VFL fans from the 70's and 80's - did you have a SANFL or WAFL team?

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Cmarsh

Cmarsh

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Apr 23, 2012
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Having been on this forum a while I've noticed that alot of (assumedly older) SA and WA based AFL fans mention that they followed a VFL team before their respective SA and WA based AFL teams came in.

However I don't see alot of Victorian based fans mentioning that they also followed a SANFL or WAFL side.

Just wanting to know if there are actually any Vic supporters who used to or still do follow a team in the SA or WA leagues?
 
My guess if there are any, it would be nothing more than keeping a cursory glance on the teams that share the same nickname (Collingwood / Port) (Richmond / Glenelg) etc etc

Most SA / WA who followed a VFL side probably followed them because one of their favourite local players went over to Victoria

Unlikely many players did the opposite
 
Not the target of the thread, but i’ll jump in anyway. I recall a poster in one of the rooms in my Adelaide primary school (in the early 90s). From memory, it was a map of Australia, and had the logos of all the teams in all the major Australian leagues. On the basis of that, I picked Claremont as my WAFL team (I’m a Glenelg supporter).
 

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North Adelaide and East Fremantle. We used to get a few WAFL and SANFL games each season (generally finals shown on ABC) in Canberra back in the early 80's.
 
My dad grew up during the 80s and chose Glenelg as his SANFL team because of Stephen Kernahan. I imagine there are a fair few Victorians out there who did the same if their VFL/AFL club recruited a big name from one of those clubs.
 
All of them, it was a matter of checking the scores, best players and how many goals anybody kicked, they were all recruiting grounds for the 12 VIC clubs. i would scour Inside Football and check on any stories relating to prospective targets. The SANFL and WAFL had a lot of their own stars who never ventured across the border to try their luck in the big smoke. They had good, thriving competitions with their own household names. Even Tassie had strong leagues, i guess my allegiance would've been to STURT in the SANFL, my old man played there, EAST FREMANTLE in WA because of the hoops, but i wasn't concerned who won a flag or not.
 
Rusty Brookes said:
Centrals and Subiaco.

My reasoning was Hawthorn got John Platten and Gary Buckenara respectively from those clubs. We didn't get much SANFL or WAFL on TV (outside of the Grand Finals) but we were very much aware of the teams and the players.
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Was the WAFL grand final ever on tv in Melbourne? I only remember the SANFL gf being on ch7 the week after our grand final and seeing interstate teams during the night series.
 
My Dad tells me that supporters were more likley to follow a VFA team in the 70s, because this was when VFL was played on Saturday and VFA was on a Sunday. This was especially the case if they lived in a suburb with a VFA club.

He was very passionate about Melbourne, but also followed Oakleigh because that's where he lived.
 

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The VFL was the top tier league that the best players from around the country joined to play against the best. The SANFL and WAFL were third-tier leagues (behind VFL reserves and probably VFA)

The teams were made up of some good young players not yet ready to move to Victoria, locals who weren't up to the top level, and old legends who never had the guts to challenge themselves in the VFL for fear of getting found out, so preferred to stay in a small pond where they could pretend that they would have been great.

Victorians had no interest in those leagues.
 
GWT6 said:
The VFL was the top tier league that the best players from around the country joined to play against the best. The SANFL and WAFL were third-tier leagues (behind VFL reserves and probably VFA)

The teams were made up of some good young players not yet ready to move to Victoria, locals who weren't up to the top level, and old legends who never had the guts to challenge themselves in the VFL for fear of getting found out, so preferred to stay in a small pond where they could pretend that they would have been great.

Victorians had no interest in those leagues.
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What a load of crap.

You obviously never watched SANFL and WAFL footy in the 1970's and 1980's then.
 
GWT6 said:
The VFL was the top tier league that the best players from around the country joined to play against the best. The SANFL and WAFL were third-tier leagues (behind VFL reserves and probably VFA)

The teams were made up of some good young players not yet ready to move to Victoria, locals who weren't up to the top level, and old legends who never had the guts to challenge themselves in the VFL for fear of getting found out, so preferred to stay in a small pond where they could pretend that they would have been great.

Victorians had no interest in those leagues.
Click to expand...
I very very very much doubt the vfa was better than wafl or particularly the sanfl
 
GWT6 said:
The VFL was the top tier league that the best players from around the country joined to play against the best. The SANFL and WAFL were third-tier leagues (behind VFL reserves and probably VFA)

The teams were made up of some good young players not yet ready to move to Victoria, locals who weren't up to the top level, and old legends who never had the guts to challenge themselves in the VFL for fear of getting found out, so preferred to stay in a small pond where they could pretend that they would have been great.

Victorians had no interest in those leagues.
Click to expand...

What a load of crap.

Early 80's Stephen Michael was the best player in Australia from about 1979-1984. Never joined the VFL. Ruck / CHF / full time wrecking ball.

Oh and as Easts man I can tell you I ******* hated souths but Stephen Michael for that period was the best player in Australia and he wasn't playing and never played VFL. Was an AA captain though.
 
WCE_phil said:
What a load of crap.

Early 80's Stephen Michael was the best player in Australia from about 1979-1984. Never joined the VFL. Ruck / CHF / full time wrecking ball.

Oh and as Easts man I can tell you I ******* hated souths but Stephen Michael for that period was the best player in Australia and he wasn't playing and never played VFL. Was an AA captain though.
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Hahaha - was that the 6 foot tall ruckman?? A 6-foot ruckman would have dominated top level footy, but he just decided not to!!! Hahahaha

Never change WA. Hahaha.
 
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