1980's SANFL

[Adelaide Hawk]

5 favourites from my club:
1) Michael Aish
2) Garry McIntosh
3) Neville Roberts
4) Phil Gallagher
5) Michael Taylor


3 favourite/admired players from another club:
1) John Platten
2) Tony Hall
3) Peter Motley


Favourite moments from the decade:
- Neville Roberts kicking the goal that sealed the 1984 premiership.
- Keith Thomas' mark in the 3rd quarter of the 1984 GF.

Biggest disappointments:
- Only 2 flags in the decade where we had the talent to do so much more
- The truncated careers of Tim McNeil and Richard Anderson

One player from another club you wish you had at your club:
- Darren Jarman

All time 80's side:
Coach: John Cahill

F: Rick Davies, Tim Evans, Mark Naley
HF: Darren Jarman, Stephen Kernahan, Michael Aish
C: Craig Bradley, Andrew Jarman, Gilbert McAdam
HB: Bruce Abernethy, Greg Phillips, Peter Motley
FB: Greg Whittlesea, Craig Williams, Paul Weston

Ruck: Mark Mickan, Garry McIntosh, John Platten

Int: Tony Hall, Chris McDermott, Mick Redden


1980s Norwood Team:
Coach: Neil Balme

F: Neville Roberts, Peter Laughlin, Keith Thomas
HF: Michael Aish, Jim Michalanney, David Payne
C: Phil Gallagher, Garry McIntosh, Duncan Fosdike
HB: Frank Stemper, Jim Thiel, Danny Jenkins
B: Greg Nicholson, Tom Warhurst, Bruce Winter

Ruck: John Hall, Michael Taylor, Greg Turbill

Int: Justin Scanlon, Neil Button, Rodney Maynard

[FlyingHigh]

Biggest disappointments:
- Only 2 flags in the decade where we had the talent to do so much more
- The truncated careers of Tim McNeil and Richard Anderson

Which years do you think "got away" AH?
1983?
My memories as a kid was that Glenelg and North were clearly the two top teams of '85, Norwood had the double chance against the Bays, should have they won that game?
Port scraped into the double chance because Woodville lost the last round in 1986, but didn't Port play Norwood in the last round? Would have Norwood finished 3rd if they had have won?
1987 must have been a huge disappointment - can remember being there as the Bays overran Norwood in the last quarter.
1988, Bays again came from Elimination Final, but has been discussed on this forum they were closer to the top for most of the year.
What do you think was lacking from the Legs in these years?

Why didn't McNeil and Anderson go on with their footy?

[nickname]

Great 80s side AH. And good to see you chose an All-Australian full back. I'd like to think Meuret or Luders could squeeze in but can't complain about any of your selections.

[Adelaide Hawk]

Which years do you think "got away" AH?
1983?

What do you think was lacking from the Legs in these years?

Why didn't McNeil and Anderson go on with their footy?

I don't think any "got away", I was just saying we had the talent to win more than 2 flags. When you consider the number of rookies in our 82 side, we thought maybe they would carry us through to a few more flags. Certainly not 1983, West Adelaide were brilliant that year.

What was lacking? Just Norwood being Norwood. We've never been a hungry football club. Win a flag and that will do us for a few years. Balmey did a good job with Norwood in the first half of the 80s, but I don't think he got anywhere near enough out of them in the second half.

Tim McNeil was a sensational player but received a career ending injury. Anderson wasn't as committed to the cause of league football as one would hope. In the short time he played, he won one B&F, he was a class act.

[Adelaide Hawk]

Great 80s side AH. And good to see you chose an All-Australian full back. I'd like to think Meuret or Luders could squeeze in but can't complain about any of your selections.

And another. I tried to squeeze Geoff Morris onto a wing but there was too much competition

[Magpiespower]

Port scraped into the double chance because Woodville lost the last round in 1986, but didn't Port play Norwood in the last round? Would have Norwood finished 3rd if they had have won?

Norwood had to win to guarantee a finals spot. A ten goal second quarter pretty much did that. Central lost to North anyway so the Legs were safe regardless.

But they couldn't get the double chance because both Port and Woodville entered round 22 with 13-8 records.

Norwood sat fifth on 11-10.

[JK]

Which years do you think "got away" AH?
1983?

What do you think was lacking from the Legs in these years?

Why didn't McNeil and Anderson go on with their footy?

I don't think any "got away", I was just saying we had the talent to win more than 2 flags. When you consider the number of rookies in our 82 side, we thought maybe they would carry us through to a few more flags. Certainly not 1983, West Adelaide were brilliant that year.

What was lacking? Just Norwood being Norwood. We've never been a hungry football club. Win a flag and that will do us for a few years. Balmey did a good job with Norwood in the first half of the 80s, but I don't think he got anywhere near enough out of them in the second half.

Tim McNeil was a sensational player but received a career ending injury. Anderson wasn't as committed to the cause of league football as one would hope. In the short time he played, he won one B&F, he was a class act.

Sadly, oh so true.

I remember hearing stories before the 1985 Qualifying Final against the Bays, that the Bays players were keyed up, on edge, focused and hungry and that almost directly opposite, the Norwood boys had the ghetto blasters going and were pretty casual, there was a rock-star type association with some of our boys after the 84' success .. I'd always guessed a few Norwood players thought "it" would just happen for them out on the park and there was clearly a lack of hunger.

There are also apparently some commonly held belief's of disharmony and even segregation among the playing group.

I've also often wondered if Balmy's strong point also became his undoing ... In the early 80's he quickly grew close to and adored by the players, and as the decade wore on I wonder if he was too much of a mate with them at times.

[robranisgod]

Port scraped into the double chance because Woodville lost the last round in 1986, but didn't Port play Norwood in the last round? Would have Norwood finished 3rd if they had have won?

Norwood had to win to guarantee a finals spot. A ten goal second quarter pretty much did that. Central lost to North anyway so the Legs were safe regardless.

But they couldn't get the double chance because both Port and Woodville entered round 22 with 13-8 records.

Norwood sat fifth on 11-10.

I have always thought that if Port and Woodville won, the Bays would have missed out on the double chance. I also thought that if Central won, Norwood would have been unable to claim fifth spot.

[JK]

Port scraped into the double chance because Woodville lost the last round in 1986, but didn't Port play Norwood in the last round? Would have Norwood finished 3rd if they had have won?

Norwood had to win to guarantee a finals spot. A ten goal second quarter pretty much did that. Central lost to North anyway so the Legs were safe regardless.

But they couldn't get the double chance because both Port and Woodville entered round 22 with 13-8 records.

Norwood sat fifth on 11-10.

I have always thought that if Port and Woodville won, the Bays would have missed out on the double chance. I also thought that if Central won, Norwood would have been unable to claim fifth spot.

That was my recollection also

[sapaul]

1986

Ladder after Round 21

North 30
Port 26
Woodville 26
Glenelg 24
Central 23

Norwood 22
Sturt 18
West 16
South 13
Torrens 12

Round 22

North def Central
Glenelg def Sturt
South def Woodville
Norwood def Port
West def Torrens

Final Ladder


North 32
Glenelg 26
Port 26
Woodville 26
Norwood 24

Central 23
West 18
Sturt 18
South 15
Torrens 12

[Hondo]

How different it may have been for North that year if Glenelg had to start from the Elimination Final!

[on the rails]

How different it may have been for North that year if Glenelg had to start from the Elimination Final!

Shouldn't have mattered - we beat them easily in the 2nd Semi despite North being nowhere near their best so taking that and the GF together, it was clear complacency had set in at the end of Round 22.

[FlyingHigh]

1986

Ladder after Round 21

North 30
Port 26
Woodville 26
Glenelg 24
Central 23

Norwood 22
Sturt 18
West 16
South 13
Torrens 12

Round 22

North def Central
Glenelg def Sturt
South def Woodville
Norwood def Port
West def Torrens

Final Ladder


North 32
Glenelg 26
Port 26
Woodville 26
Norwood 24

Central 23
West 18
Sturt 18
South 15
Torrens 12

Thanks Sapaul, the possibilities from that mix of ladder and matches is incredible. How much would have Norwood had to win and Glenelg lose by for the Bays to miss out?

[GWW]

From memory, North were pretty strong favourites for both 85 and 86 GF's?

In one of these GF's, did North have a reasonable lead at quarter time, only to be overwhelmed by the Bays, who kicked big totals in both games? At least 20 goals in one of the GF's I reckon..

This is mainly from memory of being at the games as a 13/14 year old, and maybe only a little bit of subsequent tv footage and probably a tiny bit of discussion on this site as well.

With the same clubs playing in 3 consecutive grand finals, they all tend to meld into one game in my memory, although 87 is a little easier to remember with Parsons' dominant display and the realisation from the crowd that North had finally come to play and were a match for the Bays in the premiership decider.

[robranisgod]

From memory, North were pretty strong favourites for both 85 and 86 GF's?

In one of these GF's, did North have a reasonable lead at quarter time, only to be overwhelmed by the Bays, who kicked big totals in both games? At least 20 goals in one of the GF's I reckon..

This is mainly from memory of being at the games as a 13/14 year old, and maybe only a little bit of subsequent tv footage and probably a tiny bit of discussion on this site as well.

With the same clubs playing in 3 consecutive grand finals, they all tend to meld into one game in my memory, although 87 is a little easier to remember with Parsons' dominant display and the realisation from the crowd that North had finally come to play and were a match for the Bays in the premiership decider.

In 1985 the Bays were red hot favourites, but North jumped them and led by 5 goals half way through the second quarter. Then the Bays kicked 7 goals to be 2 goals up at half time. They went on to blitz North in the second half.

In 1986, North were red hot favourites. The Bays jumped North, led by 33 points at half time and won easily. Andrew Jarman was hurt badly early in the game and this seemed to impact hugely on North.

In 1987 North were red hot favourites, jumped Glenelg, led by 57 points at half time and won in a canter by 82 points.

Great days - the last days of great SANFL sides.

[Adelaide Hawk]

From memory, North were pretty strong favourites for both 85 and 86 GF's?

I can't recall who were favourites in the games, but my own personal feelings were in 1985 I had seen North get belted by Norwood late in the minor round by 15 goals and honestly thought Glenelg would take care of business in the GF.

In 1986, however, I thought North would defeat Glenelg comfortably and hoped the Tigers would make a game of it. The final result was a total surprise to many I would think. Certainly no surprises in 1987, except maybe the margin.

[Magpiespower]

Damn my unreliable memory!

At least my recollection of '85 and '86 GFs is consistent with others. Nobody expected North to bolt to a five goal lead in '85. Likewise Glenelg in '86.

Of course, the one big difference is that the expected North fightback in '86 never eventuated. Same thing three years later.

1986: With the benefit of hindsight, the Doggies five point loss to Port at Footy Park in the wet late in the season - after leading by about three goals at three-quarter time - proved to be a pretty big game for both sides...

[Strawb]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzA2nFklDo4 not SANFL i know but this is Sticks at his best

[GWW]

[RUSure]

Didn't Mick wake up to Glenelg belting the Jarman brothers after '86 and went with some hard nuts inside the centre square - Klomp, Tiller et al to be the most significant change for the Rooster premiership? Not sure of the role Stephen Riley played or David Robertson or even Antrobus in '87 but getting the Jarmans out of the firing line was a key from memory. Great teams both of them. Three brutal games of football to decide the flag three years in a row. SANFL at its glorious best.