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ISBN: 978-1-922890-99-3
PAPERBACK, 400 pages, over 1,000 rare photos, every club profiled, over 400 player profiles
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10 Clubs for 27 Years
The Golden Age of the SANFL
10 Clubs for 27 Years–The Golden Age of the SANFL gives an insight into South Australia’s contribution to the much-loved sport.
In 1964 two new clubs joined the SANFL to make up ten suburban clubs–marking the start of the ‘Golden Age’ of football in this state.
South Australians seriously love their Aussie Rules football and attended the five weekly matches in droves. If the weather was kind, it was common for over 40,000 supporters to turn up and soak up the atmosphere after a hard week.
The SANFL Grand Final played in the spring was televised across the country and attracted 50,000 spectators. In fact, the 1976 classic between traditional rivals Sturt and Port Adelaide attracted an official crowd of 66,897. Many pundits indicated that around 80,000 were actually there, as the Police opened the gates and allowed spectators to sit on the grass!
This a must-read for all Australian footy enthusiasts.
“This is an amazing compilation if you love South Australian football”
Graham Cornes
About the Author
With my dad playing in the SANFL from 1959-66, Australian Rules football dominated my young life.
Growing up in the Adelaide Hills, I played for Belair Primary School and dreamt of one day gracing the big stage. A typical Saturday during the winter months of the 70s and 80s revolved around freezing cold mornings playing against Mt Lofty up at Heathfield with frostbitten fingers as we threw ourselves around in the slush. Then it would be a rush home for a hot shower, a hotter cup of hot chocolate and then off to either Prospect, Unley or Norwood oval to stand on the terrace and barrack for my beloved team–The Roosters.
My first taste of the SANFL was in 1976 at the Glenelg oval sitting on the wooden steps of the public grandstand. By 1978 I was a regular, although my team finished last. By 1979 I was collecting the footy budgets, wearing a scarf and a duffle coat and collecting autographs after the game as the heroes who trudged off the field sweaty and covered in mud.
The SANFL stood on its own and the suburban-based competition produced its greatest era between 1964-90. I wrote this book to pay homage to the men who graced the fields every Saturday to do battle in the hope of securing the Premiership.
