1991 SANFL Grand Final

[Smoooothy]

Often referred to as one of the dirtiest grand finals played

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[_Christoh_]

Yep it was a great game for the neutral supporter and rooster fans too.

I was a waterboy for North in that game and was giving Darel Hart (#3) a drink when he was swapping with Steven Sims (#2) in the pocket and Darel said he had enough of Simpson (#4 Westies) sniping him when he was on the ball. Sims turned and said as he ran off "dont worry Darel he wont be here when its your turn on the ball"

2 minutes later Steven Sims decked Simpson as seen in the second vid.

For those who dont know, Sims got 11 weeks.

IIRC there were 11 players reported, for 22 weeks of suspensions handed down.

Westies got Sims back and he was left with a cut on his eyelid that needed 5 stitches.

Westies did well to make the GF as they had to come from the elimination final to make it.

Going the biff was a legitimate tactic against North as it was the only way to stop em running, Port had shown the comp how to do it for years before that season.

 

[footy75]

port always used the biff to intimidate opposition sides that were better and more talented than them..and the ferrels always got away with it.

sims's act was one of the dirtiest and gutless acts ever. i think it was jsut before half time.
the next time sims went near the ball at the start of the 3rd quarter the westies players got him back big time. i dont condone violence but he deserved what he got.

unfortunately all the fighting cost westies the game.

 

[Leaping Lindner]

port always used the biff to intimidate opposition sides that were better and more talented than them..and the ferrels always got away with it.

sims's act was one of the dirtiest and gutless acts ever. i think it was jsut before half time.
the next time sims went near the ball at the start of the 3rd quarter the westies players got him back big time. i dont condone violence but he deserved what he got.

unfortunately all the fighting cost westies the game.

Some might say eye gouging an opponent whenever he got the ball is one the dirtiest and gutless acts ever. Which is what Simpson did.

It was a badly kept secret throughout the week in footy circles that Westies were going to go the biff big time from the opening bounce. It had worked for them against the Eagles and South. But that wasn't going to work against North as they were finals experienced, and weren't going to let anything get between them and that flag.

Karma (and the mighty Chooks) won the day!

 

[footy75]

Some might say eye gouging an opponent whenever he got the ball is one the dirtiest and gutless acts ever. Which is what Simpson did.

It was a badly kept secret throughout the week in footy circles that Westies were going to go the biff big time from the opening bounce. It had worked for them against the Eagles and South. But that wasn't going to work against North as they were finals experienced, and weren't going to let anything get between them and that flag.

Karma (and the mighty Chooks) won the day!

yeah fair enough...i have to admit i wasn't aware of that and i'm sure neither were/are the general public. eye gouging his a low act for sure.

having said that sim's king hit from behind was a dog act

maybe hart should of manned up a bit and sorted it out himself man to man

still sims got his just deserts. westies swon the fights and north won on the scoreboard.

North were by far the more talented side and deserved the flag...same could be said about 89...i still don't understand what happened that day.

 

[raff23]

Yep it was a great game for the neutral supporter and rooster fans too.

I was a waterboy for North in that game and was giving Darel Hart (#3) a drink when he was swapping with Steven Sims (#2) in the pocket and Darel said he had enough of Simpson (#4 Westies) sniping him when he was on the ball. Sims turned and said as he ran off "dont worry Darel he wont be here when its your turn on the ball"

2 minutes later Steven Sims decked Simpson as seen in the second vid.

For those who dont know, Sims got 11 weeks.

IIRC there were 11 players reported, for 22 weeks of suspensions handed down.

Westies got Sims back and he was left with a cut on his eyelid that needed 5 stitches.

Westies did well to make the GF as they had to come from the elimination final to make it.

Going the biff was a legitimate tactic against North as it was the only way to stop em running, Port had shown the comp how to do it for years before that season.

Dont know what hart was complaining about he kicked 4 goals in the 1st quarter. If there was sniping you put up with it with a smile and simply say you have kicked 4 goals to rub it in, dont go whinging to your team mate about it. If the other team want to snipe, let them, more goals for the team.

 

[raff23]

the last quarter incidents were a classic case of "the games over so who cares" mentality from westies particularly the fight at the 2:00 min mark.

 

[Ebert80]

Going the biff was a legitimate tactic against North as it was the only way to stop em running, Port had shown the comp how to do it for years before that season.

Good to see that didn't affect who you barrack for in the AFL

And fwiw, its interesting to note the blood baths played between North and Glenelg in 85 and 86 and comparing them with the grand finals played between Port and Glenelg (88 and 90) and Port and North (89).

 

[mianfei]

Westies did well to make the GF as they had to come from the elimination final to make it.

Going the biff was a legitimate tactic against North as it was the only way to stop em running, Port had shown the comp how to do it for years before that season.

One forgets that Port in 1989 had kept North to one goal with a display of tackling that for toughness and absence of a solitary miss would do any team in gridiron or rugby proud. On that basis, no team - not even Hawthorn of 1988 or Richmond of 1980 - would have kicked so much as four goals against Port: they just put so much pressure on that kicking accurately was impossible at least with the style of play North had had so much success with against “softie” teams earlier in 1989.

So then, what had happened to Port in 1991 that made them suddenly beatable? If Port Adelaide had shown their 1989 Grand Final form in the 1990 AFL, they would have made West Coast’s early-1991 defence look mediocre - and that defence conceded half as many points as the average amongst the other 14 AFL sides!

It’s odd that people have not mentioned the hot 31˚C weather as a cause of the violence in the 1991 SANFL Grand Final! I know from personal experience that when the weather become hot, tempers flare! So it’s only natural that there should be more brawls on a hot day than during a typically gorgeous 16˚C day of an Adelaide winter!

 

[rooboy]

Some might say eye gouging an opponent whenever he got the ball is one the dirtiest and gutless acts ever. Which is what Simpson did.

It was a badly kept secret throughout the week in footy circles that Westies were going to go the biff big time from the opening bounce. It had worked for them against the Eagles and South. But that wasn't going to work against North as they were finals experienced, and weren't going to let anything get between them and that flag.

Karma (and the mighty Chooks) won the day!

To be fair, and I was at all Westies finals that year, West did not go the biff against South or the Eagles, just beat them on the day. They also thrashed Port.

As for Karma, the only Karma was that, dished out to Sims at the beginning of the third quarter.

North won, because they were a better team.

That final series was when we started to see how good Modra might be.

 

[mianfei]

To be fair, and I was at all Westies finals that year, West did not go the biff against South or the Eagles, just beat them on the day. They also thrashed Port.

If West Adelaide had been able to thrash Port Adelaide and to beat South Adelaide and Woodville-West Torrens without using violent tactics, why did they try them against North Adelaide?

 

[_Christoh_]

One forgets that Port in 1989 had kept North to one goal with a display of tackling that for toughness and absence of a solitary miss would do any team in gridiron or rugby proud. On that basis, no team - not even Hawthorn of 1988 or Richmond of 1980 - would have kicked so much as four goals against Port: they just put so much pressure on that kicking accurately was impossible at least with the style of play North had had so much success with against “softie” teams earlier in 1989.

So then, what had happened to Port in 1991 that made them suddenly beatable? If Port Adelaide had shown their 1989 Grand Final form in the 1990 AFL, they would have made West Coast’s early-1991 defence look mediocre - and that defence conceded half as many points as the average amongst the other 14 AFL sides!

It’s odd that people have not mentioned the hot 31˚C weather as a cause of the violence in the 1991 SANFL Grand Final! I know from personal experience that when the weather become hot, tempers flare! So it’s only natural that there should be more brawls on a hot day than during a typically gorgeous 16˚C day of an Adelaide winter!

The three stand out sides in the late mid to late 80s were Port, North and Glenelg. They would have faired okay against VFL/AFL opposition but bu no means dominate. A combined side of those 3 would have dominated.

The weather played a big part in North getting pantsed in 89 as north liked a dry fast deck with no wind but got a windy/stormy day that suited Port.

I wish this game had been the grand final that year instead.

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[_Christoh_]

2nd quarter
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[_Christoh_]

3rd quarter
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[_Christoh_]

4th quarter
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[mianfei]

The three stand out sides in the late mid to late 80s were Port, North and Glenelg. They would have faired okay against VFL/AFL opposition but bu no means dominate. A combined side of those 3 would have dominated.

The weather played a big part in North getting pantsed in 89 as north liked a dry fast deck with no wind but got a windy/stormy day that suited Port.

One doubts that after watching the game, since North’s sole goal came when the weather was at its worst and in the few minutes before that they had looked competitive for the only time in the game.

I would admit that Port were perhaps not really so good a side as they showed during the 1989 Grand Final - I haven’t checked how many points they conceded during the home-and-away season, but every team beforehand in 1989 had certainly kicked at least three goals against them even in far worse conditions than prevailed during the SANFL Grand Final. Even Carlton in 1987 could hardly maintain the amazing standard of manning up they showed in the second half against the Swans in Round 19.

I can imagine that reticence on the part of Nunan (and other SANFL coaches - not to mention VFL/AFL observer who might have seen the game) to feeling they had to throw everything out to try and find a way through the super Port defence naturally came from that. Coaches would have wanted to see Port Adelaide hold it opponents consistently to fewer than five goals before they felt such radical measures were needed. For another thing Nunan knew North lacked the resources to search every nook and cranny for forwards with the physical strength to match it with Phillips, Delaney and co.

It would still have been very interesting to see what Port Adelaide would have achieved against the Hawthorn and Geelong attacks of 1989 - or even whether VFL/AFL coaches actually saw the game and took note of what Port Adelaide were doing. If any of them took note it would have been Collingwood and/or West Coast, who won premierships in 1990, 1992, and 1994 based on powerful, high-pressure defensive play.

 

[_Christoh_]

The North Adelaide forward line was very inexperienced with the main focal points being a one year wonder in Doug Smart and the slightly better player in Sean Tasker. Port Adelaide's defence of Delany, Fiacci and Phillips was experienced tough and uncompromising and they smashed the North boys reletively easy.

It was how Port managed to completely shut down the North Adelaide midfield that was most impressive. To stop guys like the Jarman brothers, Darel Hart and Mick Redden was not an easy feat. All of them had been SA midfielders at some point. Nunan stuck with a plan of run and carry from half back and Port knew they had to stop that run, they did and the 1.8 scoreline will show they did it well.

The main reason the Port side wasnt as good in 91 was mainly due to the loss of many players to the crows and other AFL sides. As nice as it was to win the 91 flag it was a little hollow as the SANFL was nowhere near the competition in 91 that it had been in 89/90.

 

[mianfei]

The North Adelaide forward line was very inexperienced with the main focal points being a one year wonder in Doug Smart and the slightly better player in Sean Tasker. Port Adelaide's defence of Delaney, Fiacci and Phillips was experienced, tough and uncompromising and they smashed the North boys reletively easy.

It seems strange that Brisbane would have drafted Doug Smart after he had something like one possession for the whole game.

The Bears might (and very reasonably) have supposed Port Adelaide really was much better than almost all opposition Doug Smart would have faced in the VFL, and that he would add a good deal to their attack, which had struggled in 1988 and 1989 due to its dependence on Brad Hardie and to a lesser extent Capper and Merrett. However, Smart and the Jarman brothers never moved to Brisbane: indeed Andrew Jarman and Doug Smart went to Norwood, perhaps because they were so upset with the woeful play of North’s forward line who were used to playing “softie” defences rather than the gridiron-line-tough Port backine.

Tasker remained with North Adelaide and did play forty-eight games with the Crows from 1991 to 1996, but almost all this football was played in defence. If I recall correctly from The Advertiser, Nunan moved Tasker into defence at the beginning of 1990, but one reads little of the move in the press. Why did Nunan move a player who failed miserably against other than “softie” backlines into defence?

 

[_Christoh_]

Andrew Jarman left for Norwood for the biggest transfer in SANFL history of $70k and when Norwood offered $20k for D.Smart North jumped at it and told him to pack his bags. A. Jarman wasnt getting along with Nunan at the time either. There is youtube footage of the first game the Jarmans went head to head and Darren pantsed Andrew at The Parade.

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One of the reasons for the Tasker move to defence was partly 89 GF performance and if I remember right Adrian McAdam was the new focal point in the forward line.

 

[mianfei]

One of the reasons for the Tasker move to defence was partly 89 GF performance and if I remember right Adrian McAdam was the new focal point in the forward line.

Watching the 1989 Grand Final, if I was Michael Nunan moving Tasker to defence and replacing him with someone like Adrian McAdam would have seemed anything but natural. If you look at Adrian McAdam’s AFL performances in 1993, it is clear he would have made not the tiniest difference to North Adelaide in the 1989 Grand Final. Port Adelaide would have held him kickless just as they did Tasker and Doug Smart.

When with North Melbourne, McAdam was deadly against very weak defences like Richmond and Sydney, but hopeless against really good defences like West Coast in the Elimination Final. If we look at the four top defences for 1993:

1. against West Coast, McAdam kicked two goals from two games in 1993
2. against Adelaide, three goals from one game
3. against Hawthorn, three goals from one game (though accompanied by seven behinds)
4. against Melbourne, he did not play (only game in Round 4 before his debut)

This is hardly the sort of player who would have fought it out with a defence that looked better than any in football history!

 

[_Christoh_]

Watching the 1989 Grand Final, if I was Michael Nunan moving Tasker to defence and replacing him with someone like Adrian McAdam would have seemed anything but natural. This is hardly the sort of player who would have fought it out with a defence that looked better than any in football history!

Nunan cleared out the entire forward line after 89, he had to start somewhere and he started with McAdam. He was young and amzingly talented. In the end Nunan ended up with the forward line that won the 91 flag. McAdam wasnt a hack at AFL level he did start his career off with a bang, his attitude and commitment were found to be wanting not his ability.

McAdam came from a family of great players one of which I went to school with (Ian) who didnt follow thru with his football but showed how good he was in a few Pizza Hut cup games.

Im starting to think you either played in the Port Adelaide defence in 89 or are close to someone who did . Yes no doubt the Port Adelaide defence was good and if Port had gone into the AFL in 91 instead of the crows the core of that 89 side would have been the AFL starting side.

Its a pity Norwood and Port didnt join in 91 as football in this state would have been far more balanced and even open to a 3rd side coming in. But such is the success of the crows in dominating the market there is zero chance of that ever happening in the next 30-50 years.

 

[Damon_3388]

I never saw this game live (as I was only three years old at the time), but having watched the highlights provided by the OP, am I the only one who thinks the 'dirtiness' of this particular game is overrated? Sure, there were a few unsavoury incidents, but IMO it was hardly the "bloodbath" it's been mythologised as.

Another thing - Lachlan Ross was bloody quick! He came in from nowhere on a couple of chasedowns in those highlights.

 

[cruiser]

In my experience the 1981 SANFL GF was the dirtiest I've seen, thanks to a psycho named David Grainger.

 

[Adrian Shelton]

Lachlan Ross was cat quick, Sheeds tried him at Essendon but all he was famous for in the AFL was giving Brett Heady the big ears sign!!!

Granger was nuts!!! If you think Hall was nasty Granger was Hall x10

 

[mianfei]

I’m starting to think you either played in the Port Adelaide defence in 89 or are close to someone who did . Yes no doubt the Port Adelaide defence was good and if Port had gone into the AFL in 91 instead of the crows the core of that 89 side would have been the AFL starting side.

Its a pity Norwood and Port didnt join in 91 as football in this state would have been far more balanced and even open to a 3rd side coming in. But such is the success of the crows in dominating the market there is zero chance of that ever happening in the next 30-50 years.

Actually, it’s purely that I really have never seen anything like Port’s gridiron-tough defence in my life, even when one takes into account the mistakes North Adelaide made. The sole time Doug Smart got clean possession all match he hurried the kick and it went out of bounds.

Port’s defence seemed so stunningly good that there isn’t a team who could have kicked four goals on it in a full match, not even the powerful Hawthorn of that time, Geelong of the early 1990s or Richmond of 1980 (wouldn’t Collingwood have dreamed of having got Greg Phillips by 1980 to battle against David Cloke - it would have been a classic battle like no other on Cloke’s 1980 form). Even in the stiffer VFL competition, I imagine that playing like they did in the 1989 grand Final Port Adelaide would have easily beaten Footscray’s 1953 record for the lowest average Points Against in a season post-World War I, and most likely against the softer AFL sides would have created the first goalless score since 1961 (actually there have been none in the SANFL since 1913). If they had, one can imagine how shocked those in Victoria would have been!