The SANFL Metamorphosis, circa 1990

[Macca19]

Port Adelaide was in financial trouble when he took over. He and a few others turned the club around. Quite a number of clubs have been in trouble in the past 15 years, he didnt want that to happen to Port.

I could very well be wrong about the 1994 thing, I was very young at the time (about 8 or 9 when the poo hit the fan) but I remember they wanted to hold off entering the AFL until at least 1994. The SANFL also had some wierd thought that the AFL would bow down to the SANFLs every want and need and that the SANFL would enter only on their terms. Of course, there would have been negotiating but Max & co were very strong in that they wanted to enter on their terms.

I dont believe him to be a saint, I just beleive that he was sick of the SANFLs constant procrastination on the matter and he made sure that Port wouldnt miss out on anything. By doing this he forced the SANFL to respond and get a move on. I also believe that South Australian Football is better for what happened, it may be a view that many others would disagree with, but its only my opinion.

[therisingblues]

I think he was just trying to look after his own club, and got screwed over. But he would have realised when he was making his secret handshakes and stuff that a team from SA would inevitably have to join, as the Vic's were slowly but surely draining our state of its talent. There was bugger all the SANFL could have done after the Sandgropers had so quickly joined up. If today we were still without a South Australian AFL representative team, then I guess the average crowd per round of SANFL matches would be between 20,000 to 30,000, down by about ten thousand from the mid 80's. The standard would probably be similar to what we have now, possibly it would be a little higher owing to a few Gary Mcintosh types that want to show their loyalty to SA, (but that could be offset by the Crows' and Power's "reserve" players that play in the SANFL today). But with the exception of a very few, all the top level football talent would be playing outside SA.
However, I can't believe that he was a visionary attempting to give the SANFL a push into doing what had to be done inevitably. He was bait used by the Vic's to lure the SANFL into their league.
Whatever he did, RIP old Magpie, you definitely DID change footy in this state forever.

[Magpiespower]

Its not the decision but what was said privately prior to the decision that makes him a liar, trust me I have a VERY good source on what Webber said to god prior to the decision being announced.

No secret that Weber promised Ebert he had the job and then went back on his word.

The vote was 4-3.

Weber cast the deciding vote.

History shows he made the right decision.

[spell_check]

I don't really want to be mean about his passing, but I would have liked to know what it was exactly like living in a football state without having the VFLs' history hung over everyones heads.

I do know for sure that there would be a team in the AFL sooner or later, but unfortunately my earliest football memories go back to 1991, thus always hearing about how good John Coleman and Ted Whitten was, rather than Farmer and Robran. I don't think footy in this state is any better than it was - if it was the SANFL would have an average of at least 15,000 per week, and more respectable TV and Newspaper coverage.

[GWW]

Ironically while being twice the size he was half the man Basheer is.

I'm 100% certain that if there wasnt 2 Adelaide sides in the AFL, theres no way Centrals would have won 5 out of 6 premierships.

[Barto]

Ironically while being twice the size he was half the man Basheer is.

I'm 100% certain that if there wasnt 2 Adelaide sides in the AFL, theres no way Centrals would have won 5 out of 6 premierships.

Hard to say what results there are in an alternate universe.

Centrals current dominance has more to do with the legislation involving pokies and their current financial strength rather than anything to do with the AFL coming to town.

[drebin]

Ironically while being twice the size he was half the man Basheer is.

I'm 100% certain that if there wasnt 2 Adelaide sides in the AFL, theres no way Centrals would have won 5 out of 6 premierships.

Hard to say what results there are in an alternate universe.

Centrals current dominance has more to do with the legislation involving pokies and their current financial strength rather than anything to do with the AFL coming to town.

If that is the case barto - North should have won the last 2 flags - we have the biggest income via pokies!

[Barto]

Ironically while being twice the size he was half the man Basheer is.

I'm 100% certain that if there wasnt 2 Adelaide sides in the AFL, theres no way Centrals would have won 5 out of 6 premierships.

Hard to say what results there are in an alternate universe.

Centrals current dominance has more to do with the legislation involving pokies and their current financial strength rather than anything to do with the AFL coming to town.

If that is the case barto - North should have won the last 2 flags - we have the biggest income via pokies!

Yes but that would take time to kick in. How many years have there been pokies in SA? IIRC Centrals had the first genuunely profitable operation of the SANFL clubs. It's only been a couple of years since North had the two income streams going, before that weren't the pokies at Prospect oval more of a financial drain?

[drebin]

I was actually being tongue in cheek but you are right barto - still you have to have more than just money to win a flag in any case so how long will it be is the biggest question to ask?

[godoubleblues]

I was actually being tongue in cheek but you are right barto - still you have to have more than just money to win a flag in any case so how long will it be is the biggest question to ask?

my money is on this year for you guys

[Grand Central]

Here's the abridged version: the SANFL clubs voted unanimously to reject overtures from the VFL despite the WAFL joining in 1987 and the doomed Bears kicking off at Carrara. The VFL was broke. The SANFL saw itself in a position of strength and had the Player Retention Scheme to keep top talent in the State and to thwart the VFL's draft. In 1990 it was leaked that Port, headed by Weber, did a backdoor deal, to shaft the SANFL and join the VFL. The shit hit the fan. It went to court and the SANFL won while the VFL, realising the potential of bigger bucks, relented on it's original plan. The SANFL was then rushed to form the AFC with inferior terms and conditions it originally expected (the SANFL registered "Adelaide Football Club" years earlier).

In short, Weber shafted the SANFL, kneecapped the Crows and ironically shortchanged the Port Adelaide entity that eventually joined the AFL as a shadow of its former self.

[Jimmy]

Here's the abridged version: the SANFL clubs voted unanimously to reject overtures from the VFL despite the WAFL joining in 1987 and the doomed Bears kicking off at Carrara. The VFL was broke. The SANFL saw itself in a position of strength and had the Player Retention Scheme to keep top talent in the State and to thwart the VFL's draft. In 1990 it was leaked that Port, headed by Weber, did a backdoor deal, to shaft the SANFL and join the VFL. The shit hit the fan. It went to court and the SANFL won while the VFL, realising the potential of bigger bucks, relented on it's original plan. The SANFL was then rushed to form the AFC with inferior terms and conditions it originally expected (the SANFL registered "Adelaide Football Club" years earlier).

In short, Weber shafted the SANFL, kneecapped the Crows and ironically shortchanged the Port Adelaide entity that eventually joined the AFL as a shadow of its former self.

well then, i had an idea but that puts it pretty freakin well...

villain indeed

[Magpiespower]

Some other points...

The Player Retention Scheme was seriously flawed and didn't protect young talent.

The VFL also had talks with Norwood in 1990.

Port had reached an agreement withthe VFL to pay a license fee of 'only' $1.5m over ten years.

A condition of Port's entry in 1990, as it was later, was that we would have to change our emblem - and most likely colours - to placate Collingwood.

Glenelg, along with West and South, secured an in injunction to stop the Port board from negotiating with the VFL.

[Punk Rooster]

The Player Retention Scheme was seriously flawed and didn't protect young talent.

But the way the draft worked in that era, was much the same as the way they recruited- established talent that had runs on the board (Jarmans, McDermotts, McIntosh's etc). Generally, these blokes had already played 100 games, so were qualified for the Scheme. They also had a special clause, & getting drafted was enough for you to qualify under ths special clause.

[Punk Rooster]

This is an excellent read, a very good overall view of how the National Draft started out, the way it worked & subtle year by year changes- http://www.comcen.com.au/~weaver/Draft_1.html

[Booney]

Nothing nicer than a few head-up-their-own ass-wanna-be's bagging a bloke who stood up for what he believed in,right or wrong,then when the poor bloke dies in a second,you have a topic on him,which,by all accounts should have been a tribute,not a character assasination.

This bloke,I am well aware,is not some one who should be revered by all.What he,and the PAFC board at the time chose to do changed the landscape in this state forever.Now,for mine,it changed for the worse in the initial steps,Port missed out and we put this Glenelg based composite side in.Ahh well,life goes on.For some of us.RIP Mr.Webber.

P.S Coorong,bit rich bagging some one for not keeping their word.

[am Bays]

Thanks for compliment Booney and I admit my comments were in poor taste and I am happy for them to be deleted, but for someone working with a league club in 1990 and the effect that it has consequently had on it I can neither forgive or forget.

In 1990 I saw what I now know to be the worst example of football/sports administration that I have ever seen in my professional experience working in the Australian high performance sport industry and as an amateur sports administrator.

The strength of Australian sport has been our rivalry on the field but our unity off it for the common good. Our suceesful sports have all had it. Spend some time working with the state based academies of sport and the AIS you will see what I mean rivals on the field but an extraordinary spirit of cooperation exists off it amongst the coaches, sports scients sports medicine professional etc. That is why we have punched way above our weight at the Olympics Commonwealth games and at world championsip events since the mid 1980s.

Whilst you are voted to board positions by your own members you are also voted in as a custodian of the sport so you have a responsibility to leave the sport in a better condition that what you found it in and that means looking at the big picture of the sport that allows individual clubs to thrive and survive. IMHO the then President of the Port Adelaide Football Club failed his club and failed the other nine clubs by forcing the SANFL to be railroaded into the AFL on the AFL terms not ours. Fast forward to 1992-93 when the Swans and the Bears were a rabble, in order to protect the TV rights and national exposure for the Victorian clubs sponsorship we would have been in a much better position to argue for entry into the AFL on our terms.

If you don't believe, you only have to look at the actions of the AFL to prop up the SWANS and Bear/Lions over the past 15 years. They know to get the national exposure they need all the states involved, so the longer we held out the better it would have been for us - the SANFL as the AFL relies on National exposure for its sponsors and national exposure for the TV rights.

When I first started with the Glenelg Football Club in 1990. The first thing I was told as a trainer was that you help out Port Adelaide off the field as they do the same for us. On the field we are rivals but if they need ice, some strapping tape etc give it to them because they will do the same for us. There was a spirit of cooperation that the great administrators of our game e.g. Bob McLean and Harry Kernahan understood and adhered to. That is we are rivals on it but off it we work together for the good of our clubs, SA Footy and our great game.

These opinions are based around studying Australian sport and sitting at the table with the heads of Australian sport (i.e. the current Director of the AIS) discussing what makes our countries sporting system tick - not some wide eyed-hack wannabe with my head up my ar5e with a baised view against all things Port. AS apart forom the actions individuals associated with the Port Adelaide Football Club in 1989-90 I think the Port Adelaide way of doing things from a footbal point of is a pretty damn good way of doing it, you only have to read the Rucci book on the Willaims to know that.

So do me a favour get a job in the Australian sporting industry and found out how sport is run in this country and then you might understand where I am coming from when I made the comments I did.

[RustyCage]

Go to http://portadelaidefc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=258002 and download the front page of the Advertiser from 3 Aug 1990, very interesting reading.

[Dissident]

Go to http://portadelaidefc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=258002 and download the front page of the Advertiser from 3 Aug 1990, very interesting reading.

Bah, 0055 10 830 isn't connected anymore

[Magpiespower]

IMHO the then President of the Port Adelaide Football Club failed his club and failed the other nine clubs by forcing the SANFL to be railroaded into the AFL on the AFL terms not ours

The Port board voted 7-1 in favour of joining the AFL.

Dave Boyd was the lone dissenting voice and tendered his resignation.

Weber was the public face of the bid and consequently copped all the flak.

But we're in the AFL now and he played a major role in us getting there.

So once again - thanks Bruce!