1979 SANFL Grand Final

[Magpiespower]

Without looking it up, in '85, I think we started to see blokes like Lum, Bald, Harvey brothers, Phelps come into the side. I"m not sure whether it was '85 or '86 when we were belted by Torrens (!) at Footy Park by about 15 goals.

Was also pre Hodges establishing himself, and Aber and Phillips hadn't returned from Collingwood by that time.

I was at that Torrens game in '85. Shellshocked watching it. Remember thinking, yeah, we're not in great nick. But surely we're not that bad.

Two weeks later we lost to Woodville.

Season 1983 was wrecked by injury. Just couldn't get everyone on the ground. Then, with the finals on a knife edge, Craig Bradley leaves to play cricket in England on the U/19s Ashes tour.

Almost certainly cost himself the Magarey Medal.

A-lot of guys were coming to the end of their careers in '83. Quite a few retired pretty young. But they started young, too.

Ebert unfairly cops a-lot of stick for this era.

But the club was broke, all the stars from the glory days were winding up and he had no choice but to blood the kids and persist with them.

No-one can deny he laid the foundation for a dominant decade...

[Magpiespower]

Funny little story from grand final week, 1979...

Port cheer squad was furious because Doggies fans allegedly nicked one-third of the "Magpie Machine" banner late in the 2SF.

Apparently, this part of the banner cost $200. A reward was offered. Threats to take the matter to the police were made.

So, er, who on here has got it?

[Mythical Creature]

Just checked my phone for a photo I took at Christmas time as I came across this in the backyard of a holiday shack in Moonta.
Pretty sure its a replica (I bloody hope so anyway), so I won't name who's place it was just in case.

[dedja]

I'll go all in on this fella ...

[robranisgod]

Without looking it up, in '85, I think we started to see blokes like Lum, Bald, Harvey brothers, Phelps come into the side. I"m not sure whether it was '85 or '86 when we were belted by Torrens (!) at Footy Park by about 15 goals.

Was also pre Hodges establishing himself, and Aber and Phillips hadn't returned from Collingwood by that time.

I was at that Torrens game in '85. Shellshocked watching it. Remember thinking, yeah, we're not in great nick. But surely we're not that bad.

Two weeks later we lost to Woodville.

You are correct. After the Woodville loss which was in mid July, Port had slipped to the bottom of the table and to make matters worse Craig Bradley was reported that day for a serious offence. That night I was watching the LIve Aid concert with some Port supporting mates who were convinced Bradley was gone for the year and Port were going to get their first wooden spoon of the 20th century. Bradley was not guilty, he almost single handedly won a couple of games late in the season and Port ended up with 8 wins for the year. Woodville ended up as wooden spooners with six wins. Port by 1986 was back on track and the rest as they say is history. The 1985 Port team even though it had Bradley and an ageing Russell Ebert would not have got within 10 goals of the 1979 side. Russell did turn 36 during that year and was well and truly past his prime.

[Hondo]

I liked South Adelaide during this period. They seemed to play a good attacking style, score heavily at times but then fall over in finals.

IIRC they had failed finals campaigns in 1981, 1983 and 1984.

83 and 84 were definite as they lost to North in 83 and Norwood 84 consecutive Elimination Finals.

The other year I think they lost both finals I just can't remember if it was 81 or 82.

[FlyingHigh]

Yeah, meant up to the end of 84 GF they made the GF with the 85-87 sides were rebuilding.
Can remember beating them in 83 and 86, but not 85. What were the scores in that game?

[Magpiespower]

I'll go all in on this fella ...

That looks like my brother...

[Magpiespower]

Yeah, meant up to the end of 84 GF they made the GF with the 85-87 sides were rebuilding.
Can remember beating them in 83 and 86, but not 85. What were the scores in that game?

Round 9
June 1, 1985 @ Adelaide Oval.
WOODVILLE
6.2.....8.4...14.8...19.14 (128)
PORT ADELAIDE
3.4...11.2...16.8...16.13 (109)

The next week, Port beat eventual premier Glenelg at Footy Park.

Go figure.

[Magpiespower]

I liked South Adelaide during this period. They seemed to play a good attacking style, score heavily at times but then fall over in finals.

IIRC they had failed finals campaigns in 1981, 1983 and 1984.

83 and 84 were definite as they lost to North in 83 and Norwood 84 consecutive Elimination Finals.

The other year I think they lost both finals I just can't remember if it was 81 or 82.

'81.

South were up-and-down in that period.

Flying high in '84 then fell in a hole mid-season.

Never forget Darren Harris' goal after the siren at Adelaide Oval to beat Port by two points...

[blueandwhite]

Cheers guys I was trying to establish if Joseph Haines dad played in the 79 GF but it looks like he didn't.

Quite a few 200 game players for south in that team: Butler, Bennett, Brooksby & Palmer.

Was the Brooksby that played in this game Keegan's dad or uncle?

The Brooksby that played was Phil Brooksby, the right footed full back. The left footed Graham didn't play and overall didn't play nearly as much as Phil.

I have thought that Keegan was Phil's son, but I am not 100% on that fact.

Think 1 of them played over a 100 more games than the other.

Keegan Brooksby is the son of Phil Brooksby and nephew of Graham. Both the Brooksbys were pretty big boys, Phill was a very good fullback and Graham more of a key forward. Graham probably played most of his footy after 79 when Linke and Bennett went to the VFL.

Sadly the weather and Ron Hateleys absence conspired against South that day. Hateley was nursing a broken leg courtesy of a Kim Kinnear trip in an earlier final. The wind was a howling gale from the South all day and the game was virtually all over at quartertime when Port won the toss and kicked with it.
South had some very good players in those days, Slattery and Linke later with St Kilda, Bennett went to Hawthorn, and my favourite player Robin White who finished his career at Melbourne.
Peter Hines was also an interesting character- an amiable fellow off the ground but an absolute lunatic on it,- saw him play with his wrist in a small cast v Torrens at Thebarton one day earlier in his career..after Faletic pole axed one of our guys, Hines gave him a round house right connecting his jaw with the cast..... result one broken jaw.

[Hondo]

Never forget Darren Harris' goal after the siren at Adelaide Oval to beat Port by two points...

[Magpiespower]

SCORE REVIEW!!!

Bloody hell, Russ. Long to the boundary. In the great man's own words:

"1984 - what a bastard."

[FlyingHigh]

Yeah, meant up to the end of 84 GF they made the GF with the 85-87 sides were rebuilding.
Can remember beating them in 83 and 86, but not 85. What were the scores in that game?

Round 9
June 1, 1985 @ Adelaide Oval.
WOODVILLE
6.2.....8.4...14.8...19.14 (128)
PORT ADELAIDE
3.4...11.2...16.8...16.13 (109)

The next week, Port beat eventual premier Glenelg at Footy Park.

Go figure.

Thanks MP. Can't remember that one, which is very odd forgetting a win, given there was so few. Hell, you remembered most games if we got within five goals

[JK]

Never forget Darren Harris' goal after the siren at Adelaide Oval to beat Port by two points...

Remember it well, cracking finish to a cracking game

[robranisgod]

Never forget Darren Harris' goal after the siren at Adelaide Oval to beat Port by two points...

Remember it well, cracking finish to a cracking game

To make it even more remarkable a similar incident happened in the last moments of the VFL game Collingwood vs Footscray the day before. Gubby Allen of Collingwood tried to short pass to another Port champ in Greg Phillips and Simon Beasley intercepted and goaled. Beasley's kick wasn't in the same league as Harris' monster, but to see two absolute Port champs in Ebert and Phillips be involved in similar blunders on the same weekend against dare I say it two of the most unfashionable clubs was just unbelievable.

I know this is a SANFL site and I risk being off topic, but here is the link to the Allen, Phillips, Beasley incident from 24 hours earlier.

http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/video ... al-moments

[Hondo]

IIRC that 84 game was either the first or close to first SANFL game played on a Sunday separate from games played normally on the previous Saturday.

Is that right?

[Panther Pack]

Does anyone know how big that Harris goal was?

Looks like he kicked it 60 plus!!!!!

[robranisgod]

IIRC that 84 game was either the first or close to first SANFL game played on a Sunday separate from games played normally on the previous Saturday.

Is that right?

No that isn't right. I can remember North playing Central at Adelaide on a Sunday in 1982, North playing Norwood on a Sunday at Footy Park in 1977, Torrens beating Port on a Sunday in 1978 and North beating Torrens on a Sunday in 1979 as well as Central beating South at Adelaide on a Sunday in 1979 so they certainly had stand alone Sunday games a long time before this game.

[Hondo]

Ok thanks for that Robransisgod

You have an amazing memory kudos