1.
South Australian National Football League
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The South Australian National Football League, or SANFL, is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia. Consisting of a single competition, the season is an 18-round home-and-away season from April to September. The top five teams play-off in a final series culminating in the final for the Thomas Seymour Hill Premiership Trophy. The league is responsible for the management of all levels of football in the state. This includes junior football, country football, amateur football and specific programs rolled out across schools, indigenous communities, the SANFL owns the 51,240 seat AAMI Stadium, formerly the largest stadium in South Australia. The stadium, which opened in 1974, was used for Australian Football League matches up until 2013. The stadium was the headquarters for the league from 1974–2013, the SANFL competition is the second highest attended Australian rules football league behind the AFL. The earliest recorded football club in South Australia was Adelaide Football Club, the early years of football were poorly organised and dogged by argument over which set of rules to adopt. In fact, after a match between Port Adelaide and Kensington in 1873, it was remarked that neither side understood the rules clearly, however, as the years progressed, there became a growing push for uniformity and structure in South Australian football. In 1877,12 of South Australias football clubs met to develop a set of rules. The inaugural 1877 season was contested by 8 clubs, South Park, Willunga, Port Adelaide, Adelaide, North Adelaide, Gawler, Bankers, Woodville, South Adelaide, Norwood joined the Association the following season in 1878, and went on to win the next six premierships. Norwood, South Adelaide and Port Adelaide together won 23 of the first 24 premierships, South Park, Willunga, North Adelaide, Prince Alfred College, Gawler, Kapunda, Bankers, Woodville, and Victorian all left the Association within the first 10 years. By 1886, the Association had been reduced from 12 to four clubs, the Association experienced a resurgence in the late 1880s and early 1890s. The addition of North Adelaide, West Adelaide and West Torrens and only the demise of Adelaide, in 1898, the Magarey Medal was awarded to the fairest and most brilliant player for the first time. Sturt joined the Association in 1901, but performed poorly initially, in 1902, Port Adelaide adopted its now famous black and white colours. In 1907, the Association changed its name to the South Australian Football League, Norwood and Port Adelaide continued their domination of the league, and were joined by West Adelaide and North Adelaide, between them, the four clubs won all premierships between 1901 and 1913. West Adelaide followed three straight wooden spoons from 1904–06 with four out of the five premierships from 1908–1912, the most successful period in West Adelaides history, Sturt won the first premiership of the post-World War I era, beating North Adelaide in the Challenge Final replay
2.
Bunyip
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The bunyip is a large mythical creature from Australian Aboriginal mythology, said to lurk in swamps, billabongs, creeks, riverbeds, and waterholes. The origin of the word bunyip has been traced to the Wemba-Wemba or Wergaia language of Aboriginal people of South-Eastern Australia, however, the bunyip appears to have formed part of traditional Aboriginal beliefs and stories throughout Australia, although its name varied according to tribal nomenclature. In his 2001 book, writer Robert Holden identified at least nine regional variations for the known as the bunyip across Aboriginal Australia. Various written accounts of bunyips were made by Europeans in the early and mid-19th century, the word bunyip is usually translated by Aboriginal Australians today as devil or evil spirit. However, this translation may not accurately represent the role of the bunyip in pre-contact Aboriginal mythology or its possible origins before written accounts were made. Some modern sources allude to a connection between the bunyip and Bunjil, a mythic Great Man who made the mountains and rivers and man. The word bunyip may not have appeared in print in English until the mid-1840s, by the 1850s, bunyip had also become a synonym for impostor, pretender, humbug and the like in the broader Australian community. The term bunyip aristocracy was first coined in 1853 to describe Australians aspiring to be aristocrats, in the early 1990s, it was famously used by Prime Minister Paul Keating to describe members of the conservative Liberal Party of Australia opposition. The word bunyip can still be found in a number of Australian contexts, including names such as the Bunyip River. George French Angus may have collected a description of a bunyip in his account of a spirit from the Moorundi people of the Murray River before 1847. They have some difficulty describing it, is said to be that of an enormous starfish. The Challicum bunyip, an image of a bunyip carved by Aborigines into the bank of Fiery Creek, near Ararat. According to the report, the bunyip had been speared after killing an Aboriginal man, the outline image no longer exists. Non-Aboriginal Australians have made attempts to understand and explain the origins of the bunyip as a physical entity over the past 150 years. Writing in 1933, Charles Fenner suggested that it was likely that the origin of the bunyip myth lies in the fact that from time to time seals have made their way up the. Another suggestion is that the bunyip may be a memory of extinct Australian marsupials such as the Diprotodon, Zygomaturus. When confronted with the remains of some of the now extinct Australian marsupials and they also note that legends about the mihirung paringmal of western Victorian Aborigines. Another connection to the bunyip is the shy Australasian bittern, during the breeding season, the male call of this marsh-dwelling bird is a low pitched boom, hence, it is occasionally called the bunyip bird
3.
Port Adelaide Football Club
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The Port Adelaide Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Alberton, Port Adelaide, South Australia. The clubs senior team plays in the Australian Football League whilst its reserves, Port Adelaide is the oldest professional football club in South Australia and the fifth-oldest club in the AFL. Since the clubs first game on 24 May 1870, it has won 36 South Australian league premierships, the club also won the Champions of Australia competition on a record four occasions. In 1997, the joined the Australian Football League as the only pre-existing non-Victorian club—and subsequently added the 2004 AFL Premiership to its achievements. By the late 1860s Port Adelaides river traffic was growing significantly causing John Rann, Mr. Leicester, the Port Adelaide Football Club was established on 12 May 1870 as part of a joint Australian football and cricket club with the first training session taking place two days later. It played its first match against a team called the Young Australians on 24 May 1870 at inaugural club president John Harts family property in Glanville. Football in South Australia at this stage was yet to be organised by a single body, in 1877 Port Adelaide joined seven other clubs to form the South Australian Football Association, the first league of its type in Australia. It competed its first few seasons wearing magenta guernseys and white shorts, in 1878 the club hosted its first game against the recently established Norwood Football Club with the visitors winning 1-0. A rivalry between these clubs would soon develop into one of the fiercest in Australian sport, in 1880 the club moved to Alberton Oval. In 1881 the club played a team for the first time against Carlton at Adelaide Oval. Later that year the club travelled to Victoria and played its first game outside South Australia against Sale, during the 1882 season Port Adelaide overcame Norwood for the first time after nine previous attempts winning by 1 goal at Adelaide Oval. In 1884 Port Adelaide won its first SAFA premiership, ending Norwoods run of six premierships, on 25 May 1885, Port Adelaide played its first game at the MCG against South Melbourne, drawing with the eventual VFA premiers in front of 10,000 spectators. In 1887 immense interest led into the Round 8 meeting against Norwood as the two matches between the clubs resulted in draws. Norwood won in front of a then-record 11,000 spectators at Adelaide Oval, during 1889 the club played against the Richmond at Punt Road, with Port prevailing by a goal. The 1889 SAFA season ended with Port Adelaide and Norwood equal top, Norwood went on to defeat Port Adelaide by two goals. In 1890 Port Adelaide won its second SAFA premiership and would go on to be crowned Champions of Australia for the first time after defeating VFA premiers South Melbourne. During the 1890s Australia was affected by a depression and many players were forced to move interstate to find work translating into poor on field results. By 1896, the club was in crisis and finished last causing the clubs committee to meet with the aim of revitalising the club
4.
Prince Alfred College
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Prince Alfred College is a private independent, day and boarding school for boys, located on Dequetteville Terrace, Kent Town – near the centre of Adelaide, South Australia. Prince Alfred College was established in 1869 by the Methodist Church of Australasia, the school has enrolment of some 1,100 students from reception and educational year groups one to twelve, including some 140 boarders from years seven to twelve. Prince Alfred College launched its own kindergarten, Little Princes, in 1999, the college claims to have the largest Old Scholars organisation in the southern hemisphere. Prince Alfred College was named after Prince Alfred during his visit to Adelaide in 1867, Prince Alfred was one of the four sons of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The school has attracted many visitors since its foundation, including Queen Elizabeth II. The founders of PAC were determined that the traditions of John Wesley. Young Methodist men of the colony and PAC were encouraged to live disciplined, hard working and predominantly Christian lives, by the year of PACs foundation in 1869, the population of Adelaide was estimated to be the second highest in the continent. No South Australian country town, however, had a greater than 10,000. At the same time, nearly all the land in the city of Adelaide, across the parklands that surrounded the city were well established residential suburbs such as Kent Town and Norwood to the east and industrial precincts such as Hindmarsh and Thebarton to the west. The suburb of Kent Town, along with the city itself, in September 2005 it was revealed that the College held 70,000 shares in Coopers Brewery, received in a bequest. At the time, Coopers were the subject of a takeover bid by Japanese-controlled brewer Lion Nathan. At the same time, the College was involved in a $15 million redevelopment project and was appealing to parents, although Coopers made a counter offer of a share buy-back to those shareholders who may be wishing to sell, the college chose not to sell any of its holding. Samuel Fiddian 1869–1870 John Hartley 1871–1875 Frederic Chapple 1876–1914 W. R, the original and main campus is located in Kent Town, approximately 2 km east of the Adelaide city centre. The land, originally leased by Dr Benjamin Archer Kent from 1840 to 1859, however, it was not until 22 June 1969 that the college celebrated its inauguration, two years after the laying of the foundation stone by H. R. H. A feature of the college is the Main Building, which was built in three sections, the Waterhouse Wing was added in 1877, and increased the boarding accommodation, as well as providing an assembly room, and a science laboratory. The Cotton Wing, added in 1881, further expanded boarding space, the science hall was opened in 1891, and the Main Building was completed in 1889. The cast iron fence and railings around the front of the grounds were erected by 1905 by the NCP, the former residence of Alexander Dowie became the preparatory school in 1911. The school campus is divided by the building, with the preparatory school on the Flinders Street side of the school
5.
Adelaide Football Club (SAFA)
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The club bears no relation to the present Adelaide Football Club playing in the Australian Football League. The Adelaide Football Club was formed on Thursday 26 April 1860 at the Globe Inn Hotel and it was the first in South Australia, and initially only played matches internally, North v. South. J. B. Spence led one side and John Acraman the other, the first such match was played on the North Parklands on Saturday 28 April 1860. The club had its own game rules, the first recorded match against a rival club was played in 1862 against the Modbury Football Club on a strip of grass near the Modbury Hotel. Adelaide won the two goals to nil. The two teams met again the year, and the game was kept up with the greatest spirit and good feeling. In 1877 Adelaide captain Nowell Twopenney was influential in establishing the South Australian Football Association, in the SAFAs original season, Adelaide finished third, winning ten, losing three and drawing three of its 16 matches, and finishing with a goal differential of 18. Adelaide finished fifth out of seven teams in each of the two seasons, and last in 1880. The teams poor performances on and off-field forced the club to merge with Kensington for the 1881 season due to a lack of players. These problems continued, forcing the team to resign from the competition on June 1st 1881 after playing four matches. During the years 1882 to 1884, the club did not play in the SAFA, the club was re-formed before the 1885 season, combining with Adelaide and Suburban Football Association club North Park to again field a team in the SAFA. The new team finished last out of four teams in 1885, Adelaide was involved in an experimental night game played under electric lights at Adelaide Oval on 1 July 1885. It beat South Adelaide 1 goal 8 behinds to 8 behinds, after the triumphs of 1886 and 1887, very poor management led to the defection of many of the key members of the 1886 premiership team. These on-field performances and the clubs insolvency meant that Adelaide dropped out of the SAFA,18861877, John Young 1886, Richard Stephens
6.
Norwood Football Club
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Norwood Football Club, nicknamed, Redlegs, is an Australian rules football club competing in the South Australian National Football League in the state of South Australia. Its home ground is Coopers Stadium, which referred to as The Parade. It is one of the two traditional powerhouse clubs of the SANFL, the other being Port Adelaide, who together have won half of all SANFL premierships. The Norwood Football Club was formed at a meeting held at the Norfolk Arms Hotel in Rundle Street, Norwoods first home ground was in the east Park Lands near the tramway and opposite the Kent Town Brewery. Norwood played their first match at Adelaide Oval on 16 May 1878 against South Adelaide, Norwood went on to win the match 1 goal to nil, with Test cricketer George Giffen kicking Norwoods goal. During this match the players donned distinctive red stockings which gave rise to the nickname Redlegs, Norwood won a premiership in its first year of existence and then followed with five more in a row. Only Port Adelaide in the 1950s has managed to repeat the feat of winning 6 premierships in a row, Norwood eventually won 11 pennants between 1878 and 1899 and was the most successful team of the 1800s. In 1883, after winning the pennant for the successive year, Norwood became the first South Australian club to record a win over a Victorian team. In 1888, Norwood were proclaimed Premiers of Australia when they defeated South Melbourne in three matches at Kensington Oval, Norwood and Port Adelaide became famous rivals after a particularly tough qualifying finals match in 1894. Dalys goal tally would not be surpassed for another 37 years and his tally of 23 goals in one match has ever been equalled by the great North Adelaide goal shooter. Daly was widely regarded as the greatest South Australian footballer from 1877 to the close of the nineteenth century, the 1904 Grand Final was a memorable one for Norwood who were down by 35 points at three-quarter time against traditional rival Port Adelaide. Norwood was only two points down with a minute remaining, tommy Gibbons held a mark on a seemingly impossible angle. His kick sailed through the posts to give Norwood a four-point victory 9.8 to 8.10. Norwood would beat Carlton again in 1921, but on this occasion both clubs were runners up in their respective competitions. For his brief coaching stint, Thomas Leahy proved remarkably successful, leading the Redlegs to back to back premierships in 1922 and 1923, a feat that would not be repeated for 90 years. Walter Scott was captain-coach of the Norwood Football Club for five years, over a coaching stint of 12 years, Jack Oatey led the Redlegs to three premierships in 1946,1948,1950. The period spanning the 1951 and 1973 seasons, totalling twenty three years, was the clubs longest without a premiership, robert Hammond would lead the Redlegs to two premierships, one in 1975 and the other in 1978. In 1977, Norwood defeated East Perth for the NFL night series premiership, both of these clubs would later make bids to enter the VFL, East Perth in 1980 and Norwood in 1986
7.
West Adelaide Football Club
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West Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club in the South Australian National Football League. Commonly known as The Bloods and Westies, the home base is Richmond Oval. The Oval is located in Richmond, an suburb of Adelaide. The club has won nine SANFL premierships, the most recent coming in 2015 – breaking a thirty-two year premiership drought dating back to 1983, the second longest in the SANFL. West Adelaide was formed in 1892, adopting Magenta and White as their colours, the SAFA would subsequently become the SANFL. The club often struggled to field a team in its early years as clubs were then controlled by wealthy businessmen. West Adelaide was one of the clubs and consequently won only one of its first 31 matches. From the 1899 season the SAFA introduced district football in which players had to play for the club in the district where they lived, West Adelaide immediately gained the services of one of the best players of the time, Bunny Daly who threw himself into developing the club. Nonetheless, the club struggled and had won only twenty. James Sorry Tierney was the clubs first ever winner of the Magarey Medal in 1908, West Adelaide repeated as SANFL premiers in 1909 after defeating Port Adelaide by a goal in the Grand Final while Dick Head won the clubs second Magarey Medal. The club won its fourth premiership in five years in 1912 after again defeating Port Adelaide in the final before finishing their Golden Era with a third placing in 1913. After the SANFL resumed competition following World War I, West Adelaide would finish second in 1922, captain-Coach Bruce McGregor would not only lead his team to the premiership in 1927 but became the first West Adelaide player to win back to back Magarey Madals. Robert Snell, Jack Sexton and Ray McArthur also won the Magarey Medal while playing for the West Adelaide Football Club, an unexpected 112-point thrashing of North Adelaide in their last game of 1940, however, proved a true omen of what was to come in 1941. The Bloods carried all before them early in the season and after ten games had suffered only a draw, a slump ensued before the club required to finish third and beat Port Adelaide in the first semi before Sturt knocked the inexperienced Bloods out in the preliminary. Between 1942 and 1945 West Adelaide joined forced with Glenelg in a competition, finishing second, third. West Adelaide became one of the teams in the SANFL following the resumption of full-scale competition in 1945. The club finished third in 1946 before winning its sixth premiership in 1947 defeating Norwood 10.15 to 8.15. This was a reaction to a heavy but legal clash prior to the end of the half between Wests captain Brian Faehse and Ports Dave Boyd in which Boyd had come off second best
8.
South Adelaide Football Club
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The South Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club that competes in the South Australian National Football League. Known as the Panthers, their ground is Hickinbotham Oval. The South Adelaide Football Club is the second oldest football club in South Australia, South Adelaide was formed in 1875 and played their first game in June 1876, wearing blue caps and long white trousers. In 1896 they won sixteen and drew two of eighteen games, district football was introduced optionally in 1897 and became compulsory in 1899. With the loss of Reedman and Jones to North Adelaide, and after one season goalsneak Bos Daly to West Torrens in 1900 and this was exacerbated by the admission of Sturt in 1901. In 1915, South improved to second before lack of experience took its toll in the semi-final. It was generally known that South had a small share of the area zoned between eight league clubs, but the league committee refused to alter the status quo. In response to South Adelaide’s limited metropolitan recruiting resources, the club began a concerted country recruiting campaign during the 1930s and this bore spectacular fruit between 1935 and 1940. Under coach Vic Johnson, South Adelaide after a slow start played impressive football throughout 1935, jack Cockburn at centre half-back was the team’s star and won the Magarey Medal. After two more seasons in the finals, South Adelaide reached a point in 1938, losing only two games and swamping Port Adelaide with a 13-goal third quarter in the Grand Final. The blue and whites failed badly in the 1939 finals,1941 saw South slip to fifth with only six wins, but that could hardly have prepared them for the experiences of the following two decades after full-scale football resumed after World War II. Between 1947 and 1951 South won only seven out of eighty-six. Other clubs with greater financial resources duplicated South’s 1930s country recruiting campaigns, South Adelaide rose rapidly in 1964, losing only three minor round games before defeating Port Adelaide by 27 points in the Grand Final. It remained prominent for the two years of Kerley’s stint but failed to make the grand final. Took over the reins in 1975, however, on an appallingly windy day and muddy ground the experienced Port Adelaide, aided by winning the toss, were too good, winning 9-9 to 3-14. The Panthers fluctuated in yo-yo fashion under Bunton, never playing in two finals series before he departed to return to Subiaco after a sabbatical at the end of 1982. Under John Reid, South developed rapidly after a season and twenty-six successive losses during 1988. After this, the Panthers won only four games in the 2009 and 2010 seasons for their worst two-season record since the days of 1950 and 1951
9.
Sturt Football Club
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Founded in 1901 by the Sturt Cricket Club, the club initially struggled to make the finals, however in 1915 they won their first Premiership. After several decades of substantial finals appearanaces and a few wins, Sturt entered a period of success. Sturt has a total of fourteen premierships, eleven Magarey Medallists, Sturt wear Oxford and Cambridge Blue reflecting the street names on which their home ground is based. Sturt play their games at the 15,000 capacity Unley Oval. The club was established in 1901 when the Sturt Cricket Club decided to form a club in the Unley area in the Division of Sturt. Sturt played its first game against Norwood, losing by 33 points, Sturt enjoyed little success initially and struggled to make the finals. In 1909, the club was strengthened by a number of interstate players enticed by offers of employment and accommodation and in 1910, Sturt played in their first Grand Final, the first premiership came in 1915 with a two-goal Grand Final win over Port Adelaide. The competition was suspended during the First World War, being restablished in 1919 when Sturt faced North Adelaide in the Grand Final, despite giving up a big lead early, Sturt fought back and forced a draw. In a low scoring replay the following week, Sturt kicked its only three goals of the match in the last quarter to win by five points and secure consecutive premierships four years apart. Sturt won another premiership in 1926 defeating North Adelaide again by 64–51, between 1930 and 1941, Sturt played in five Grand Finals, winning in 1932 and 1940 when the team beat South Adelaide. From 1942 to 1944, Sturt combined with South Adelaide to compete in a wartime competition. From 1945 to 1961, despite the efforts of triple Magarey Medalist Len Fitzgerald, Sturt performed poorly, “winning” five wooden spoons, Sturt showed gradual improvement in Oatey’s first years, finishing 6th in 1963 and third in 1964. In 1965, it reached the final and before 62,543. Sturt’s 1967 and 1968 grand final wins were again at the expense of Port Adelaide, Sturt won the 1969 Grand Final beating Glenelg who had included the Richmond star Royce Hart for his only game for the club. Hart was eligible to play in the SANFL due to his posting to Adelaide as a National Service soldier, Sturt completed its fifth successive premiership with another win over Glenelg in a rain-affected 1970 grand final. The 1976 Grand Final win over Port Adelaide was dominated by ruckman Rick Davies, before a record Football Park crowd of 66,897, Sturt entered the final as rank outsiders. Davies, sensing early pressure from Port, positioned himself in the lines in the first quarter. In an often quoted anecdote, coach Jack Oatey turned to runner David Edwards and said, I didnt put him down there
10.
North Adelaide Football Club
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The North Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed the Roosters, is an Australian rules football club currently affiliated with the South Australian National Football League. The club plays its games at Prospect Oval, located in Prospect. The club was formed in 1888 as the Medindie Football Club, North Adelaides first premiership was won in 1900, and the club has won a total of thirteen senior premierships during its time in the league, most recently in 1991. Formed in 1888 as Medindie, in 1893 the club renamed itself to North Adelaide and it is the fourth oldest club still in operation in the SANFL. Although several other early clubs used the name of North Adelaide, North Adelaide started playing at Prospect Oval in 1922 and it has remained their home ground ever since. Ken Farmer – The Bradman of Goalkickers kicked 105 goals in 1930 to become the first SA League player to kick 100 goals in a league state and he was a prolific goalkicker, kicking 100 goals in a season in 11 consecutive seasons. Farmer also holds the record for the most goals in an SANFL match –23 against West Torrens at Prospect on 6 July 1940. Farmer scored ten or more goals in matches, and 1,419 goals in total over his career. North Adelaide’s other iconic player, Barrie Robran, played 201 League games for the Roosters and 10 State games and he won 3 Magarey Medals and is the only SANFL Legend in the Australian Football Hall of Fame. North Adelaide competed in the first match played at Football Park in round 5,1974, the match was won by Central District. The longest serving coach for the club is Michael Nunan –12 seasons from 1981 to 1992, the Captains record is held by Ian McKay, captaining the team for 8 years from 1948–1955. All contain the lyrics, but have been changed rhythm wise to keep up with the times. The lyrics and tune, by well known Australian singer/songwriter Johnny Mac, are the only completely written in the league. The most recent version was brought in during the early 2000s and its a great, great club, And the club we love, Were the good old red and whites. The mighty Roosters were called, All for one, one for all, each member provided a list of candidates for each position and the Committee then set about the arduous task of selecting the final team. The selected team was announced at a gala dinner held on 7 October 2000. The North Adelaide Football Club has named two of their past champions as Icons and they are, Ken Farmer - All-time leading SANFL goal kicker with 1,419 from 1929-41. Permiership player in 1930 and 1931, premiership coach in 1949 and 1952
