It was Victoria v WA that originally assured the success of SOO. At the time SA wasn’t even involved, consigned instead to playing a game against the VFA at Football Park, which was notable more for the brawls than the football.
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It was Victoria v WA that originally assured the success of SOO. At the time SA wasn’t even involved, consigned instead to playing a game against the VFA at Football Park, which was notable more for the brawls than the football.
Yes, you still get parochial talkback callers on Perth radio saying "We invented State of Origin!" when this perennial subject comes up. Back when it first started WA had many more players going to the VFL than SA - for which North Melbourne as an example was very grateful.
Yeah, other than Malcolm Blight I can think of Phil Maylin and Robert Klomp off the top of my head as SA players in the VFL. Maybe Paul Weston? Can’t think of too many others. Then the floodgates opened.
This and the fact that some snafl clubs junior development coaches are questionable and selection can be full of nepotism. Among other things we are alienating/ not developing a lot of good juniors thus decreasing our talent pool. We need to improve our junior talent development for the future.Yeah the 80's and into the 90's was truly the golden era of SA talent. So many great players. The SANFL was a very good comp and the whole SA system was a great breeding ground. Times have dramatically changed, but the 20th Century thinking SANFL has not. This is the main reason SA is producing a quarter of the talent is once did. The SANFL in their thirst to remain in control and have some relevance and now become the biggest hindrance to football in this state.
Yeah, other than Malcolm Blight I can think of Phil Maylin and Robert Klomp off the top of my head as SA players in the VFL. Maybe Paul Weston? Can’t think of too many others. Then the floodgates opened.
Magpies to the VFL between 78 and 83 off the top of my head.
Max James Milan Faletic Mark Williams
Greg Phillips Bruce Abernethy Danny Hughes
I was at that one too. Remember it well. Was a belter.I saw Stephen Kernahan kicks 10 goals against Victoria back in 1984. We lost by 4 points on that night but the game will always be remembered as a classic
Bill LokanYeah, other than Malcolm Blight I can think of Phil Maylin and Robert Klomp off the top of my head as SA players in the VFL. Maybe Paul Weston? Can’t think of too many others. Then the floodgates opened.
Yeah the 80's and into the 90's was truly the golden era of SA talent. So many great players. The SANFL was a very good comp and the whole SA system was a great breeding ground. Times have dramatically changed, but the 20th Century thinking SANFL has not. This is the main reason SA is producing a quarter of the talent is once did. The SANFL in their thirst to remain in control and have some relevance and now become the biggest hindrance to football in this state.
I went. As a dedicated bays hater I was very conflicted about Stephen Kernahan's performance - also his old man personally railroading David Granger out of the game only two years earlier still had me in a blind fury at the sight of that surname.Ugh. That '84 state game. Still burns.
We got free tickets through school footy. Our footy coach organised a bus to take us and drop us back at school after the game. Parents just had to pick us up.
So pumped!
Except... the game was on a Tuesday night. A school night. Way past my bedtime.
So Mum wouldn't let me go.
Like hell. I worked on her the whole week. But Mum was a stubborn bitch. Dad was half-a-continent away at work in the Simpson Desert so him and his Telecom diplomacy were no good to me.
Still, I didn't give up and by Tuesday morning, Mum's resolve had weakened.
And just when she was about to cave... she pulls some "it's too dangerous to walk home late at night" bullshit.
WE LIVED RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE F@%KING SCHOOL!!!
Literally. It was our house. Milston Street. Lizbeff Grove Primary.
FMD, she could see the bus pull in to the school car-park from her bedroom while reading her latest racy Mills & Boon.
Besides, my hoon brothers and their hoon mates would've picked me up, ffs.
Despite throwing the biggest tantrum since missing out on opening night tickets to Return of the Jedi* a few months earlier, I couldn't convince Mum to let me go.
The next day at school, all my mates wouldn't stfu about Kernahan and s**t. They were still crapping on at after-school footy practice. So, I cracked it. Mid-drill, I kicked the Kookaburra away in disgust, jumped the fence and stomped home.
"Magpiespower," my coach called out. "Where are you going?"
"STICK YA STATE-OF-ORIGIN UP YA BUM!!!"
Never forgave Mum for that. But worse was yet to come. She didn't let me go to Russell Ebert's last game, either.
Bitch.
*That was Mum's fault, too. She didn't ring up and book tickets when I told her to and she promised but forgot because daytime soaps and s**t. By the time she did ring up to book, the first two nights were all sold out. My best mate went to the state game AND Jedi opening night, ffs.
I went. As a dedicated bays hater I was very conflicted about Stephen Kernahan's performance - also his old man personally railroading David Granger out of the game only two years earlier still had me in a blind fury at the sight of that surname.
I cried at the end of the 84 grand final. * norwood. You always knew back then that the bays weren't going to beat us in a granny. Piss weak campaigners when it matteredGrowing up in the 80s, Port/Bays was THE rivalry for me.
Even with the '84 granny, I really didn't give a s**t about Norwood (which pissed off my Redlegs mates something chronic, lol.)
Losing both state games by under a kick - FU MIKE BALL, U CHEAT!!! - and missing out on our first National Champs win since 1911, plus the f@%king grand final, and '84 was the biggest "so close but so far" year of all-time. As the great man himself, Russell Ebert, said:
"What a bastard."
I cried at the end of the 84 grand final. **** norwood. You always knew back then that the bays weren't going to beat us in a granny. Piss weak campaigners when it mattered
I cried at the end of the 84 grand final. **** norwood. You always knew back then that the bays weren't going to beat us in a granny. Piss weak campaigners when it mattered
campaignerLol, I was too dumbfounded, numbed, shocked, to shed a tear.
When I got home, my Port-hating/Centrals-supporting brother was waiting for me with a big s**t-eating grin.
"What happened to Port?"
Campaigner.
Lol, I was too dumbfounded, numbed, shocked, to shed a tear.
When I got home, my Port-hating/Centrals-supporting brother was waiting for me with a big s**t-eating grin.
"What happened to Port?"
Campaigner.
I went. As a dedicated bays hater I was very conflicted about Stephen Kernahan's performance - also his old man personally railroading David Granger out of the game only two years earlier still had me in a blind fury at the sight of that surname.