Greg Anderson

[Blind Turn]

Where does he sit in the history of our great club?

Became one of my favourites when he first came to the club. Gave us a lot of outside run and penetration going forward. Was one of the favourites for the Brownlow in 1990 then went to Adelaide in 93 after they joined the comp thus missing out on the 93 premiership in which he would have been in the leadership group. Poor bugger had to endure the 93 prelim debacle as well although he did get named AA that year.

He played 103 games for us. Does he have sons?

 

[hurlygurdy]

Where does he sit in the history of our great club?

Became one of my favourites when he first came to the club. Gave us a lot of outside run and penetration going forward. Was one of the favourites for the Brownlow in 1990 then went to Adelaide in 93 after they joined the comp thus missing out on the 93 premiership in which he would have been in the leadership group. Poor bugger had to endure the 93 prelim debacle as well although he did get named AA that year.

He played 103 games for us. Does he have sons?

Favourite player of mine when i was a kid also... Surprised to hear he was that good actually. Also surprised he was playing for Essendon so late. If i had to guess i would have been thinking 88' 89'

 

[Blind Turn]

He did have a regrettable mullet.
Started at Essendon in 88 with a group of other underwhelming South Australians such as Underwood, Sporn and Antrobus. He was the best of that lot.
Did I mention he had a regrettable mullet?

 

[hurlygurdy]

There's some other type of mullet?
Sporn was okay wasn't he?

 

[Blind Turn]

There's some other type of mullet?
Sporn was okay wasn't he?

Yeah, fair call.

Sporn was a capable player but went missing too often. Ant was more talented but never got a decent run at it.

 

[Summer Nights]

For those a little too young, any photos, articles or vids you can share?

 

[yaco55]

Don't think he ever lived up to his potential. Played good senior footy in the SANFL at 17/18, and was a sought after recruit. Very much an old fashioned winger, with a decent left foot, reasonable pace, good reader of the play, competent mark and good endurance.

Anderson and Sporn were the two 'soft players' targetted by Collingwoood in the 1980 GF.

 

[Beerfish]

Was it really short enough at the front to be called a mullet?

 

[Doss]

Don't think he ever lived up to his potential. Played good senior footy in the SANFL at 17/18, and was a sought after recruit. Very much an old fashioned winger, with a decent left foot, reasonable pace, good reader of the play, competent mark and good endurance.

Anderson and Sporn were the two 'soft players' targetted by Collingwoood in the 1980 GF.

1990?

Anyway, I uncovered this on YouTube. Seems he is coach of Gipps Cross these days:



Couldn't find any Anderson-specific clips from his playing days. He'd be likely to feature in any clip of us from 1988-92. Or in any Adelaide clips from 1993-96.

 

[Blind Turn]

Was it really short enough at the front to be called a mullet?

Yep. Classic straight-haired mullet.

 

[Pweter]

Don't think he ever lived up to his potential. Played good senior footy in the SANFL at 17/18, and was a sought after recruit. Very much an old fashioned winger, with a decent left foot, reasonable pace, good reader of the play, competent mark and good endurance.

Anderson and Sporn were the two 'soft players' targetted by Collingwoood in the 1980 GF.

Anderson was a wingman, plain and simple. He couldn't play anywhere else but he was a damn good wingman in the traditional sense of the position. Yes he was a bit soft but many outside players have been and still are. He was a handy aquisition and gave the side what it needed through his 5 or so years at the club.

I reckon when he went to Adelaide and the game started moving into the professional era it started to catch up with him. All of a sudden he couldn't sit on a wing and have acres of space all game, he started to lose a bit of pace too.

His career should be recalled as a reasonable without ever reaching massive heights.

It was Sporn who started the 1990 GF brawl by belting (I think) Graham Wright though.

Sporn was the building supervisor when I built my house a couple years ago. A nice bloke but he is quite a soft personality so you can understand how it reflected on the field. If there was something you wanted fixed that was any doubt about being contractual you could talk him into fixing it quite easily most of the time.

 

[EnolaGay]

Could play. Great junior at Port Adelaide winning the Magarey Medal, following in Craig Bradley's footsteps. I think we got good value from him. I seem to recall Sheeds using him in some unusual roles, in particular full back on Sumich.

He has got kids and from memory there's boy(s) among them.

 

[monty1104]

For those a little too young, any photos, articles or vids you can share?

 

[Macca18]

Anderson and Sporn were the two 'soft players' targetted by Collingwoood in the 1980 GF.

1990 Grand Final. But correct.

Good player... but he was petrified of Darren Millane's shadow.

 

[Beerfish]

Time certainly softened the mullet in my memory.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Good player and was disappointing when he decided to go back to Adelaide. Paul Hills seemed to fill his role adequately in '93. Image I remember of Anderson was towards end of '93 Prelim and him sitting on the ground near the bench with a look on his face of "shit I wished I stayed another year".

 

[Blind Turn]

Good player and was disappointing when he decided to go back to Adelaide. Paul Hills seemed to fill his role adequately in '93. Image I remember of Anderson was towards end of '93 Prelim and him sitting on the ground near the bench with a look on his face of "shit I wished I stayed another year".

I went to school with Hillsy. First player I ever received a look-away handball from. He actually introduced me to the team (incl Anderson) when I ran into them at the Lorne Pub one pre-season. A shame he couldn't shake off injury later in his career. Was a real athlete.

 

[Rack Watts]

I only just remember him, good runner, well, I think he was, I just remember admiring his hair when he was running. I was 6 when he left Essendon, so >_>

 

[JA27]

sorry to intrude but greg anderson came up in some draft details i was working on the other day,

when greg anderson was picked up by adelaide you received a pick at the beginning of the 2nd Round of the 1993 Preseason Draft as compensation,

this became pick 20 (after 2 priority selections each to sydney and brisbane) and you selected ben doolan of sydney

 

[EnolaGay]

Ahh Ben Doolan, what a beautiful smile he had...

 

[Vtorians]

Ah the good old days when having a Sth Aussie on your list was considered special.
Loved Ando & his smashing left boot.

 

[yaco55]

Anderson was a wingman, plain and simple. He couldn't play anywhere else but he was a damn good wingman in the traditional sense of the position. Yes he was a bit soft but many outside players have been and still are. He was a handy aquisition and gave the side what it needed through his 5 or so years at the club.

I reckon when he went to Adelaide and the game started moving into the professional era it started to catch up with him. All of a sudden he couldn't sit on a wing and have acres of space all game, he started to lose a bit of pace too.

His career should be recalled as a reasonable without ever reaching massive heights.

It was Sporn who started the 1990 GF brawl by belting (I think) Graham Wright though.

Sporn was the building supervisor when I built my house a couple years ago. A nice bloke but he is quite a soft personality so you can understand how it reflected on the field. If there was something you wanted fixed that was any doubt about being contractual you could talk him into fixing it quite easily most of the time.

The story about the GF incident is that Collingwood targetted Sporn and Anderson as the soft links in our team. The brawl started when Banks ankle tapped Sporn, who then decked Banks and then mayhem ensued. This is on public record.

Your summary of Anderson matches up with mine.

 

[saladodger]

Was my favourite player along with Michael Long when I was a young bloke.

 

[NAB777]

Short legs, long body, pretty good player, left too early.

I think a brown paper bag may have been passed around to help him get to the club.

 

[monty1104]

Was named in SEN's bogan team of the century.