What was the best SANFL game you've seen

[Jascave]

What was the best game you have seen in your time watching the SANFL-whether it's live, watching on TV or having seen it on DVD.

Bear in mind this is about SANFL H & A games, finals, grand finals-not State of Origin games.

The two games for mine are:

1973 SANFL Grand Final-Glenelg v North Adelaide: North were going for a hat-trick of 3 SANFL premierships in a row, the Tigers their first since 1934. Late in the last, North looked to have the game wrapped up with minutes to go. Glenelg would not give up and moved the ball forward where Graham Cornes took possibly the best grab in SANFL Grand Final history and snatched the lead for Glenelg. Sandland later scored a goal to make the margin 7 points and win Glenelg's first SANFL premiership since 1934.

1984 SANFL Grand Final-Port v Norwood: Where do you start? A collection of outstanding SA football talent-Ebert, Evans, Bradley, Ginever for Port, McIntosh, Aish, Thomas, Roberts for the Redlegs; the Balme-Evans incident while the National Anthem was played (why did the SANFL not ask the two teams to line up in single file facing each other for the anthem?)and the all-in brawl 30 seconds later ; Keith Thomas's courageous mark; and Norwood becoming the first side to win the premiership from fifth spot.

 

[raboyle]

The Doggies' one-point win over Norwood at The Parade in 2009 rates rather highly... that and the last time Centrals and Sturt faced off at Adelaide Oval in a finals series match. The Dogs nicked that one by the skin of their teeth.

Interstate (not S.O.O) matches can be counted, right? Because SANFL vs. VFL 2005 is a winner too.

 

[Eddie Dingle]

1980 and 1990 Grand Finals.

One Port should have won easily but Norwood coming from fifth were sensational and made it an absolute classic.

The other, according to many including Glenelgs then coach, Port shouldn't have got close but did and won.

That 1984 Grand Final mentioned above was a ripper too but I guess as a supporter of a particular club you remember the wins more fondly.

Tha game I was most disappointed in was the 1989 Grand Final. Ecstatic Port Adelaide smashed North but that should have been a classic. The games between the two sides through the year were mostly tight affairs but on the day that mattered North just did not turn up.

 

[zest88]

2006 grandfinal, finally beating centrals after so many years

2004 PF vs sturt, the comeback in the last quarter when we were dead in the water and cicas game was amazing

2010 elmination final vs sturt after being killed the week before and knowing no-one expected us to win to come out and play like we did was amazing.

 

[NSWCROW]

2002 GF

The 1 point win over Port in 88 will stay with me til my dying breath.

 

[Eddie Dingle]

2002 GF

The 1 point win over Port in 88 will stay with me til my dying breath.

Sturt beat Port by 4 points at Unley in 1980 in what was an amazing game of footy. I think it was the only game Port lost all year (may have lost 1 more but I don't think so). Dave Granger actually played footy all day and kicked 6 from Centre Half Forward in what was the best game I ever saw him play.

The train trip back up into the hills in all my Port gear was a nightmare.

 

[NSWCROW]

Sturt beat Port by 4 points at Unley in 1980 in what was an amazing game of footy. I think it was the only game Port lost all year (may have lost 1 more but I don't think so). Dave Granger actually played footy all day and kicked 6 from Centre Half Forward in what was the best game I ever saw him play.

The train trip back up into the hills in all my Port gear was a nightmare.

Geez showing our age there.
Remember Sturt coming back from way down vs Torrens to win by 3 pts at Thebby in 88 and my old man getting in a blue after the game

 

[Robranisgod]

I will really show my age and say the 1971 Second Semi final. At the 18 minute mark of the last quarter Port led by 21 points. When Gary Sporn goaled to make the difference 15 points all it meant was that North were going to have an honourable loss. North went on to kick another 6 goals 1 behind to Ports 1 goal 1 to win by 15 points. Barrie Robran's last 10 minutes was out of this world, the greatest 10 minutes of footy I have ever seen played. North had a reputation of being brittle, Port of course never lost a close game, let alone a game they were in control of. It was surreal. After that result the Grand Final was never in doubt.

 

[Interceptor]

Geez showing our age there.
Remember Sturt coming back from way down vs Torrens to win by 3 pts at Thebby in 88 and my old man getting in a blue after the game

I was at Thebarton in '84 to see Norwood beat WT after being down by 41 points at 3/4 time. That 1984 side could do magical things

 

[Crow_Magnon]

Sturt beating Port by one point...back in about 1985/86 in a double-header at Footy Park with Centrals vs North later on...around 34000 people there that day, and a great game (I recall the score being something like 15-16 to 15-15).
Oh...and back in around 1983 I think when a state game was on we came back to beat the Redlegs at the Parade - kicking something like 6 goals in time-on....including a Michael Graham torp to finish it off! It's up on youtube..."purchville" has it!

Doh...the game I referenced above was in fact 1988 as an earlier poster had said...and crowd 38K....

 

[Angus Young]

have to be the 1984 grand final. to this day havent seen an SANFL grand final that comes close to this one. huge sell out crowd, with passionate port and norwood supporters, nail biting, close, fights, great marks, runs had it all.

1988 sturt v port minor round with 38,000 people. sturt by a point

1994 grand final when port came back from 5 or 6 goals down against eagles

1999 grand final when port won by a goal was pretty good

last years grand final (central v norwood) was the best game and atmosphere i have seen at a grand final for a long time

 

[DREAM TEAM BUFF]

Last years Grand Final was one of the best for me
Great work by Nathan Bassett to come 2nd in his 1st year as coach

 

[dbcrow]

Apart from the obvious 2 Eagles flags in 93 and 06, I would say the Port v Centrals prelim back in the early/mid 90's. From memory they had to play extra time.

This was back when I had a soft spot for Centrals.

In the last 10 years, this has changed

 

[saintal]

2006 Elimination Final. South V Port.

 

[70sDinosaur]

Originally Posted by footyhead07
Sturt beat Port by 4 points at Unley in 1980 in what was an amazing game of footy. I think it was the only game Port lost all year (may have lost 1 more but I don't think so). Dave Granger actually played footy all day and kicked 6 from Centre Half Forward in what was the best game I ever saw him play.

The train trip back up into the hills in all my Port gear was a nightmare.

I was at that game and remember that it finished late, in near darkness. It was one of only two games Port lost that year. The other was against Glenelg later in the year at Glenelg Oval. Port also had a draw in Round 1 against Centrals at Elizabeth.

 

[Eddie Dingle]

I was at that game and remember that it finished late, in near darkness. It was one of only two games Port lost that year. The other was against Glenelg later in the year at Glenelg Oval. Port also had a draw in Round 1 against Centrals at Elizabeth.

Was that the day Glenelg kicked 16.2 and had about 13 less scoring shots but won?

 

[BrissyCrow]

What was the best game you have seen in your time watching the SANFL-whether it's live, watching on TV or having seen it on DVD.

Bear in mind this is about SANFL H & A games, finals, grand finals-not State of Origin games.

The two games for mine are:

1973 SANFL Grand Final-Glenelg v North Adelaide: North were going for a hat-trick of 3 SANFL premierships in a row, the Tigers their first since 1934. Late in the last, North looked to have the game wrapped up with minutes to go. Glenelg would not give up and moved the ball forward where Graham Cornes took possibly the best grab in SANFL Grand Final history and snatched the lead for Glenelg. Sandland later scored a goal to make the margin 7 points and win Glenelg's first SANFL premiership since 1934.

1984 SANFL Grand Final-Port v Norwood: Where do you start? A collection of outstanding SA football talent-Ebert, Evans, Bradley, Ginever for Port, McIntosh, Aish, Thomas, Roberts for the Redlegs; the Balme-Evans incident while the National Anthem was played (why did the SANFL not ask the two teams to line up in single file facing each other for the anthem?)and the all-in brawl 30 seconds later ; Keith Thomas's courageous mark; and Norwood becoming the first side to win the premiership from fifth spot.

The first game I ever watched. Was between Glenelg and West Adelaide back in the early sixties. Played at Richmond. The bays were the easy beats and Westies were up the ladder. On this day the Bays won by 5 points but the excitement that I experienced from this game was so high that I became an instant footy follower. Still support the bays.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Was that the day Glenelg kicked 16.2 and had about 13 less scoring shots but won?

That was 1981 - 16.2 to 9.18 (found an old footy budget).

The 1980 game was a relatively comfortable win for the Bays. Dave Granger was concussed and gave away a few goals playing in defence. He did break Wayne Phillis's collarbone tho.

We paid them back in 1981 at the Bay Oval and in yet another Grand Final.

 

[Eddie Dingle]

That was 1981 - 16.2 to 9.18 (found an old footy budget).

The 1980 game was a relatively comfortable win for the Bays. Dave Granger was concussed and gave away a few goals playing in defence. He did break Wayne Phillis's collarbone tho.

We paid them back in 1981 at the Bay Oval and in yet another Grand Final.

I still love watching the footage of HRH Russell Ebert walking back to the centre of footy park half way through the second qtr and raising his arms in the air triumphantly. The handball he received from Granger was incorrectly described as "loose" in the book "Gentleman Jack - The Johnny Cahill Story". Dave knew exactly what he was doing.

IIRC that loss in 1981 prompted KG to say "Port Adelaide are gone and cannot make the finals" How did that work out for ya kage?

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Dave congratulates Peter Carey after some fine ruckwork in that 1981 game at the Bay Oval.

 

[70sDinosaur]

Footyhead07, Ford Fairlane is correct. The game you referred to was in 1981, late in the season at Alberton Oval. If I recall correctly, Glenelg had only lost one game for the year (to Port at Glenelg Oval in mid-season) whereas Port were moving up the ladder and starting to find form after a poor first half of the season.

It turned out to be a remarkable game. Port dominated the first half and led by about 35 points at the main break. It actually should have been more but for inaccuracy in front of goal. I think the score was something like 7-11 to 3-0.

Then in the second half a complete change came over the game and Glenelg came back to be only a few points behind at 3/4 time. They then blitzed Port in the last quarter to win comfortably, despite having far fewer scoring shots.

For Port, it was certainly one that got away but I always thought that John Cahill was one of the best coaches ever at learning from defeats and that was certainly evident a few weeks later when Port thrashed Glenelg in both the 2nd Semi and Grand Final.

By the way, I think your reference to KG saying Port were gone and couldn't make the finals actually came not after this game but half way through the season. Actually, I think it might have been the week before Port won the game at Glenelg Oval.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

I think KG made his call after round 9 when Port lost to South and were teetering at 4-5. Then Granger came back into the league side and sharpened up the forward line. Port beat Sturt comfortably then rolled the Bays the week after. Greg Phillips came back from his round 1 achilles injury around that time too.

I remember Port were lucky to beat Woodville by 14 points in round 7. The next week Woodville lost to Sturt by 161 points. The week before Woodville lost to Norwood by 9 goals 20. Port lost to West the week before the Woodville game and then lost to North and South. We looked in big trouble. It was an astonishing turnaround that season.

 

[70sDinosaur]

Yes, I think you are right. It was after the loss to South. It was an amazing turnaround to win the flag so easily in the end after struggling so badly early on.

You mentioned about Port having a lucky win against Woodville. I recall they also had a lucky win against Centrals around the same time. Came from about 6 goals down just before 3/4 time to snatch the win after a couple of very late goals from Anthony Williams.

The other remarkable thing about that year is that Port didn't even clinch the double chance for the finals until the very last round, when they defeated Norwood in a virtual "playoff" for 3rd place in front of about 35,000 people at FP.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

We had some tight results during the winter months that year. 1 point win over Norwood, 9 points over West (I think Michael Tate nearly sunk us that day). Centrals knocked us over during that time.

Now this is from memory but I recall we won that round 22 match against Norwood 16.23 to 12.1. Then smashed South in the Qualifying Final and the Bays twice in the other finals.

Just had a look back at my copy of Gentleman Jack and read that for the loss to Glenelg in that 1981 minor round encounter Port were missing Trevor Sorrell, Greg Phillips, Russell Johnston, Bruce Abernethy, Brian Cunningham, Darrell Cahill and Andy Porplycia. They all played in the GF.

 

[benji2]

The first game I ever watched. Was between Glenelg and West Adelaide back in the early sixties. Played at Richmond. The bays were the easy beats and Westies were up the ladder. On this day the Bays won by 5 points but the excitement that I experienced from this game was so high that I became an instant footy follower. Still support the bays.

Having seen it on DVD the 1973 GF looks like it was a great game to be at, it's certainly a good one to watch. As Mum was pregnant with me she couldn't go. I'm told when Dad got home he couldn't speak.

The 1985 GF was also very satisfying after being behind early and all of the GF losses that came before it.

As a neutral observer, the 1984 GF did seem to have everything, and the 1999 GF wasn't bad - there's something satisfying about watching Port and Norwood hammer each other

In more recent times, I'd say the Glenelg v Sturt game at the Bay Oval, Round 13(?) 2008. Huge crowd, really felt like the 80s again, and a top game.