1988 Adelaide Bicentennial State of Origin Carnival

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Some Stars of the 1988 Adelaide Carnival
Graham Cornes (SA) - All Australian team coach (click to enlarge)	Paul Roos (Vic) - All Australian team	David Murphy (NSW) - All Australian team	Ross Glendinning (WA) - WA team captain (click to enlarge)	Mark Motlop (NT) - star Nightcliff performer
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Barry Round (VFA) - VFA  team captain (click to enlarge)	Nick Burne (AA) - veteran Xaverians ruckman	David Pearce (Tas) - 'Mr. Versatility'	Tony Wynd (ACT) - multiple Mulrooney Medallist (click to enlarge)	Ray Sarcevic (Qld) - former Geelong star

Despite showcasing arguably the greatest collection of football talent ever assembled in one place, the NFL's 1988 state of origin carnival failed to capture the imagination of the Adelaide public, and attendances proved to be as derisory as some of the football was outstanding.  In effect, the carnival not only hastened the demise of the state of origin concept, it also probably helped smooth the way for the VFL's transition from the strongest state competition in the land, to - under the banner of the Australian Football League - the self-appointed 'guardians of the game'.

For the first and probably only time, all eight of Australia's states and territories, plus representative teams from the VFA and the amateur leagues of Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania ('Australian Amateurs'), competed in the same carnival, albeit in two separate grades, or sections.  The top section included football's three acknowledged 'superpowers' in the shape of South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia, with the fourth place going - a mite surprisingly, in the view of some - to New South Wales.  The remaining six teams contested section two.  The eligibility criteria differed slightly to those in use at previous state of origin carnivals in that "a player (was) now firstly eligible for selection with the state (or competition, in the case of the VFA) in which he was first registered after the age of 15" (see footnote 1).  An analysis of the ten carnival squads in terms of the leagues in which the players were currently competing makes interesting reading, and reaffirms the often forgotten fact that, prior to its metamorphosis into the AFL, the VFL was by no means Australia's only stamping ground for top quality football talent.

The surprise packets of the competition proved to be controversial section one contestants New Wales, and carnival debutants Northern Territory, competing in section two.  New South Wales began with a tenacious display against the host state, South Australia, which was not finally lost until late in the game, and then went on to score a thrilling 2 point win over Western Australia in the consolation final.  Meanwhile the Territorians, who undoubtedly benefited from the fact that the competition took place right in the middle of the 'northern' football season, outclassed Tasmania in their opening game, finished strongly to overcome Australian Amateurs in their semi final, and rounded off what had been a dream debut carnival by comprehensively outplaying reigning section two champions the VFA in the final.  

The major highlight of the competition, however, was the torrid section one championship decider between a South Australian team "anxious to justify its decision to stay out of the extended Victorian competition" (see footnote 2) and Victoria.  After the Victorians had booted the game's first goal, South Australia leapt into top gear and "methodically dissected the Big V for the third successive year" (see footnote 3).  The only disappointment was that there were fewer than 20,000 spectators at Football Park to see what was arguably South Australian football's finest moment since the state side's 1963 triumph over the VFL at the MCG.

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MATCH SUMMARIES

NT vs. Tas    AA vs. ACT    Vic vs. WA    VFA vs. Qld    NT vs. AA    SA vs. NSW    Tas vs. Qld    VFA vs. ACT    NT vs. VFA    NSW vs. WA    SA vs. Vic

DAY ONE - Wednesday 2 March at FOOTBALL PARK

Game One (Section Two - Preliminary Stage)

BEST - Northern Territory: D.Dunn, Vigona, Jones, Helyar, M.Rioli, M.Long, Ahmat   Tasmania: Nichols, Pritchard, Eade, Barwick, Armstrong

GOALS - Northern Territory: D.Dunn 5; Vigona 4; M.Long 3; Moscheni, Roe 2; Ahmat, M.Rioli, C.Dunn   Tasmania: Nichols 6; Plain 2; others uncertain

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Game Two (Section Two - Preliminary Stage)

BEST - Australian Amateurs: Botten, Miles, Beasley, Ischenko, Morrissey  ACT: James, Thompson, Allison, Bishop, Kennedy

GOALS - Australian Amateurs: Beasley 6; Botten 4; Morrissey 3; King  ACT: James 5; Allison 2; Kennedy, Sculley, Smith, Suckling, Tutt

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Game Three (Section One - Semi Final)

BEST - Victoria: Salmon, Weightman, Williams, Watson, Healy, Mew, Roos, Langford   Western Australia: Lamb, Laidley, Bairstow, Malaxos

GOALS - Victoria: Salmon 7; Roos 4; Osborne 2; Bews, Daicos, Harris, Healy, Smith, Watson, Williams   Western Australia: Lockyer 4; Annear, Buckenara, Dennis, Glendinning, Spalding, Worsfold

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DAY TWO - Thursday 3 March at FOOTBALL PARK

Game Four (Section Two - Preliminary Stage)

BEST - VFA: Ezard, Murphy, R.Evans, James, Chadband, Round, Wallace, Mourney   Queensland: Taylor, Gibson, Dunnell 

GOALS - VFA: Mourney, Murphy 3; Burgman, Ezard, Round, Wright 2; R.Evans, Fairley, James   Queensland: Crowley, Dunnell, Grimley, Maclure

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Game Five (Section Two - Semi Final)

BEST - Northern Territory: Rioli, D.Dunn, Ahmat, Hughes, M.Motlop, Wanganeen  Australian Amateurs: Morrissey, Obst, Ischenko, Curtain, Helyar, Gleeson

GOALS - Northern Territory: D.Dunn 7; Roe 2; M.Long, M.Motlop   Australian Amateurs: Beasley, Gleeson 2; Botten, Curtain, Miles, Summers

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Game Six (Section One - Semi Final) 

BEST - South Australia: Payze, McGuinness, Kernahan, Bradley, Platten   New South Wales: Wright, T.Daniher, Morwood, Thripp, Carroll

GOALS - South Australia: Lindner 4; Kernahan, McGuinness, Platten 2; Hall, Payze   New South Wales: Brownless, T.Daniher, Morwood 2; Bradmore, Hawke

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DAY THREE - Friday 4 March at NORWOOD OVAL

Game Seven (Section Two - Wooden Spoon Play Off)

BEST - Tasmania: Eade, Nichols, Armstrong, Webster, Goulding, Pritchard, Paton   Queensland: Crowley, McIvor, Mace, Taylor 

GOALS - Tasmania: Nichols 3; Armstrong, Parsons 2; Barwick, Goulding, Noye, Pearce   Queensland: Crowley, Dunnell, Dunstall, Maclure 2; Gibson, Willett

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Game Eight (Section Two - Semi Final)

BEST - VFA: Murphy, Wallace, Dudley, James, Ezard, Eade, Pastore, Marcon   ACT: Wynd, Barich, Kennedy, Killer 

GOALS - VFA: Ezard 3; Bergman, Mourney, Murphy, Pastore, Thornton, Wright 2; Dudley, Sheldon, Wallace   ACT: James 3; Allison 2; Barich, Kennedy, Smith

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 DAY FOUR - Saturday 5 March at FOOTBALL PARK

Game Nine (Section Two - Final)

BEST - Northern Territory: M.Long, M.Rioli, Ahmat, Jones, McLean, Briston   VFA: Wallace, Ezard, Wright, Martin, Round, O'Riley

GOALS - Northern Territory: D.Dunn 4; M.Long, McLean 3; Ahmat, Briston 2; Jones, P.Motlop, Vigona   VFA: O'Riley, Round 2; Bergman, Eade, Martin, Mourney, Thornton 

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Game Ten (Section One - 3rd Place Play Off)

BEST - New South Wales: T.Daniher, Thripp, Murphy, Cordy, O'Donoghue, Morwood   Western Australia: Mainwaring, Malaxos, Mifka, Buckenara, Laidley, Glendinning

GOALS - New South Wales: Scott, Thripp 2; Bradmore, Brownless, T.Daniher, Hawke, Morwood, O'Donoghue   Western Australia: Buckenara 2; Bairstow, Dean, Lockyer, Mifka, Richards, Scott, Wrensted

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Game Eleven (Section One - Final)

BEST - South Australia: Leslie, Mickan, Platten, McIntosh, Kernahan, McDermott, Bubner, Aish, Hall, Naley   Victoria: Roos, Healy, Silvagni, Madden 

GOALS - South Australia: Kernahan 6; Hall, Platten 3; Lindner 2; McDermott   Victoria: Morris 2; Osborne, Royal, Salmon, Weightman

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1988 All Australian Team

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1988 Adelaide Carnival: Tassie Medallist

Paul Salmon (Victoria)

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Footnotes

1. 'Football 200: the Official 1988 Carnival Programme', page 6. Return to Main Text

2. 'Football Times', 17/3/88, page 10. Return to Main Text

3.  Ibid, page 10. Return to Main Text