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Some Stars of the '53 Adelaide Carnival |
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|
John Leedham (Tas) - All Australian team |
Bill Hutchison (VFL) - All Australian team |
Merv McIntosh (WA) - Tassie Medallist |
Ted Henrys (VFA) - All Australian team |
Clayton Thompson (SA) - leading goal kicker |
The 1953 Adelaide carnival brought together the 5 section A sides only. Section B would be contested on an elimination basis the following year. Despite - or perhaps in part because of - the reduced programme of matches, the championships attracted record crowds, including 52,632 for the decisive match between the host state and the VFL, which remains (and is likely ever to remain) a record for an interstate match in Adelaide.
| Despite promising performances in 2 of their first 3 matches in
the carnival the South Australians, who had defeated the Big V in Adelaide in
both 1951 and 1952, wilted pathetically when confronted by genuine pressure in
the championship decider. In truth, as was increasingly becoming the case
in carnivals, the VFL side was much too accomplished and battle-wise for all the
other teams, and was never at any stage of any of its matches remotely at risk
of losing.
For the Western Australians, as for South Australia, the carnival was enormously disappointing, with the team never recovering from an opening day rout at the hands of the host state. Big Merv McIntosh's Tassie Medal was probably the only memorable feature of the championships for the sandgropers. Aside from the VFL's dominance the revelation of the carnival was provided by the 'other' Victorian team, the VFA. Only once, against South Australia, was it comfortably defeated, and even then it could not be said to have been outclassed. The inclusion of 2 Association players in the All Australian team was well merited. |
Champion Victorian goalsneak John Coleman is about to mark against South Australia during the decisive match of the Carnival. (Click to enlarge.) |
Tasmania only put in one performance of note, going within a couple of straight kicks of downing the South Australians. The Apple Islanders would be required to defend their elite status against the section B champions (which proved to be the Australian Amateurs) before the next carnival.
| Points | |||||||
| Pld | Won | Lost | For | Ag | % | Pts | |
| Victorian Football League | 4 | 4 | 0 | 484 | 163 | 296.9 | 16 |
| South Australia | 4 | 3 | 1 | 400 | 355 | 112.7 | 12 |
| Western Australia | 4 | 2 | 2 | 262 | 330 | 79.4 | 8 |
| Victorian Football Association | 4 | 1 | 3 | 275 | 334 | 82.3 | 4 |
| Tasmania | 4 | 0 | 4 | 215 | 454 | 47.3 | 0 |
| South Australia | Neil Davies (Glenelg), Len Fitzgerald (Sturt), Bob Hank (West Torrens), Jack Lynch (West Adelaide), John Marriott (Norwood), Clayton Thompson (Sturt) |
| Tasmania | John Leedham (North Launceston) |
| VFA | Ted Henrys (Preston), Frank Johnson (Port Melbourne) |
| VFL | Jack Clarke (Essendon), John Coleman (Essendon), Des Healey (Collingwood), Jack Howell (Carlton), Bill Hutchison (Essendon), Bob Rose (Collingwood), Bernie Smith (Geelong) |
| Western Australia | Jack Clarke (East Fremantle), Steve Marsh (South Fremantle), Merv McIntosh (Perth), Frank Sparrow (Swan Districts) |
| Placing | Player(s) | Votes |
| 1st | M.McIntosh (Western Australia) | 9 |
| =2nd | W.Hutchison (VFL), J.Leedham (Tasmania), G.Savory (VFA) | 5 |
1953 Adelaide Carnival: Leading Goalkickers
C.Thompson (South Australia) 17; J.Coleman (VFL) 15; B.Naylor (Western Australia) 14; W.Hutchison (VFL) 12
