Club History Before the Crows, there was the Redlegs

[Norwood1878]

What was the surrounding area of footy park like at that point? Presumably a number of houses being built? I only know Footy Park as it is now with established houses surrounding the oval.

I've got some good memories of FP also. I remember when I was a little whipper snapper going to a couple of escort cup grand finals with school, I think one year we played Glenelg and one year Woodville.

I find it strange that we didn't use, or weren't able to successfully negotiate with the SACA, to use AO for finals.

 

[Rexie J]

That's what I remember of the Norwood area and its supporters growing up as a kid in the mid to late 70's and as a young adult of the early to mid 80's. I had uncles and aunts and my folks cousins, family friends who grew up in that area and are Norwood supporters. My dad was a truck driver and he would take me on deliveries on school holidays to some of these suburbs. I grew up in Hope Valley, first primary school was in Windsor Gardens so I know exactly what you are saying. Its why I have never had a hatred of Norwood supporters like some. Bloody hate losing to them but respect them. The many supporters I came across were as tough and hard, not any chardonnay set.

Similar thoughts REH. Simply knowing about and perhaps acknowledging just how formidable on field opponents Norwood and W A actually were, underlines just how great the Port Adelaide teams were in Foster's era of 6.

It doesn't mean you have to like or revere or care about Nwd or W A but those teams had some highly talented players but Port was just superior

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Similar thoughts REH. Simply knowing about and perhaps acknowledging just how formidable on field opponents Norwood and W A actually were, underlines just how great the Port Adelaide teams were in Foster's era of 6.

It doesn't mean you have to like or revere or care about Nwd or W A but those teams had some highly talented players but Port was just superior

What would have been if Fos stayed at West Adelaide and then coached them? How many GF's did we beat Westies by and all by small margins - 3?

 

[Ford Fairlane]

After 1973 North lost Barrie Robran to that knee injury, Neil Sachse went to Footscray and suffered his terrible injury, Bob Hammond went to Norwood, Dennis Sachse' s knee was shot.

That was pretty much the end of North especially the injury to the ethereal Robran that brought so many other lesser players back to the field.

 

[simmo_bc]

What would have been if Fos stayed at West Adelaide and then coached them? How many GF's did we beat Westies by and all by small margins - 3?

I never knew that WA were also strong during that era. My father told me that they used to be quite a wealthy club, plenty of rich benefactors?

 

[Rexie J]

What would have been if Fos stayed at West Adelaide and then coached them? How many GF's did we beat Westies by and all by small margins - 3?

There are some thoughts that should remain just thoughts REH

 

[Rexie J]

I never knew that WA were also strong during that era. My father told me that they used to be quite a wealthy club, plenty of rich benefactors?

From and including 1954 to 1962. Port played Norwood in two GFs and West Adelaide 5 times.

I was at the '58, '59 '60 '61 '62 GFs (as were a couple of others on this forum)

 

[simmo_bc]

From and including 1954 to 1962. Port played Norwood in two GFs and West Adelaide 5 times.

I was at the '58, '59 '60 '61 '62 GFs (as were a couple of others on the forum)

My mum was there, tells me stories of my grandparents dropping her and her friends off at the crack of dawn to line up for tickets!

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

I never knew that WA were also strong during that era. My father told me that they used to be quite a wealthy club, plenty of rich benefactors?

I just checked and it was 3 GF's that Fos as captain coach beat WA by 3,16 and 2 pts and then Motley's team beat them by 10 points and then Fos' team in 1962 as non playing coach won by 3 points again.

I have heard Ian Chappell talk a couple of times about Port and how he hates them. His grandpa on mum's side was Sturt champ Victor Richardson, he grew up in Glenelg but his old man Martin and Martin's old man were big WA supporters. He saw all 5 close GF loses. WA boundaries used to start on the western side of King William St. The brewery at the west end of Hindley St was where a lot of West players worked over many years. I think there was a close relationship between SA Brewing and WAFC as a result for decades starting from the late 1800's..

 

[Magpiespower]

I just checked and it was 3 GF's that Fos as captain coach beat WA by 3,16 and 2 pts and then Motley's team beat them by 10 points and then Fos' team in 1962 as non playing coach won by 3 points again.

I have heard Ian Chappell talk a couple of times about Port and how he hates them. His grandpa on mum's side was Sturt champ Victor Richardson, he grew up in Glenelg but his old man Martin and Martin's old man were big WA supporters. He saw all 5 close GF loses. WA boundaries used to start on the western side of King William St. The brewery at the west end of Hindley St was where a lot of West players worked over many years. I think there was a close relationship between SA Brewing and WAFC as a result for decades starting from the late 1800's..

There was a fella - his name escapes me now - but he was a flamboyant Adelaide identity who basically ran Hindley Street back in the day and was heavily involved at Westies.

Old mate was jailed in the 40s for buggery. Got six years or something. But was surprisingly released after a few months.

Because he had all the dirt on the then illegal proclivities of our esteemed judiciary and was gonna tell the whole world about it...

 

[Rexie J]

There was a fella - his name escapes me now - but he was a flamboyant Adelaide identity who basically ran Hindley Street back in the day and was heavily involved at Westies.

Old mate was jailed in the 40s for buggery. Got six years or something. But was surprisingly released after a few months.

Because he had all the dirt on the then illegal proclivities of our esteemed judiciary and was gonna tell the whole world about it...

Westies certainly have had a character or two. Jack Broadstock comes to mind

 

[Magpiespower]

We talk about "almost players" but geez Westies is an "almost powerhouse."

Let prime Fos get away then sack Kerls after he took 'em to consecutive grand finals, including the '61 premiership.

Never mind having The Two Jacks - Oatey and Cahill - coach the club as well.

Westies: kneecapping itself since 1949...

 

[Prison bar Pete]

Footy Park's capacity 80,000! (from 11:33). Is that Max Basheer on the right (11;40)?

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Footy Park's capacity 80,000! (from 11:33). Is that Max Basheer on the right (11;40)?

The original design at Footy Park and Waverely was to be a double decker grandstand all the way round, like the MCG is now. 80k at Footy Park and 130k at Waverley. Neither league understood the effective of TV when they had plans drawn up by the architects.

 

[Magpiespower]

Footy Park's capacity 80,000!

The original plan was for the members stand to go the whole way round...

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

We talk about "almost players" but geez Westies is an "almost powerhouse."

Let prime Fos get away then sack Kerls after he took 'em to consecutive grand finals, including the '61 premiership.

Never mind having The Two Jacks - Oatey and Cahill - coach the club as well.

Westies: kneecapping itself since 1949...

Doug Thomas ran the club for about 40 years so what else would you expect.

 

[raptalia]

So outside of the Adelaide Oval and Footy Park, was Norwood Oval generally considered the best suburban ground in those days? Aside from car parking, which has always been a nightmare at that Oval, I always found it a bit too claustrophobic for me.

Norwood had the grandstands, it had lighting of sorts and was used for baseball and before Football Park some of the end of season interstate club matches were also played there. The playing surface at Norwood was always inferior to Alberton and it is also smaller in size than Alberton. In winter smaller grounds like Norwood, Unley and Glenelg became mud heaps due to poor drainage.

Norwood have not always used the Parade as they originally played at Kensington Oval and the ground was used as a 'neutral' venue by the SANFL until the early In the 1960's. We often played Norwood three times in a season once at Alberton, once at Norwood and once at their de facto home of Kensington. Kensington Oval was taken over by the SA Athletics Assoc. prior to moving to Mile End and was used by Adelaide City when they had a national profile. Donald Bradman also played there quite a bit when he was playing district cricket for Kensington. I cannot ever recall attending a game at Kensington so I do not know what it was like as a ground. Most of the Kensington Oval grounds have now been usurped by Pembroke School.

 

[Rexie J]

http://australianfootball.com/seasons/season/sanfl/107/premiership+season/3/3/1958

Some good info from this site and easy to check other seasons.

Norwood played 1 game at Kensy in 1958. I trained and played on that oval in 1960 while at Norwood High. Great surface, probably due to minimal use. Went to all Port games there from '58 to end '60. I think John McBain debuted as Port fullback at Kensy or at least one of his very early games.. Personal interest as we came from the same town in the SE and knew his family.

 

[Traveling_Power]

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.

I also respect Norwood and I miss talking to knowledgeable Norwood fans about football (and the issues) ...... now we have cow fans who have no bloody idea about football (and the issues) as they talk **** from their glass bubble

 

[Grave Danger]

http://australianfootball.com/seasons/season/sanfl/107/premiership+season/3/3/1958

Some good info from this site and easy to check other seasons.

What a strange season that must have been - Norwood finished fourth with 7 wins and a draw from 18 games

 

[Norwood1878]

http://australianfootball.com/seasons/season/sanfl/107/premiership+season/3/3/1958

Some good info from this site and easy to check other seasons.

Norwood played 1 game at Kensy in 1958. I trained and played on that oval in 1960 while at Norwood High. Great surface, probably due to minimal use. Went to all Port games there from '58 to end '60. I think John McBain debuted as Port fullback at Kensy or at least one of his very early games.. Personal interest as we came from the same town in the SE and knew his family.

Kensy Oval/Olympic Sports Field was used for NHS sports day too.

 

[1954]

http://australianfootball.com/seasons/season/sanfl/107/premiership+season/3/3/1958

Some good info from this site and easy to check other seasons.

Norwood played 1 game at Kensy in 1958. I trained and played on that oval in 1960 while at Norwood High. Great surface, probably due to minimal use. Went to all Port games there from '58 to end '60. I think John McBain debuted as Port fullback at Kensy or at least one of his very early games.. Personal interest as we came from the same town in the SE and knew his family.

I attended 3 or 4 games at Kensington oval from 1959 to 1961, or 62.

In one of them the late Peter Chant played as a rover for the Maggies, and it may have even been his first league game.

My memory of the ground itself was that it was a bit on the small side, but it was quite a good ground from a spectators point of view.

I also remember there were a number of large gum trees about 20 metres from the boundary near the outer half forward flank at the southern end.

 

[GremioPower]

Personally I can't wait for Gremio to create a thread "wow the inaugural crows team was full of glenelgs, what's the deal there?"

Now, I need to check that!

 

[tribey]

... but geez Westies is an "almost powerhouse."

Then there's the calibre of players they've produced in the AFL era: Mark Ricciuto, Shaun Rehn, Tony Modra, Adam Cooney and Tyson Edwards at the very top-end, followed by the likes of Ben Rutten, Sam Fisher, Beau Waters, Scott Welsh, Nathan Eagleton, Matthew Nicks, Hamish Hartlett and Rory Laird.

And yet they're considered a clown car while Centrals win 10 flags off the back of St Kilda rejects and Delta's brother, every now and then popping out a good-ordinary player who manages to have an actual AFL career and not find himself back at the Ponderosa after five minutes.

It's a funny old paradigm.

 

[Magpiespower]

Then there's the calibre of players they've produced in the AFL era: Mark Ricciuto, Shaun Rehn, Tony Modra, Adam Cooney and Tyson Edwards at the very top-end, followed by the likes of Ben Rutten, Sam Fisher, Beau Waters, Scott Welsh, Nathan Eagleton, Matthew Nicks, Hamish Hartlett and Rory Laird.

And yet they're considered a clown car while Centrals win 10 flags off the back of St Kilda rejects and Delta's brother, every now and then popping out a good-ordinary player who manages to have an actual AFL career and not find himself back at the Ponderosa after five minutes.

It's a funny old paradigm.

They also had the incredible misfortune of having their "Golden Era" coincide with ours so there's a bunch of premierships gone begging, and often heartbreakingly so, those poor sonsabitches...