SA High flyers...and I was there....

[Diamond Jim]

Editorial - Most of these old press pics show these guys on the way ‘down’...it was rare to see a pic in the Sunday Mail of a high mark at the ‘apex’....

Of those few I collected...Carmens, Robran’s and SEVERAL of Whelan’s marks are not on the web....which is a serious loss to the footy world.

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PART 1 - Regarded as SAs ‘first Modra’ - Sturt full forward Ken Whelan’s league career lasted 10 seasons, but is best remembered for a halcyon three-year spell from 1973 to 1975 which produced 295 goals, including two century-topping seasons..... his overall tally of just 126 SANFL games - which spawned 441 goals - confirms.

Very much a confidence player, Whelan’s best was devastating. He booted 10 goals in a match on three occasions, for example. An excellent and sometimes spectacular high mark, he habitually finished his work with deadly accuracy, but was sometimes susceptible to being pressurised out of a game. In short, players would block his run at the ball.





Passed 28 Dec 2012 age 60.

 

[Diamond Jim]

Rick ‘The Jumbo Prince’ Davies had a great vertical elevation from day dot.

I actually saw his first practice match at Unley oval...where he took a screamer and landed on his head at the bowling club end.

Ricko went on to have a stunning career....a pinnacle was cleaning out Don Scott and breaking even with Dempsey in the Ruck in a state game....not to mention 151 goals in a season in his later years.

Davies was a master of ‘checkside’ rucking...later outlawed...but a great weapon against taller opponents. I could never work out why Hawthorn played him at half fwd....he was easily as good as Scott.

Had he not been up against Blight, Robran and Ebert in vote counting, and his own teammates Bagshaw and Graham...he would have won at least one Magarey medal.

 

[Diamond Jim]

Regrettably Phil Carman only played a few seasons in SA b4 leaving for bigger things - but his rep as a high flyer is still legend in the halls of Norwood football club. I encourage you to watch the vid. - The Sunday Mail pic was better...but as yet has not made it onto the internet.

 

[Diamond Jim]

Barrie Robran could do anything - superb overhead, the vision of Greg Williams, the athleticism of Keith Grieg/Koutafides....and the ability to ‘shift time’ like Rhys-Jones and Pendlebury.

I sincerely believe he was the best footballer SA has ever produced - Ebert was a great accumulator, Blight and Carmen were freakish, Davies dominated the set plays.....but Robran was simply the best at everything....and perfected the 3rd man up.

In the Australian Championship btwn Carlton played North Adelaide - Jezza at CHF had 9 by 3/4 time. Robran moved himself onto him...Jezza got one kick for the last qtr....and North won.

 

[Diamond Jim]

Graham Cornes took some of the most spectacular and highest marks of the SANFL of the 60s/70s - Like Whelan and Davies...you KNEW he would ‘stick one’ - a very competent ruck/rover...he was unlucky he came up against Robran, Ebert and Bagshaw in the middle.

 

[Diamond Jim]

Paul Bagshaw (Hall of famer) was captain of Sturt for three premierships, his opposition during his career included Jack Cahill, Peter Marker, Barrie Robran, Russell Ebert,Phil Carmen Graham Cornes and Francis Bourke in a ‘Champions of Australia’ match - that Sturt won against Richmond.

Robran was the only one who may have clearly beaten him...once.

Bagshaw was the traditional ‘Ruck-Rover’..and like Ebert had magic hands, could kick both feet, and was better ‘in tight’ than Cornes , Carmen or Blight. He also enjoyed taking a speccy...but the opportunities lessened when Davies, Whelan and Bruce Winter joined the club.

 

[Diamond Jim]

Unfo there are little or no pics of Blighty taking a screamer in his Woodville jumper..but he did. Blight favoured the ‘double knees in the back’ launch....rather than the more classic ‘one knee on the shoulder and lift’

Of all the SANFL champs lost to the VFL.....Blights improvement btwn the two leagues was the most notable...the VFL was def the making of him.

 

[Wallaby]

Brilliant.

 

[Gordon Farkas]

"Up until the late 1970s the standard of football in the SANFL was equal to or greater than the VFL, in both per capita and absolute terms."

Discuss.

 

[Diamond Jim]

"Up until the late 1970s the standard of football in the SANFL was equal to or greater than the VFL, in both per capita and absolute terms."

Discuss.

I think SA had as good or better talent from a skills pov.

The Vics were harder, fitter, but crap kicks.

The Vics were clearly more professionally coached..I think Kennedy, Jeans and Barrassi had a lot to do with that. Not so much Hafey.

In SA, Oatey from Sturt was clearly the best tactician...and a skills based coach.

Fos Williams was a Port legend...but he was old school...very Hafey-esque...all about ‘them vs us’ - which worked until Oatey and Kerley came along.

Kerley was shrewd,knew the game, but a little less skills focussed than Oatey.

Mike Patterson knew his football, as did Bob Hammond...but neither had Oatey’s intellect.

Just my view.