Club History Before the Crows, there was the Redlegs

[Magpiespower]

Learning that the entire process for the second licence was a sham as the AFL had told the SANFL it would be Port Adelaide - not even Bucky knew - makes photos such as these extra special.

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Actual footage of Michael Aish's epic, unforgettable, GOAT dummy-spitting meltdown over the phone to KG & Hookesy on 5AA later that momentous day, December 12th, 1994...

 

[simmo_bc]

Worth pointing out that Norwood won 14 of their 30 premierships before 1920.

 

[Lockhart Road]

Norwood have a great history. I come from a Norwood family, some of which played for them during successful eras.

In terms of the AFL, they have a fractured fan base. A large portion of their older supporters follow Melbourne, some follow the Crows, some gravitated to Port and some follow nobody.

The ship has sailed for their AFL ambitions. If the Crows were true to their word in honouring the SANFL they would spend more time educating the public on clubs like Norwood and Sturt, just like we do.

I've got a lot of respect for the club, like the PAFC does too.

Concur

 

[Lockhart Road]

Worth pointing out that Norwood won 14 of their 30 premierships before 1920.

I saw every one of 'em in a previous life. Also saw the Champions of Australia four times, and Sir Sidney Kidman too ... was about to sell him a Port membership when he died. He had a one-eyed horse, you see.

 

[simmo_bc]

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I'd love a dollar for how many 'hardcore' Norwood fans I've met, clearly their membership doesn't support that notion!

 

[El_Scorcho]

One of life's great pleasures is watching the light disappear from the eyes of a Norwood/Crows supporter when you talk to them about Norwood gutlessly shutting the door on the Redlegs ever being a top tier club in 1990.

 

[SgtSchulz]

Worth pointing out that Norwood won 14 of their 30 premierships before 1920.

And 4 after 1996

 

[SgtSchulz]

Norwood have a great history. I come from a Norwood family, some of which played for them during successful eras.

In terms of the AFL, they have a fractured fan base. A large portion of their older supporters follow Melbourne, some follow the Crows, some gravitated to Port and some follow nobody.

The ship has sailed for their AFL ambitions. If the Crows were true to their word in honouring the SANFL they would spend more time educating the public on clubs like Norwood and Sturt, just like we do.

I've got a lot of respect for the club, like the PAFC does too.

Norwood Oval is the best ground in Australia in my opinion. A little narrow but it's Australia's Fenway...as for Football Park and the Crows...

Food for thought:

What if Edwin T Smith successfully recruited Harold Oliver to Norwood instead of Port Adelaide?

Arguably the only reason we managed to snare the soon to be 3x Champion of Australia was due to our club being captained by someone who had also spent some time in Broken Hill as a kid, Woollard. Some sliding doors indeed.

 

[Ray Nolan]

I've got a lot of respect for the club, like the PAFC does too.

That's one thing about Norwood, as laughable as they are, I do respect them because they are a genuine club. West Lakes Wanderers will never have that respect because they're so inherently fake.

 

[Scholz Supremacy]

In a perfect world, Port would have started in the big league in 1991, Norwood in 97. Then at AFL level we would have had a genuine rivalry dating back like 100 years with geographical and class factors.

But as has been said numerous times already in this thread, Norwood made their bed...

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Made a presentation to the VFL about an Adelaide team joining an expanded comp in '81 (or maybe '82?)
Then became GM of the Sydney Swans at the end of '84.
His yesterday's man for today replacement:

A bit more on Don Roach and his vision for the game. From the swans website when he passed away in 2011

http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/news/2011-07-05/vale-don-roach
His involvement in Sydney football was not always confined to the office. In August 1973, while working for the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) as a promotions officer, Don Roach visited NSW along with Norwood FC vice-captain, Ross Porritt as part of the Rothmans National Sports Foundation. The two conducted coaching clinics for young boys in Sydney, Newcastle and on the South Coast. "I was very pleased and surprised at the high standard of many of the boys attending these Rothmans Clinics. All of the boys exhibited a great desire to learn and these young players will assure NSW a most promising future growth of the code,” Roach said of the talent in Sydney.

Roach exhibited a fantastic foresight for the game and started what has to become the most successful bi-product of Australian Football, Auskick. “I wrote the rules on the back of a cigarette packet” Roach said “and called it ‘Mod Football’.”
http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/news/2011-07-05/vale-don-roach

And he had a fair old playing record
Don played 158 games for West Adelaide and was the team’s captain and coach in 1966 and 1967; 42 games for Norwood, 33 games for Hawthorn and nine for the South Australian representative team.

He went Westies, 2 years at Hawthorn, back to Westies as captain coach, missed 1969 and then Norwood.

This website says he wrote the rules on the back of a cigarette packet back in 1968.
https://nswfootballhistory.com.au/don-roach-passes/

 

[simmo_bc]

In a perfect world, Port would have started in the big league in 1991, Norwood in 97. Then at AFL level we would have had a genuine rivalry dating back like 100 years with geographical and class factors.

But as has been said numerous times already in this thread, Norwood made their bed...

There would also be a true cross town rivalry!

 

[Andre]

Port Adelaide win AFL licence ahead of Norwood as performed by Scott Hodges interpretive dance team.

Still my all time favourite SANFL game I was at.

 

[simmo_bc]

I'd like to know more about gremiopower and how he came about finding our great game and what attracted him to the greatest club in Australia.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

In a perfect world, Port would have started in the big league in 1991, Norwood in 97. Then at AFL level we would have had a genuine rivalry dating back like 100 years with geographical and class factors.

But as has been said numerous times already in this thread, Norwood made their bed...

I dont know if its a perfect world, but if Norwood were smart enough and could be trusted, both clubs should have gone to the AFL and said, look at WCE, they are a basket case off the field, their float on the stock market in 1987 of Indian Pacific Ltd was a flop, they are $5mil in debts, crowds are only so so, solid but not great, sure they are building their on field stocks, but we can bring 112 years of traditional and rivalry, a game in SA each week is good for TV rights and between us we will lock in enough of the state to make this work and having 2 teams in now rather than 1, means it wont be a state team. You rejected the SANFL's proposal in 1982 because you said a composite team would be too powerful both on and off the field.

In 1986 I thought SA and WA should do the same thing, ie form a pact and either both say yes or no to expanding the VFL. If they stuck together they had more leverage over the VFL. But at the time I had no idea that WA footy was on its knees and had no real alternative because it's clubs had spent the last 8 years or so selling players for transfer fees to survive and mid 1986 the VFL rammed thru the ANFC that minimum transfer fees would be slashed from $60,000 to $22,000. I just saw WA winning state games against the Vics when we didn't and all these great players go over every year, year in year out.

I spent 12 months thru 1988-89 in North America, studied their professional sports market and television market closely, especially 24 hour sport channels and them just starting to buy rights to all the 4 big professional sports and offering the big $$$ as pay TV penetration was approaching 75% of homes and when I came home, I said SA has to put a team in, it cant hold out any longer, it just didnt make economic sense anymore.

I wanted Port to go in but I couldn't see how, given West Coast, Sydney and Brisbane all went with private owners, the VFL said it wouldn't budge on $4mil licence fee, they were all in massive financial strife, interest rates had already hit 17% and we were on the verge of the recession we had to have. $4mil in 1989 money allowing for real asset inflation not CPI stuff, is like about $25mil now. $200k back in 1989 bought you a bloody good home in a nice suburb. I just didn't know how the bloody hell Port could get in. But the AFL finally budged and offered $4mil over 10 years. SA sports historian Bernard Whimpress reckons it was negotiated down to $1.5mil but I have never seen that elsewhere or had that confirmed.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

I'd like to know more about gremiopower and how he came about finding our great game and what attracted him to the greatest club in Australia.

Do a search just by his name and go thru his early posts and you should find where he responded to the same question of how he came to be a port fan.

 

[Lockhart Road]

Do a search just buy his name and go thru his early posts and you should find where he responded to the same question of how he came to be a port fan.

It is brazilliant

 

[Scholz Supremacy]

I'd like to know more about gremiopower and how he came about finding our great game and what attracted him to the greatest club in Australia.

Do a search just buy his name and go thru his early posts and you should find where he responded to the same question of how he came to be a port fan.

Brazilian, born and raised. I lived in the US the last 4 years, but I am back down here. I am 36 years old, lawyer, political scientist, sport enthusiast (despite having no talent to practice any sport whatsoever - sigh!).

I got acquainted with Australian Football watching an odd sport show on TV when I was a kid in the 80's ("Gillete World of Sports"). It was just a bunch of highlights from sports other than soccer. In the mix with tennis, sailing, golf, boxing, baseball, and such, there was this weird game with an oval field, umpires wearing hats, four giant goal posts, players climbing on each other's backs, and basketball-like final scores. I learned that it was a different kind of football played in Australia, and I thought it was awesome. Kids, right?! Still, it was before internet. I couldn't get much contact with the game. I ended up forgetting about it.

Fast-Forward: My younger brother spend some months living in Australia in the 2000's. I requested him two presents: an AFL ball, and a AFL game for PlayStation. He brought me both. We had a lot fun trying to learn the game on the fly, having no idea about the rules. I would pick the Power all the time because of the colors and the initials (Port Adelaide = Porto Alegre). I have been checking the seasons, now and then, to see how Port is doing. This year I have finally downloaded the AFL app, started watching more highlights, and reading stuff at "The Roar". A couple of days ago, I decided to start this BigFooty account.

That's my story...

P.S.: Why on Earth have you picked Flamengo?!

 

[simmo_bc]

I dont know if its a perfect world but if Norwood were smart enough and could be trusted, both clubs should have gone to the AFL and said, look at WCE they are a basket case off the field, their float on the stock market in 1987 of Indian Pacific Ltd was a flop, they are $5mil in debts, crowds are only so so, solid but not great, sure they building their on field stocks, but we can bring 112 years of traditional and rivarly, a game in SA each week is good for TV rights and between us we will lock in enough of the state to make this work and having 2 teams in now rather than 1 means it wont be a stste team. You rejected the SANFL's proposal in 1982 because you said a composite team would be too powerful both on and off the field.

In 1986 I thought SA and WA should do the same thing, a form a pact and either both say yes or no to expanding the VFL. If they stuck together they had more leverage over the VFL. But at the time I had no idea that WA footy was on its knees and had no real alternative because it's clubs had spent the last 8 years or so selling players for transfer fees to survive and mid 1986 the VFL rammed thru the ANFC that minimum transfer fees would be slashed from $60,000 to $22,000.

I spent 12 months thru 1988-89 in North America, studied their professional sports market and television market closely, especially 24 hour sport channels and them just starting to buy rights to all the 4 big professional sports and offering the big $$$ as pay TV penetration was approaching 75% of homes and when I came home, I said SA has to put a team in, it cant hold out any longer, it just didnt make economic sense anymore.

I wanted Port to go in but I couldn't see how, given West Coast, Sydney and Brisbane all went with private owners, the VFL said it wouldn't budge on $4mil licence fee, they were all in massive financial strife, interest rates had already hit 17% and we were on the verge of the recession we had to have. $4mil 1989 money allowing for real asset inflation not CPI stuff is like about $25mil. $200k back in 1989 bought you a bloody good home in a nice suburb. I just didn't know how the bloody hell Port could get in. But the AFL finally budged and offer $4mil over 10 years. SA sports historian Bernard Whimpress reckons it was negotiated down to $1.5mil.

if you were to put a % on it, how big was the combined Port/Norwood supporter base of the SANFL public? About 50%? More?

 

[simmo_bc]

It is brazilliant

Hey mate you'll be pleased to know I was stuck on king William behind a big contingent of presumably international students walking to the Richmond game last week, great to see.

 

[Power Raid]

Offered to join the VFL with us, some say before us. They didn't take the opportunity. Made a joint bid for the second AFL license in the 90s with Sturt. Was never gonna happen.

Forever SANFULL.

On paper they look like our rivals but reality is most of their success was achieved when Armies still had cavalry divisions.

don't we still have a cavalry?

In all seriousness, Norwood were great rivals despite the lack of success post war. Unlike the 6 other main clubs whose records are embarrassing. Whilst sturt and north are just border line passes.

sadly Norwood are irrelevant now, along with the SANFL and all the great achievements in the SANFL.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

if you were to put a % on it, how big was the combined Port/Norwood supporter base of the SANFL public? About 50%? More?

Whenever I saw surveys in the mid to late 1980's Port was always around 25%-28% of supporters and Norwood around 20% and Sturt next around 18%. There was always a couple of points gap between them.

So the starting point would have been around 50%. What the crows did though, was grow the market for new fans. Yes its easy to call them the theatre goers, but eyeballs are important too. My late mother rarely would watch a game of footy, but once the crows got it she would watch them on a Saturday or Sunday night when she was home and became a fan. she didn't have time to watch a weekend day game. Because I was Port and my brother inlaw was Port, and she was close to him we used to get her to watch some Port games. She unfortunately passed away a few weeks after we had our launch in August 1995.

 

[simmo_bc]

sadly Norwood are irrelevant now, along with the SANFL and all the great achievements in the SANFL.

Sad but very true.

I count myself privileged to have seen the pre crows SANFL (albeit late 80s) and have taken it upon myself to ensure that my son knows what the SANFL is, most kids don't these days.

 

[Power Raid]

Sad but very true.

I count myself privileged to have seen the pre crows SANFL (albeit late 80s) and have taken it upon myself to ensure that my son knows what the SANFL is, most kids don't these days.

I've watched 80s SANFL games recently to see if the games were as good as I remember. I confirm the standard was amazing, perhaps even better than I remember.

It might be a big call but perhaps the SANFL of yester year was closer to AFL today than the VFL was. By that, I refer to the running game.

 

[Lockhart Road]

if you were to put a % on it, how big was the combined Port/Norwood supporter base of the SANFL public? About 50%? More?

Casting my tiny mind back to the fifties, the era when Port Adelaide established a justifiable dominance in the SANFL ....
Now, this is period when buzzwords like gerimander were unheard-of outside of political Playford World. This is before there came a redrawing of boundaries to make room for Woodville and Central Districts (Playford World) .... ( I can only assume that the name 'Central Districts' was hit upon because the SANFL brains tripe had visions of Alice Springs and NT coming into the competition) .
In the fifties, when Port won seven flags, lost one, half the working class football population (hey, didn't Ken use 'working class' last week?) ... I would say was split 35% Port, 25% Norwood, 15% West Torrens, 15% West Adelaide, 10% pretenders.