SA Footy

When I was a little fella, I started this thread … ‪ viewtopic.php?f=17&t=22331

As a follow-up, I’ll expand on some of those players highlighted there.

First off the bat is Mr Magic, Paul Bagshaw.

What more can you say, regarded as one of the best ever players never to win a Magarey, he was tough, skilful, flamboyant … and a champion.

I saw him firsthand in the later part of his career, but he hadn’t lost any of that magic.

Loved the way he just took everyone on and backed himself, but wasn’t pretentious and was humble as you could get. Was so versatile, could play in the square as well as CHF or CHB, didn’t matter, he was a champ anywhere you put him.

… and those dropkicks.


Sturt - 360 matches, 1964-1980

7x Sturt premiership player (1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1976)
5x Sturt best and fairest (1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1977)
Sturt leading goalkicker (1978)
Sturt captain (1973–1980)
South Australian Football Hall of Fame Inductee (2002)
Sturt Team of the Century (ruck rover)
Australian Football Hall of Fame Inductee (2016)

Highlights reel of this champion (long before the days of 4K video!)



YouTube embedding is iffy, so here’s the direct link if above doesn’t work for you https://youtu.be/WOW2LVizETs?si=kAxJO2549ZZ7WUIA

What a delight watching that.

He bounced it far more than I would have given it credit for.

His first best and fairest came at the ripe old age of 19 in his third season. He was runner up the two previous seasons at ages 17 and 18.

DOC wrote:What a delight watching that.

He bounced it far more than I would have given it credit for.

His first best and fairest came at the ripe old age of 19 in his third season. He was runner up the two previous seasons at ages 17 and 18.

Great to watch so calm with the footy

Could play cricket too.
A good mate made his first hundred against him......bowling unfortunately 0/106.
Bagshaw smacked them everywhere!

These are in no particular order, but next is Russell Ebert.

Herb to some, God to others, he was the ultimate footballer. Strong, tough, skilful, disciplined, committed and modest ... arguably the most complete footballer ever in the SANFL, with constant arguments as to whether the best ever was Ebert or Robran, the latter whose career was tragically cut short by the thug Leigh Matthews in a State game in 1974 ... but more on that for another day.

Could handball further than some could kick, and even invented the handball over the head, which probably would be outlawed in today's game.

His football prowess was only half the story, he was equally a champion off the field, never shy to help others, imparting his knowledge to improve his pupils both on the field and in their day to day lives.

I remember going to the Ebert & Weston Sports store on King William Rd, where amongst the many things I bought, was the iconic Glenelg lace-up guernsey, which I still have to this very day.

His majestic life was taken from him way too early by the insidious disease, Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, the very same disease that took my sister at the age of 16.

417 games
Port Adelaide: 1968–1978, 1980–1985 392 games
North Melbourne: 1979 25 games

3× Port Adelaide premiership player (1977, 1980, 1981)
4× Magarey Medal (1971, 1974, 1976, 1980)
Jack Oatey Medal (1981)
6× Port Adelaide best & fairest (1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1981)
Port Adelaide captain (1974–1978, 1983–1985)
Port Adelaide leading goalkicker (1968)
Port Adelaide 'All-Time' games record holder (392)
Port Adelaide best first year player (1968)

3× South Australian captain (1975, 1977, 1983)
29 games for South Australia
South Australian coach 1996, 1997, 1998

Port Adelaide's greatest team (centre)
Australian Football Hall of Fame, inducted 1996, Legend status 2022
South Australian Football Hall of Fame (2002)
SANFL life member
Port Adelaide life member (1977)




https://youtu.be/1Pue_52ogZo?si=vG7V3GKn31_HU8jN



https://youtu.be/sADpu4SJgW0?si=uLE8AouIJY0h9Ky3



https://youtu.be/YRsqnjpomZw?si=PwxLRzncYp-zX4mV



https://youtu.be/6Jg-dc40_kw?si=YYcPA0OfbDA2oQoz



https://youtu.be/trJlM2-ljjk?si=QpDn8twra6x1ao0C



https://youtu.be/GtCbOrIVylo?si=5mC3wGvav8EJ7x4G



https://youtu.be/A-MdDfxc1iY?si=AXdCOsX88IVVZjUK

Well, this thread is going off like wildfire

Next up is Graham Studley Cornes, who over the years, has in some minds, become somewhat of a polarising figure.

I’ll just let his playing ability speak for itself. I wouldn’t class him as a champion, but jeez he was bloody good and was extremely versatile over the course of his career. He could take a spectacular mark, which he did often, but could also play in the centre as a follower, up forward and even as a key position CHB.

He was a natural born leader, both on and off the field. He was tall at 6’2” for a follower, slim and extremely athletic.

He, like Russell Ebert, ventured over the border in 1979 to North Melbourne. Whilst Ebert played every game and was highly rated, Studley only managed 5 games and returned to the Bay, making the All Australian team and came close to winning the Magarey despite missing a number of games.

He is probably best remembered for that late mark and goal in the 1973 GF, but he actually did it again at the Parade in 1977, a game in which I played in the mini-league … for Norwood FFS. I remember him standing in heads to take the mark when the Bays were 3 points behind, then the siren sounded. Just like in 1973, he slotted the goal and was chaired from the ground. (3:00 minute mark of the video below).

Despite what some may think, he was and still is a man of character. In 1985 in his first year as coach of the Bays, Tony ‘Freddy’ McGuinness helped himself to Cornes’ hospitality by having an affair with his wife, but despite that, Studley was an ultimate professional as Freddy’s coach, culminating in winning the flag that year. Those eagle eyed amongst us would have noted the warm embrace Studley gave Freddy after that match on the ground, the sort of embrace a father would have given to their son.

Yes, he certainly was and is a different cat, but an absolute pleasure to watch and I was lucky to have been to many, many of his games.

Playing career

369 games
1967–82 Glenelg 317 games
1979 North Melbourne 5 games
1983–84 South Adelaide 47 games


Coaching career

1983–84 South Adelaide 46 (25–21–0)]
1985–90 Glenelg 149 (94–54–1)
1986–1999 South Australia 11 (9–2–0)
1991–94 Adelaide 89 (43–45–1)


Honours

SANFL premiership: 1973
3x Glenelg best and fairest
Glenelg Captain: 1978
South Adelaide playing coach: 1983–84
Nine times Advertiser Team of the Year
Glenelg Hall of Fame Representative

Tassie Medal: 1980
2x All-Australian team: 1979, 1980
Simpson Medal: 1979

Australian Football Hall of Fame
South Australian Football Hall of Fame (inaugural inductee)

Coaching
2x National Football Carnival Championship:
1988, 1993
2x SANFL premiership: 1985, 1986
2x All-Australian team: 1987, 1988



https://youtu.be/mvSZAKVJzM8?si=BbS1p4uFLPpcO6NU

dedja wrote:1986–2016 South Australia 13 (10–3–0)

Edited to include 2015 and 2016 state games.

Next in this highly anticipated series is Barrie Robran.

Considered by many to be the greatest ever SANFL player, there is no doubt that he was a champion.

Born in Whyalla, Robran played his first game for the Roosters in 1967, where he tied for North’s B&F with the great Don Lindner and polled 3rd in the Magarey, as well as being selected in the State Team.

Won the first of his 3 Magareys in 1968, followed by 1970 and 1973.

By 1974, he had already established himself as a giant of the game, had won 7 consecutive B&Fs and was appointed Captain of the Roosters.

In the cruelest of fates, he severely injured his knee in the state game against Victoria on 2 June, crunched by Leigh Matthews, which by many accounts, was a bad faith act that Matthews could have easily avoided. Despite the injury and missing 10 games, he still was 3rd in North’s B&F and also 3rd in the Magarey.

Severely hampered by his knee injury, he had multiple operations over the next few years, but still managed to play 14 games in 1975, 13 in 1976, none in 1977, 9 in 1978, 5 in 1979 and his final 3 games in 1980.

I had the pleasure of seeing him play in the later part of career, after that cruel injury, but even though he was severely hampered, you could see and imagine how good he was. His greatness on the field was matched by his humbleness off the field, there was no pretence about this man, he was and is all class.

Unfortunately, I have searched high and wide for video footage and there is hardly anything I can find online, a complete travesty for such a great. Please let me know if there is footage out there so we can add to the thread.


Season Games Kicks Marks Handballs Goals Hit outs Finals
1967 . . 20 . 263 . 94 . . .49 . . . 12 . . 3 . . . 2
1968 . . 21 . 449 .184 . . 127 . . . .4 . .15 . . . 2
1969 . . 20 . 467 .175 . . 109 . . . 22 . 102 . . . -
1970 . . 17 . 334 .133 . . 120 . . . 30 . .46 . . . 1
1971 . . 20 . 372 .186 . . 210 . . . 23 . .71 . . . 2
1972 . . 19 . 356 .157 . . 192 . . . 16 . 143 . . . 2
1973 . . 24 . 485 .180 . . 238 . . . 25 . 139 . . . 4
1974 . . 12 . 209 . 80 . . 124 . . . .9 . .69 . . . -
1975 . . 14 . 183 . 75 . . 133 . . . 14 . .80 . . . -
1976 . . 13 . 170 . 59 . . .81 . . . 15 . .30 . . . -
1977 . . injured
1978 . . .9 . .63 . 40 . . .28 . . . 19 . .19 . . . -
1979 . . .5 . .48 . 19 . . .48 . . . .2 . .18 . . . -
1980 . . .3 . .40 . 22 . . .32 . . . .3 . .17 . . . -

TOTALS .197 .3439 1404 . .1491 . . .194 . 752 . . .13

Robran also played one Australian Club Championship game in 1971 (1 goal) and 2 Australian Club Championship games in 1972 (1 goal). He played one SANFL preseason game in 1979 (0 goals), giving him the well known figure of 201 senior games for North Adelaide.


Magarey votes

Season Votes Position
1967 . . 17 . . 3rd
1968 . . 22 . . 1st
1969 . . 14 . . 3rd
1970 . . 24 . . 1st
1971 . . 12 . .10th
1972 . . 14 . . 7th
1973 . . 29 . . 1st
1974 . . 15 . . 4th
1975 . . .6 . .28th (equal)
1976 . . .2 . .77th (equal)
1978 . . .0
1979 . . .0
1980 . . .4 . .82nd (equal)

Total . 159 votes from 184 home and away games


Honour Board

3x Magarey Medal: 1968, 1970, 1973
7x North Adelaide Best and Fairest: 1967–1973
2x SANFL Premiership: 1971, 1972
Championship of Australia Championship: 1972
South Australia State team Captain: 1974
North Adelaide club Captain: 1974–1977
Australian Football Hall of Fame: Inductee 1996, Legend Status 2001
North Adelaide Team of the Century: (Ruck Rover)
South Australian Football Hall of Fame
North Adelaide Hall of Fame - (Icon Status)
South Australia State selector: 1984–1998




https://youtu.be/TvidA4hJIoI?si=ONBbSIKd4w2TYINT

Well I'm enjoying your efforts keep them coming.

Robran faaaarken hell he was good.
Good ol whyalla boy.

Do you take request?
Jumbo Prince, Peter Carey, Gary McIntosh or Scotty Hodges

amber_fluid wrote:Do you take request?
Jumbo Prince, Peter Carey, Gary McIntosh or Scotty Hodges

One or 2 of those might be on the list

Barrie Robran update …

Barrie Robran turns 77 TOMorrow 25/9/2024
Best SANFL player Ive seen