Club History Before the Crows, there was the Redlegs

[Norwood1878]

Rexie J

Actor Anthony Lapaglia

 

[Enviable Tradition]

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

True

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

From that great old website Fullpointsfooty.net which is sadly no longer around and John Devany sold it to australianfootball.com who have reproduced a lot of his articles and information but is missing a lot of it. Thankfully most of it availabe thru web archive

https://web.archive.org/web/20100619230420/http://fullpointsfooty.net/port_adelaide_(3).htm

Much more significant, however, were a number of off-field developments, notably in relation to the VFL's ever tightening control over the game's character and destiny. Fully conscious of the way in which the wind had begun to blow, in 1982 the SANFL asked the VFL to consider admitting a composite South Australian team to its competition. Individual clubs such as East Perth and Norwood allegedly did likewise. In most instances, the VFL's response was simply to ignore the approach, which aside from demonstrating rank arrogance on its part, gave the clear impression that it had already concocted its own preferred blueprint for the future of football. As to what that blueprint actually entailed, there was some doubt - a point to which Port Adelaide's 1982 Annual Report made somewhat bitter reference:

The anticipated composite South Australian side entering the VFL competition did not eventuate and (the) national competition still appears a long way off. One must ask does the 'Big V' want the game to go national, or does it still believe that the bleeding of clubs of their good players in other states is the path to tread? Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia are now coming in for more than their fair share of plundering and yet through it all some clubs in the VFL are declaring huge financial losses and until sanity is restored throughout Australia in the world of Australian Rules football, many more clubs will face financial ruin. The current economic climate is not encouraging and it is encumbent (sic.) upon us all to have a really serious think about where we are going and what we can do for our club. (See footnote 23)

23. 'Port Adelaide Football Club Inc. Annual Report and Balance Sheet Season 1982', page 11. As to the question of whether the VFL actually had a distinct blueprint for the future of football in mind at this point, I have my doubts. The VFL's pseudo-national expansion process was, I believe, much more a result of knee-jerk economic expediency than careful planning.

 

[Lockhart Road]

From that great old website Fullpointsfooty.net which is sadly no longer around and John Devany sold it to australianfootball.com who have reproduced a lot of his articles and information but is missing a lot of it. Thankfully most of it availabe thru web archive

https://web.archive.org/web/20100619230420/http://fullpointsfooty.net/port_adelaide_(3).htm

Much more significant, however, were a number of off-field developments, notably in relation to the VFL's ever tightening control over the game's character and destiny. Fully conscious of the way in which the wind had begun to blow, in 1982 the SANFL asked the VFL to consider admitting a composite South Australian team to its competition. Individual clubs such as East Perth and Norwood allegedly did likewise. In most instances, the VFL's response was simply to ignore the approach, which aside from demonstrating rank arrogance on its part, gave the clear impression that it had already concocted its own preferred blueprint for the future of football. As to what that blueprint actually entailed, there was some doubt - a point to which Port Adelaide's 1982 Annual Report made somewhat bitter reference:

The anticipated composite South Australian side entering the VFL competition did not eventuate and (the) national competition still appears a long way off. One must ask does the 'Big V' want the game to go national, or does it still believe that the bleeding of clubs of their good players in other states is the path to tread? Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia are now coming in for more than their fair share of plundering and yet through it all some clubs in the VFL are declaring huge financial losses and until sanity is restored throughout Australia in the world of Australian Rules football, many more clubs will face financial ruin. The current economic climate is not encouraging and it is encumbent (sic.) upon us all to have a really serious think about where we are going and what we can do for our club. (See footnote 23)

23. 'Port Adelaide Football Club Inc. Annual Report and Balance Sheet Season 1982', page 11. As to the question of whether the VFL actually had a distinct blueprint for the future of football in mind at this point, I have my doubts. The VFL's pseudo-national expansion process was, I believe, much more a result of knee-jerk economic expediency than careful planning.

Did any of the other SANFL clubs, or the SANFL itself, also mention this in their 1982 annual reports?
If anyone can compile a file on this, it is you.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Did any of the other SANFL clubs, or the SANFL itself, also mention this in their annual reports?
If anyone can compile a file on this, it is you.

I will check John Devany's Norwood history page because I am prepared to bet none of the 8 clubs ever bothered. If I get to the state library I will check the 1982 SANFL annual report.

 

[Magpiespower]

If I get to the state library I will check the 1982 SANFL annual report.

Pretty sure Don Roach's presentation gets a mention in that...

 

[Lockhart Road]

Pretty sure Don Roach's presentation gets a mention in that...

In that case the history of the SANFL's attitude (1982) towards involvement in a national competition dates years earlier than generally accepted. This might or might not be laudible for them but, if PAFC is the sole club recorded as being in favour but stymied by VFL parochialism and chronic insolvency, this reflects well and justifiably so on the Club's penchant for anticipating the future ... a la China.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Mr Devany's Norwood page is silent about Norwood's views on any possible national league. But that shouldn't surprise anyone that Norwood would not go public with their desires.

East Perth were years ahead of everybody. Read their submission in October 1980 to the VFL and you can see how visionary they were and ahead of the pack - by that I mean everybody. The VFL rejected it and didnt even comment on their proposal.

http://www.amnet.net.au/~daveiza/royals/vfl.html
Fight On East Perth - Applying to Join VFL
A Different Vision...
As the 80's dawned the VFL further grew as the 'premier' competition to be playing in, and hence more and more of the WAFL's best players were looking towards heading east.

East Perth Club President Jim Leahy observed, "Our prognosis for Western Australian football is that it is destined for second class status because of the continual loss of quality players to Victoria."

Hence at the end of the 1980 season East Perth put in an application to join the VFL.

Below is a portion of that application, dated October 15, 1980. You'd have to say East Perth's thinking was not only a few years ahead of the 1987 birth of the West Coast Eagles, but also looked at the ramifications of such a decision instead of ignoring them.

However despite the foresite shown by East Perth, the VFL declined the application returning it without comment giving the impression it was beneath their dignity. The reality though was they were already planning an interstate expansion of their league - one which however did not look at incorporating the traditions of the other football states but rather was more motivated by self-interest. 25 years on we see many of the traditional VFL clubs are struggling, and the traditions and history of state leagues prior to the AFL are now considered of little worth by the majority and are only given scant consideration by the AFL through token entries in the 'Hall of Fame' - as if their existance meant nothing to the current make up of the national league.

1. Admission of the East Perth Football Club to the Victorian Football League is practicable within two or three years upon the following considerations:
1.1 The invitation of a second West Australian team into the competition at the same time.
1.2 The benefits that will accrue to the Victorian Football League and its existing constituent clubs and
1.3 The benefits that will accrue to the game of Australian Football and to its followers within Western Australia.

2. The invitation of a second W.A. team into the V.F.L. is proposed so that regular continuity of competition between an even number of teams can be sustained, and so that one V.F.L. match can be played in Perth each week.

3. The concept is of 14 teams playing against each other twice in a 26-week competition preceding the finals, to be played in Melbourne.

4. The two West Australian teams would play one week at home and one away, meeting each other twice in Perth, and with both teams domiciled, for V.F.L. purposes, at the one ground.

5. West Australian interest in V.F.L. football is already at a high level and it is considered the regular participation by local teams would attract crowds at least commensurate with the averages on Victorian grounds.

6. The club proposes that consideration be given to the prospect of playing the V.F.L. games in Perth on Sundays for two pertinent reasons; The introduction of direct telecasts, And the interests of the W.A.F.L.

7. Transport and accommodation costs of the two teams travelling interstate each week are not considered a deterrent. They could be supplied as a direct contra for T.V. rights to the visiting teams' home State, or as an offset to charges for such rights.

8. W.A. participation in the manner planned will not only excite a higher public interest in V.F.L. in W.A., but will also ensure to the Victorian public that the game they follow will continue to bring to them the very best of interstate footballers, some of whom, under today's system, are never seen on Melbourne grounds.

9. Clubs of the V.F.L. have already shown a concerned awareness of the problems put upon them by the eternal search for footballers. Their genuine efforts to overcome them in recent discussions indicate a concern similar to our own. We believe that the alternative we now offer provides a far better remedy than any other yet produced.

10. The internal benefits to accrue to Victoria from a true national competition conducted by the V.F.L. might well be exceeded by the Australia-wide interest that could be promoted. Interstate TV rights - as distinct from contra, or offset deals,could be an added bonus for instance.

11. As State participation is enlarged national following will grow as will direct interest by all the interstate media, newspapers, radio and T.V.

12. Put on trial for, say two years as a test of the worth of national competition, it would provide all of the answers to the formation, administration and promotion problems of a fully national competition under the V.F.L. banner and control.

14. The football-following public in W.A. would be offered the best of two worlds on their own doorsteps. However there must be a legitimate query as to the resultant effects upon the W.A.F.L. competition and its future.

15. We dealt in earlier references with the prospects for the future of the W.A.F.L. competition, and repeat our belief that untreated for the existing malady it is due for second-class status at some time in the future.

16.To ignore the need for betterment and to deny the prospects of a national competition ultimately extending to W.A. would only hasten that future day.

17. It is therefore necessary to examine the possible effects of such a competition, introduced with W.A. participation, against the relative effects of any other development, or the continued status quo.

18. East Perth has no doubt whatsoever that the benefits of its proposal will easily outweigh any potential harm. Clearly the game of football in W.A., as an institution, will gain considerably, and clearly the participating clubs will be placed in a position from which they, too, may gain.

19. The effect upon non-participating clubs of those now in the W.A.F.L. would be no more than careful planning produces. Healthy and virile competition would still exist, probably without the heavy financial burdens of today.

20.Should EIGHT teams remain in the W.A.F.L. competition significant public support for premiership matches would continue.

21. Moreover it is our confirmed view that any true assessment of the total situation must lead to the conclusion that whatever the influence of W.A. participation in the V.F.L. it would never be so damaging as to allow today's trends to continue.

22. The advantages to W.A. in brief
22.1 It would end forever the free flow of talented W.A. footballers to the Eastern States, and particularly to Melbourne. They would be able to join the V.F.L., remain in W.A., and play before home crowds.
(obviously, considerable work would have to be done in establishing clearance regulations applicable to the new situation; boundary rights would need to be defined vis-a-vis the V.F.L. teams in W.A., and the clubs of the W.A.F.L. etc., etc.)
22.2 It would bring to the West Australian public a standard of football of national quality and a true sense of participation in a national competition.
22.3 It would not deprive W.A.F.L. clubs in a big loss of following, and financial debits would outweigh the credits to be gained from reduced player-commitments.
(East Perth would propose that V.F.L. games played in this State should be conducted on Sundays, thus providing the many thousands of potential followers now otherwise engaged on Saturdays, with the opportunity to watch top-class football, and also avoiding a direct clash with the W.A.F.L.)
22.4 (Furthermore, East Perth would suggest that the two clubs admitted to the V.F.L. should also remain in the W.A.F.L. competition on Saturdays, fully involved in League, Reserves and Colts competitions as they are today. Problems of ground usage and allocation would have to be dealt with, but we can see a few alternatives, some of which would provide a spur to public interest in the W.A.F.L. Competition.)

In summary -
Western Australia as a State will benefit immensely from the participation of local teams in the V.F.L.
Football throughout Australia will successfully negotiate its first step toward the establishment of a true National competition.

Western Australia will retain, within the State, the top football talent currently being drained interstate.
Football will retain its position of pre-eminence as the major sports interest of the West Australian (and Australian) followers.

Clubs of the W.A.F.L. will not face the risks of today of losing top footballers to the V.F.L.
Public interest in, and following of, the W.A.F.L. will remain at a very high level with a reduction in commitments of the kind that are now driving most clubs toward insolvency.

FINALLY
We appreciate that all of the foregoing touches only lightly upon the total ramifications of the proposal. A great deal of homework has been done, but considerable study and negotiation is necessary to ensure its successful implementation

http://www.amnet.net.au/~daveiza/royals/vfl.html


I found this Big Footy History thread which had the above link and this article confirming it was a publically known bid.

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/1980-east-perth-applies-to-join-the-vfl.1085739/

Canberra Times, October 16th 1980 pg 48
Trove reference: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article125628291

 

[Angus Young]

And now Norwood and ex Norwood fans are stuck between supporting a 'club' created in a board room that is a mockery of their real footy roots yet who's image is a representation of the upper class conservatism that they aspire to or a real footy club that they respect for it's history bit who's working class roots they can't resonate with.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

This is spot on... Norwood supporters are lost.

Port V Norwood would of been amazing..the rivalry was intense and bringing this real rivalry into the AFL would of been amazing... unlike the made up plastic franchise sunday outing crows supporters.

 

[Lockhart Road]

Mr Devany's Norwood page is silent about Norwood's views on any possible national league. But that shouldn't surprise anyone that Norwood would not go public with their desires.

East Perth were years ahead of everybody. Read their submission in October 1980 to the VFL and you can see how visionary they were and ahead of the pack - by that I mean everybody. The VFL rejected it and didnt even comment on their proposal.

http://www.amnet.net.au/~daveiza/royals/vfl.html
Fight On East Perth - Applying to Join VFL
A Different Vision...
As the 80's dawned the VFL further grew as the 'premier' competition to be playing in, and hence more and more of the WAFL's best players were looking towards heading east.

East Perth Club President Jim Leahy observed, "Our prognosis for Western Australian football is that it is destined for second class status because of the continual loss of quality players to Victoria."

Hence at the end of the 1980 season East Perth put in an application to join the VFL.

Below is a portion of that application, dated October 15, 1980. You'd have to say East Perth's thinking was not only a few years ahead of the 1987 birth of the West Coast Eagles, but also looked at the ramifications of such a decision instead of ignoring them.

However despite the foresite shown by East Perth, the VFL declined the application returning it without comment giving the impression it was beneath their dignity. The reality though was they were already planning an interstate expansion of their league - one which however did not look at incorporating the traditions of the other football states but rather was more motivated by self-interest.



http://www.amnet.net.au/~daveiza/royals/vfl.html


I found this Big Footy History thread which had the above link and this article confirming it was a publically known bid.

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/1980-east-perth-applies-to-join-the-vfl.1085739/

Canberra Times, October 16th 1980 pg 48
Trove reference: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article125628291

Visionary. Well done the Sandgropers.
Note that Allen Aylett was top dog of the VFL at the time. Any procrastination would not have come from him. He wanted Port Adelaide in the national comp from Realisation Day 1 ... and I can confirm that from a personal chat I had over a beer with him in 1993-1994 in the Foreign Correspondents' Club, Hong Kong.
Need to read 'Phoenix Rises' again.

 

[Lockhart Road]

This is spot on... Norwood supporters are lost.

Port V Norwood would of been amazing..the rivalry was intense and bringing this real rivalry into the AFL would of been amazing... unlike the made up plastic franchise sunday outing crows supporters.

Concur.
That this footy rivalry, a rusted-on component of my childhood and adolescence, hasn't transcended as it should is a reflection of the inherent weakness of the Norwood Football Club as much as anything else.
And this takes us back to the question GremioPower posed in creating this thread.
The national and thus international demise, relatively speaking, of the Redlegs came about because of their tacit acceptance that they had no right to lead, only to follow.

 

[GremioPower]

Mr Devany's Norwood page is silent about Norwood's views on any possible national league. But that shouldn't surprise anyone that Norwood would not go public with their desires.

East Perth were years ahead of everybody. Read their submission in October 1980 to the VFL and you can see how visionary they were and ahead of the pack - by that I mean everybody. The VFL rejected it and didnt even comment on their proposal.

http://www.amnet.net.au/~daveiza/royals/vfl.html
Fight On East Perth - Applying to Join VFL
A Different Vision...
As the 80's dawned the VFL further grew as the 'premier' competition to be playing in, and hence more and more of the WAFL's best players were looking towards heading east.

East Perth Club President Jim Leahy observed, "Our prognosis for Western Australian football is that it is destined for second class status because of the continual loss of quality players to Victoria."

Hence at the end of the 1980 season East Perth put in an application to join the VFL.

Below is a portion of that application, dated October 15, 1980. You'd have to say East Perth's thinking was not only a few years ahead of the 1987 birth of the West Coast Eagles, but also looked at the ramifications of such a decision instead of ignoring them.

However despite the foresite shown by East Perth, the VFL declined the application returning it without comment giving the impression it was beneath their dignity. The reality though was they were already planning an interstate expansion of their league - one which however did not look at incorporating the traditions of the other football states but rather was more motivated by self-interest. 25 years on we see many of the traditional VFL clubs are struggling, and the traditions and history of state leagues prior to the AFL are now considered of little worth by the majority and are only given scant consideration by the AFL through token entries in the 'Hall of Fame' - as if their existance meant nothing to the current make up of the national league.



http://www.amnet.net.au/~daveiza/royals/vfl.html


I found this Big Footy History thread which had the above link and this article confirming it was a publically known bid.

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/1980-east-perth-applies-to-join-the-vfl.1085739/

Canberra Times, October 16th 1980 pg 48
Trove reference: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article125628291

Interesting. I was wrong. Two points: (a) no merger could ignore WAFA; and (b) WAFA and SANFL should have engaged on merger talks 10 years earlier than I've imagined — that is, late 60's/early 70's.

In late 70's, VFL knew it had all the leverage already.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

This one is for GremioPower, From that great old website Fullpointsfooty.net, this is why the SANFL is the SANFL and not SAFL. If you want to learn about the history of Australian Football all around Australia not just Victoria and the AFL most of his website is available at
https://web.archive.org/web/20110721021222/http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/

https://web.archive.org/web/20100620003351/http://fullpointsfooty.net/1927_to_1932.htm
1927: The Australasian Football Council becomes known as the Australian National Football Council (ANFC). Four of the state/territory controlling bodies adopt similar name changes: the South Australian Football League becomes the South Australian National Football League (SANFL); the New South Wales Australian Football League becomes the New South Wales Australian National Football League (NSWANFL); the Queensland Football League becomes the Queensland Australian National Football League (QANFL); and the name of the Federal Territory Australian Rules Football League is changed to the Canberra Australian National Football League (CANFL). The VFL win sixth Australian interstate championship series, held in Melbourne. Canberra, having been granted honorary membership of the Australian National Football Council (formerly Australasian Football Council), play first ever full scale representative match, losing 8.11 (59) to 9.10 (64) against Queensland in Canberra.

1928: TFL becomes known as Tasmanian Australian National Football League (TANFL).

1932: Name of Western Australian Football League changed to Western Australian National Football League (WANFL)


1964: Central District and Woodville enter SANFL producing a 10 club competition. QANFL becomes Queensland Australian Football League (QAFL).
https://web.archive.org/web/20110806080328/http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/1972_to_1976.htm
1974: The New South Wales Australian National Football League becomes the New South Wales Australian Football League (NSWAFL).

1975: Name of CANFL changed to Australian Capital Territory Football League (ACTAFL).

https://web.archive.org/web/20110806080344/http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/1977_to_1980.htm
1980:...... Name of WANFL reverts to WAFL

https://web.archive.org/web/20110927011933/http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/Nightcliff.htm
1986: ...... TANFL is re-named Tasmanian Football League (TFL) and becomes a state-wide competition, with 8 teams, including 2 from the north of the state

 

[Angus Young]

Concur.
That this footy rivalry, a rusted-on component of my childhood and adolescence, hasn't transcended as it should is a reflection of the inherent weakness of the Norwood Football Club as much as anything else.
And this takes us back to the question GremioPower posed in creating this thread.
The national and thus international demise, relatively speaking, of the Redlegs came about because of their tacit acceptance that they had no right to lead, only to follow.

well said...

imagine if we had:

Carlton/ Collingwood
Geelong/Hawthorn
Port/Norwood

I'm getting moist..

 

[SgtSchulz]

From that great old website Fullpointsfooty.net which is sadly no longer around and John Devany sold it to australianfootball.com who have reproduced a lot of his articles and information but is missing a lot of it. Thankfully most of it availabe thru web archive

https://web.archive.org/web/20100619230420/http://fullpointsfooty.net/port_adelaide_(3).htm

Much more significant, however, were a number of off-field developments, notably in relation to the VFL's ever tightening control over the game's character and destiny. Fully conscious of the way in which the wind had begun to blow, in 1982 the SANFL asked the VFL to consider admitting a composite South Australian team to its competition. Individual clubs such as East Perth and Norwood allegedly did likewise. In most instances, the VFL's response was simply to ignore the approach, which aside from demonstrating rank arrogance on its part, gave the clear impression that it had already concocted its own preferred blueprint for the future of football. As to what that blueprint actually entailed, there was some doubt - a point to which Port Adelaide's 1982 Annual Report made somewhat bitter reference:

The anticipated composite South Australian side entering the VFL competition did not eventuate and (the) national competition still appears a long way off. One must ask does the 'Big V' want the game to go national, or does it still believe that the bleeding of clubs of their good players in other states is the path to tread? Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia are now coming in for more than their fair share of plundering and yet through it all some clubs in the VFL are declaring huge financial losses and until sanity is restored throughout Australia in the world of Australian Rules football, many more clubs will face financial ruin. The current economic climate is not encouraging and it is encumbent (sic.) upon us all to have a really serious think about where we are going and what we can do for our club. (See footnote 23)

23. 'Port Adelaide Football Club Inc. Annual Report and Balance Sheet Season 1982', page 11. As to the question of whether the VFL actually had a distinct blueprint for the future of football in mind at this point, I have my doubts. The VFL's pseudo-national expansion process was, I believe, much more a result of knee-jerk economic expediency than careful planning.

The australianfootball.com page needs a bit of an update for Port Adelaide in my opinion.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Just back to the potential Fitzroy-North merger from last year's story looking back 20 years.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...he-super-team-that-wasnt-20160507-gooqv5.html
It's a notion not lost on the man who was Kangaroos coach at the time, Denis Pagan, who led the club to two premierships. "I wasn't that sure whether I was super keen on it [the merger], but I sort of warmed to it, but look, as soon as it looked like it was all on it, was all over and we just sort of moved on quickly from it," Pagan conceded last week. "I suppose you don't even think of that at the time. I still remember Kevin Sheedy's words to me when I was assistant in '92 and [he said]: 'It's very hard to win a premiership in the VFL' and in the AFL it is two or three times as hard with interstate teams and that sort of stuff."
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...he-super-team-that-wasnt-20160507-gooqv5.html

 

[chiwigi]

GremioPower, this is the type of derby and rivalry that you are more accustomed to. Not the Crows schmozzle.

 

[NoddyHolder]

this thread's been great reading. Well done GremioPower

 

[Gravel]

Agree that the Port vs Norwood rivalry should have extended to the AFL. The Crows are a rival but Norwood are a respected rival.

 

[Established1870]

Norwood will always be our #1 rival IMO. Richmond fans seem to think they're our #2 so that leaves the Tingles at #3.

Fair effort to be the state side of SA and to see the other SA side in the national comp not even have you in their top 2 rivals.

 

[Schulzenfest]

Norwood will always be our #1 rival IMO. Richmond fans seem to think they're our #2 so that leaves the Tingles at #3.

Fair effort to be the state side of SA and to see the other SA side in the national comp not even have you in their top 2 rivals.

**** that. It's 2017. Norwood are irrelevant. They're our #18 rival just behind GWS.

 

[Magpiespower]

“Let’s face it - football in South Australia is Port Adelaide.”
- Bruce Weber, PAFC President 1986-1992 and football visionary.

Had some time to kill yesterday so I popped into the State Library. Flicked through a couple of books and jotted down some key dates in the whole national comp timeline. I'll add more as I go...

1981

SANFL directors unanimously resolve for a full-scale investigation into the possibility of Adelaide clubs playing in the VFL.

1982

SANFL presentation to the VFL board about a composite Adelaide side joining the competition. Depending on the source:

• Don Roach made the presentation (SANFL)
• Don Roach and John Swain made the presentation (Abernethy)
• Max Basheer made the presentation (Oakley)

VFL General Manager Jack Hamilton informs SANFL that the league directors had rejected their proposal because they feared an SA team would be too strong.

1984

John Elliott proposes a breakaway league with all 12 existing VFL clubs plus two teams each from SA and WA.

National comp is discussed at a meeting between SANFL and WAFL officials.

“South Australians can’t trust WA,” Basheer coldly tells WA colleague Richard Colless. “When push comes to shove, you always side with the Victorians.”

Colless noted that the Victorians, despite their arrogance and lack of vision, were always better to deal with because they were flexible and you could “strike a deal” with them. South Australians were rigid.

1986

SANFL rebuff VFL invitation to join an expanded 14-team comp. The $4m licence fee was a major sticking point. WA accept the invitation and the Brisbane Bears are born.

SA remain interested in joining the VFL, perhaps as early as 1988.

Deputation from Norwood announced it was interested in joining at “any time in the future.”

Private consortium led by Ken Eustice expresses interest in buying the licence.

1987

VFL expands to fourteen clubs with the addition of the West Coast Eagles and Brisbane Bears.

November - SANFL sub-committee, formed to investigate a possible entry into the VFL, meets with the VFL commission in Melbourne. Talks break down and SA is no closer to fielding a team in the VFL.

1990

May - SANFL board advise the AFL commission that it would consider joining the league in 1993 on two conditions:

1. It would not pay the $4m licence fee
2. League would be restricted to 14 teams

June - AFL officials John Adams and Ian Collins fly to Adelaide and make a full presentation to Norwood about joining the comp. They also spoke to Port and floated the possibility of a merger between the traditional rivals.

5 July - Caretaker AFL CEO Alan Schwab, filling in for Ross Oakley who was on a short break, invited to speak at a Port luncheon on August 22.

7 July - Bruce Weber meets with Schwab at AFL House and they strike up an instant rapport.

Mid-July - Weber and Port administrators meet with Oakley, Schwab, Greg Durham and Barry Capuano, the AFL consultant on interstate clubs, to progress talks about Port becoming the AFL’s 15th club.

29 July - Mike Sheahan breaks the story in The Sunday Age and all hell breaks loose in dear old Adelaide.



SOURCES

Abernethy, Bruce. (1990). From a Port to a Power. Kent Town: Wakefield Press.
Linnell, Gary. (1995). Football Ltd: the inside story of the AFL. Sydney: Ironbark.
Oakley, Ross. (2014). The Phoenix Rises. Richmond: Slattery Media Group.

 

[Magpiespower]

1994

6 April - Port submits business plan to SANFL, asking it to be a partner in its AFL bid.

25 May - "The Cartel" - four-team bid comprising North, West, Central and Eagles - is born.

Mid-June - SANFL Future Direction committee releases 200-page report recommending the 2nd license be granted to a club formed by a two-team merger.

The next day - Norwood and Sturt announce their joint bid (WHAT A COINCIDENCE!!!)

23 June - Glenelg and South get in on the act, too.

A few weeks later - Ross Oakley teases: “I think football owes Port something.”

July - SANFL strategy paper suggests the second license be granted to Port and the Crows move to Norwood.

9 August - Glenelg walk out on South.

14 September - Port, Norwood/Sturt and The Cartel lodge their bids.

2 October - Port claims 32nd premiership, beating the Eagles in a famous grand final comeback win.

11 October - Nine-man committee begins assessing bids.

13 December - Port awarded the 2nd AFL license from SA.

 

[70sDinosaur]

Those SANFL "conditions" of May 1990 were laughable.

And to think Basheer and co had the gall to call the Victorians arrogant.

 

[Portology]

Agree that the Port vs Norwood rivalry should have extended to the AFL. The Crows are a rival but Norwood were a respected rival.

FTFY

Norwood will always be our #1 rival IMO. Richmond fans seem to think they're our #2 so that leaves the Tingles at #3.

Fair effort to be the state side of SA and to see the other SA side in the national comp not even have you in their top 2 rivals.

Well Richmond fans would know their #2's, but I'm ****ed if I remember eating one.

**** that. It's 2017. Norwood are irrelevant. They're our #18 rival just behind GWS.

I finally tracked down a copy of "Men of Norwood: Red and Blue Blooded", it's a good piece of work with some good insight into the playing group culture and infighting that eventually dragged them down the table for a quarter century post WWII.

Their next history book should be called "Neverwould"