Top 10 that you've seen in the SANFL..

[Adelaide Hawk]

Barrie Robran
Phil Carman
Peter Marker
Russell Ebert
Michael Aish
Malcolm Blight
Darren Jarman
Tony Hall
Paul Bagshaw
Peter Darley
Rick Davies

Tough trying to come up with the best 10 as there are so many to choose from. I chose mine by simply coming up with the first 10 who entered my head, they are usually the ones who left the greatest impression.

If the choices were for the most consistently brilliant players, I'd have Michael Taylor high in my list as he rarely (if ever) played an average game. Apologies to players such as John Cahill, Ray Huppatz, Graham Cornes, Garry McIntosh, Stephen Kernahan, Greg Phillips, Andrew Jarman and Robert Day.

Although I did see John Halbert, Lindsay Head, Geoff Motley and Neil Kerley play, I'd missed them at their best.

[am Bays]

My top 10 and I make the caveat that I started watching football in the late 70s as a kid and unfortunately missed the best of Marker and Robran (a huge regret). Also I was away for the 80s so only saw glimpses of SANFL football in that time when down on holidays.

So for mine (and I am baised)

Graham Cornes - the reason why I love football
Russell Ebert - say no more super skills and played well in the big games *sigh*.
Paul Bagshaw - best skills made the game look in slow motion
Michael Taylor - see Bagshaw always had time.
Stephen Kernahan - Super mark and super bloke
Peter Carey - Could play KPP and ruck and his handballing to set up play from stoppages was sensational
Rick Davies - Like Carey but not as good, but still damn good (IMO)
Greg Phillips - marshalled Ports Defence in 6 premierships. can handball further than most players can kick.
Chris McDermott - toughest player I ever saw, one time we ran out of local anaesthetic after a game - just put 'em in DOC...
Garry McIntosh - see Bones but IMO not as good, one of the best exponents of the pack handball to release the runners


I should really try to sit down once with OTR or A hawk so tehy can tell em how good Robran really was. My copy of the 73 GF doesn't really do him justice but you can see how good he was but wasn't at his best that day.

[Adelaide Hawk]

I should really try to sit down once with OTR or A hawk so tehy can tell em how good Robran really was. My copy of the 73 GF doesn't really do him justice but you can see how good he was but wasn't at his best that day.

Just get a copy of the 1971 & 1972 Grand Finals. His solo performances in those Grand Finals, together with Rick Davies 1976 were the most dominant GF performances I've seen.

[on the rails]

I should really try to sit down once with OTR or A hawk so tehy can tell em how good Robran really was. My copy of the 73 GF doesn't really do him justice but you can see how good he was but wasn't at his best that day.

Read the book by Bruce Pointon - an awesome publication and the references and media comments after North won the 1972 Champions of Australia Final. That sums up Robran and how good he was.

[GWW]

I've had a good look at the '72 grand final on youtube and was disappointed not to see much of Robran on there, whether or not that was because of the commentators or my own inattention, I'm not sure.

[GWW]

Also an 80s kid...

Craig Bradley
Stephen Kernahan
John Platten
Michael Aish
Greg Phillips
Paul Weston
Garry McIntosh
Scott Hodges
Mark Naley
Neville Roberts

Interesting MP that you put Weston in your list and not Ebert. Weston played his best footy pre 1985 (when Ebert was still playing).

[leftlegger]

S.Kernahan
P.Motley
J.Platten
Gilbert McAdam
G.McIntosh
P.Carey
M.Aish
M.Blight
G.Cornes
P.Bagshaw

I probably could list another 10 of equal ability.
Motley, Kernahan & Platten were 3 blokes that stood out for me.

[CK]

I'll put a slight caveat on my list, in that I was lucky enough to see Graham Cornes, Russell Ebert and Barrie Robran all play live, but Mr Robran, in particular, was well past his best when I was there and it would be really unfair to judge him on that performance. Like many others have said, I wish I had seen him before the knee injury.

Saw plenty of Ebert and Cornes along the way and while I know this will create a debate on its own, I'm still not completely convinced that Ebert was the player that many told me he was. That said, nobody wins four Magareys by fluke, and there is no doubt at all he was a very good player.

[robranisgod]

I'll put a slight caveat on my list, in that I was lucky enough to see Graham Cornes, Russell Ebert and Barrie Robran all play live, but Mr Robran, in particular, was well past his best when I was there and it would be really unfair to judge him on that performance. Like many others have said, I wish I had seen him before the knee injury.

Saw plenty of Ebert and Cornes along the way and while I know this will create a debate on its own, I'm still not completely convinced that Ebert was the player that many told me he was. That said, nobody wins four Magareys by fluke, and there is no doubt at all he was a very good player.

Ebert was at his best in 1976. He polled in 16 matches, 10 first preferences and 6 second preferences. Not too many players have dominated a minor round like that. He "only" won five Port best and fairests, great effort though that is, it pales compared to Barrie Robran, Bob Hank and Lindsay Head in that regard.

[robranisgod]

Gilbert McAdam

Gilbert McAdam was never chosen to represent South Australia. Anyone remember the circumstances that precluded his selection? I no that he had a poor record against North, who were strong at the time, what was he like against Port and Glenelg at that stage, the other two strong sides in the years that he played in the SANFL.

[leftlegger]

Gilbert McAdam

Gilbert McAdam was never chosen to represent South Australia. Anyone remember the circumstances that precluded his selection? I no that he had a poor record against North, who were strong at the time, what was he like against Port and Glenelg at that stage, the other two strong sides in the years that he played in the SANFL.

Interesting that you say he had a poor record against North. The first time I experienced Gilbert, he was playing for North in the U17s. I was playing for West at the time, & he tore us a new one every time that season.
Later when he surfaced at Centrals, & he was playing league, I remember him absolutely destroying West at Richmond one day, in one of he classiest performances I'd ever seen.
I actually didn't see that much of him in his Magarey year. (I was playing footy myself) But I saw enough of him to say that his skills were as good as any in my top 10 list.

He went on to have a great VFL career. If he'd played in better sides we'd be talking about him in the same breath as McLeod & Wanganeen. Maybe even better.

[7-Dog]

Watched in the late 80's early 90's the mostly.

N.Buckley
G.McIntosh
A.Jarman
M.Leslie
G.Whittlesea
S.Hodges
G.Phillips
G.Fielke
B.Abernathy
M.Redden

[woodublieve12]

Watched in the late 80's early 90's the mostly.

N.Buckley
G.McIntosh
A.Jarman
M.Leslie
G.Whittlesea
S.Hodges
G.Phillips
G.Fielke
B.Abernathy
M.Redden

Scott Salisbury couldnt get a gig???

[MagareyLegend]

I've had a good look at the '72 grand final on youtube and was disappointed not to see much of Robran on there, whether or not that was because of the commentators or my own inattention, I'm not sure.

Inattention? What weren't you watching? So how can you comment if you weren't watching?

[on the rails]

I've had a good look at the '72 grand final on youtube and was disappointed not to see much of Robran on there, whether or not that was because of the commentators or my own inattention, I'm not sure.

So the whole '72 GF is on you tube? Must have been a different game than the copy I have at home (and in colour too!) re Robran!

[on the rails]

Watched in the late 80's early 90's the mostly.

N.Buckley
G.McIntosh
A.Jarman
M.Leslie
G.Whittlesea
S.Hodges
G.Phillips
G.Fielke
B.Abernathy
M.Redden

Scott Salisbury couldnt get a gig???

Are you serious? If the topic was about unskilled thugs then he would easily make the top 10!

[robranisgod]

I've had a good look at the '72 grand final on youtube and was disappointed not to see much of Robran on there, whether or not that was because of the commentators or my own inattention, I'm not sure.

I have the complete video of the 1972 Grand Final. Robran is clearly best on the ground. North were 8 points down at half time and won by 56 points and Robran was instrumental in the turn around. The copy I have is the Channel nine telecast. The commentators are critical of North in general, early, but Wally May in particular is fullsome in his praise of Robran especially once they realise North are going to win. And Robran's two opponents in that game were Woite and Ebert and neither of them could stop him.

[Magpiespower]

Interesting MP that you put Weston in your list and not Ebert. Weston played his best footy pre 1985 (when Ebert was still playing).

Wanted to chuck someone in there who didn't have a guernsey yet!

Yeah, I spose my judgement is a bit clouded by watching Weston in his Essendon days.

Love watching the last quarter of the '84 VFL grand final.

And my old man was a big fan of him, too, which also left an impression.

Breaking the rules, I know!

[GWW]

I've had a good look at the '72 grand final on youtube and was disappointed not to see much of Robran on there, whether or not that was because of the commentators or my own inattention, I'm not sure.

Inattention? What weren't you watching? So how can you comment if you weren't watching?

Gees settle down, some of you blokes are a bit precious. I did watch the footage of what was on Youtube, I believe it was the whole game although may have just been portions. I didnt notice Robran as much as I'd expected as I'd heard how much he dominated, whether thats because I didn't hear his name called by the commentators, or I didn't recognise him in the footage as much as i expected, Im not sure. For the record I don't dispute at all that he was dominant and a clear BOG, its just I didn't notice him as much as I expected in the footage.

[Magpiespower]

Ebert... "only" won five Port best and fairests.

Six!

1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1981.

Interesting that the two players generally considered SA's best - Ebert and Robran - never won All-Australian honours...