South Melbourne Rivalries

[Redfern]

Being a younger fan I've only been aware with the Swans' rivalries against Hawthown, West Coast and the newest iteration against GWS.

But for those in the know and those SMFC fans, who were the traditional rivals of the Swans pre-relocation?

I can't seem to find any info anywhere on it and the tradition of the game intrigues me.

Cheers.

 

[brad cooper]

Being a younger fan I've only been aware with the Swans' rivalries against Hawthown, West Coast and the newest iteration against GWS.

But for those in the know and those SMFC fans, who were the traditional rivals of the Swans pre-relocation?

I can't seem to find any info anywhere on it and the tradition of the game intrigues me.

Cheers.

Our biggest rival was st kilda, both suburbs so close together, once had a crowd of 45000 i think at lake oval for a match.

Look at attendance for 1970 elimination final between the 2 teams. Think it was a record at the time.

 

[The King!]

the balance sheet

 

[bedford]

Easily St Scum ,but we didn't really like anyone else and of course we hated the Filth . Sydney times probably Hawthorn Eagles and North.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Particular contempt was reserved for Carlton and Collingwood. Both always nicked players from poor clubs, inc South.

Not much has changed, except they now treat the GoCo and Lions as their talent incubators.

Going to the old Collingwood ground for a game risked a punch up. Did not deter us.

Carlton and many of their players were stuck up tools.

I never liked Essendon. This deepened after the disastrous Daniher trade and a famous Barney at their dung heap when one of our blokes knocked out a self styled enforcer. They screamed like stuck pigs in the media and our bloke copped a long suspension.

Bedford is right about St Kilda. Our Ovals were effectively at different ends of Albert Park Lake. Ordinary Club and worse supporters.

Nevermuch liked other Clubs, tho I had a soft spot for Fitzroy.

 

[connolly]

Particular contempt was reserved for Carlton and Collingwood. Both always nicked players from poor clubs, inc South.

Not much has changed, except they now treat the GoCo and Lions as their talent incubators.

Going to the old Collingwood ground for a game risked a punch up. Did not deter us.

Carlton and many of their players were stuck up tools.

I never liked Essendon. This deepened after the disastrous Daniher trade and a famous Barney at their dung heap when one of our blokes knocked out a self styled enforcer. They screamed like stuck pigs in the media and our bloke copped a long suspension.

Bedford is right about St Kilda. Our Ovals were effectively at different ends of Albert Park Lake. Ordinary Club and worse supporters.

Nevermuch liked other Clubs, tho I had a soft spot for Fitzroy.

Yes a punch up was always on at the maggots home ground. Along with a stream of obscene abuse, vomiting, spitting and slipping false teeth. This was just from the women. A special contempt was held for Carlton which went back to the "Bloodbath" Grand Final in 1945. They had a list of sly cheap shot merchants - Chitty and Ken "Solval" Hands - so called because he was so dirty. The depths that Chitty plumbed can be seen from the 1945 Grand Final. A big thug he decked the smalles and youngest player on the ground, in the first quarter, the Bloods 18 year old rover Billy Williams. My Dad was doubly outraged because Chitty was a foreman at the timber yard where Billy worked as an apprentice. Knocking an apprentice out was unforgivable. The great Laurie Nash knocked Chitty out in the last quarter witha punch that was said to be heard in the outer. There was real feeling in Nash decking him. The great Laurie Nash had volunteered for the infantry, turned down a soft assignment as a PE instructor and fought in New Guinea. He returned to football in 1945 with a bad knee injured in the war and played at full forward. He still managed to kick 56 goals i think for the season. The story is at three quarter time Nash the real leader and simply adored by the players gave the Bloods a choice. Four goals down Nash asked them. Do you want to try and win this or we finish the fight. It was starting to rain. The players without a word from the coach decided to finish the fight. Chitty went down like the bag of equine manure that he was. Some were outraged at the decision to go for natural justice. Others understood the ethic. This fine tradition was carried on by the quiet but seriously dangerous Kenny Boyd who knocked out the big pretender John "Pentridge" Nicholls after Nicholls who couldn't fight put the pommy revolver into him. Of course Carlton continued to be a source of contempt when Bob Menzies had his Rolls Royce parked in the forward pocket of the Carlton members enclosure in the late 1960's. Then there was Pigs Arse.. Carlton was always hated down at the Lakeside. You are a supporter of a great club.

 

[Tuco]

South and Saints were perennial wooden spooners. So when they played each other it was literally a decider on who was the worst in footy.

Used to call it the Lakeside Premiership.

 

[GotTheGoodes]

If you like the history of the club Redfern then I can highly recommend "in the blood" by Jim Main. Gives an amazing year by year breakdown of key events, players etc.

Always great to see a bit of old SthMelb history on here too. So thanks for asking the question!

 

[connolly]

Our biggest rival was st kilda, both suburbs so close together, once had a crowd of 45000 i think at lake oval for a match.

Look at attendance for 1970 elimination final between the 2 teams. Think it was a record at the time.

They were particulalry hated when Eric Guy flattened Bobby Skilton. The Port Melbourne people would often say when they got on a bus from Garden City, to t St Kilda -" Babylon to Jerusalem - the cheapest bus fare in the world."

 

[connolly]

Particular contempt was reserved for Carlton and Collingwood. Both always nicked players from poor clubs, inc South.

Not much has changed, except they now treat the GoCo and Lions as their talent incubators.

Going to the old Collingwood ground for a game risked a punch up. Did not deter us.

Carlton and many of their players were stuck up tools.

I never liked Essendon. This deepened after the disastrous Daniher trade and a famous Barney at their dung heap when one of our blokes knocked out a self styled enforcer. They screamed like stuck pigs in the media and our bloke copped a long suspension.

Bedford is right about St Kilda. Our Ovals were effectively at different ends of Albert Park Lake. Ordinary Club and worse supporters.

Nevermuch liked other Clubs, tho I had a soft spot for Fitzroy.

Stewart Gull knocked down "Rotten" Ronnie Andrews. Gull could seriously box. The story is that after decking Rotten Ronnie, the king hit merchant got up and said words to the effect 'try that again" Gull did and Rotten Ronnie went down again. Never to rise for a considerable time.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Stewart Gull knocked down "Rotten" Ronnie Andrews. Gull could seriously box. The story is that after decking Rotten Ronnie, the king hit merchant got up and said words to the effect 'try that again" Gull did and Rotten Ronnie went down again. Never to rise for a considerable time.

I was at the game. Andrews had been whacking Gull. Two or three time the ump spoke to Andrews but no report and no free. Gull finally decked the thug who was stretchered off.

To put it mildly the Doper fans were howling. We were cheering at some justice finally being meted out to the pig. Another day where we were lucky to escape.

 

[Corpuscles]

In the way back b4 you were born past:

Carlton.. by the length of Flemington straight!
even more recent

Big nose pigs arse Jack Elliot did everything he could to stop …. finish !!!
South Melbourne/ Sydney swans …. voting for their dissolution and the original rallying flog campaigner.


ROFLMAO... Carlton.. bluuszzes!

Here it is AGAIN!
Coming up soon

 

[Tuco]

In the way back b4 you were born past:

Carlton.. by the length of Flemington straight!
even more recent

Big nose pigs arse Jack Elliot did everything he could to stop …. finish !!!
South Melbourne/ Sydney swans …. voting for their dissolution and rallying flog campaigner.


ROFLMAO... Carlton.. bluuszzes!

Here it is AGAIN!
Coming up soon

Calton.

Ding ding ding.

Actually voted to let us fold so they could strip our carcass.

That's a rivalry born not of geography, or competition on the field but from bloody minded bastardry.

But for me today, Coll, Hawthorn, Norf, the Bulldogs and Richmond have just morphed into a singilar entity I see as 'The Cabal'.

But that's just me.

 

[Corpuscles]

Calton.

Ding ding ding.

Actually voted to let us fold so they could strip our carcass.

That's a rivalry born not of geography, or competition on the field but from bloody minded bastardry.

But for me today, Coll, Hawthorn, Norf, the Bulldogs and Richmond have just morphed into a singilar entity I see as 'The Cabal'.

But that's just me.

Hawks are the only legitimate … now....REAL challenge! ( coz good coaching team!!!!)
Forget.... but enjoy.... the repechage heat this Saturday

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Calton.

Ding ding ding.

Actually voted to let us fold so they could strip our carcass.

That's a rivalry born not of geography, or competition on the field but from bloody minded bastardry.

But for me today, Coll, Hawthorn, Norf, the Bulldogs and Richmond have just morphed into a singilar entity I see as 'The Cabal'.

But that's just me.

.... And don't forget The well named Pratt bought around 1000 Sth memberships as part of an effort to stack the meeting for relocation.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

I look forward each year to the Pond Scumton remaining in the cellar.

 

[connolly]

.... And don't forget The well named Pratt bought around 1000 Sth memberships as part of an effort to stack the meeting for relocation.

Yes the Carboard king. After trying to fix the vote his company Visy was later fined 36 million for price fixing.

 

[brad cooper]

Essenson was just a vile ground to go to, i always found that worse than collingwood.

Anyone remember the game at windy hill in 1986 when Toohey flatened Merrett with an elbow.

Whilst reminiscing the same year at vic park when we came from 6 goals down to win by a point, Barry Mitchell kicking the winner with a few minutes to go.

 

[Redfern]

If you like the history of the club Redfern then I can highly recommend "in the blood" by Jim Main. Gives an amazing year by year breakdown of key events, players etc.

Always great to see a bit of old SthMelb history on here too. So thanks for asking the question!

Cheers GTG, I'll have to pick it up.

Also cheers to everyone who's contributed to the thread! Very interesting read, I'm keen to learn more about the history of the Swans.

 

[bedford]

They were particulalry hated when Eric Guy flattened Bobby Skilton. The Port Melbourne people would often say when they got on a bus from Garden City, to t St Kilda -" Babylon to Jerusalem - the cheapest bus fare in the world."

That day as a little boy I cried as I thought Bobby was dead.

 

[sataris]

Other forums I'm on often have a history section that's curated with links to items like the ones that have been suggested in this thread.


I think we should have a permanently stickied thread ( Like the replay reference center)that contains links to all these resources of the clubs history

* Books
* Movies
* TV
* Photos
* Documents
* Everything

I don't have the assets/materials/knowledge to find these things, but it would definitely be a great resource and thread to have.

 

[connolly]

That day as a little boy I cried as I thought Bobby was dead.

I remember Sy Kilda suporters cheering and laughing as the carried the champ off. The really are St Scum

 

[connolly]

Thanks for the posts. Good to get an insight to the clubs rivalries pre-relocation.

I never really hated any team to be honest, but I didn't particularly like #lolnorf because of Wayne Carey. Losing '96 GF hurt but it wasn't really until the years that followed where we had a few close games against them and then they tried to push themselves into the Sydney market that my hatred really took off. I've never really rated their list at all for years now and feels like to me that Boomer has been their only decent player, yet they always seem to linger around like a bad smell. They're like that itch in the middle of your back you can't quite reach. They don't piss off. The one loss that annoy's me more than any against any club since I started following the Swans was the loss to them in 2004 after we led by something like 50+ points late in the 3rd. The same match our trainer, Wally Jackson had a heart attack on the bench. Was a grim day all round.

I didn't like the Eagles much either during those two GF years and all the close matches surrounding it, but I never really had any lasting hate for them so anything that I held against them has dissapated over the years and I look back on that time as a good solid rivalry against two good sides. (Despite feeling cheated some of their players were amped up )

North were among the prime movers in getting South out of South through the slimy slug Alan Aylett who ran the VFL with Channel at the time 7. Refuse to call him doctor as he was a dentist. He certainly pulled an extraction on South. He even sat his arse on the Swans board for an inglorious period. Lot to dislike about North.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

North were among the prime movers in getting South out of South through the slimy slug Alan Aylett who ran the VFL with Channel at the time 7. Refuse to call him doctor as he was a dentist. He certainly pulled an extraction on South. He even sat his arse on the Swans board for an inglorious period. Lot to dislike about North.

Spot on. Aylett was a grub. He used the Ten Year Rule (an early iteration of free agency) at Norf to buy several champs, inc our John (Mopsy) Rantall

Then, as now Norf, had sfa members but somehow managed to be cashed up enough to buy their first Premiership. There were unsubstantiated rumours about the source of the money.

Prolly off topic but here are a couple of points about Rantall. As a kid in his first season with us he made the Vic team which was remarkable.

He was not a big guy and initialyi played half back flank. As we often had few options we played him as an undersized full back against some monster full forwards and champs like Hudson.

He loved South. When he left, he finally got the payday South could never deliver. Norf played him in the centre, where he excelled.

With a Premiership and some cash in his kick, he returned to South. He wanted to reach the 300 game milestone. In his last season with us his form faltered as his body let him down. He was still more than serviceable. We sacked him just short of the 300 (remember Rod Carter?). To their credit Fitzroy recruited him and he made the 300 and retired.

He still loved the Club. At the height of the Keep South. At South struggles he was appointed Coach by the good men and women of the Club. He had stepped forward because of his love of the Club.

Players had been threatened they would not be paid. A cabal said they wouldn't accept his appointment.

The rest is history. South moved and that ********* Quade was appointed as coach of the exiled Club. Ultimately he copped his comeuppance. Hospitalised allegedly by a wonderful player whose wife Quade had been chasing around.

Bedders, Connolly and others will no doubt correct errors I have made above. Forgive me. I still see those days through a prism of bitterness.

 

[The Gong]

Yes a punch up was always on at the maggots home ground. Along with a stream of obscene abuse, vomiting, spitting and slipping false teeth. This was just from the women. A special contempt was held for Carlton which went back to the "Bloodbath" Grand Final in 1945. They had a list of sly cheap shot merchants - Chitty and Ken "Solval" Hands - so called because he was so dirty. The depths that Chitty plumbed can be seen from the 1945 Grand Final. A big thug he decked the smalles and youngest player on the ground, in the first quarter, the Bloods 18 year old rover Billy Williams. My Dad was doubly outraged because Chitty was a foreman at the timber yard where Billy worked as an apprentice. Knocking an apprentice out was unforgivable. The great Laurie Nash knocked Chitty out in the last quarter witha punch that was said to be heard in the outer. There was real feeling in Nash decking him. The great Laurie Nash had volunteered for the infantry, turned down a soft assignment as a PE instructor and fought in New Guinea. He returned to football in 1945 with a bad knee injured in the war and played at full forward. He still managed to kick 56 goals i think for the season. The story is at three quarter time Nash the real leader and simply adored by the players gave the Bloods a choice. Four goals down Nash asked them. Do you want to try and win this or we finish the fight. It was starting to rain. The players without a word from the coach decided to finish the fight. Chitty went down like the bag of equine manure that he was. Some were outraged at the decision to go for natural justice. Others understood the ethic. This fine tradition was carried on by the quiet but seriously dangerous Kenny Boyd who knocked out the big pretender John "Pentridge" Nicholls after Nicholls who couldn't fight put the pommy revolver into him. Of course Carlton continued to be a source of contempt when Bob Menzies had his Rolls Royce parked in the forward pocket of the Carlton members enclosure in the late 1960's. Then there was Pigs Arse.. Carlton was always hated down at the Lakeside. You are a supporter of a great club.

Connolly, do me a favour. Please write down all these anecdotes and put them in a book so I can buy it off the Swans store. It's pure gold.