Greatest decade of SANFL footy

[westozfalcon]

In your time watching footy, what decade would you rate as the most exciting in the SANFL from a spectator perspective?

Things to consider are the star players of the era, the rivalry between clubs, the fights, the crowds and anything else that you consider to have made one particular decade stand out.

I'm presuming that most posters on this sight won't have watched much footy prior to the 1960's so I've started from that decade.

I've included the 2000's for the benefit of Central supporters

[rd]

I voted 60s because that was the era that I was a kid - I think footy seems magical to you when you are aged 5 to 15 and I expect voters to vote for their youthful days. Of course Sturt won a few flags during the 60s as well which made that era more magical for me but when I reflect on the great names that I saw play in the flesh in the 60s like Robran,Kerley,Eustice,Bagshaw,Cahill,Marker,Day,Blight,Huppatz etc and 3 tv stations showing live Reserves matches on Sat mornings and replays Sat nights plus also Sunday noon panel shows - well I got hooked pretty easily!

[hearts on fire]

2000's, as that is the only time i have seen an SANFL game.

[Adelaide Hawk]

1970s, for so many reasons I can't list them all.

The game was still raw, but brilliant. The emergence of players such as Robran, Carman, Ebert, etc, etc, etc ... a lack of advertising logos on jumpers and boundaries. Greater emphasis on offence, less on the negative side that perpetuates today's game.

Far less money in the game, allowing for players to have lives outside of football .. a media who loved the game, not a mob of blood suckers who feed off the game's popularity amd couldn't care less about its' welfare.

We didn't know about players' private lives, we didn't want to know.

We enjoyed the game played mainly on a Saturday afternoon. It was a weekend sport, not a 24/7 affair like today. Football clubs were run by ex-players, usually from that club. The game on the field was the number 1 priority.

As I said earlier, I could fill volumes why I prefered footy in the 70s, but I'll stop here and give someone else a go.

[westozfalcon]

1970s, for so many reasons I can't list them all.

The game was still raw, but brilliant. The emergence of players such as Robran, Carman, Ebert, etc, etc, etc ... a lack of advertising logos on jumpers and boundaries. Greater emphasis on offence, less on the negative side that perpetuates today's game.

Far less money in the game, allowing for players to have lives outside of football .. a media who loved the game, not a mob of blood suckers who feed off the game's popularity amd couldn't care less about its' welfare.

We didn't know about players' private lives, we didn't want to know.

We enjoyed the game played mainly on a Saturday afternoon. It was a weekend sport, not a 24/7 affair like today. Football clubs were run by ex-players, usually from that club. The game on the field was the number 1 priority.

As I said earlier, I could fill volumes why I prefered footy in the 70s, but I'll stop here and give someone else a go.

That is a very good summary of football from that era AH. You should expound more as you suggested!

In particular, you made a very pertinent point about the media in that era as compared to now.

I was only a child in the 1970's but my memories of footy matches during that period are quite vivid. I'm from Perth and in the WAFL (WANFL as it was then known) crowds of 16,000-18,000 at local games were not uncommon. Undoubtedly it would have been just the same in Adelaide.

[Magpiespower]

1970s was such an even era with no one side really dominating.

Even South made a grand final in that decade!

[rogernumber10]

Can I nominate the decade 1975-84? That was actually my prime watching period, before job / study affected 85-86 and I was gone from the state by 87. We won four flags in that time, contested another GF, and made a few prelims and were never out of the finals. No wonder it was fun.

[JK]

1980's for me no question ... Was the decade I can first recall going to the footy and then eating, sleeping, breathing all things footy.

Used to love trudging home through the piles of empty can's around the grounds various hills or bars ... Used to love the old scoreboards putting up the race results (even though I was too young to follow them back then) ... Used to love the murmurs that would go around the ground when someone shouted out a surprise score from another ground ... And finally, I used to love that it was the only show in town.

[GWW]

1980's for me no question ... Was the decade I can first recall going to the footy and then eating, sleeping, breathing all things footy.

Used to love trudging home through the piles of empty can's around the grounds various hills or bars ... Used to love the old scoreboards putting up the race results (even though I was too young to follow them back then) ... Used to love the murmurs that would go around the ground when someone shouted out a surprise score from another ground ... And finally, I used to love that it was the only show in town.

I agree, 80's for me too, although with one clear exception, 1984

[CK]

1980's. The era I grew up in also, and for many of the reasons that many others have named.

Going to a match, and coming home to watch "The Big Replay" on Channel 7.

Playing Mini-League and hoping that, the following week, yours would be the match replayed on 7 on the Sunday morning.

Grand Final night, when Channel 9 would cross to both clubs and talk to the club captains and coaches, during the preview show.

CAtching the 12B bus to Norwood, standing on Coopers Hill with Mum and Grandad, and hearing Grandad telling stories about the players of his day that I wish I'd seen some of those players play.

Being able to go by myself to games when I was 11 or 12, and living near Woodville Oval at the time, riding the BMX to the ground, taking two $2 notes along and getting into the game, having enough for a Budget (although knowing most of the numbers off by heart anyway) and a bag of Samboy, leaning over the fence and watching a player that I'd heard so much about growing up, called Malcolm Blight, run rings around the opposition.

Running onto the oval after the match and handing my autograph book to my heroes, who would leave mud smudges on the pages as they signed. Only got knocked back once in all my life (I assume that James Pyke had something on his mind that day), and not knowing that you weren't allowed to do it at Footy Park. The feeling of a red coat chasing me, in all my innocence, as I rushed out to get Craig Balme's autograph, who said to the redcoat to leave me in peace. Then staying for the second game of the double header that day.

So many memories, and so little time...

[Interceptor]

1980's for me no question ... Was the decade I can first recall going to the footy and then eating, sleeping, breathing all things footy.

Used to love trudging home through the piles of empty can's around the grounds various hills or bars ... Used to love the old scoreboards putting up the race results (even though I was too young to follow them back then) ... Used to love the murmurs that would go around the ground when someone shouted out a surprise score from another ground ... And finally, I used to love that it was the only show in town.

+1

KG's Footy Show
The Big Replay
minor round games with huge crowds
the 'smell' of september

Not exactly unique to the 80s, but for me part of growing up and the last great decade of the SANFL.

[JK]

the 'smell' of september

Funny you mention that ... I used to live within walking distance to Footy Park, and there was something about getting up in the morning and noticing the slightly warmer weather which just made it feel like finals time.

I'd spend the morning out the front kicking the footy on my own listening to the radio and watching all the decked out supporters park nearby ... All whilst just killing time til we were ready to leave for headquarters.

I also remember how wet the experiences would be in winters back in those days ... Im not sure if Im right with this, but seems we get far more dry games during winter these days, and certainly less mud-heap ovals (who could ever forget the condition of the Parade in winters of the 80's).

[Adelaide Hawk]

Not so much a "decade", but a period of football I enjoy reflecting upon the most would be the 15 seasons from 1961 to 1975.

Although dominated to a degree by Sturt, and to a lesser extent Port Adelaide, we saw 7 clubs win a flag, including South's 1st flag for 26 years, Sturt's 1st flag for 26 years, Norwood's first flag for 25 years, Glenelg's 1st flag for 39 years, and Westies won their 1st for 14 seasons, North 11 seasons.

We saw some of the all-time greats of the game win Magarey Medals:- Halbert, Head, Eustice, Motley, Kneebone, Lindner, Robran, Phillis, Ebert and Blight. We also saw great players such as Day, Schoff, Carman, Davies, Bagshaw, Cahill, Darley, Marker, Kerley, Wedding, Cornes, Richens, Potter, Kantilla, Shearman, Huppatz, Simunsen, Von Bertouch, Adcock, Bills, Oatey, Taylor ... and apologies to many top players I've missed.

That was a golden era in SANFL football that, IMHO, has never been equalled.

[FattyLumpkin]

not to mention the '63 state side

[nickname]

1970s, for so many reasons I can't list them all.

The game was still raw, but brilliant. The emergence of players such as Robran, Carman, Ebert, etc, etc, etc ... a lack of advertising logos on jumpers and boundaries. Greater emphasis on offence, less on the negative side that perpetuates today's game.

Far less money in the game, allowing for players to have lives outside of football .. a media who loved the game, not a mob of blood suckers who feed off the game's popularity amd couldn't care less about its' welfare.

We didn't know about players' private lives, we didn't want to know.

We enjoyed the game played mainly on a Saturday afternoon. It was a weekend sport, not a 24/7 affair like today. Football clubs were run by ex-players, usually from that club. The game on the field was the number 1 priority.

As I said earlier, I could fill volumes why I prefered footy in the 70s, but I'll stop here and give someone else a go.

Great post.

I find it heartbreaking that today's kids won't experience how magical it was when the SANFL was the premier competition in the State. I would argue that professionalism has not made the game any more enjoyable; in fact quite the contrary. Because of its grey areas ours is a game that has not stood up well to the extra scrutiny of 6 full-time assistant coaches per AFL club, who have blighted the game with their chopping of forward's arms, blocking players' run ups to take a contested mark, instructions to avoid kicking to a contest, flooding oppositions' forward lines and the focus on all the other defensive skills like tackling. The things that made our game unique, and which were so evident in the 70s and 80s, are becoming extinct in the professional era.

[Harry the Horse]

Voted for the 70s ... for many of the reasons Adelaide Hawk mentioned. Didn't actually start watching footy until 77 but what I have learned about the game in that era tells me I missed a few of its best years.
Like rogernumber10, I kind of agree 75-84 but I'd probably stretch it to 73-86.
For the sheer standard of the competition and the numbers that went to watch it, I'd say 1979-1985 were the halcyon years.
By the late 80s, the SANFL was bleeding too many stars to the east.

[SimonH]

Can I nominate the decade 1975-84? That was actually my prime watching period, before job / study affected 85-86 and I was gone from the state by 87. We won four flags in that time, contested another GF, and made a few prelims and were never out of the finals. No wonder it was fun.

As a true Norwood stalwart, I nominate the 1880s.

[Pseudo]

As a true Norwood stalwart, I nominate the 1880s.

Seconded by the Panther fan, no doubt

[Dogwatcher]

It will surprise many to hear that I nominate the 60s/70s.
That was a time when the SANFL was at its peak star wise - Ebert, Robran, Cornes et al.
It was also a time when the SANFL was king, it had just expanded with two new clubs joining and in interstate games was taking on all comers more than competitively.
Everything looked on the up and up for footy in this time.

[Sojourner]

My main memories of the SANFL are the 1980's, yet I voted the 1970's as I do recall matches with my Dad before his illness that we went to in the late 1970's and I treasure those moments! - Its also the reason why I am so passionate about seeing SANFL footy get back to Thebarton Oval as that is where we went!