NORTHERN TERRITORY TEAM OF THE 20TH CENTURY

Half Forward Line

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Right Half Forward Flank - Gilbert McAdam (Claremont, Central District, Waratahs, St Kilda, Brisbane)

Hailing from the South Alice Springs Football Club, Gilbert McAdam was recruited by Central District in 1988, having previously spent a brief period with Claremont a couple of years earlier, and having also spent a time with Waratahs. In 1986, he was one of the NTFL representative side's best players in its 15.19 (109) to 14.6 (90) Australia Day win over Essendon at Gardens Oval.

Possessing the gait of a champion trotter, and the elusiveness of a roebuck, McAdam was following in the footsteps of his older brother Greg, who had been a star performer for North Adelaide, and who would join Gilbert at Elizabeth Oval in 1989.  While with Centrals, Gilbert McAdam formed one quarter of the 'awesome foursome', a quartet of highly talented aboriginal footballers which also included Phil Graham, Eddie Hocking and Derek Kickett.  

In 3 seasons with the Bulldogs, Gilbert McAdam played 73 games, winning both the club best and fairest award and the Magarey Medal in 1989.  In 1988-89 and 1989-90, he played once more for Waratahs in the NTFL.

Moving to St Kilda in 1991, McAdam gave frequent evidence of his talent in 53 games over the ensuing 3 seasons.  He ventured north to Brisbane in 1994, and gave good service for the remainder of an AFL career which came to an end in 1996 after a total of 111 games.

Despite a nagging feeling that he could have achieved more, Gilbert McAdam gave sterling service to 3 League clubs, and considerable delight to the hordes of supporters who follow the fortunes of each of them.

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Centre Half Forward - Eddie Fry (Wanderers, South Adelaide, Sturt)

Wanderers product Eddie Fry enjoyed the longest SANFL career to date of any Territorian.  Joining South Adelaide in 1975 he gave that club sterling service in 112 games culminating in the 1979 losing grand final, when he was most people's choice as the Panthers' best player.

In 1980 he was lured across to Sturt where he continued to perform well, winning the club's best and fairest award in 1981.  In 1983 he played in his 2nd losing grand final as the Double Blues crashed to West Adelaide by 34 points.  Just as in 1979, Fry proved he was a big game player with a formidable all round performance.

Equally at home at either end of the ground, or on the ball, Fry was selected to represent South Australia on 6 occasions having also represented the NTFL twice prior to his move to Adelaide.

After 153 games for Sturt, Eddie Fry retired at the end of the 1988 season. 

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Left Half Forward Flank - John 'Bubba' Tye (Darwin, Nightcliff, Norwood)

Had it not been for a brief, 6 game stint with Norwood in 1974, John Tye would have afforded the classic example of the 'stay at home' champion.  A Nichols Medallist in 1978/79 while with Nightcliff, Tye was also runner up in the same award, also with the Tigers, in 1973-74.  He played a total of 138 NTFL games, with 2 clubs, winning Nightcliff's best and fairest award in the same season as his Nichols Medal.

A regular member of NTFL representative teams, one of 'Bubba' Tye's proudest achievements was captaining the Territory to a superb 32 point win over Queensland in Brisbane in 1974.

A spectacular, high energy player, Tye was frequently seen to best effect when the chips were down, or when the stakes were at their highest.  For example, he was best afield, and recipient of the Chaney Medal, in appallingly wet conditions in Darwin's 1972-73 grand final defeat of St Marys, and again the following year when he booted 4 goals in Nightcliff's 3 point loss to Waratahs. 

Selected in the 1978-79 and 1979-80 'Northern Territory News' Teams of the Year, Tye was later selected by a panel of 20 independent judges as the greatest footballer to have played in the NTFL during the period 1974 to 1990, beating the likes of Michael Graham (5th), Arch Wilkey (7th), Michael Long (11th), Michael Athanasiou (12th) and Mike Poulter (15th) in the process, and prompting the judges to comment:

There are not enough superlatives to describe John Tye's football ability.  His inspirational play earned him the respect of all football followers.  His fierce attack on the ball sent shudders through all his opponents.  A brilliant mark and superb kick, to watch Bubba play would often give supporters goose bumps.  Preferring to stay in Darwin to pursue his favourite pastime, fishing, Bubba could have been one of the greats in either the SANFL or VFL.   (See footnote 1)

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Footnotes

1.  Quoted in A History of Australian Football in Darwin and the Northern Territory from 1916 to 1995 by David Lee and Michael Barfoot, page 156.  Return to Main Text