Club History Port Adelaide - A Living History

[PAFC forever]

Part 4 of the 1990 Grand Final

 

[Papa G]

Geez there's a couple Bays players that squib a few contests with a rampaging Scotty Hodges on 1 leg tearing towards them. Mr Cool.......pffft.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Part 4 of the 1990 Grand Final

Yes, quoting myself again ...

The name is Hodges, Scott Hodges


In terms of individual achievement, the previously mentioned intensity of 11 was most fitting, as the Magpie champion in the number 11 guernsey, Scott Hodges, seemed to take the whole AFL campaign as a personal mission to get Port Adelaide over the line. The battleship Port Adelaide was nuclear-armed and Scott Hodges was its warhead. After kicking 10 goals against South Adelaide in round 9, Hodges stood unchallenged at the top of the 1990 list of leading goalkickers, a spot he had last occupied after opening the season with 10 goals against Centrals. A bruised knee suffered in that game took some off the edge of Hodges’ awesome firepower for a short while but Scott played through injury, which became a trademark of his long and celebrated career at Port Adelaide.

In the month of August immediately following the announcement of Port’s AFL bid, the nuclear warhead was launched. Using his powerful hands and outstanding athleticism to mix astute leading and imposing contesting marking with fierce ground level pressure and skills allied to a laser-guided thumping set shot kick, Hodges in consecutive weeks kicked 14 goals against West, 10 goals against Woodville, 11 goals against South and 11 goals against Sturt. That brought up an extraordinary total of 46 goals in 4 weeks of football. Hodges was the first player to kick 10 goals or more in three consecutive games, then to prove it was no fluke made it four consecutive games. Hodges kicked his hundredth goal of the season against South Adelaide and finished the 20 game minor round on top of the goal kicking ladder with 127 goals. Hodges had kicked 6 bags of 10 goals or more, the first player to achieve that feat in a single season. More explosive goal kicking heroics were to come in the finals.

Full forwards don’t win Magarey Medals. Only Fred Phillis had accomplished that deed when he set the then SANFL individual season goal kicking record of 137 goals in 1969. Tim Evans had broken that record in 1980 with 146 goals and Rick Davies bettered Evans’s record in 1983 with 151 goals. Neither had come close to winning the SANFL’s ultimate individual accolade. On 10 September 1990, Scott Hodges caring not for history had other ideas as he demonstrated he had caught the umpires’ eyes time and again with his spectacular goal kicking deeds. Hodges polled 16 votes (3 first preferences, 3 second preferences and 1 third preference) to edge out, among others, team mate Simon Tregenza by 1 vote and take home the Magarey Medal to add to his Ken Farmer Medal. Scott was not yet finished collecting medals in 1990 at that stage. He would go on to win the AR McLean Medal as Port Adelaide’s Best and Fairest in 1990 and of course collect the ultimate team accolade, a Premiership medallion.

As John Cahill noted on the night, a thought had to be spared for Simon Tregenza who had finished runner up in a Magarey Medal for the second consecutive year. Scott Hodges, the consummate team man as always, stated he had hoped ‘Trigger’ would poll one more vote so they could each take a Magarey back to Alberton. Simon would also finish runner up to Hodges in the Port Adelaide Best and Fairest count. As well as the Magarey Medal, Port brought home the Under-17 Best and Fairest McCallum Medal, won by brilliant youngster Troy Bond. Port Adelaide’s Barry Miller polled the most votes in the Under-19s Tomkins Medal but was ineligible. With the AFL imbroglio still a constant reminder of the turbulent football scene, Bruce Weber exclaimed “We came, we collected the hardware, now we’re going home” much to the chagrin of the rest of the SA football clubs.


I remember speaking to Scott after the game and he said he was all but ready to pull the pin at half time because his knee was so bad. Then just at the last possible moment he thought, Nah it feels a bit better, I'll give it another go. And the rest as they say is history. Scott Hodges is one of the greats, a Port Adelaide champion and hero. He played with injuries that were rarely known, unbelievably tough and committed. Cut him and he would genuinely bleed black and white.

Oh and he is also the holder of the little known Football Budget title, SA's Mr Footyspunk.

 

[manureid]

Scott Hodges.

 

[Porked04]

Yes, quoting myself again ...

The name is Hodges, Scott Hodges


In terms of individual achievement, the previously mentioned intensity of 11 was most fitting, as the Magpie champion in the number 11 guernsey, Scott Hodges, seemed to take the whole AFL campaign as a personal mission to get Port Adelaide over the line. The battleship Port Adelaide was nuclear-armed and Scott Hodges was its warhead. After kicking 10 goals against South Adelaide in round 9, Hodges stood unchallenged at the top of the 1990 list of leading goalkickers, a spot he had last occupied after opening the season with 10 goals against Centrals. A bruised knee suffered in that game took some off the edge of Hodges’ awesome firepower for a short while but Scott played through injury, which became a trademark of his long and celebrated career at Port Adelaide.

In the month of August immediately following the announcement of Port’s AFL bid, the nuclear warhead was launched. Using his powerful hands and outstanding athleticism to mix astute leading and imposing contesting marking with fierce ground level pressure and skills allied to a laser-guided thumping set shot kick, Hodges in consecutive weeks kicked 14 goals against West, 10 goals against Woodville, 11 goals against South and 11 goals against Sturt. That brought up an extraordinary total of 46 goals in 4 weeks of football. Hodges was the first player to kick 10 goals or more in three consecutive games, then to prove it was no fluke made it four consecutive games. Hodges kicked his hundredth goal of the season against South Adelaide and finished the 20 game minor round on top of the goal kicking ladder with 127 goals. Hodges had kicked 6 bags of 10 goals or more, the first player to achieve that feat in a single season. More explosive goal kicking heroics were to come in the finals.

Full forwards don’t win Magarey Medals. Only Fred Phillis had accomplished that deed when he set the then SANFL individual season goal kicking record of 137 goals in 1969. Tim Evans had broken that record in 1980 with 146 goals and Rick Davies bettered Evans’s record in 1983 with 151 goals. Neither had come close to winning the SANFL’s ultimate individual accolade. On 10 September 1990, Scott Hodges caring not for history had other ideas as he demonstrated he had caught the umpires’ eyes time and again with his spectacular goal kicking deeds. Hodges polled 16 votes (3 first preferences, 3 second preferences and 1 third preference) to edge out, among others, team mate Simon Tregenza by 1 vote and take home the Magarey Medal to add to his Ken Farmer Medal. Scott was not yet finished collecting medals in 1990 at that stage. He would go on to win the AR McLean Medal as Port Adelaide’s Best and Fairest in 1990 and of course collect the ultimate team accolade, a Premiership medallion.

As John Cahill noted on the night, a thought had to be spared for Simon Tregenza who had finished runner up in a Magarey Medal for the second consecutive year. Scott Hodges, the consummate team man as always, stated he had hoped ‘Trigger’ would poll one more vote so they could each take a Magarey back to Alberton. Simon would also finish runner up to Hodges in the Port Adelaide Best and Fairest count. As well as the Magarey Medal, Port brought home the Under-17 Best and Fairest McCallum Medal, won by brilliant youngster Troy Bond. Port Adelaide’s Barry Miller polled the most votes in the Under-19s Tomkins Medal but was ineligible. With the AFL imbroglio still a constant reminder of the turbulent football scene, Bruce Weber exclaimed “We came, we collected the hardware, now we’re going home” much to the chagrin of the rest of the SA football clubs.


I remember speaking to Scott after the game and he said he was all but ready to pull the pin at half time because his knee was so bad. Then just at the last possible moment he thought, Nah it feels a bit better, I'll give it another go. And the rest as they say is history. Scott Hodges is one of the greats, a Port Adelaide champion and hero. He played with injuries that were rarely known, unbelievably tough and committed. Cut him and he would genuinely bleed black and white.

Oh and he is also the holder of the little known Football Budget title, SA's Mr Footyspunk.

Great write up!!

Just on Simon Tregenza, I was too young to really watch him play other than a few games for the Crows where he seemed a good honest tryer without anything too special about him.

But reading his SANFL record, he was obviously a terrific player. A 4 time premiership player (I know the old argument that even Aaron Keating played in a Premiership and that it doesn't make you a great player; my view is if you made Port's strong team during that era that only makes you a great player) and 2 time Magarey runner-up is a wonderful resume. How good was he? Who would be a modern day equivalent for those too young to remember Trigger?

 

[Macca19]

Great write up!!

Just on Simon Tregenza, I was too young to really watch him play other than a few games for the Crows where he seemed a good honest tryer without anything too special about him.

But reading his SANFL record, he was obviously a terrific player. A 4 time premiership player (I know the old argument that even Aaron Keating played in a Premiership and that it doesn't make you a great player; my view is if you made Port's strong team during that era that only makes you a great player) and 2 time Magarey runner-up is a wonderful resume. How good was he? Who would be a modern day equivalent for those too young to remember Trigger?

He was a bloody fantastic player. A wonderful old school wingman. Was the quickest player in the SANFL at that time, noone could catch him. A lot of people criticised his kicking which many compared to a 9 iron, but it led to some spectacular marks to Scotty and Modra over the years. Not only that, I dont think its coincidence that Triggers best 2 years of footy (1990 & 1993) led to record goals for Hodges & Modra.

Its hard to compare to a modern day player as there are no real traditional wingmen anymore, but Andrew Gaff & Isaac Smith are the closest I can think of.

 

[Porked04]

He was a bloody fantastic player. A wonderful old school wingman. Was the quickest player in the SANFL at that time, noone could catch him. A lot of people criticised his kicking which many compared to a 9 iron, but it led to some spectacular marks to Scotty and Modra over the years. Not only that, I dont think its coincidence that Triggers best 2 years of footy (1990 & 1993) led to record goals for Hodges & Modra.

Its hard to compare to a modern day player as there are no real traditional wingmen anymore, but Andrew Gaff & Isaac Smith are the closest I can think of.

Cheers for that!! I just have memories of the old man yelling at the tv whenever he had the ball to kick it long as I remember he'd often chip those 9 irons' but he was obviously a fantastic player!!

 

[manureid]

Did used to cringe at some of Triggers '9 irons' (an accurate description), but in that '90 season he was amazing.

 

[PAFC forever]

Yes, quoting myself again ...

The name is Hodges, Scott Hodges


In terms of individual achievement, the previously mentioned intensity of 11 was most fitting, as the Magpie champion in the number 11 guernsey, Scott Hodges, seemed to take the whole AFL campaign as a personal mission to get Port Adelaide over the line. The battleship Port Adelaide was nuclear-armed and Scott Hodges was its warhead. After kicking 10 goals against South Adelaide in round 9, Hodges stood unchallenged at the top of the 1990 list of leading goalkickers, a spot he had last occupied after opening the season with 10 goals against Centrals. A bruised knee suffered in that game took some off the edge of Hodges’ awesome firepower for a short while but Scott played through injury, which became a trademark of his long and celebrated career at Port Adelaide.

In the month of August immediately following the announcement of Port’s AFL bid, the nuclear warhead was launched. Using his powerful hands and outstanding athleticism to mix astute leading and imposing contesting marking with fierce ground level pressure and skills allied to a laser-guided thumping set shot kick, Hodges in consecutive weeks kicked 14 goals against West, 10 goals against Woodville, 11 goals against South and 11 goals against Sturt. That brought up an extraordinary total of 46 goals in 4 weeks of football. Hodges was the first player to kick 10 goals or more in three consecutive games, then to prove it was no fluke made it four consecutive games. Hodges kicked his hundredth goal of the season against South Adelaide and finished the 20 game minor round on top of the goal kicking ladder with 127 goals. Hodges had kicked 6 bags of 10 goals or more, the first player to achieve that feat in a single season. More explosive goal kicking heroics were to come in the finals.

Full forwards don’t win Magarey Medals. Only Fred Phillis had accomplished that deed when he set the then SANFL individual season goal kicking record of 137 goals in 1969. Tim Evans had broken that record in 1980 with 146 goals and Rick Davies bettered Evans’s record in 1983 with 151 goals. Neither had come close to winning the SANFL’s ultimate individual accolade. On 10 September 1990, Scott Hodges caring not for history had other ideas as he demonstrated he had caught the umpires’ eyes time and again with his spectacular goal kicking deeds. Hodges polled 16 votes (3 first preferences, 3 second preferences and 1 third preference) to edge out, among others, team mate Simon Tregenza by 1 vote and take home the Magarey Medal to add to his Ken Farmer Medal. Scott was not yet finished collecting medals in 1990 at that stage. He would go on to win the AR McLean Medal as Port Adelaide’s Best and Fairest in 1990 and of course collect the ultimate team accolade, a Premiership medallion.

As John Cahill noted on the night, a thought had to be spared for Simon Tregenza who had finished runner up in a Magarey Medal for the second consecutive year. Scott Hodges, the consummate team man as always, stated he had hoped ‘Trigger’ would poll one more vote so they could each take a Magarey back to Alberton. Simon would also finish runner up to Hodges in the Port Adelaide Best and Fairest count. As well as the Magarey Medal, Port brought home the Under-17 Best and Fairest McCallum Medal, won by brilliant youngster Troy Bond. Port Adelaide’s Barry Miller polled the most votes in the Under-19s Tomkins Medal but was ineligible. With the AFL imbroglio still a constant reminder of the turbulent football scene, Bruce Weber exclaimed “We came, we collected the hardware, now we’re going home” much to the chagrin of the rest of the SA football clubs.


I remember speaking to Scott after the game and he said he was all but ready to pull the pin at half time because his knee was so bad. Then just at the last possible moment he thought, Nah it feels a bit better, I'll give it another go. And the rest as they say is history. Scott Hodges is one of the greats, a Port Adelaide champion and hero. He played with injuries that were rarely known, unbelievably tough and committed. Cut him and he would genuinely bleed black and white.

Oh and he is also the holder of the little known Football Budget title, SA's Mr Footyspunk.

Great write up Ford I was only 7 in 1990 so I was too young to remember much about that game but when I started going to footy from about 1994 onwards he was my favourite magpie player from that era.

 

[PAFC forever]

1990 Premiership Recall - Part 5

 

[johnnysix]

I remember heading into the club one day after the game and young boy and seeing Scott Hodges leaning against the bar upstairs. He was larger than life. I couldn't even work up the courage to speak to him (I'm sure he would've been fine).

 

[Magpiespower]

Haha! Let's see George's out-takes. Abba just managed to keep it civil. Politely scathing...

 

[PAFC forever]

Bruce Abernethy really does point out what a flog Graham Cornes is at the end of part 5. Seriously such a lack of foresight from Cornes just like the rest of the SANFL old boys club

 

[240volt]

Trigger was very fast also at bouncing the ball. 3 bounces over 15 metres was about par for him. Used to run very straight up but was hard to catch. The good thing about my age is I was lucky enough to see these great players play.

 

[240volt]

Bruce Abernethy really does point out what a flog Graham Cornes is at the end of part 5. Seriously such a lack of foresight from Cornes just like the rest of the SANFL old boys club

Abber was a very underrated player for his time. One of the best long kickers in the game. My memory is not as good as it used to be but Bruce finished around 3rd or 4th in the Brownlow one year to some very big names. Also I think he was one of the youngest South Aussies to ever go to the VFL. A true South Australian champion

 

[Porked04]

Just watched Part 5.

Have a new appreciation for McDermott, he spoke with such class after the game.

On the other hand, Wrinkles can go get f***ed. What a hypocrite - blaming Port on the one hand for the demise of the $ANFL and then becoming an AFL coach. A flog of the highest order

 

[PAFC forever]

Abber was a very underrated player for his time. One of the best long kickers in the game. My memory is not as good as it used to be but Bruce finished around 3rd or 4th in the Brownlow one year to some very big names. Also I think he was one of the youngest South Aussies to ever go to the VFL. A true South Australian champion

Yeah I hear he was a good player but I was too young to ever see him play from memory. by the time he finished up in 1992 I was only 9 then so he was a bit before my time. One thing I do like about him with his media work now if you didn't know his football past you wouldn't even know who he even played for. He just calls things as they are without bias, I thing some of the flogs in the SA media could learn a thing or two about.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Bruce Abernethy was a star. He came into the league side in 1979 at 17yo straight out of the Teal Cup U17 championships and immediately sparked the side. He had electrifying pace and was a comfortable 50m kick and deadly kick for goal even as a young kid. He effortlessly kicked goals on the run from his wing.

Abba played in 3 premierships in 3 years 1979-81 then moved to North Melbourne for 2 years and Collingwood for another 3 years. Abba returned to Port Adelaide in 1987, promptly won the AR McLean Medal then played in another 3 premierships in a row 1988-90 with another flag in 1992.

He even squeezed in a couple more seasons with Adelaide in 1991-92.

All up Bruce played 190 games for Port, 43 for North Melbourne, 58 at Collingwood and 11 at Adelaide.

When he came back from Victoria, Bruce at times seemed to cruise through some minor round games but was a genuine Mr Finals. He always lifted for the big games and Fos would have loved him as a player who thought 25 touches should comprise 23 kicks and 2 handballs. Fos would have tolerated the two handballs because the kicking was so good.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Graham Cornes was doing fine until he had to have his crack at Port's AFL bid. He really could have let it go and stuck to the epic football match just played but then he wouldn't be the big bantam strutting around the chicken coop would he?

One more self-reference ...

Being the 1990 season, there was still time for one more moment of controversy. Losing coach Graham Cornes chose the usually solemn occasion of the vanquished coach and captain congratulating the victors in their rooms for some graceless editorialising comments about the impact of Port Adelaide’s actions on the local competition. At this point, Cornes was 'politely asked' by David Arnfield to leave the rooms. Cornes received little sympathy from the media for his tactless comments with admitted Glenelg supporter Andrew Capel reporting the comments were uncalled for, and that was not the time or place to vent his feelings. Veteran football commentator Dick Jones was scathing, among a range of criticisms of Cornes’s performance, calling the comments totally unwarranted and completely unnecessary, the performance of a sore loser and smacking of sour grapes. Jones added that Cornes deserved his send off from the Port rooms.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Mates Forever

 

[240volt]

Just watched Part 5.

Have a new appreciation for McDermott, he spoke with such class after the game.

On the other hand, Wrinkles can go get f***ed. What a hypocrite - blaming Port on the one hand for the demise of the $ANFL and then becoming an AFL coach. A flog of the highest order

Yes sometimes we forget just how much of a toss old Wrinkles was and still is. Really makes you appreciate Dave Granger even more

 

[Zakk Wylde]

Scotty is a champion... I get to speak to him pretty much most days through work, and dead set I could get caught up for hours some days asking fanboi questions.

For the record I had 4 woolen Magpie guernseys growing up with numbers #26, #20, #5 & #11.... Loved all those boys.

 

[HaroldOliver]

Mates Forever

"We called ourselves a family...."
1870 PortFanRadio show tomorrow night - can't wait to continue to relive the amazing 1990 season.

 

[Macca19]

Scotty is a champion... I get to speak to him pretty much most days through work, and dead set I could get caught up for hours some days asking fanboi questions.

Jelly!

 

[Needs Gravy]

Abba grew up with my uncle. Didn't know who he was at the time but game me my first footy when he was back in SA during a break while he was at north or collingood. Assume it was true but I was told his old man used to take him down to the local oval as a teenager and have him run lengths of the oval, Pick up and kick as long as a could a repeat. Right foot going one way and left the other. Loved the 1990 season port verse the rest.