953–1979
Greg Crafter Labor 1979–1979
Frank Webster Liberal 1979–1980
Greg Crafter Labor 1980–1993
John Cummins Liberal 1993–1997
Vini Ciccarello Labor 1997–2010
Steven Marshall Liberal 2010–2014

* Source: Wikipedia

[Dogwatcher]

It stops at 2014 as the seat then became known as Dunstan.

[Booney]

Whilst the ethnic population of Norwood is well known, I would have been pretty confident the area would have, in the main, been right and more inclined to vote Liberal.

Interesting.

[Dogwatcher]

Interestingly, when Marshall knocked over long-serving Vinnie Ciccarello in 2010, it was the first time Labor had held government, without holding the seat of Norwood/Dunstan.

[am Bays]

Politics might have been an issue at one, but not necessarily the other when seeking a player.
Don Dunstan had been Member for Norwood until '79. While the area has always had a smattering of Laborites.
Early in the state's history, Norwood was regarded as a working-class suburb.

not to forget the pseudo-intellectual left that frequent the inner east...

Pass me my copy of Engels and Nietzsche latest tomes my "brother in the struggle" whilst I quaff my soy skinny double mochachino

My tute on Economics for the leftist thinker is on tomorrow and I ain't got time to go into the Barr-Smith to swot up...

[JK]

Whilst the ethnic population of Norwood is well known, I would have been pretty confident the area would have, in the main, been right and more inclined to vote Liberal.

Interesting.

My old man is born and bred that way, Norwood High school and all that and he's always laughed at the Latte' stereotype .. Says it was always a very working class area. Funnily enough, he's to the right, which is definitely not in keeping with his upbringing.