What If Port Entered The AFL In 1991?

[Ford Fairlane]

Given Oakley's revelations, our superior conditions were fluffed up in order to guarantee the wider bait-and-switch.

If by some miracle we did cirçumvent the SA mafia and become the AFL's 15th team I'm sure any concessions would've been watered down before the go-date, just as St Kilda lobbied for before we actually did come in.

Maybe yes maybe no that's really speculation that holds no more water one way as the other. Those were the conditions signed in the Heads of Agreement. Even if they had been watered down it remains that Port would have at least secured all the best young talent from all local clubs for two or even three years. And kept players like David Hynes, Gavin Wanganeen and in all likelihood Darren Jarman here.

 

[mic59]

Their would have even been the possibility of no Adelaide team at all in which case we could have eventually got Andrew Mcleod, Mark Ricciuto and Shaun Rehn. And we would have used Scott Hodges and David Brown correctly.

Re-development costs for Alberton would have come to a pretty penny but cannot really be compared with what is required today. After all, the AFL was at one point using a lot of inner-suburban ovals of relatively low quality(relative to today) such as Windy Hill, Princes Pk, Victoria Pk(with hot and cold running pee).

These three had capacities of (respectively) 10K, 27K, 15K.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

One of the biggest problems with the Adelaide team as first set up were the schisms between coach and players on club lines. There wasn't going to be any club unity for years. Supporters were no help there either when they would turn on players again on club grounds.

At least Port from the outset would have been pulling in one direction led by the best coach in the state.

 

[tribey]

One of the biggest problems with the Adelaide team as first set up were the schisms between coach and players on club lines. There wasn't going to be any club unity for years. Supporters were no help there either when they would turn on players again on club grounds.

At least Port from the outset would have been pulling in one direction led by the best coach in the state.

On your last point, a 1991-4 Adelaide Crows coached by Jack Cahill is arguably the most fascinating counterfactual of the period.

The wider perception of Graham Cornes as a coaching savant - largely off the back of his one-off successes in Origin moreso than his perpetually disappointing Glenelgery - really did lead the fledgling club up the garden path.

The blown Second Semi versus Carlton and the all-time Prelim choke were vintage September Graham Cornes - replete with errors that John Cahill just doesn't make.

 

[GreyPower]

If we'd have won 84 grand final, and won in 85 or 86, in a hypothetical world, we could have entered in 87 like the Eagles did.

Interesting to think what we would have been like if we got similar concessions to the Eagles, which I believe they got 3 or 4 years after their inception due to perceived poor initial concessions.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

On your last point, a 1991-4 Adelaide Crows coached by Jack Cahill is arguably the most fascinating counterfactual of the period.

The wider perception of Graham Cornes as a coaching savant - largely off the back of his one-off successes in Origin moreso than his perpetually disappointing Glenelgery - really did lead the fledgling club up the garden path.

The blown Second Semi versus Carlton and the all-time Prelim choke were vintage September Graham Cornes - replete with errors that John Cahill just doesn't make.

Cornes was one of the leading factors in the way that club fractured along club lines along with his own preening pompous self-importance. In the end he succeeded in blasting off his own toes but still has some sort of standing as at least a hobbling guru.

Cahill would have made them a hardened battle unit in short time but there was no way the sanfl was going to allow Port Adelaide any sort of foothold in the team for all Fruchoctopians.

It was amazing Robert Hoey was allowed on the board and Tony Hobby was club dentist.

Poor Hoey, forever labelled Hoey the Crowie by Port supporters of the time.

 

[tribey]

If we'd have won 84 grand final, and won in 85 or 86, in a hypothetical world, we could have entered in 87 like the Eagles did.

Interesting to think what we would have been like if we got similar concessions to the Eagles, which I believe they got 3 or 4 years after their inception due to perceived poor initial concessions.

Classic VFL/AFL overcorrection.

In the proceeding 5 years they netted,

Don Pyke
Craig Turley
Ryan Turnbull
Dean Kemp
Peter Mann
Peter Sumich
Glen Jakovich
Jason Ball
Mitchell White
Scott Watters

Before calling out a single draft registration number.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Probably our biggest advantage in going in the comp in 1991 is that Alan Stewart wouldn't be helping pick our list ... Conway, Cotton, Steinberger, Geister.

He must have been devastated when we said no to Peter Green, Damien Arnold and Roy Laird.

 

[PA88]

Cornes was one of the leading factors in the way that club fractured along club lines along with his own preening pompous self-importance. In the end he succeeded in blasting off his own toes but still has some sort of standing as at least a hobbling guru.

Cahill would have made them a hardened battle unit in short time but there was no way the sanfl was going to allow Port Adelaide any sort of foothold in the team for all Fruchoctopians.

It was amazing Robert Hoey was allowed on the board and Tony Hobby was club dentist.

Poor Hoey, forever labelled Hoey the Crowie by Port supporters of the time.

Hoey ... one of the fellows that believed Port had to distance itself from its past. Was one of two board members that did not want to appoint Cahill as our first AFL coach and planned to have him sacked after the first year.

 

[tribey]

Probably our biggest advantage in going in the comp in 1991 is that Alan Stewart wouldn't be helping pick our list ... Conway, Cotton, Steinberger, Geister.

He must have been devastated when we said no to Peter Green, Damien Arnold and Roy Laird.

It says a fair bit about that club and the station the SANFL finds itself in that churning out players who are very good to excellent at that level but not good enough for AFL is a point of pride that forms the cornerstone of decade-long dynasty, while supposed "lesser clubs" produce and duly lose elite players for the entirety of their careers.

When you point this out to Elizabethans the retort is always along the lines of, "so? our mission is to win premierships, not produce AFL players" and it's like, when we dominated the league - when it was still número uno in the hearts & minds of the SA public - we were able to do both.

But no, you keep banking on the fact that Woodville-West Torrens produced and lost an AFL spine that reads Lake-Bock-Vince-Pavlich-Schulz, while your footy factory's crowning achievement of the past 15 years is probably Shannon Hurn.

 

[SgtSchulz]

Bigger than Collingwood

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Apparently Wundke = Hodges, Evans

 

[ozph1870]

We would have won at least 20 flags ny now...

 

[tribey]

Apparently Wundke = Hodges, Evans

Remember that dickhid that came on this board and told us that Hodges was Daniel Schell? #maaan

 

[simmo_bc]

Would have to wait a few years some of the players but we could have put a handy side together.

Fiachi Delany Wanganeen
Mead Hughes Wilson
Tregenza Buckley Bradley
Burgoyne Treadrea Obst
Bond Hodges D Smith

i think it is reasonable to suggest that we would have missed out on Tredrea as he would have gone in the draft, same with Wilber and Burger. Wangas is a lock and Bradles may have been enticed back too. Choco may have also played a season or two.

the big question is whether the likes of McDermott, Jarman etc would have played for Port? I'd say no. Gary McIntosh would have slotted into the team just beautifully!

can think about this all day!

 

[simmo_bc]

Their would have even been the possibility of no Adelaide team at all in which case we could have eventually got Andrew Mcleod, Mark Ricciuto and Shaun Rehn. And we would have used Scott Hodges and David Brown correctly.

Re-development costs for Alberton would have come to a pretty penny but cannot really be compared with what is required today. After all, the AFL was at one point using a lot of inner-suburban ovals of relatively low quality(relative to today) such as Windy Hill, Princes Pk, Victoria Pk(with hot and cold running pee).

These three had capacities of (respectively) 10K, 27K, 15K.

Did Ricciuto support Port as a kid? given his uncle is Bruce Light, fair chance he did?

 

[Ford Fairlane]

i think it is reasonable to suggest that we would have missed out on Tredrea as he would have gone in the draft, same with Wilber and Burger. Wangas is a lock and Bradles may have been enticed back too. Choco may have also played a season or two.

the big question is whether the likes of McDermott, Jarman etc would have played for Port? I'd say no. Gary McIntosh would have slotted into the team just beautifully!

can think about this all day!

I had pretty reliable info that McDermott was in. Darren Jarman was widely thought to be a Port supporter and was expected to have stayed.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Did Ricciuto support Port as a kid? given his uncle is Bruce Light, fair chance he did?

Doesn't matter, there was nowhere else he could go with a moratorium on SA players. Same as the draft.

 

[simmo_bc]

Darren Jarman was widely thought to be a Port supporter and was expected to have stayed.

is that fair dinkum?

 

[simmo_bc]

Regading John Cahill, would he have coached the Crows in 1991 if offered the job?

just on Jack, I saw him eating ice cream on Leigh Street a couple of months back before a Power game (WCE I think). Most people probably didn't know they were sitting next to PAFC royalty, times have changed.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

is that fair dinkum?

That was the rumour at the time. It was a surprise to everyone when he left, the crows thought they had his commitment. At least some of those that went weren't sure about the whole franchise aspect of a composite team and preferred an established club. That was Port Adelaide's competitive edge.

And yes Jack would have coached the crows. He was a career coach and interviewed for the job. He would never get it of course.

 

[simmo_bc]

And yes Jack would have coached the crows. He was a career coach and interviewed for the job. He would never get it of course.

I think the culture of the AFC would be a lot different if Jack was the original coach. In any case, he was our initial coach in the AFL and was the right man for the job.

 

[El_Scorcho]

If we'd missed out on Tredders to the draft, we'd have almost certainly got Modra as part of our concessions.

I guess that numbs the hypothetical pain a little bit

 

[simmo_bc]

If we'd missed out on Tredders to the draft, we'd have almost certainly got Modra as part of our concessions.

I guess that numbs the hypothetical pain a little bit

a little bit I guess but you'd take Tredders over Mods every day of the week.

David Hynes is an interesting one, would have loved for him to play for the PAFC in the big league.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

If Sheehan hadn't reported we were making a bid would the SANFL have caught wind in time to put an injunction on?