SA Hall of Fame Inducts 10 new Nominees Tonight

[Leaping Lindner]

But as far as I'm aware, the SA Hall of Fame isn't contingent on actually having played great amounts of SANFL football in this state. Otherwise McKay wouldn't have been selected and neither would those members who're from the country.

McKay is a South Australian product, Carey (as much as many would like to claim him) is not and will never be considered as such.

I understand you're not debating McKay's position - a great ambassador for the game and our state - but I would always debate Carey being included. In my mind, he's not the best player to use in this debate about relevance to SA footy.

I think Nathan Buckley might be a more worthy person to debate this over. Played much more football here in SA than Duck. Has won a medal and a premiership in this state after moving here from the NT. But, is he South Australian. I'm not certain.

He was also born in SA and his old man played league footy for Woodville.

[Wedgie]

Glaring omissions to me as a North supporter are:

Grenville Dietrich
Bohdan Jaworskyj
John Riley
Harold Hawke
Tony Antrobus
Mike Patterson
Norman Drew

Pretty sure Antrobus was in the last intake - earlier this year(?).

Dunno but I thought they only did it once a year, here's a link to last year's:
http://www.safooty.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=3490&hilit=hall+of+fame

[Leaping Lindner]

Glaring omissions to me as a North supporter are:

Grenville Dietrich
Bohdan Jaworskyj
John Riley
Harold Hawke
Tony Antrobus
Mike Patterson
Norman Drew

Bugs and Doc are probably our best chance out of that lot. Hawke simply didn't play enough games, and I just can't see Dietrich or the Ant getting the nod. Drew's inclusion would require most of the board having a decent knowledge of pre-WW2 SANFL (dream on!). Patto coached two premierships. If you include him you've got to include all dual premiership coaches in SA's history.
If league careers outside of SA are included,which they obviously are looking at some of the later inductees, Snowy Hamilton should be a shoe in. He had an exceptional (albeit brief) career in SA and an outstanding career with Subiaco in the WAFL. But same problem as with Norm Drew.

[Brad]

McSPORRAN JOINS SA LEGENDS

Kevin McSporran's extraordinary and long journey through football - at West Torrens and in the Spencer Gulf Football League - has reached the SA Football Hall of Fame.

McSporran, a former state centreman, was among the 10 inductees honoured tonight at AAMI Stadium, where the parade of SA football legends grew to 160.

McSporran's induction was the most heart-felt last night as his dedication to football and sport in the Spencer Gulf was rewarded with the highest honour in SA football outside the Magarey Medal.

Staggering for the black-tie audience was how far McSporran's devotion to league and country football stretched. And this is not measured solely by the odometer on the red Commodore that in the 1980s carried him for three hours across 320 kilometres along Highway One from Port Augusta to Adelaide each Friday before an SANFL game.

One Saturday, McSporran quickly left an SANFL clash against Central District to be back in the Spencer Gulf to play basketball. He also was a noted cricketer in the Iron Triangle.

McSporran's playing career at West Augusta ended in 1989 with 221 games and a record four Madigan Medals (1974, '75, '76 and '85) as the best-and-fairest in the Spencer Gulf league.

Inducted by his idol, Neil Kerley, McSporran was unable to tell his own story because of the difficulties from Parkinson's disease. His daughter Kelly-Anne Camillo responded, telling of his honour in joining the Hall of Fame – not only for his part in league football, but in the country.

Kerley tonight recalled how harder heads than his rejected McSporran as an SANFL player because he could not move from Port Augusta to Adelaide.

"He had far too much talent to stay at Port Augusta," said Kerley. "There are not too many players with the inbuilt ability Kevin McSporran had, not just in his movement on the football field but in his thought process. He's up there with the best. And not just a wonderful player but a wonderful man."

[Wedgie]

Sad to hear about Kevin's battle with Parkinson's disease, I hope all goes well.

[Dogwatcher]

Wow - he only retired from football 18 years and already suffering from PD.
That's incredibly sad.

Best wishes, and congratulations on your induction into the hall of fame Kevin.

[Magpiespower]

Bruce Abernathy is another marginal call in my view.

Reakon Aber was seriously underrated...

[pipers]

Bruce Abernathy is another marginal call in my view.

Reakon Aber was seriously underrated...

Yeah, good player and mixed it with some tough company in the early part of his career. I just reakon they give out HoF spots too easily...

10 per year is far too many. How many players retire each season? 20-30, maybe 35 at most. So aside from the need to "catch-up" on the greats from the past, which they've pretty much done, the should only be a handful of new inductees each time around.

But I guess you can't hold a black-tie function for $150 per head just to read out two names...

The whole thing stinks, and inclusion of guys like McKay and Rehn is disrespectful to fellas like Kerls, Robran, Ebert etc...

If you want to see a real hall of fame - try the locker room at Alberton.

[Dirko]

Sort of agree with fatal....

They need a "LEGENDS" area of the hall, to seperate the legends like Ebert, Robran, Kerls etc. That way when worthy people such as Macca amd Abba are included, they are seperated from the TRUE greats of the game...

[Hondo]

Sort of agree with fatal....

They need a "LEGENDS" area of the hall, to seperate the legends like Ebert, Robran, Kerls etc. That way when worthy people such as Macca amd Abba are included, they are seperated from the TRUE greats of the game...

What do you reckon Ebert, Robran and Kerls would think of that?

Very little I expect .....

[Dirko]

Agreed, but they also probably couldn't even give a rats about just being in the hall...
Those three blokes would have to be the most unassuming LEGENDS around...

[GWW]

Agreed, but they also probably couldn't even give a rats about just being in the hall...
Those three blokes would have to be the most unassuming LEGENDS around...

LOL Ebert and Robran maybe, but Kerls is the self proclaimed "king" of SA footy, not as unassuming as the other 2.

[Wedgie]

Agreed, but they also probably couldn't even give a rats about just being in the hall...

You're very wrong there.

[Psyber]

Agreed, but they also probably couldn't even give a rats about just being in the hall...
Those three blokes would have to be the most unassuming LEGENDS around...

LOL Ebert and Robran maybe, but Kerls is the self proclaimed "king" of SA footy, not as unassuming as the other 2.

That's "king" for "king-hit" - his major skill!

[Wedgie]

According to today's paper Riccuito is the King, christ, that's King Kerley, King Riccuito and King Carey we've all had in this state now, walked past the gay pub on Currie St one day and saw a few Queens too, no wonder we're still a monarch, we've got more royals in this state than every country in Europe put together!

[Psyber]

According to today's paper Riccuito is the King, christ, that's King Kerley, King Riccuito and King Carey we've all had in this state now, walked past the gay pub on Currie St one day and saw a few Queens too, no wonder we're still a monarch, we've got more royals in this state than every country in Europe put together!

Well former Lord Mayor, John Roche, was I believe a cousin of Princess Diana.

[am Bays]

Agreed, but they also probably couldn't even give a rats about just being in the hall...
Those three blokes would have to be the most unassuming LEGENDS around...

LOL Ebert and Robran maybe, but Kerls is the self proclaimed "king" of SA footy, not as unassuming as the other 2.

That's "king" for "king-hit" - his major skill!

You Norwood supports still bitter about Nygaards head butt to Kerl's elbow????

[Psyber]

Agreed, but they also probably couldn't even give a rats about just being in the hall...
Those three blokes would have to be the most unassuming LEGENDS around...

LOL Ebert and Robran maybe, but Kerls is the self proclaimed "king" of SA footy, not as unassuming as the other 2.

That's "king" for "king-hit" - his major skill!

You Norwood supporters still bitter about Nygaard's head butt to Kerl's elbow????

And Denis Modra's [and I think Brian Bowe's] fractured cheekbones.

[Dirko]

Interesting article in the messenger this week re the inclusion of McKay into the SA Hall of fame...

Article goes to say that great players of the SANFL may struggle to get a gig if they include SA players
that played AFL...

Don't agree with it as the good kids now, will go to the AFL, and they have no real choice on where they go.
So as per my previous post here, kids like Cooney & Gibbs, if they have a great AFL career, they deserve a gig
as they have represented SA on the highest playing field....
Not withstanding, they still have to ensure that 200 gamers like Colville, Clayton and Weatherald still see the day...

[Aerie]

Interesting article in the messenger this week re the inclusion of McKay into the SA Hall of fame...

Article goes to say that great players of the SANFL may struggle to get a gig if they include SA players
that played AFL...

Don't agree with it as the good kids now, will go to the AFL, and they have no real choice on where they go.
So as per my previous post here, kids like Cooney & Gibbs, if they have a great AFL career, they deserve a gig
as they have represented SA on the highest playing field....
Not withstanding, they still have to ensure that 200 gamers like Colville, Clayton and Weatherald still see the day...

That is an interesting point. If it's an SA Football Hall of Fame, do country and amateur legends get included as well? This from the footysa wiki:

In 2002 the SANFL established a Hall of Fame to "recognise and enshrine players, coaches, umpires, administrators and journalists who have made a most significant contribution to the game of Australian Football in South Australia since its inception in 1877.