SANFL Childhood memories

[Voice]

Bit of a different memory than the rest here. Played U17 footy for Centrals with the likes of Stuart Cochrane, Mick O, and played the best game of my life against my beloved Double Blues in a practice match at Stirling. Was so used to seeing the Double Blue guernsey that i walked into the wrong changeroom after the match

[nickname]

I've just bought a 1977 budget on ebay and was surprised to learn that Graham Cornes applied for a clearance to Torrens at the start of that season. Glenelg refused to clear him. He's quoted as saying "I had to resign myself to the fact that I wouldn't be able to play for Torrens." I don't remember that at all. Do bay fans recall that episode? I presume it had a fair bit to do with Kerley coaching at Torrens but was there a falling out at Glenelg?

Also interesting to read again about Kevin Beswick standing out of football for 1974 so he could play for West in 1975, because he wanted to follow Fos Williams across. Doubt we'll ever see loyalty like that again.

[Leaping Lindner]

I've just bought a 1977 budget on ebay and was surprised to learn that Graham Cornes applied for a clearance to Torrens at the start of that season. Glenelg refused to clear him. He's quoted as saying "I had to resign myself to the fact that I wouldn't be able to play for Torrens." I don't remember that at all. Do bay fans recall that episode? I presume it had a fair bit to do with Kerley coaching at Torrens but was there a falling out at Glenelg?

Also interesting to read again about Kevin Beswick standing out of football for 1974 so he could play for West in 1975, because he wanted to follow Fos Williams across. Doubt we'll ever see loyalty like that again.

I remember Cornes wanting to go to Torrens. Made the front page of the Footy Times at the time. I'd guess it was to join Kerley as I'd think Kerley was the only coach he'd known up to that point in his career.
I didn't know Beswick stood out of football for a year. I remember him, Hayes and Grimwood joining West from Port with Fos Williams but I didn't think there was a clearance problem.

[nickname]

Yes, there was also Bob Boston, Neville Thiele, and Gary Tredrea who came across but Beswick was the only one Port played really hard ball with. It was a controversial move by Port to move Fos on but I think they got it right. Although Fos built us up to Preliminary Final level in 1977 and I thoroughly enjoyed watching us play a style of football different to every other team's, it was proved that his style hadn't evolved enough and wasn't going to be successful any more unless he developed it. Great to watch though from '75 to '77.

[am Bays]

I've just bought a 1977 budget on ebay and was surprised to learn that Graham Cornes applied for a clearance to Torrens at the start of that season. Glenelg refused to clear him. He's quoted as saying "I had to resign myself to the fact that I wouldn't be able to play for Torrens." I don't remember that at all. Do bay fans recall that episode? I presume it had a fair bit to do with Kerley coaching at Torrens but was there a falling out at Glenelg?

Also interesting to read again about Kevin Beswick standing out of football for 1974 so he could play for West in 1975, because he wanted to follow Fos Williams across. Doubt we'll ever see loyalty like that again.

yeah Cornes was a disciple of kerley and would've have wanted to go to Torrens with him. Where as the club was happy to see Marriot and others transfer to Torrens and its fitness coach at the time Billy Hookey Neil, the club was never going to clear arguably its best player at the time.

The falling out really came to a head in the last half of the 78 season where up iuntil July it was Sturt and Glenelg up top and daylight third. The senior players never really coped with the change in coaching philosophy from Kerley to Nicholls hence the change in coach at the end of 78

[GWW]

yeah Cornes was a disciple of kerley and would've have wanted to go to Torrens with him. Where as the club was happy to see Marriot and others transfer to Torrens and its fitness coach at the time Billy Hookey Neil, the club was never going to clear arguably its best player at the time.

The falling out really came to a head in the last half of the 78 season where up iuntil July it was Sturt and Glenelg up top and daylight third. The senior players never really coped with the change in coaching philosophy from Kerley to Nicholls hence the change in coach at the end of 78

So would Cornes' number 1 fan have jumped ship to become a supporter of WT?

If GC did get cleared you may have been a passionate WWT supporter now

[am Bays]

So would Cornes' number 1 fan have jumped ship to become a supporter of WT?

If GC did get cleared you may have been a passionate WWT supporter now

Well I did take a passing interest in South when he went there, thank god he came home though....

Imagine being a South supporter...YUK!! *shudder*

[Adelaide Hawk]

Mark Beswick is a poster on this forum, and the son of Kevin Beswick. Hopefully he will read this and set the story straight. From what I believe, it wasn't a case of Beswick following Fos Williams to West Adelaide. At one time he considered joining Norwood but ended up at West. Don't know all the details and hopefully Mark will tell the story.

[JK]

AH - Speaking of loyalty between coach and player, any truth to the story that Magarey Medallist John Marriott quit footy altogether (in his prime) after Jack Oatey got the flick at Norwood?

[Pseudo]

...not to mention the minor exodus of Sturt players to Torrens when Merv Keane got the DCM order.

The concept of player loyalty (following a coach across clubs or moving on because a coach got shafted) is worthy of a thread in its own right.

[Adelaide Hawk]

AH - Speaking of loyalty between coach and player, any truth to the story that Magarey Medallist John Marriott quit footy altogether (in his prime) after Jack Oatey got the flick at Norwood?

This is an interesting chapter in the history of the Norwood Football Club. What you learn pretty much depends on who you believe. The common thought is that Jack Oatey "suspected" a senior group of players conspired to have Oatey sacked as coach, and that the players had been encouraged by the committee of the day.

Mike Coward named Doug Olds as one of these senior players, but as one who knew Doug Olds very well and chatted about footy on many occasions, I can tell you Doug always claimed he had no involvement with the attempted removal of Oatey and was always very upset that he had been implicated.

That aside, Oatey and John Marriott held a number of meetings with the players and in the end Oatey decided he could not regain authority and respect of the players so he tended his resignation and was appointed as coach of West Adelaide.

Marriott was a disciple of Oatey, and captain for 4 seasons after Oatey's retirement as a player. To say he retired purely as a result of Oatey's resignation as coach in 1956 is to simplify the matter. My personal thoughts are that had Marriott really wanted to remain faithful to Oatey and continue his league career (he was still only 26), he would have seeked a clearance to West Adelaide. However, he did not do this.

The other train of thought is that prior to Oatey's resignation, Marriott was already considering early retirement due to a serious hand injury that could jeopardise his career in dentistry.

I am not aware of any official statement made by Marriott at the time, so we can only speculate. Facts are that Marriott continued to serve the Norwood Football Club as Chairman of Selectors from 1957 until the end of 1964.

[FattyLumpkin]

IIRC, I thought there was some "history" with Marriott & Cornes involving partners which prompted Marriot's move to Torrens????

[Sir Red of Norwood]

It wasn't unusual to have a school teacher who played league (D Hicks for me), or one who worked in a bank & served you..

How true !!
For me that school teacher was Darryl Hewitt

That teacher for me was David Wark at St Pauls in the 80's (mainly PE of course!)

[Ash59]

I've just picked up this thread...

Regarding the parachutist at the Aust v Ire game in 1986, I stand corrected but I believe the start of the game was delayed. My wife and I had arranged to meet a few work colleagues down at footy park. We were running late and were still driving down Tapleys Hill Road at the advertised starting time. When we walked in the gates we were surprised that the players were just going to their positions and the game had not started. The people we caught up with told us about the accident.

[smac]

So would Cornes' number 1 fan have jumped ship to become a supporter of WT?

If GC did get cleared you may have been a passionate WWT supporter now

Well I did take a passing interest in South when he went there, thank god he came home though....

Imagine being a South supporter...YUK!! *shudder*

I still remember Winky Dink started following South when Cornsey shifted there! Never trust a duck, particularly pink ones.

[Il Duce]

At the age of about 5 or 6 going up to the port cheer squad and asking to borrow a flag and being scared as anything, walking up real slowly and almost not being able to ask. This continued till I was about 9 with me being less scared each time. Finally at the age of 14 I built up enough guts to ask them if I could join. I've been a cs member ever since and look back and laugh of those days of "Mr leader man. Can I borrow a flag? I promise to bring it back at the end of the game." for which i am remined of all the time a young kid comes up and asks that question these days.

On the field, my earlyest memory is about 93/94/95 being down by about 50 - 60 points at the parade at half time and comming back to win by about 4 goals. I've been going/taken to the games since i was 3 in 88 and I remember bits and of other games prior to the game i mentioned above but thats the first game I remember most of.

I've been at all the Port grand finals since 88 but 94 is the first one i can remember with out the aid of video or dvd. I remember it more because my mums neighbour is Peter Schwarz (Eagles captian in 93, not sure bout 94 spelly?) and I can recall I was rubbing it in (as you do when you are 9) he just smiled took all the abuse and then inviting my family over for tea about a week later and explained how much that hurt. From that day on I have never anything but respect for him and still pop in when ever I am at my mums house for a chat.

[spell_check]

Bumping this thread, because I didn't see your post Il Duce, but yes, Peter Schwarz was captain, and that match was his last game.

On the flip side of your post, I notice that you are the same age as me. As you would expect, that match was devastating for a 9 year old - I cried my eyes out. I recall before we got there that the radio said "it was teeming down". I think in the 20 Grand Finals post Crows, there has only been three Grand Finals where it had rained during the match - 1992, 1994 and 2000.

I do recall in the first 7-8 seasons from 1991 how difficult it was to get your hand on the match ball once it entered the crowd. Just once in that time (at Richmond) did I get to kick it back over. Elsewhere in this forum I would have stated that Round 24 1991 was my first definitive memory of a match - an Eagles player was penalised for running too far - and that was the first time I saw that rule invoked. I know I went to matches prior 1991 because I had a writing book from school when I was in Reception (1990) which I wrote (rather clumsily of course!) that I went to see the Eagles play at Football Park.

Indeed, most of my memories in the early 90s come from Footy Park; I used to look at the scoreboard to see the score tick over after a score. Mum would drop Dad and I off there, then she would go and visit her Mum. Then after the game, we'd walk down Sportsmans Drive until she came along. We made it all the way to Frederick Road once!

At school, I remember the PE teacher handing out Foundation Cup passes when that competition was on. One of the few occasions in that era where every player was in one half of the ground, I know happened in the 1994 Night Final - still reigning premiers in that competition!

What we now know as vuvuzelas; the plastic horns were prominent back then. They added a bit of "colour" to the match. (But not when 2,000+ are going at the same time!) Also now almost extinct are the cut up phone books and streamers (unless if you are part of the Sturt Cheer Squad!)

[7-Dog]

I clearly remember sitting on the members wing mid/late season, watching a good game between Port & Sturt. I had my #17 Maggies guernsey on - Martin Leslie. I think this was the game that R.Johnson got reported.

1990 Grand Final (The Last One), Scotty Hodges goes down and it don't look good. Comes back and breaks Rick Davies goal kicking record.

1994 GF (The Comeback) Maggies down & out at half time, would love to watch it again.

[GWW]

I clearly remember sitting on the members wing mid/late season, watching a good game between Port & Sturt. I had my #17 Maggies guernsey on - Martin Leslie. I think this was the game that R.Johnson got reported.

Yeah that was 1988. Really amazing to think that the winner that day had so much on field pain ahead over the next 7 or 8 years, and the loser were to win 4 of next 5 premiershps.

'88 was such an amazing year for Port - there was the win at Norwood oval just after Anthony Williams tragically passed away, with George Fiacchi taking his spot in the back pocket.

There was the change in the side's spine with D Smith going from full forward to CHF, and Hodges to FF, and Leslie and Phillips who had both been tried at CHF the previous few seasons, playing across half back with Abers. Was well done by Cahill.

Then the grand final victory against Glenelg, first premieship in 7 years.

[7-Dog]

I clearly remember sitting on the members wing mid/late season, watching a good game between Port & Sturt. I had my #17 Maggies guernsey on - Martin Leslie. I think this was the game that R.Johnson got reported.

Yeah that was 1988. Really amazing to think that the winner that day had so much on field pain ahead over the next 7 or 8 years, and the loser were to win 4 of next 5 premiershps.

'88 was such an amazing year for Port - there was the win at Norwood oval just after Anthony Williams tragically passed away, with George Fiacchi taking his spot in the back pocket.

There was the change in the side's spine with D Smith going from full forward to CHF, and Hodges to FF, and Leslie and Phillips who had both been tried at CHF the previous few seasons, playing across half back with Abers. Was well done by Cahill.

Then the grand final victory against Glenelg, first premieship in 7 years.

Wow, amazing what I can remember as a 7 year old kid.

Oh and forgot the greatest score that I remember, 1989 GF - 1.8 (14) Back to Back!!!