His star didnt shine long, but it shined bright -.Adam Saliba
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Remember he couldn't play one week because he was drunk in lock up the morning of the match.
Not an enigma. Didnt last long in the Sanfl either. Some players just cant handle the expectations and grind of professional and semi professional sport. Also he weighed in at over 90 kegs for a guy only 5'9 (Lachlan Murphy's height, Murphy is only 81 kegs). The picture for me is this was a guy with all the natural talent in the world but training and fitness was simply not his thing.
budget
Team Captain
I am sure he sits in the corner of a pub somewhere as the bloke who tells everyone he had all the talent, but was "unlucky"....
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- May 21, 2001
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Unfortunately talent only gets you so far... as also need the mental desire.
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Did he have recreational drug issues?
Yep, used to love a dart at half time
- May 16, 2015
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Was he going bald.
Firewalker
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
The guy up and leaving in the middle of the season to go on a road trip interstate with a mate for a rock concert is still an all-timer
- May 21, 2001
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Guns n Roses...
According to one of those 1990s fan books, he was at least honest about it after the event.
"Why weren't you at training Adam?"
"Sorry, I had to go to the Guns n Roses concert in Melbourne Cornesy"
John Who
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You could say..Adam was the forefather of Crows premature retirees!
On a more serious note, it’s pretty rare to see someone have such a bright start to an AFL career and then fizzled out almost instantly. One can wonder how much of it was due to drugs/mental health, as the culture back then was mostly to stay quiet about these issues.
On a more serious note, it’s pretty rare to see someone have such a bright start to an AFL career and then fizzled out almost instantly. One can wonder how much of it was due to drugs/mental health, as the culture back then was mostly to stay quiet about these issues.
I still remember one games - it may have been a preseason games vs Blues - a commentator calling him 'a faster, more skillful Andrew Jarman type'
Not too many bigger compliments
Along with Seb Packer, Peter Turner (both had injuries) and a few others he was an absolute standout youngster.
This may have been discussed over the years on BF but our initial (generous) draft concessions coincided with the most elite group of young SA players EVER coming through (or at least equal to mid/late 80's Jarmans x 2, Sticks, Naley, Bradley and Motley). To have Rehn, Roo, Smart, Hart, Wellman (D Jarman), Modra, Groom (Mc Leod) set us up for both flags in a HUGE way
Funny how it worked out, next best crop was the teal cup winning side that all amazingly sat out of the draft at once and then declared eligibility when Port Power was created in 97 and a lot of those blokes were integral to the 04 flag in Tredrea, Francou, Dew etc
- Jul 19, 2010
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Amazingly, Adam Saliba played in that famous 1992 State of Origin game, the one where Wayne Carey and Tony Hall (the pocket) lit up the game in the last quarter.
Neither Carey nor Saliba ever played State of Origin for SA again — for very different reasons!
Have a look at this team. Saliba must pinch himself. He only played three AFL games.
Neither Carey nor Saliba ever played State of Origin for SA again — for very different reasons!
Have a look at this team. Saliba must pinch himself. He only played three AFL games.
- Jul 19, 2010
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Sign of the times.
There was a bit of a prevailing wisdom back then that you would pick a handful of young guys who you had earmarked as being superstars who would likely play a lot of State of Origin football through their careers.
It’s how Adam Saliba would’ve been selected, but a few others whose AFL careers had not really taken off yet were Modra, Wanganeen and Carey.
That game actually raised Carey’s stocks quite a bit, so much so they changed the eligibility rules.
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There were a heap of outs (see the start of the video).
Evidently Brett Chalmers was in the squad as the only SANFL player. This is two years before he was drafted.
The other SANFL listed player was Garry McIntosh, however he didn’t play. This was because Cornes knew he was too soft for the level, otherwise he would have played for the crows. A fat bloke with a mullet was picked instead.
Ok I might have made that up and McIntosh may have just been injured.
Cracking game, I was there.
More surprisingly Mark Naley was selected whilst playing for South Adelaide.
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I think there's a couple of SANFL guys in there? Maybe Naley was back by then?
But I agree with everything you're saying - this was a GREAT game, which I attended with Sanders as young lads! It's on the SANFL app, if anyone is interested.
yep they had 4-5 players sit out of drafts that the AFL discovered and I think included P Burgoyne and Lade also...luckily they REALLY choked in the early 2000's (finishing top multiple times) then getting rolled in week one at home each time before their one and only flag - otherwise they could easily have at least 3 flags now
Just noticed I missed Plat the Rat from my mid 80s gun players as well who was the only one to win a Brownlow
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