How we come to support our beloved teams... and...

[Rik E Boy]

It's the Emblem for Me and for You

I came to Adelaide as a young lad wearing an Eastern Suburbs Rugby League jumper. For many years I watched the ABC’s coverage of the Rugby League. When I was twelve I started listening to the radio…soaking up the pop music as I moved away from my traditional Zeppelin and Stones fare. It was on one of these stations that covered the local football…can’t remember the station now but my first memories of Australian Rules Football were huddled around my recycled ‘3 in 1’ that was smashed by my hippie parents. I heard the roar from Unley Oval which was not too far away and felt strangely drawn to the sound.

At my primary school it was Sturt, Sturt and more Sturt. The perpetual and inevitable question was put to me again and again ‘Who do you barrack for’? The answer for many years was ‘Easts – The Mighty Roosters’. Then, in Grand Final week of 1978 my answer became ‘The Redlegs! You poofters (Sturt) are going to lose the Grand Final!’. Always looking for the shock value in any statement, I had struck gold amongst my smug Struttie schoolmates who anticipating the 11th Oatey Premiership…one that never came.

I didn’t really buy in emotionally to the game before the clash but as the week went by I began to look forward to the broadcast of the match with increasing anticipation. My Mum thought I was sick because I didn’t want to go Roller Skating at Eastwood that weekend. So my little sister and I listened to the game and the early prognosis was not good. The Blues were all over us and if they kicked straight it would have been a very long week for me at school. History (makers) records that the Redlegs came from behind to defeat the ‘invincible’ Blue machine to win the flag in their Centenary year.

Strangely enough though, the first match that I attended was a Port vs. Sturt game at Unley Oval four years later. It was a clash between the best two sides (again, until the Redlegs intervened in September) and there was 18,000 people at the game. We had to all breath in and out at the same time or the consequences could be fatal. I knew more than a few people from the Sturt cheer squad including a large Indigenous (Aboriginal as we said then) bloke called ‘Charcol’ who quite frankly terrified me. I soon started attending Redlegs games with a school mate and soon saw less of the Blues fans..especially during the finals ha ha.

Norwood fans will always laugh when a Port fans says ‘no other club engenders the same emotion’ because they all do..successful or otherwise as any Southie or Pecker fan could tell you. I grew up in a time when the ‘Big Four’ dominated and the fifth spot was only ever making up the numbers until Kerley’s Bloods and Nunan’s Roosters entered the stage. We saw hard and tough footballers but we had Macca. We saw brilliant forwards but we snaffled Rocky. We saw some brilliant skills but we had Micheal Aish. These were the players who helped engineer our sweetest triumph, coming from 5th spot to defeat the Magpies who in the Grand Final went the biff while Aishy got free after free and touch after touch. I’ll never forget Keith Thomas’ mighty mark that day.

There are two types of Norwood supporters. There are the Norwood fans who live in the Eastern Suburbs and drink wine and drive nice cars and there were bogans like me who wore the 1978 scarf for decades and wore a red and blue checked flanny. I didn’t notice too many of the wine sippers sit amongst my Pie supporting mates during the endless finals defeats of the 1990’s..Booney was there though with his whole family. I’d give them all heaps but they knew I’d still be there if (or should I say when) it turned pear shaped. A mutual friend of ours didn’t even stir me up that day in 1996, even though his Port had defeated my Redlegs yet again in a big match as our nemesis Scotty Hodges kicked that ‘Fevlike’ goal. Needless to say 1997 was a very special moment with Rowey’s big cheesy smile after the one hanger he took in his career an enduring memory.

I don’t get to see much SANFL these days as they don’t show it on ABC2 anymore. To be honest I’m more of a Geelong man these days but when it comes to SA Footy my heart will remain Red and Blue blooded.

Regards,

REB

[Rik E Boy]

We are Geelong

Selecting a VFL team to barrack for was strictly optional when I started following the Footy. My heart wasn’t in it because they were the Vics. I didn’t hate any of the teams and had a soft spot for Melbourne because they were Red and Blue like the Legs and Footscray because they had the same colours as Easts in the Rugby League. I liked St Kilda because they were always bottom and Geelong because at least they weren’t Melbourne. Why barrack for the Vics…we hated the bastards. Which is just one reason why I laugh whenever a Crows fan called me ‘a Vic’.

The VFL in the mid 1980’s was in trouble but Ross ‘The Boss’ Oakley arranged for live telecasts of VFL into SA All of a sudden the VFL became a lot more relevant. I believe I wasn’t the only South Aussie who was all of a sudden forced to make ‘the decision’. My first decision (which might surprise many) was in fact the Bulldogs. I thought they were a gutsy team that played hard football. Then one day I saw this guy play football…sheesh who was THAT? To this day he is the best footballer I have ever seen. His name was Gary Ablett. From that day on I became a Geelong supporter….hey, at least they weren’t Melbourne!

I soon found out that being a Geelong supporter wasn’t the easiest path to take in life. Every time we lost the dreaded ‘handbagger’ tag came out. In the eighties we made an art form of just missing the finals by the barest of margins. In 1989 Malcolm Blight came to the club and the Cats suddenly grew some claws. Geelong became a fast, offensive team that could quickly pile on the goals and I was hooked. Gary Ablett, Gavin Excell, Barry Stoneham, Billy Brownless, Paul Brown, Darren Forssmann, Robert Scott the goals just flowed. However, the same thing was happening at the other end. In 1989 we lost the Granny to one of the best teams of all time in the Hawks. While that stung, we knew we’d be back next year.

Next year began with a one hundred point loss with Jason Dunstall pigging out on the goals yet again at our expense. What Malcolm Blight would have given for Matthew Scarlett, Tom Harley and Darren Milburn! In 1991 we went close, in 1992 we broke every scoring record in the book but were taken apart by Peter Matera on Grand Final day. In 1993 we won 12 games out of 20 and beat all of the top sides to miss the finals. In 1994 we got further than we should have after we somehow got past the Roos. In 1995 the Cat posters at Waverley Park said ‘THIS TIME’. We trudged off ten goal losers. I had never been so gutted by a sporting contest in my life..even the 2005 heartbreaker wasn’t as bad as that Grand Final. We got done by the Blues by 3 points at Optus Oval but we were 91 points down when the Blues started celebrating.

The inglorious Gary Ayres era saw us go from Grand Finalists to our lowest ever finish (that’s 12th by the way) as the Blight era stars faded away and the next generation of Cats pretty much stunk up the place. At the end of the century our captain left to join the reigning premiers and our coach went for the cash to Football Park. The only time I have ever said ‘Go Crows’ was at interstate games in the 1980’s when the Blackbirds were just an evil gleam in Ross Oakley and Max Basheer’s mind (although I doubt anyone would believe this. If you heard it, I was the skinny drunk wearing the Easts rugby league jumper).

In the new century we got a new coach and we started to rebuild our club. We were massively in debt off the field and non competitive on it. The early years of the decade were trying times. Cat fans could see that an exciting group was emerging but we had a hard time convincing anyone that they were any good. In 2004 we got smacked by the Power in yet another fun September day at AAMI Stadium for me. I walked away saying ‘We should blow up the joint’. In 2005 the timekeeper dudded us. I could have sworn that the time ran out before Nick Davis had that shot but our efforts in 2006 showed just how advanced we really were. The day we coughed up a 54 point lead at Cat Park to the hated Eagles made me give up. If you ever see the post I put up on SAFOOTY.net that day you’ll see for yourself.

When 2007 rolled around I don’t think I had ever been less enthusiastic about a football season in my life. ‘Here we go again…same shit different year’, I thought to myself and after 5 rounds we were 2-3 with victories over Carlton and Melbourne hardly the stuff of football legend. The match against the Roos was ordinary to say the least. Just when was this team going to learn to respect the opposition – especially the Roos who have a better record at Cat Park than many teams in recent years.

It is history now that Chappy read the riot act and importantly the Catters listened. I was at the Caxton Street Seafood Festival in Brisbane…with a gutful of prawns and fish and with more than a few Vodka Red Bulls I looked at the scoreboard and lo and behold Geelong had twenty goals on the board at half time. Thank you Richmond. The rest they say is history..and if not for those Hawks, who we still haven’t beaten in a big match since the Beatles were popular then we would be hat trick premiers. If we can win it next year maybe we can be what I’ve always thought them to be……the greatest team of all.

Regards,

REB

[Booney]

Fair to say I wasn't the only person awaiting your contribution to this thread mate and it was worth waiting for and, as always, well written mate.

Just think, if you had made it to that 2007 GF your two clubs ( perhaps ) finest moments would have been ( and ultimately are ) at my teams expense.


I guess that is what rivalry's are made of.

You do the first half of our mates story ( the one who has just jumped ship from the ''Legs to the "Dogs ) and I'll finish the rest, we could make people cry with his story....

[Aerie]

My Great-Grandfather moved over with his young family from Hawthorn in the early 1920's. My Poppa, a newborn, was almost four years old when he "saw" his, and the club's, first premiership. My Great-Grandfather was heavily involved with West Torrens off the field. Living in Chief Street, Brompton, the West Torrens Football Club became very much a part of their lives. My Nanna was also from a West Torrens family and would only use blue and gold pegs on the clothes line.

Dad was born the year West Torrens won their last premiership. He grew up idolizing Lindsay Head and often recounts the 1969 season when Torrens stormed into the finals, only to lose to West Adelaide in a semi final replay after losing their entire half back line to injury in the drawn game the previous week. The powerful Eagle on the chest would live on in the memory.

Dad took me to games while I was still in a pram. I don't remember vividly too many games from the 80's, but recall the special feeling I had going to see the Eagles play. West Torrens' final game was on my 9th birthday. A sad day.

Poppa was amongst the few who voted against the merger - although admits the writing was on the wall and it was undoubtedly for the best, especially in hindsight. Dad was devastated with the merger. It coincided with us moving over to the Yorke Peninsula for four years. It wasn't really until around the time Andrew Payze played his 300th that Dad got back to following the new WWT Eagles with any sort of passion. I recall listening to Eagles games on the radio at every opportunity when we were in the country and we would go to the games when we came down to the city. I recall a game at Alberton we only just lost with Port kicking 19.2 and we were there on that day in 1993.

The 1997/98 seasons I started going to the footy regularly with a mate until Saturday afternoons got taken up with playing. 2006 was a great season and I was there with Dad, Poppa and other family and friends to watch the Eagles finally overcome Central District. Poppa has witnessed all six Eagles premierships. I wonder when I'll see another? They're not to be taken for granted.

[Rik E Boy]

Fair to say I wasn't the only person awaiting your contribution to this thread mate and it was worth waiting for and, as always, well written mate.

Just think, if you had made it to that 2007 GF your two clubs ( perhaps ) finest moments would have been ( and ultimately are ) at my teams expense.


I guess that is what rivalry's are made of.

You do the first half of our mates story ( the one who has just jumped ship from the ''Legs to the "Dogs ) and I'll finish the rest, we could make people cry with his story....

If I had turned up we would have lost! As for the Bugman, well, I couldn't believe my ears. Maybe it's a delayed revenge for me jumping off his Bulldogs.

regards,

REB

[JK]

My Nanna was also from a West Torrens family and would only use blue and gold pegs on the clothes line.

The entire piece was a great read, but that bit is just sensational!!

[Columbo]

My Nanna was also from a West Torrens family and would only use blue and gold pegs on the clothes line.

That is gold (and Blue) ... can relate to it too ... shows how much footy means to people

[Voice]

As so many people have wrote in this thread, I too have had the pleasure of having Port supporting siblings. What's worse is my mother supported them too! One brother is a Doggies fan though.
I grew up in Elizabeth as many people know on here and loved footy from a very young age.
My first game was a North v Sturt game at Prospect in 82 when I hadn't decided on which club I supported yet as I was 4 y.o. We went there as my Port supporting brother's best friend was a Double Blues man.
Of course I don't remember much of that game but what I do remember is that I never looked back from that day. I was a Sturt supporter for life.
The late 80's and early 90's was a pretty difficult time for an early teens Sturt supporter living in Elizabeth, then Craigmore but I was one of the rare kids that wasn't chopping and changing who I supported depending on who won the flag that year. I made it through all the jibes to see my team finally be consistently good and having the ultimate success in 02.
Back to my siblings, I take great joy in sticking it up my Port supporting brothers as they did to me back in the day. Pity that I have a Central supporting brother who can still give it to me
BTW, because my mum had to take me to every Sturt game over a 10 year period, she dumped Port and now supports the Double Blues!

[FlyingHigh]

My Great-Grandfather moved over with his young family from Hawthorn in the early 1920's. My Poppa, a newborn, was almost four years old when he "saw" his, and the club's, first premiership. My Great-Grandfather was heavily involved with West Torrens off the field. Living in Chief Street, Brompton, the West Torrens Football Club became very much a part of their lives. My Nanna was also from a West Torrens family and would only use blue and gold pegs on the clothes line.

Dad was born the year West Torrens won their last premiership. He grew up idolizing Lindsay Head and often recounts the 1969 season when Torrens stormed into the finals, only to lose to West Adelaide in a semi final replay after losing their entire half back line to injury in the drawn game the previous week. The powerful Eagle on the chest would live on in the memory.

Dad took me to games while I was still in a pram. I don't remember vividly too many games from the 80's, but recall the special feeling I had going to see the Eagles play. West Torrens' final game was on my 9th birthday. A sad day.

Poppa was amongst the few who voted against the merger - although admits the writing was on the wall and it was undoubtedly for the best, especially in hindsight. Dad was devastated with the merger. It coincided with us moving over to the Yorke Peninsula for four years. It wasn't really until around the time Andrew Payze played his 300th that Dad got back to following the new WWT Eagles with any sort of passion. I recall listening to Eagles games on the radio at every opportunity when we were in the country and we would go to the games when we came down to the city. I recall a game at Alberton we only just lost with Port kicking 19.2 and we were there on that day in 1993.

The 1997/98 seasons I started going to the footy regularly with a mate until Saturday afternoons got taken up with playing. 2006 was a great season and I was there with Dad, Poppa and other family and friends to watch the Eagles finally overcome Central District. Poppa has witnessed all six Eagles premierships. I wonder when I'll see another? They're not to be taken for granted.

That is a great story about your Pop seeing all the Eagles premierships . It deserves recognition with a story in the Advertiser.

[Strawb]

Why i support West Adelaide Football Club.
Back in late 1990 my family moved into the Richmond and into a house in Shaw Ave, just down the road from Richmond Oval. One day during the school holidays i walked down to the clubrooms and looked up at the photo's of all the past Magarey Medalists. I was intrigued by this club and its history. The first person I met was Rod O'Riley then the reserves coach of West Adelaide and the Junior Development officer. I asked about the club and five seconds later Rod gave me my first West Adelaide jumper. (I still have it in the wardrobe.) So since then I have been given two more jumpers one from Greg Mellor with 24 on the back and one of Malcom with the number 7 on the back. My twin boys both support the Bloods like their dad only they don't get to go to the games as often as their dad used to.

[Moe]

Gold REB. Expect a book out by you ready for next xmas.
As to me and Norwood, 2 men to thank. My uncle George & Michael Taylor.
Growing up a stones throw from Unley oval and the smell of Opies bakery always lingering, i thought the choice would be obvious. Either Keep my dad happy and go with his beloved Panthers or follow all my school buddies and join the Sturt cheersquad.
Up pops my Uncle & says he will take me to see Norwood play Sturt as he follows the Leggies and he can initiate me into the culture of Suburban warfare.
Fully intending on being right behind the Blues, i could not help being mesmerised by Norwoods centreman come anywhere number 29. Asking my Uncle "Who is that man" was quickly replied with "Kingo Taylor my boy! A bloody Legend. If you can be half as good as him some day, then you will be ok."
Fair to say that was enough for me to jump on the redlegs wagon without another thought. Long live the King. Still one of the Greatest.

[Rik E Boy]

Michael Taylor absolute legend. One of my early favourites also. I remember cursing the Pies when he left to go to the VFL. I lived near Unley Oval as well. When I was a lad I'd take my pocket money down to Unley shopping centre to get the latest Madness/Blondie/Ian Dury single for a dollar LOL.

regards,

REB

[Moe]

Michael Taylor absolute legend. One of my early favourites also. I remember cursing the Pies when he left to go to the VFL. I lived near Unley Oval as well. When I was a lad I'd take my pocket money down to Unley shopping centre to get the latest Madness/Blondie/Ian Dury single for a dollar LOL.

regards,

REB

Madness & Blondie Yes. Ian Dury, Oh REB, dear me!

[godoubleblues]

Obviously Sturt for me, first started supporting the Double Blues in 1975, we had just moved back to Adelaide from Darwin after the cyclone, dad was up there for work
we used to go to a lot of the local Darwin comp games and dad was a Sturt supporter and he always used to point out fellas like Dean Ottens, Michael Graham, Mike Poulter and other SANFL players who played up there in the off season. Well the first time I saw Flash Graham play for St Marys I was taken, this guy was just so good, so fast
then when we moved back to Adelaide in 1975 I was just about to turn 11 and dad became a member of footy park in their 2nd year. that was great, we used to go most weekends, I used to have a ball, was there when the car got blown up in the west lakes shopping centre car park, and I used to hang around the change rooms after the game to get autographs while dad was having beers with his mates
then continued to be a keen follower through the late 70's and early 80's then joined the army in 82 when I was 17 and had to leave town, didnt come back for 20 years. it was hard following the footy then, had to rely on paper clippings from dad, that was OK when we were doing OK such as through 1983 when Rick kicked 15 etc, but when things started going pear shaped then the paper clippings dried off
then I moved to Canberra in 1998 and we discovered the internet, I was able to get regular scores, including the GF
then moved back to Adelaide in 2001, married with kids and started going back to the SANFL with the missus (who is a Geelong supporter from Vic) and my son
so moving back in time to witness 2002 was bloody fantastic, I went along hoping but not expecting and to actually win was ******* brilliant, my son who was then 13 was rapt, he does not attend much anymore as he is 20 and has other interests but I hope he can go back to the footy in the future
cant work out my brother who supports North Adelaide or my sister who supports Glenelg (although we think she thought Stephen Kernahan was cute ), hopefully Dad leaves them out of the will
so that is me, still go most weekends unless I am working or away and it is a major part of my winter life

as for Dad, he has been a Sturt supporter all his life, missed the 1940 flag as he hadnt been born yet (born in 1943) and then moved to Darwin in 1966 for work and then moved back to Adelaide early 75 after the cyclone so he missed 66-70 and 74, he attended the 76 GF and was interstate on holiday for the 02 GF, so he has only seen one live

[HH3]

I dont follow SANFL...never been to a game...never really watched a whole one on TV...but I dont get to see much footy at all besides my own and minis on sundays. So Ill tell how i got hooked on footy and why I follow North Melbourne.

My Dad had always played footy. From his teens all the way up to around 34-35. This meant from the time I was born I was always around footy. Either at a game, or trying to keep up on the warm up lap at training, or watching 60 old guys getting tanked and taking the piss out of each other.

My first footy memory is of when I was 3. We lived in Holsworthy in Sydney and my Dad was playing. I remember seeing my Dad, and running out onto the oval. Unfortunately it was during play and i copped a footy in the head and a full grown man land on top of me. That was my introduction. Might be why I play footy the way I do today.

We then moved to Darwin because my Dad was in the Army, and Dad started playing for Combined Services. They were a side in the NTFL made up of people from the Army, Navy and Air Force...and with a tiny shed on the RAAF base as club rooms. They were hopeless. But they never gave up and I was there every single game, watching Dad. I mucked around with a footy on the sidelines but never played. I also did the scoreboard a lot while my older brother did goal umpiring duties.

Mum and Dad supported Carlton (up until Port came in...then Mum defected to the Flower Power). They never really tried to make me support Carlton. I think Dad was just happy I loved footy as much as he did.

1996 was the year I really started watching AFL. Obviously I paid a lot of attention to Carey, Archer, Stevens, Sholl, Abraham, etc. They were awesome to watch. As an 8 yr old with pretty much no attention span I sat and watched whole Kangaroos games...then went downstairs and kicked a foam Maccas footy around by myself screaming out Kangas players names as I took screamers on nobody, and kicking goals between the palm trees.

Then the Roos won the flag, and that was it...I was a die hard fan. I remember the day the Crows beat the Roos in the GF like it was yesterday. I was at a big GF party on the Coonawarra Naval Base where I lived. There were Crows and Roos balloons everywhere and i was running around popping the crows ones, getting yelled at by strangers (a lot of Darwin people support the Crows I found out that day). Went home devastated.

Then moved to Adelaide at the end of 98. Started playing school footy in Yr 6. Watched the Roos go and win another flag in 99. By this stage Dad had stopped playing footy and the only fix I got was Marks Up at recess and lunch at school, and school footy every wednesday arvo. We went to AFL games...but it was always Port Vs Carlton. Still to this day Ive never seen the Kangas live, mainly because Ive my local footy commitments, which always come first.

I started high school and became good mates with Port Districts U/14s full forward. He kept telling me to play for Districts, but Dad had grown up on the Le Fevre Penninsula and had played for Taperoo (now North Haven) in juniors, so thats where I went. At the start of yr 9 I went to my first club footy training. That year we got spanked every game. We had 9 regular players, 2 being girls (not that theres anything wrong with that)

As I got more involved in club footy, moving up from juniors to seniors at the start of yr 10, my footy became more important to me then AFL footy. I really lost track of what was happening at the Kangaroos (during the time they dropped the North Melbourne tag)...and the Carey stuff didnt help keep me interested. The last few years Ive liked what Ive seen, with all the young players emerging as stars. Zeibell, Urquhart, McIntosh, Swallow, Lower, Gibson (traitor, AFTER ALL WE'VE DONE FOR YOU!!!), really got my attention and now Im back in love with the Roos....only now Im screaming out their names while im taking hangers off of 9 years olds that im supposed to be coaching and mentoring...haha...oh well...at least we see attempted hangers in Yr 4/5s Mini League...

The END!!!

[smithy]

Great stories everyone.

Really liked yours REB, great stuff.

Don't agree with your choice though!

I'd forgotten the great man charcoal existed until I read your piece.

[Rik E Boy]

Great stories everyone.

Really liked yours REB, great stuff.

Don't agree with your choice though!

I'd forgotten the great man charcoal existed until I read your piece.

I gave him a wide berth I can tell you. He frightened the shit out of me LOL.

regards,

REB

[blueandwhite]

We are the Blue and White...

The origins of the club were in 1876 in the streets of the city and South were known at that stage as "ye ol' freshwaters" -a reference to the River Torrens which was a primary water source for the colony in its early years. Occasionally even at South games today 133 yrs later, you will hear a South supporter yell out "yee-oh's" which harks back to those days so long ago.South is the only sanfl club to have retained none of its original zone. It is also the only club to still have its original colours.

My early years and memories as a South supporter are sketchy. I can remember Kantilla taking a huge hanger while standing on someones head in the scoreboard pocket at Adelaide oval. I recall the smell of linament issuing up through the floorboards in the grandstand from the change rooms beneath at Adelaide Oval..
But most of all I recall my father leaving for the 1964 GF, leaving me behind and saying " you're a bit young lad, we've got a good side, there will be plenty of other times....."
I have never forgotten that, I have no trouble recalling that memory which has haunted me since I was 6 years old.
We attended many games at Adelaide Oval and when my father didnt go I went with a schoolmate and his grandfather. The old man was an astute judge of a footballer and new his stuff. He was "Diddy Munro" , he was a gun full-forward for South in the '30's and kicked 100 goals a couple of times but lived in Ken Farmers shadow at that time. In recent times he was inducted into Souths Hall of fame and team of the century at Full forward. Diddy kicked 6.0 in the 1935 GF which saw South win one of the 3 flags it has won in the last 110 years.
I grew up in, what at one stage was the heart of South Adelaide territory, St Marys ;virtually in the shadows of the Northern goalposts at Panther Park..My brother and I would attend training on a regular basis, fetching footys and returning them to the players when they had goal kicking practice. I recall 2 pre season matches at Panther Park which were huge. South played Carlton who were the reigning VFL premier one year in the early '70's. Carlton had Nicholls, McKay, Jackson, Jesaulanko,Gallagher,Southby, you name it, there was a huge crowd and South were soundly beaten. The following year South played Essendon, I think Tuddenham was coaching and the great Barry Davis was playing as well. Our favourite players for South at this time were Backman, Darley,Coombe and a guy called Bill Bennett- who was the meanest, toughest player I have seen to this day.We liked him because he always said hello and stopped after training a few times to have a kick with us. He also dispatched a young big head from Norwood named Carman with the best left jab you would ever wish to see.
I was a footballer of reasonable ability but when it came to committ to preseason training when I got a bit older ,I found the attraction of the beach, the fairer sex and alcohol much more to my liking.I attended the disaster that was the '79 GF (South were soundly beaten by Port on a wet windy day at FP) with a girl on one of our first outings. She being a West Adelaide supporter we had seriously opposing views on certain issues such as re distribution of boundaries etc. however we managed to overcome these difficulties , became married and are still married! Shortly after our marriage we were relocated to Naracoorte for 2 yrs by my employer. We returned to Adelaide 13 years later.
All the time away I followed the Panthers including the dark days of the late '80's when the club nearly went under. Saved only by its members and supporters the club got through it by rattling collection tins and some very generous donations from supporters who put their money where their mouths were.Upon my return to Adelaide I am located probably as far from Noarlunga as you can probably get. I attend very nearly every game; and have found it is a long drive home from Noarlunga when you have been walloped.
I am a very proud , passionate and obviously patient Southie .
There are surely better times ahead for the Panthers. We now have 2 things that we have never had in our history as a club. A home and a very solid financial base. We have some debt but are servicing it well. There is only one thing that remains to be achieved and that is consistent on field success which will in turn see us cast a giant footprint in the southern suburbs of Adelaide.










'

[Wedgie]

It is also the only club to still have its original colours.

What colours were Central and North originally mate?

The Medindie Football Club had joined the South Australian Football Association (now more commonly known as the South Australian National Football League) in 1888 and played in the Red and White colours which have continued on to this present day. Although there were numerous other clubs that used the name of "North Adelaide", none of them bore ties to the current club.

The colours of red, white and blue of Footscray in the VFL were suggested by Rogers. Centrals very first guernseys were hand-made by Mrs Rogers.

[blueandwhite]

typo wedgie, should have read,
" only original club still in existence with its original colours."