RussellEbertHandball
Flick pass expert
If you include players who have come from elsewhere and played for Port the top 6 to 8 probably 10 would be as good as South Freo top 10, but it wouldn't have the depth and no big guys - rucks KPPs of note.Sheeds missed Buddy.
South Freo selected a best of indigenous team, not all Noongar, they've a had a steady stream of players out of NT including the first of the Riolis to venture South, ie Sebastian & he made the team.
How'd a Port squad look to compete with South
http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_...&sID=76376&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=9419308
Wanganeen, Peter and Shaun Burgoyne played for Port in SANFL and then Port in AFL. Pickett was a Port junior who we didn't pick in our inaugural squad in 1996 and North nabbed him with pick 69 but came back. The Bond brothers Shane and Troy were Port juniors well before 1997, Shane came back after playing for the Eagles and Troy never played for Port in the AFL - Carlton and the crows. Andrew McLeod came down from NT and played a year or two at Port before playing for the crows. Che Cockatoo Collins played in the SANFL team ( moved from Cairns with family) then Essendon then back home to Alberton. Never saw him play, but Richie Bray was a member of 3 premiership teams in the 1960's when there were very few indigenous players in the SANFL and Port reserves team was making GF's and winning flags so he must have been a decent player. Ross Agius played about 55 games in the early 1980's and played in 1 flag in 1980 and had a great year that year, kicking 60 or 70 goals as a small forward.
Of those who came from somewhere else to play for the AFL team, Paddy Ryder, Chad Wingard, Danyle Pearce and Daniel Motlop would be in there. Sam Powell-Pepper would be at the end of this year will join that list. Edit Fabain Francis played in AFL came to play at the Magpies for 2 or 3 years and was part of the inaugural squad in 1976.
There were only about 10 indigenous players play for Port in the SANFL at A grade level before Wanganeen made his debut in 1990, the year we first tried to get into the AFL. Lot of kids played in juniors and B grade from the 1960's onward, but Wanganeen sort of was the Sebastian Rioli in terms of breaking down the front door so others could rush in. So Port was probably 20 years behind South Fremantle.
Edit A couple of Port Juniors, I'm not sure if they played A grade SANFL before being drafted, were Graham Johncock and Lindsay Thomas. Aaron and Alwyn Davey were Port juniors and played A grade before being drafted. They are Wanganeen's cousin and its the Davey blood line that has the star footballers. Wanganeen is his step father's name.
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