Round 3, 1979 - Swan Districts FC 11.12 (78) d Perth FC 11.8 (74), Lathlain Park

Perth v Swan Districts @ Lathlain Park, 32 years on, last quarter in the can bar, 2/7/2011. The famous members' and public stand is at left. All or most of the guys pictured here are probably that generation which began to support Perth during its glory years of the mid-1970s. When / if Perth win aother premiership the celebrations will be unbelievable. If you see yourself in this picture please post a comment below so we can acknowledge you!

P v SD, last quarter, 2/7/2011, viewed from can bar

Without a doubt Swan Districts was the club of the early-1980s in the WAFL, i.e. the club had and has the privileged position of being the Golden Club of the Golden Era. (However, Swan Districts of 1982-83 versus Perth of 1976-77 would have been a brilliant contest.) After being easy-beats for most of the late-1970s, with a bottom two position nearly assured, Swans, under the expert coaching of the disciplinarian John Todd, began a rapid ascent up the premiership ladder to the extent that the club played in (but lost) the 1980 Grand Final against a brilliant Mal Brown coached South Fremantle team that included Basil Campbell; Brad Hardie; Stephen Michael; Joe McKay; the late Maurice Rioli; Tony Morley; and Benny Vigona. Fullpointsfooty.net comments as follows regarding the coaching style of John Todd:

“Whereas the best Western Australian teams have traditionally been renowned for producing highly-skilled, open, flowing football Todd tended to favour a more ‘Victorian’ approach. His teams were tough and determined, capable of brilliance, but more typically achieving victory by relentless running supplemented with substantial amounts of vigour. It is probably no coincidence that Todd went on to become the first coach to steer the West Coast Eagles into the finals as his style was eminently suited to the dog eat dog desperation of the [then] VFL” [http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/Swan_Districts.htm, accessed 5 January 2011].

LP: PFC merchandise stall, 2/7/2011

I was actually there at the moment in 1979 when there was a symbolic “changing of the guard” between declining Perth (1976 and 1977 premiers and 1978 grand finalists) and emergent Swans (premiers in 1982, 1983, and 1984 and 1980 grand finalists). I was sitting high up in the visiting fans’ section of the Lathlain Park grandstand with my late grandfather Herbert Arthur Acott (1906-99) and his best mate Ernie Henderson on this day in 1979. In a tense finish, the emergent Swans held on to win by four points to symbolize the end of the Perth era and the start of the Swans’ era. East et al. (2005, p. 251) report that the date was Monday 16 April 1979 and the final score was: Swan Districts 11.12 (78) defeated Perth 11.8 (74). The official attendance was 11,046. The picture on p. 166 of Dawson’s (2004) book John Todd: Six Decades of Footy shows John Todd embracing his chairman of selectors Bob Manning at the end of the game. Dawson (2004, p. 166) writes that: “There was palpable relief in John’s face on the final siren, with Swans kicking only six points in the last term as Perth fought back from a three goal deficit”. Although never a Swans’ supporter, I was nonetheless caught up in the emotion of the game, and remember running down to the visiting team players’ race (just a wire-chain fence on both sides and over the top) to cheer the Swans’ players as they left the ground. Years later, in the 1998 season when my grandfather was 92-years-old and I was 29, I took him to a Perth versus East Fremantle game at Lathlain Park (either on 4 April or 8 August; East et al., 2005, p. 254). It took forever for me to help him walk up and down the grandstand steps. He enjoyed the game and especially the speed and skill of East Fremantle, the eventual premiers that year. East Fremantle’s team included the veteran Steve Malaxos whom my grandfather remembered for his earlier stints at Claremont and West Coast. The last part of my grandfather’s memory to disappear was that part that stored up the names of football players! On a sunny day, the view from the top of the Lathlain Park grandstand is magnificent with the tree-tops in the middle distance, the blue sky above, and the hills of the Darling Ranges as the backdrop. It is one of WAFL football's truly iconic views [by Kieran James, this revised version is dated 20 November 2013].  

LP: P v SD, 2/7/2011, viewed from can bar

Round 3, 1979 – Perth v Swan Districts, Lathlain Park

Likely line-ups

(Source: The West Australian, Monday, 16 April, 1979, p. 69)

Perth FC

Backs: Noack, Quartermaine, Fotheringhame

Half-backs: Inman, Cook, Roberts

Centres: Watt, Wilson, Johnson

Half-forwards: Currie, Montgomery, Bosustow

Forwards: Kimberley, Farrant, Turner

Ruck: Rosbender, Gibellini, Doyle

Reserves: Lawrence, P Smith

In: Quartermaine, P Smith, Lawrence

Out: Mitsopoulos (injured), Couper, B Smith

Swan Districts FC

Backs: Comerford, Mullooly, Bell

Half-backs: Fogarty, Cransberg, O’Rourke

Centres: P Narkle, Holden, K Narkle

Half-forwards: Casey, Beasley, Bauskis

Forwards: Frost, Olsen, Dikolli

Ruck: Boucher, Nowotny, Neesham

Reserves: Smith, Langsford

In: Bauskis, Bell, Fogarty, Dikolli, Smith, Langsford

Out: Skwirowski (knee), Parker (heel), Reid, Holmes, Chidlow, Richardson

Match results – Monday 16 April 1979

Swan Districts FC 6.1 7.6 11.6 11.12 (78) d Perth FC 2.0 4.2 8.6 11.8 (74)

Scorers: SD: Olsen 4.1, Beasley 3.1, Bauskis 2.1, Dikolli 2.0, Neesham 0.2, Langsford, Casey, Smith, P Narkle, Frost 0.1, Forced 0.2.

P: Bosustow 2.2, Kimberley 2.1, Lawrence 2.0, Gibellini 1.2, Farrant, Doyle, Smith, Currie 1.0, Johnson 0.1, Forced 0.2.

Free kicks: SD: 9, 11, 13, 6 – 39.

P: 5, 11, 12, 7 – 35.

Official attendance: 11,046 (from WAFL Online)

Weather: Fine with moderate north-easterly winds.

(Source: The West Australian, Tuesday, 17 April, 1979, p. 74)

Best players:

1 Simon Beasley (SD): The focal point for the Swan Districts attack all day. Marked brilliantly and kicked strongly and with purpose.

2 Alan Montgomery [Kieran James' note: correct spelling is Allan Montgomery] (P): A brilliant aerialist who covered plenty of ground and was the key man in the Perth forward moves.

3 Gerard Neesham (SD): A damaging rover who worked hard midfield, but spoilt his work with poor disposal.

Team rankings:

SD: S Beasley 1, G Neesham 2, K Narkle 3, G Frost 4, R Boucher 5, P Narkle 6.

P: A Montgomery 1, D Farrant 2, N Fotheringhame 3, J Doyle 4, G Gibellini 5, W Rosbender 6.

	Round 3	Table	WAFL	1979
	Played	Won	Lost	%	Points
EAST FREM*	3	3	0	134.62	12
EAST PERTH	3	2	1	156.70	8
CLAREMONT	3	2	1	127.65	8
SOUTH FREM**	3	2	1	109.81	8
Perth	3	1	2	118.84	4
Swan Dist***	3	1	2	84.04	4
West Perth	3	1	2	62.63	4
Subiaco	3	0	3	49.08	0

*Eventual 1979 WAFL premiers

**Eventual 1979 WAFL runners-up and 1980 premiers

*** Eventual 1980 WAFL runners-up

(Source: The West Australian, Tuesday, 17 April, 1979, p. 74)

Match analysis

Quotes from COLIN HOPKINS:

Old Victoria Park station (prior to renovations)

“Swan Districts pulled off the confidence-booster they needed so badly when they hung on to beat Perth by four points to bring up their first win for the season in the match at Lathlain Park yesterday.

“Swans won this fiery, bruising encounter 11.12 to 11.8 to show that they are a force to be reckoned with in the race for places in the top four this season.

“The young Swans side had trouble finishing off their work in the first two matches of the season – and it almost looked likely to be the same story yesterday.

“Their inexperience almost cost them the game as Perth came back with everything they had.

“Swans deserved their win. They were 25 points ahead at quarter time, 22 at half-time and 18 points at three-quarter time.

“Perth played with great purpose and put their opponents under pressure in the final quarter. But they just could not reduce the deficit and paid the penalty for their slow start in the opening quarter.

“The match was dominated by the performances of rival centre-half-forwards Simon Beasley (Swan Districts) and Alan Montgomery (Perth).

“Beasley showed all the attributes of a future state player to provide the focal point in the Swans’ attack for most of the day.

“Montgomery, who marks brilliantly, played with flair and purpose and he is improving with every game.

“The move of Gerard Neesham to the side’s No. 1 roving position turned into an outstanding success for Swans coach John Todd and he was one of the heroes of the victory.

“Neesham was the busiest rover on the ground. He was a prolific kick-getter and was well supported by Skender Dikolli.

“They made the most of the feast of opportunities provided by ruckmen Greg Frost and Ron Boucher.

“The two Swan Districts big men continually thumped the ball forward and it was left to [Wim] Rosbender to try to counter the pair. Rosbender worked hard, but lacked support and the Perth rovers were clearly beaten by their opponents.

“Perth now lack a touch of brilliance in the small-man department. Former Essendon player Andy Wilson was a dismal flop yesterday.

“John Doyle started in the centre, one of eight positional changes made by Perth coach Ken Armstrong to the pre-match line-up.

“Barry Kimberley battled hard all day as a rover, but he did not do the damage of Neesham, who looks likely to be a tremendous acquisition for Swans.

“Swans received great drive from wingmen Keith and Phil Narkle and it was only in the second half that [Alan] Johnson started to come into his own.

“Perth are going to find it much harder to force their way into the final four this season.

“Swans have the ability to go on with the job. They are a side with the physical capacity to test most combinations and they have a neat balance in their team.

Old Lathlain station (now demolished), looking south

“Beasley is a fine player and the high-marking Mark Olsen, who kicked four goals yesterday, represents real danger in front of goals.

“However, Olsen must learn to fight harder when the ball hits the ground and yesterday Neil Fotheringhame overcame a slow start to outpoint him.

“Perth were well served by Doug Farrant, and ruck-rover Gary Gibellini weighed in with a solid second half.

“Tom Bell [SD] made an encouraging return to league ranks in a back-pocket, Tom Mullooly managed to contain the brilliant bursts of Peter Bosustow and Graeme Comerford continues to show great potential in the other pocket.

“Todd would have been happy with the performances of half-back flankers Glenn O’Rourke and Jon Fogarty, who will improve with experience.

“Swans finally learnt how to win a match yesterday and this should act as a stimulus in coming weeks.”

(Source: Colin Hopkins (1979), “Swans learn how to win”, The West Australian, Tuesday, 17 April, 1979, pp. 74, 76) [archival research by Kieran James].

Perth v SD, Lathlain Park can bar, 2/7/2011

Round 8, 1984 SANFL - Central District Bulldogs 14.12 (96) d Port Adelaide Magpies 8.16 (64), Alberton Oval, Adelaide

Port Adelaide Magpies supporters at Foxtel Cup match versus Claremont at Subiaco Oval, Perth, 16 July 2011. David Granger aka "Grave Danger" was a huge cult hero for Port Adelaide Magpies fans in the mid-1980s.

Alberton Oval scoreboard bank, 11/8/2012 v Glenelg

An example of the “illusion of violence” (Marsh, 1978) among the cheer squads would be at Port Adelaide Magpies. I attended the Port Adelaide versus Central District game at Alberton Oval in May 1984. It was a day of driving rain and relentless wind but much of the terracing on the outer side of the ground was full of hardcore Port Adelaide cheer squad members or hooligans in black Victorian-style duffel coats with favourite players’ names and numbers pasted on the backs in white lettering. The Port Adelaide people were not much concerned at all about the rain, few had umbrellas, and they certainly were a tough mob. Their main hero was a borderline player called David Granger who had been suspended for eighteen months for on-field violence on the field-of-play. He was renamed “Grave Danger” by the Port faithful and the South Australian media and he served as a hero for Port Adelaide fans in the way that Phil Bradmore was for us at West Perth. After the May 1984 game I was caught up in the atmosphere of the Port Adelaide crew and, instead of taking the train back to the city-centre, by mistake I was swept along with the crowd taking the train in the other direction north-west to Port Adelaide. After realizing my error I was told by the conductor to stay on the train until it turned around at the end of the line. I made it back to my city centre hotel at 8.30pm. During the mid-1990s, Port Adelaide became the second Adelaide-based AFL club, and Port Adelaide Power debuted in the AFL in the 1997 season taking up the vacant position that was created by the coerced and unfortunate Fitzroy and Brisbane Bears’ merger. However, Port Adelaide had been required by the SANFL to form a separate club to operate Port Adelaide Magpies in the SANFL (South Australian National Football League) competition. On 17 November 2010, Homfray (2010) and Partland (2010) announced in the Adelaide Advertiser that the SANFL had permitted the two clubs to merge into one thus overcoming the confusion of the past decade as to which club was “the real Port Adelaide”. I thank Susan Briggs of University of South Australia for supplying me these articles. Fullpointsfooty.net comments on the problematic “two clubs” arrangement at Port Adelaide as follows:

“The converse of this, the emergence of two distinct and independent clubs where previously there had only been one, is almost, but not quite, unheard of.  It happened most famously in 1996, when the Port Adelaide Football Club, the oldest and most successful in the SANFL, effectively reproduced itself by a kind of fission: one club, henceforth to be known as the Port Adelaide Magpies, would continue to compete in the SANFL, with another achieving elevation to the AFL” [http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/port_adelaide.htm; accessed 22 December 2010].

[by Kieran James, 23 January 2012]. 

Round 8, 1984 SANFL – Central District Bulldogs v Port Adelaide Magpies, Alberton Oval

Port Adelaide Magpies team, Subiaco Oval, 16/7/2011

Before this round Port Adelaide was “Won 7, Lost 0” and Central was “Won 6, Lost 1”, and sitting second (third after the Saturday games of the split-round behind South Adelaide which was "Won 6, Lost 2" but with a worse percentage). The East Perth FC premiership defender Steve Curtis returned for Port Adelaide for this Round 8 clash after being sidelined by a hamstring injury sustained in Round 1 [by Kieran James, 23 January 2012].

(Source: Adelaide Advertiser, Monday, 21 May, 1984, p. 33 and Geoff Kingston (1984), “Curtis back in Port team: West regains its captain”, Adelaide Advertiser, Monday, 21 May, p. 33)

Historic grandstand Alberton Oval, 11/8/2012

Likely line-ups

(Source: Adelaide Advertiser, Monday, 21 May, 1984, p. 33)

Port Adelaide Magpies FC

Backs: Curtis, Kennedy, A Williams

Half-backs: Owens, Leslie, Harvey

Centres: Anderson, Bradley, Kinnear

Half-forwards: Knight, Russell, C Ebert

Forwards: R Ebert, Evans, Belton

Ruck: Johnston, S Williams, Mahney

Interchange: Harris, Gill

Out: Giles (knee)

In: Curtis

Central Districts Bulldogs FC

Backs: Nolan, Beythier, Thomas

Half-backs: Prior, Hannam, Hearn

Centres: Bubner, Roe, Edwards

Half-forwards: Krieg, Wright, Connelly

Forwards: Norsworthy, Grant, Wilson

Ruck: Cousins, van Dommele, Platten

Interchange from: Moulds, Vivian, Pitman, Dearaugo

Out: Boehm (back), Fraser (concussion), Barilla

In: Bubner, Prior (recovered), Grant, Hearn, Dearaugo

Selections:

GEOFF KINGSTON: Port Adelaide Magpies

ALAN SHIELL: Port Adelaide Magpies

MERV AGARS: Port Adelaide Magpies

PETER HAYNES: Port Adelaide Magpies

ANDREW BOTH: Port Adelaide Magpies

(Source: Adelaide Advertiser, Saturday, 19 May, 1984, p. 21)

Match results - Monday, 21 May 1984

Central District Bulldogs FC 3.3 5.6 11.10 14.12 (96) d Port Adelaide Magpies FC 2.1 4.8 7.9 8.16 (64)

Scorers: CD: Bubner 2.3, Patten 2.2, Wilson, Grant, Wright, Connelly 2.0, Norsworthy 1.4, Edwards 1.1, Prior 0.1, Forced 0.1.

PAM: Evans 5.1, Russell 1.2, Harris 1.1, Mahney 1.0, Knight 0.2, Belton, R Ebert, Bradley, Kinnear 0.1, Forced 0.6.

Best: CD: Platten, Thomas, Roe, Hannam, Nolan, Bubner, van Dommele

PAM: Leslie, Johnston, Kennedy, Evans, Russell

Attendance: 13,000 (approx)

(Source: Adelaide Advertiser, Tuesday, 22 May, 1984, p. 36)

Monday temperatures: 19.1C (minimum), 21.8C (maximum)

(Source: Adelaide Advertiser, Tuesday, 22 May, 1984, p. 45)

Advertiser Trophy:

J Platten (CD) – 3 votes, M Leslie (PA) - 2 votes, J Thomas (CD) - 1 vote

Advertiser Trophy Leaders 1984 (after Round 8):

C Bradley (PA), M Naley (SA) – 12 votes; N Craig (St) – 11 votes; D Marshall (G), M Aish (N) – 8 votes; S Kernahan (G), P Martin (SA), M Mickan (WA), J Platten (CD) – 7 votes; M Leslie (PA), D Tiller (NA), S Stretch (WT) – 6 votes

(Source: Adelaide Advertiser, Tuesday, 22 May, 1984, p. 36)

Selected match statistics (Adelaide Advertiser, Tuesday, 22 May, 1984, p. 36):

CD: Platten 21 kicks-5 marks-3 handballs, Thomas 17-3-2, Hannam 16-4-3, van Dommele 15-3-7, Connelly 13-3-6, Bubner 11-5-6

PAM: Kinnear 20-3-0, R Ebert 16-2-8, Leslie 15-6-3, Russell 15-5-7, Bradley 11-0-6, Belton 10-1-7, Gill 10-5-5, S Williams 10-4-5

Alberton Oval, reserves game, 11/8/2012

Coaches’ Comments:

Kevin Neale (Central District): “I thought we played well under pressure.

“Our teamwork stood up well. It was the sort of commitment we have been searching for. “Over the past week and again today, all the players agreed this win was something worth achieving. Now I hope they will stay on the grindstone. They must realise they have to work hard all the time”.

Russell Ebert (Port Adelaide Magpies): “They worked harder than we did. They hit in harder and controlled the ball.

“They were too good on the day. Their attitude and commitment were a lot better than ours. They had the breaks and benefited from the heavy ball and the wet conditions after half time”.

Source: Alan Shiell (1984), “Bulldogs’ bite worse than their bark”, Adelaide Advertiser, Tuesday, 22 May, p. 36.

Match analysis

PA Magpies cheer squad, 11/8/2012

Quotes from ALAN SHIELL:

“Any lingering doubt that Central was an impostor filling one of the top three positions on the ladder were dispelled by its 32-point defeat of previously unbeaten Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval yesterday – in one of the most physically demanding battles of the season.

“It was only Central’s eighth win in the 50 matches between the clubs (since 1964) and its third in 18 trips to the graveyard of so many teams.

“The sheer joy the Bulldogs derived from yesterday’s result, surprising in view of their 47-point loss to West Adelaide at Richmond last Saturday week, was not lost on new coach Kevin Neale.

“However, the difference was only eight points at quarter-time and four-points at half-time before Central asserted its on-the-day superiority by adding 9.6 to 4.8 in the second half, including a match-winning 6.4 to 3.1 with the wind in the third term.

“Two magnificent long goals by tall, athletic wingman Peter Bubner at the five and seven-minute marks of the third quarter triggered Central’s breakaway and signalled the beginning of the end for Port, which was handicapped by Craig Bradley’s virus and stomach upset and the early thigh injury to Greg Anderson.

“The Dogs also were inspired, as usual, by the courage and creativity of Superpup John Platten, who was a terrier in and around the packs (if only he would have his hair cut...!)

“Central’s defence, in which Jamie Thomas and Canberra recruits Brett Hannam and Stephen Nolan were most conspicuous, repelled numerous Port thrusts, many of which lacked the necessary directness.

“In attack, Port had to rely almost solely on the always-dangerous [Tim] Evans, who kicked its first five goals, and sporadic bursts from vigorous centre-half-forward Dwayne Russell.

“While Central barely had a passenger, Port had too many players who were unsighted for most of the day.

“Among the more notable exceptions were centre-half-back Martin Leslie, ruckman Russell Johnston, full-back Dexter Kennedy, Evans and Russell.

“Much of the last quarter was played in semi-darkness, adding weight to the theory that league matches ought to begin at 2p.m., not 20 minutes later”.

Source: Alan Shiell (1984), “Bulldogs’ bite worse than their bark”, Adelaide Advertiser, Tuesday, 22 May, p. 36 [archival research by Kieran James].

Port Adelaide Magpies v Glenelg, 11/8/2012

To watch a selection from Central District v Port Adelaide Magpies, Alberton Oval, 2011:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsAWO6c3xb4

To watch a selection from 1984 SANFL Grand Final Port Adelaide Magpies v Norwood:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzU06TU781U